emotional bond with the property. Vacant houses (as opposed to unoccupied houses from which the seller has temporarily moved out to list and market) take longer to sell than occupied houses. Buyers need to see the house as a home, and if it’s empty, it’s merely a shell of a home. Vacant rooms can look much smaller than they actually are. It’s difficult for potential buyers to visualize how their furniture will fit in a space if they have no furniture to visualize in the space. The best tip for home selling is to create the best possible first impression. A vacant house doesn’t present a subtle suggestion for how to arrange the buyer’s own furniture and other amenities inside the home. Be sure to stage the home, using some good furniture, rugs, lighting decorations, and wall art as accents to enable the buyers to imagine living there. When presented with an empty space, buyers are prone to focus on the negative aspects of the property, including wall cracks, missing or chipped paint, small repairs undone, the outline of the couch on the rug, and other distractions. A well-staged home can help cover up the small bothering issues. The importance of staging is seen by a real estate firm study showing that fewer than 10% of potential buyers can visualize the true potential of a home. Nine out of 10 people personally visiting your home can’t imagine the possibilities that the property can present them. Show those possibilities to them with strategic staging. Not Getting The House Appraised An appraisal by a professional home appraiser is a critical tool in selling a vacant house. Having one prior to listing the home is helpful in setting the listing price, working with
105
Powered by FlippingBook