Selling a single family in Ball Square

If you own a single family in the Ball Square area of Somerville, there’s a good chance your property has seen tremendous appreciation over the last few years, thanks in large part to the new Ball Square green line T extension. I have seen this area boom over the last handful of years and buyer demand, particularly families (probably due to the close proximity to Lexington Park and the Somerville Community Path), seem to love this part of town. 

And yes, you can absolutely list your property with any agent and do little to no work and you will get a solid price and a quick sale. But I guarantee you, if you put forth a little bit of energy to maximize the true potential for your single family and market it to the right buyer (most of the time a young professional family in Ball Square, but not always), you will likely see a 3x to 10x return on the work. Below are a few items that often make sense but this will be situation dependent and in some cases will depending on how well you’ve kept up your property:

  1. Single families being sold in Ball Square really benefit from being listed in the spring, due to the close proximity to the bike path and Lexington park - when you list in the warmer months, buyers quickly realize the incredible accessibility of this part of town.

  2. If you have a backyard area, invest in making it stunning. Showing a private, backyard oasis can drive in massive amounts of interested buyers. I’ve seen so-so properties sell for outrageously high prices, due in large part to a stunning backyard.

  3. If you have smaller bedrooms, stage at least one of them as a kids room and go all out. A great stager can help transform a small office/storage zone into a dream kid’s room. And when families with small children see their kids fall in love with that space, it can have a serious emotional impact and result in more offers.

  4. Make sure your living room and kitchen area are on point. This might mean investing in some newer appliances, a fresh coat of paint, new light fixtures, and potentially other fixes. You want to ensure that these areas feel clean and turnkey so they draw in families and young professionals. Most buyers looking at single families in and around Ball Square are NOT looking to move in and do significant work in my experience.

If you have a single family in Ball Square and you’re considering a sale, let’s do a walkthrough together and I can give you a complete breakdown of all the work that needs to be done so you can maximize your return! Call me at 617-833-7457.