Making Buyers Feel at Home | Welcome Letter & Housewarming Gift
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From the moment we made an offer, the process of purchasing our new home wasn’t easy. The sellers weren’t as kind & welcoming as we would have hoped, but that just made me more anxious to wash the walls clean with white. I wanted to restore some of the homes original charm adding in traditional English elements, while making it brighter and airier then I was feeling inside. I can’t wait to show you the progress {& see it myself} next week!
For now, as I watch our belongings being packed, I’m spending my energy on welcoming the buyers of our home through a welcome letter & housewarming gift. I want to make their transition as effortless & fun as possible.
What to Include:
Welcome Letter: I started by writing them a welcome letter. Just a line or two with a list of resources & our favorite activities that we enjoyed in our backyard & neighborhood. It’s simple, but I’m offering it as a free printable should you choose to do the same when selling your home! I shared tips like how to access the creek & the “secret trail” that lies beyond it. This is also a great place to share things like how to care for countertops, garage door codes {so they can easily reset them}, etc. Sandy, of the Reluctant Entertainer created an adorable DIY map if the buyers are moving from out of town.
The basics: Keys & garage door openers. It seems so simple {& is usually required by contract}, but in the hustle & bustle of packing, don’t forget to set them aside.
Paint: I listed all of the paint colors in our welcome letter, but Jen of iheart organizing has a great printable paint chart as well! When possible, I think it’s kind to leave behind the paint, but listing paint colors & sheen can prevent buyers from having to repaint an entire space.
Instructions & Warranties: Warranties are often transferable. If you had a new roof or just installed new appliances, make sure to leave the details of those warranties with the buyers. Instructions for things like how to operate the sprinkler system can eliminate guesswork & added stress.
Supplies: Leave a roll of toilet paper, hand soap & a roll of paper towels for their convenience & a few bottles of water.
Extras: Is there something that adds a little to your home that you don’t necessarily need at your next home? Leave it for the home buyers {after checking with your realtor}. I have opted to leave the patio lights, lavender planters on our front porch & mirror in the walk-in closet.
Welcome Gift: Our realtor told us that the buyers have 2 girls around 7 years old. While moving is exciting, it can also be a difficult transition for children. To keep them occupied & excited about exploring their new home, I put together a welcome gift {coming soon}.
Do you have any additional suggestions? Have you left a housewarming gift to buyers before?
Sara says
We just sold our home and are bringing a s’mores gift basket for the new homeowners at closing (the house has a fire pit). I am also going to leave a welcome note, a bouquet of flowers and a welcome home sign on the front door. 🙂
Julie says
So sweet, what a warm welcome!
Alishia says
We are in the process of selling our home and a quick Google search brought me to your blog as I thought how nice it would be to leave a gift basket for the new owners! Great ideas and even though we have a small town and not even a local bakery, I’m still looking forward to putting together a gift basket with some herbal tea, local honey, and a some nice coffee mugs for a cozy first night in, since we are selling mid-winter. I’ll add a bit of hot cocoa in case they have littles and I think it’ll be super fun! ❤
Sharon says
My sellers left me a Duraflame log in the fireplace and champers in the fridge. I’m about to leave after 23 years and plan to pay it forward along with a hand knitted toy for their baby. They are new to this area. I like the idea of leaving them a short list of “best of” for our community.
Julie says
That’s so thoughtful of you!
Michelle says
Julie, I love these ideas! I did a couple searches in Google and your blog post came up. I tried searching within your blog, but didn’t find the follow up. Did you end up leaving a small gift behind for the children? I believe our buyer has a child. Thank you!
Julie says
I did! I ended up doing inexpensive totes filled with activity books, a butterfly catcher and other outdoor activities that would keep them occupied on moving day.
Jake says
We left the letter and one-offs list as well as two bottles of champagne on was non-alcoholic just in case.