Land Staging-The Four Steps

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Land Staging-The 4 Steps

I am often asked by agents and landowners what is involved in land staging. The process involves seven crucial steps which I will briefly explain in this article. They are as follows:

1) Collecting data
2) Determining highest and best use
3) Feasibility plan
4) Staging

#1) Collecting data. The first step is to collect data on the property including zoning, wetland, soils, topography, utilities, perimeter survey, easements, micro/macro market info, environmental, assessment information and legal issues. A site visit and walking the property is also essential as one may pick up crucial things that do not appear on maps (is that an old dump? Wow, look at those views!) This information establishes the basis for what you can do or not do with the land. There are a number of helpful websites and software that can provide much of the info.

#2) Determining highest and best use. Of course this is the most important element in land staging. What is the land best used for? This is often not what you might think. While it may be zoned for a 5 lot subdivision, possibly it has a higher market value as 2 lots with a tax deductable conservation easement or a high density affordable housing project that supersedes zoning density. A clear concept and specific location for the use(s) is a must.

#3) Feasibility plan. Once the use is determined a plan showing the location and how to get to it must be created. If it is two building sites, for example, we must show where exactly they are located, possible viewscapes or other enhancements, stream crossings, and driveway location. This will show us how the property will be staged and the plan can be used in the future for marketing.

#4) Staging. This involves the actual improvements to the land to show its inherent qualities to a buyer. It will also improve the property’s value as it shows highest and best use and delivers the customer to what I call the sweet spots. These are the areas of the land that sell the land (the building sites, the conserved area, the enhancements, etc.). The sweet spots must have convenient access to them such as a broker drive (a driveway good enough to get a broker and their customer to) or a walking path. Cutting viewscapes are a necessity as well as clearing the building site, providing walkways to other sweet spots (water assets, rock formations, open space, etc.). Finally, marking the property lines and other significant points that coincide with the feasibility plan is essential.

While no one can guarantee a sale, land staging will put a land parcel far ahead of the other land on the market that require imagination to figure out.