Some real estate professionals profess that it’s 10 times easier to sell a house that the seller is not currently living in than an owner-occupied home. There are several advantages to this approach. Buyer agents’ showings could be increased, as it’s usually more efficient for real estate agents’ schedules to show unoccupied homes. If they have 20 homes to show and 5 are occupied, they may show the vacant homes first — or only — because it’s just easier. They don’t have to call and make an appointment. They can arrange with the seller or seller’s agent to go to the home and access it via the lockbox. Also, a homeowner isn’t interrupted at inopportune times to show the home. A seller doesn’t have to go to a neighbor’s, to the store, or lurk about the house while buyers are looking. Further, the seller isn’t under continual pressure to keep the home in immaculate showing condition and constantly spotless. With small children, this can be almost impossible. The home can be adequately staged, and set, for sale. There’s also a psychological benefit of moving out of your home while it’s on the market. It signals a motivated (but not desperate) seller to potential buyers. An occupied home, particularly one that looks well-lived in, won’t give the message that the seller is ready to negotiate and sell. If you’re planning on putting your home on the market, it can be an advantage to do so after you’ve moved into a new place. This way, prospective buyers can tell that you’re ready to sell and follow through with the deal. SELLING YOUR VACANT HOME Selling a vacant house requires taking that extra bit of care to ensure all details are perfect in order to guarantee every chance
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