Why It is a Mistake When Selling Your House to Show Your House or Rooms Empty

Your moving across the city or country to a new home, for a whole host of reasons such as; new job, family, move up or down the property ladder however the problem of you haven’t sold your old home yet.

What do you do with your now VACANT property?

Statistically vacant homes on average sit on the market longer than furnished or occupied homes and usually attract less than market offers. Which translates to money spent on carrying costs (mortgage, utilities, security) or money lost in in a lower than market offer.

So why is it a mistake to show your home empty?

1. It is very hard for most buyers to understand the empty space when there is nothing else in the room. Vacant homes come across as cold and uninspired – therefore there is no emotion bond with the potential buyer.
2. When a room is empty, prospective buyers focus only on negative details instead of positively visualizing themselves living in the space. A worn floor-board can be the deal breaker if there is nothing else to focus on.
3. People can’t visualize how furniture will fit into an empty space and if they are unsure if their furnishings will fit – they will most likely move on to another home
4. People just don’t buy bricks and mortar – they buy warm and inviting homes.

and finally….

When a house or rooms are empty, buyers often get distracted from looking at the home and instead they start thinking or discussing between themselves:

-Are they selling because they have money issues?

-Did they have to leave town for a reason?

-Are they having marital problems/divorce?

None of these may be true – however as the seller you don’t want them to conclude – How desperate are they – can I “low ball” an offer to them?

Homeowners can eliminate these mistakes by taking advantage of Home Staging Services. When you hire a a Professional Home Stager you are giving yourself and your house that competitive edge against the other homes on the market.

Home Staging maximizes the positive features of your house and bridges the emotion connection between your house and the buyer necessary to motivate the buyer into making an offer.

Consider vacant Home Staging as a much more affordable option to taking a gamble and letting your vacant house just sit on the market until it sells.

James Hannah is the Principal Home Design Consultant and Owner of James Hannah Design Studio President of the Toronto Chapter of the Real Estate Staging Association

James Hannah Design Studio is a full service Home Staging and Home Design Consultation Firm located in Toronto servicing the Great Toronto and Southern Ontario Area Call us today discuss your current or future Home Staging Project http://www.jameshannah.ca in Toronto Ontario (416-992-1341)