Posted on September 21, 2009
Many people think it's simpler to move out of their home before
selling it while others find themselves doing it by default,
because they have already found another home. But selling an empty
home should be avoided where possible.
It's hard for an empty house to ooze charm or vitality. And few
prospective buyers are good at visualising a house's charm
potential. Empty houses usually take twice as long to sell and
often sell for less. After all, people don't buy houses they buy
homes. In other words, when they walk into a property for sale,
while their heads are looking at features and benefits, their
hearts are engaged only when the atmosphere makes them feel at
home. If their hearts aren't engaged, the fact that the features of
the property add up on paper rarely makes a sale happen.
Empty houses also make it hard for people to do decide whether
their furniture will work. Without chairs or sofas to indicate size
and scale, how can they make the translation from their current
living room to the one they are looking at? If there are, say, two
two-seater sofas, buyers can quickly make comparisons with their
own living room without resorting to time-consuming measurements
when they are simply trying to form their early impressions.
Uncertainty makes people lose interest, especially when the house
isn't sending out lifestyle vibes that engage their emotions.
Above all, when the house is empty, prospective buyers tend to
focus on negative details. It is all too easy to see chips or
cracks when there are no paintings, furniture or window coverings
to take their attention and camouflage imperfections.
If you have to move out, it's worth contacting a home staging
company (available in most cities these days) whose services
include moving in furniture and accessories to make a house look
like a home. The costs will be worth it in the long run, as the
house will sell faster for a better price.