Throughout history, people have taken pen to paper to express their love for one another. From famous writers to our country’s leaders, this long-held tradition of writing about how you feel is a universal experience. After all, what’s better than receiving a letter telling you how great and loved you are?
Love letters are popular for a reason — they work. You can put that magic to good use in a variety of situations throughout your life, one of which includes buying your dream home. The rapidly beating heart and fluttering stomach you feel when you first tour your dream home is not unlike the feeling of true love, so treat it as such! A love letter to the seller is your opportunity to pour your heart out and explain exactly what it is about this home you love so much. It can even put you ahead of the competition if your home has many potential admirers.
Once you’ve found the perfect real estate agent and your dream home is within reach, you’ll want to get started on a letter to the seller as soon as possible. And if you’re unsure of your ability to express your love fully, no worries. We’ve got you covered.
Why write a letter to the seller?
If you’re facing stiff competition when putting in an offer on your home, writing an offer letter can help give you that extra edge you need to get your offer accepted. While cash offers and high down payments are undoubtedly enticing, many home sellers want their buyers to care for their home as much as they have over the years. This is where a letter to the seller can come in handy, as you can create a personal connection that may matter more than a higher offer from other interested buyers.
House Tour Questionnaire
Before you start writing, you should have a good idea of what exactly you love about the home. But if you’re touring a lot of homes in a short period of time, it can be easy to get them confused with one another.
Try using the downloadable questionnaire below to take notes on each home’s favorite features to keep things organized. That way, once you know how many letters you plan to write, you have a document to turn to that will make the writing process a breeze.
Tips on writing a letter to the seller
Just like a love letter, a letter to a seller can backfire if you don’t approach it in the right way. While you don’t need to worry about reciprocated feelings, you do need to respect the updates they’ve made to their home.
Instead of focusing on the changes you plan to make or the timeline you need a response by (which can turn off sellers), your letter should introduce your family to the buyer. Many sellers want to feel good about the next generation moving into their homes, so creating that personal connection and being able to explain your offer amount will help give them the assurance they need. Follow the tips below to make sure you can write a winning letter.
1. Make it personal
Bringing a personal element into your letter is crucial for establishing a connection with the seller. Tell them about your family, pets, children and even your job to help them learn more about the potential new owners of their home. While touring the home, if you notice any similarities between you and the seller (such as you both have kids or enjoy kayaking), or you have other reasons why your family would be perfect for their home, make sure to include that in the letter.
2. Keep it simple
While you should write a personalized letter, you don’t need to tell the sellers your entire life story. The best letters are kept short and simple, ideally not more than one page. Instead of talking about all the things you love in each and every room of the home, pick one or two main features you like and discuss them in detail.
3. State your intention
Letting the homeowners know what you plan to do with their home is great, but it can backfire depending on your plans. If you want to live there for decades, or it’s a second home you plan to have plenty of fun vacations with your family, definitely include those in your letter.
But what can potentially turn off a homeowner is discussing your plans to rent out the home to strangers, completely gut and remodel the home or sell it within the next few years. If that’s the case, a letter to the seller might not be the best option for you. Instead, focus on putting together a strong offer.
4. Highlight what you love
Though it’s a good idea to look at both the pros and cons of every home you tour, your letter should only focus on the positive. When writing, try to paint a picture of the fun times you can see yourself having in the new home, such as family dinners in the dining room or game nights in the backyard. You can even expand what you love past the home itself to things such as the neighborhood, the local businesses or the city itself.
Some ideas on what you can highlight include:
- The size of the backyard
- Proximity to parks or restaurants
- The layout of the kitchen
- The number of bedrooms
- Your favorite appliance or feature
- The neighborhood
- The amount of natural light
- The city (if new to the area)
5. Proofread
Once your letter is ready to go, make sure to give it one more read to check for spelling and grammatical errors. It’s also a good idea to let your realtor read it before sending it to the owners, as they have seen plenty of letters throughout their career and can offer insight on how to make sure your letter stands out.
Letter to seller templates
Whether you plan to go a more formal route with your letter to the seller, or you want to focus on your family, use these downloadable letter to seller templates to make getting the house of your dreams that much easier.
Popular, well-priced homes don’t stay on the market for long. If you’ve found the home you love, especially if you know there are multiple offers on the table, you should do everything you can to help tip the scales in your favor. Once you’ve written a convincing letter and secured the perfect home, it’s important to protect it properly. Find out your insurance score and get home insurance with us. Then, get ready to host the ultimate housewarming party.
