TO STAY OR NOT TO STAY?
Home sellers often ask whether they should stay in their home while it is on the market, or go. There are pros and cons to both factors that can tip the scale to one side or the other. If the seller has engaged a real estate agent, the burden of showing the home is virtually eliminated. The agent will field all calls and will set appointments or use a digital appointment showing program. (Keep in mind that a seller should not be in the home when any showings are taking place). Relatedly, the chances that a buyer’s real estate agent will eagerly want to show your home to prospective buyers are over 95% if your listing agent has done the marketing properly. Staying in your home while it is on the market does put continual pressure on you to keep your daily life from affecting the home’s pristine staging presentation. Moving out of the home while it is on the market eliminates the constant pressure to keep the home spotless and in immaculate showing condition. If you might be unwilling to keep the home in turnkey condition for showing purposes, consider vacating before putting the home on the market. There are situations in which it’s almost essential to vacate the home during the selling period—e.g., if the sellers’ home is simply too messy to show while the sellers live there. In either case, if the home is priced properly and presented and marketed properly, hopefully, the inconvenience of having to live in and keep the home pristine will be minimized with a quick sale. Reasons for messy homes vary. Some sellers are hoarders or packrats and their home reflects that behavior because boxes and
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