Home owners don't realize how much harder a vacant home is to sell. In today's market, you have to win the beauty contest. Vacant houses simply underperform staged homes and the increased sales price provides an excellent return on what staging costs. Choosing to stage your home should be an easy decision in today's market.
Take a look at its top five reasons why selling a vacant house is often a mistake in today's market:
1. People don't simply buy houses; they buy the next chapter of their lives.
This is an emotional experience and emotion influences what people buy and how much they will pay. Vacant houses are devoid of life, and the chance to make an emotional connection is lost.
2. Vacancy distracts buyers from looking at the house itself.
They wonder: "Is this a divorce? Why did they move out? Are they selling because they have money problems? Is this home hard to sell?" They'll make a low-ball offer, thinking the owner is desperate.
3. When a house is vacant, buyers focus on flaws.
They look at nail holes, carpet wear and gaps in the molding rather than how the space works. In a vacant house, floors, walls and ceilings are all buyers see. This drives the price down.
4. People can't visualize how furniture fits.
An empty bedroom might appear awkward or a living room might seem cavernous. Some spaces might confuse buyers because a use is not obvious. Buyers are derailed and move on to the next house.
5. Vacant houses don't show as well as staged and occupied homes.
Without people, even the best home quickly looks and smells vacant. Dust settles, leaves scatter, and stale smell spreads. These cues often shorten the showing time, leading to fewer sales.
Hi Elayne ~ Your comments are spot on! It's so especially hard not only when the home is vacant but when the utilities are off as well. Being empty, cold and unlit just make the poor homes so much harder to sell!
@ Kerry...Thanks for your comment. It's so nice to hear from an agent who totally understands the business!
Hi Elayne ~ I definitely understand it and I very much respect your home staging profession. Thank you for helping spread the word about how to most effectively sell homes! :)
Thank you for posting and sharing your very informative article.
Wishing you continued success.
@ Constantine..Thank you! I hope you can use these talking points with your sellers.
Very good points Elayne!
Good post, Elayne. All so true.