Vacant home doesn’t have to be a hard sell!
During the year, we have the opportunity to visit hundreds of homes, working with buyers and sellers, previewing properties, participating in office tours or attending open houses and model homes. This is a big and important part of our job – knowing the market – and it can also be the most interesting. Obviously we get to see homes in all price ranges, in all locations and in all conditions – from good to better and from bad to worse.
One thing we have noticed recently is a large number of vacant homes on the market and herein lays one of the biggest challenges facing Realtors – the marketing of a property with a vacant home. This occurs most often when a seller has accepted a job in another area and must relocate prior to the home being sold or when the seller’s new home across town is ready and the present home is still on the market or, unfortunately when the owners have lost their home to foreclosure.
Sellers do not like to leave a vacant home for good reason:
* A vacant house may imply that the owner is carrying two mortgage payments and may be desperate for a fast sale.
* A vacant home can be a target for vandalism.
* A properly furnished and well decorated home will be more attractive and show better than a vacant home.
What can be done? A vacant home presents certain challenges but it does not need to be difficult to sell and it certainly shouldn’t imply that the seller is desperate. Sellers should employ some or all of these strategies to hasten the sale of a vacant property and protect it during the process.
* Give the house a lived-in look to thwart any unwelcome visits. Set a couple of lamps on timers, and have a neighbor or friend check on the house often to take in mail, park a car in the driveway, and close and open drapes and windows.
* Continue using a gardening service or hire someone to cut the grass regularly. During the winter months, arrange to have snow shoveled from the walks and driveway.
* If you remove the furniture, have the house cleaned and painted. Furniture, rugs and decorations tend to hide or minimize imperfections. When furniture and artwork have been removed, every blemish and bruise becomes accentuated, faded paint and wallpaper become more noticeable and scratches and nicks stand out.
* Repaint brightly and boldly colored rooms to a neutral tone. What was an eye-popping room when fully furnished may appear stark and small when empty.
* Leave the utilities connected. Depending on the season, make sure the thermostat in the house is set at a comfortable level. You don’t want a potential buyer to run through the home because it is too hot or cold.
* Arrange with a maid service to dust, vacuum and clean on a regular basis. A clean, spotless home is much more attractive than a dirty, tired property.
* Leave behind a few select pieces of furniture and keep the window treatments in place. Instead of producing a spacious appearance, an empty room tends to look smaller than a furnished room. A chair or lamp on a small table will confer a sense of scale and help potential buyers gauge whether their furniture will fit the space.
* Review your homeowner’s insurance policy with your insurance agent to find out what the stipulations and coverage are for your vacant home.
* If available in your area, consider employing a home manager or house sitter. At little or no cost to homeowners, the house is furnished and decorated for show-to-sell condition. Most companies require home managers to mow the lawn, shovel snow, and even pay pool maintenance and utilities. Having someone living on site discourages vandalism, protects against deterioration and weather hazards and may even reduce insurance costs. (Check with your insurance carrier.) Using a service of this kind may help you sell the house faster and at a better price, while relieving you of property management duties. Search the Internet for professional house sitters in your area.
* Consider hiring a professional home staging company. These people will work to stage your home and can supply furniture, pictures and other décor items and amenities to show your home in the best possible way.
* Find a real estate professional with experience selling vacant houses. Very often, these sales professionals specialize in relocation. You want to make sure that you are comfortable with your lines of communication. If you will be residing in another town, come up with an agreement on how often your representative will check on the home and what should be done if a problem develops.
Properly presented, your ‘vacant’ home can compete with most any other property on the market.