How to Sell a House in a Rural Area

There are benefits and drawbacks to selling a house in a rural area. A lack of traffic and infrastructure is one drawback, but a sense of privacy and serenity is a benefit. Selling a house in a rural area is different than selling a house in an urban area. If you want to sell your rural house, there are some things you can do to make it sell easier.

Clean up the property. Tear down old barbed wire fence and trim weedy fence lines and ditches. Get rid of old farm equipment or junk lying around the property. Rural areas tend to be lax on their property maintenance rules. Don't let your house be one of the eye sores on the road. Make it stand out as a gem.

Flaunt it's rural feature. Don't hide the fact that you live in a rural area. When you advertise your house, let people know it is peaceful, quiet and a nice place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Advertise in the nearest big city's newspaper. Let's face it, you're not going to get much word of mouth in a rural town with a thousand or less people. Advertise your property in the nearest city's newspaper to reach people who might want to get away from the crowded town.

Give clear instructions on how to get to your house. There is nothing more frustrating than driving around gravel roads looking for the one house on 578th Street. When you write your advertisement, or when you talk to people on the phone about your house, give them clear driving instructions. Tell them how many miles they will drive on which roads.

Make sure your home is well marked. Rural area homes are notorious for being poorly marked. Place a large address number on the outside of your house. It is very helpful, as well, to place an address number right by the drive on the road. If you have a for-sale sign, make sure it is always in clear view from the road.

Tips

  • You will have better luck if you list your rural house with a realtor. Although you will have to give a percentage of your selling price to the realtor, it will sell quicker at a higher price.

Warnings

  • Don't get frustrated if your home sits on the market for 6 months to a year. In many rural areas, this is quite normal.