Heading into the shoulder months, many parks may be thinking about their marketing for the year ahead, or tackling some of the jobs they don’t tend to have time for when the season is in full swing.
Whatever the time of year, it’s important that the park presents itself well, not just in terms of marketing material, but also the impact it makes when a potential buyer visits for the first time.
Dress Packs are experts in this field, working on a range of diverse accommodation types for holiday parks, and dressing holiday homes for manufacturers for shows and events. From a park perspective this can mean making sure showground models are sales-ready for open weekends, and that the sales office also helps perform to make a great first impression with buyers. It can also mean prepping owner welcome packs in their homes for the exciting moment when they take ownership, as buyers who have also ‘bought in’ to the park and holiday home buying concept often re-share and become a great form of free advertising as ambassadors for the park.
Tracy says; The old adage that you never get a second chance to make a first impression is more relevant in holiday home sales than ever. It’s never been harder to get potential buyers to parks than in the current environment, so every incoming lead should be valued and treated as a potential sale. That means that what visitors to any park need to feel is that they could imagine themselves on the park or in any holiday home they explore there. If they can’t, they’ll often carry on looking until they feel that sense of belonging somewhere else. ”
So, what do park sales teams need to consider? Tracy says; “If a potential buyer is starting their search, they will most likely already have taken a look at manufacturer websites, visited the odd show, and researched a shortlist of parks to look at in their primary target area. So, the park will be in competition with others, and they may have arranged visits to a number of parks while in the area. When they’ve seen homes online or at shows, they will have seen them fully dressed, so that is already their subconscious or conscious expectation of what their potential holiday home might look like. An undressed home will therefore be likely to leave them cold, and less likely to imagine themselves owning it.”
FACTORING IT IN
Tracy continues; “What we’re encouraging parks to do is to factor in the cost of staging to their home preparation costs. They may spend 1000’s on the plot and decking, but the staging costs also need to be factored in, and the dressed home is not only likely to sell quicker, but it should command a stronger price.”
As Dress Packs works with a number of manufacturers, they are used to organizing packs for a range of models to enhance their sales potential, and can also add memorable touches to personalise the holiday home to the park or location.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Speaking recently at the BH&HPA area conference for Cornwall Tracy highlighted how one of the common misconceptions about using a dress pack/home staging provider is that it will be expensive, however they can work to any budget, and if that’s factored in to the plot preparation price it will pay for itself on purchase. Unlike other providers, the Dress Packs sets are not standard, they are customised to the park’s needs, which can actually make them more cost effective, and enhance the home more than an off the shelf option.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
She says; “Nearly every park has a generic store cupboard somewhere full of bits and bobs they pull out to try and make the homes look more presentable, but they can be full of random, tired items that don’t necessarily match the home design. However, the best way that park owners and managers can support their sales staff is to let them do their job – they are not necessarily designers so unless you have someone eager to dress the homes don’t make them do it! Design and dressing experience will ensure the home is enhanced to its maximum potential within a set budget, and with us that also means making the most of buying power and avoiding wasted expenditure, too. A well-dressed home will give sales staff all the tools they need to sell, without distraction.”
THE BEST TIME TO BOOK
So, when is the best time to get your holiday home staging sorted? Tracy says; “Ideally when a park knows a model is reserved and in the manufacturing process or on the way in – that’s the best point to book in with us. Then we can have the packs ready for when the siting process has finished and it’s ready for propping and cleaning. Then it will be ready for marketing, and at it’s full potential ready for the sales process as quickly as possible ready for potential buyers to snap up!”
DID YOU KNOW?
Dress Pack Solutions also dresses parks for seasonal events and occasions? Not only will they create a buzz and atmosphere around current events but it creates visuals for future event marketing!
DO YOU SUBLET YOUR HOLIDAY HOME?
If you do, do you budget to visually refresh your home intermittently? It may help with short stay promotion, and previous visitors to your unit may feel more like returning if it’s kept up-to-date and well looked after!
CHECKLIST:
IS YOUR SHOWGROUND READY?
Does the sales office look inviting and could it look better?
Is the office lit and open even when the rest of the park is closed out of season? Where would a buyer visiting ad hoc go?
Is there relevant information for a buyer to take away with them?
INSIDE THE SHOWHOMES:
Are they well-dressed to help the buyer imagine themselves in them? If not, why not?
Are the lights on ready when you take a potential buyer in?
What does it smell like? Do you need to sort out the drains or add diffusers or scented items?
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
E: info@dresspacks.co.uk
T: 01288 321185
