Should I Stage my Vacant Home?

Are you selling your home and it is vacant? Selling a vacant home can be challenging. Often times the photos are not reflective of how the room is utilized. There can be some challenges when selling a vacant home. You may ultimately decide to stage the home!

Should I stage my vacant home?

Be Objective!

It is important to take any personal emotion out of selling your home!
Even though you may have years of memories with the home, you need to change your thinking and understand that it has become a business transaction. Selling a home may be the biggest financial transaction that you ever complete!

Take a walk through the home, and study it as if you were a buyer. I often tell sellers to think like a buyer! Ask yourself, would you buy the home yourself? If the answer is no, then it is time to get the home ready to sell so that you can sell it in the shortest amount of time for the most money.

Defects are Obvious

You do not want to use furnishings to cover up any defects that may exist in the home. If there are defects, then it is imperative that a seller disclose all material facts about the home to a buyer.

Defects will stand out in a vacant home. They will be obvious. If the paint is uneven and there are holes in the walls, your eye will go straight to that. If the carpet is not clean or threadbare, it is going to appear to a potential buyer that the home is in disrepair. If there are cosmetic defects, then a buyer may assume the major systems of the home have been neglected.

Fix it Up!

A good investment in selling a home is to add a fresh coat of paint. Patch holes from where prior wall art was displaying, and painting a neutral color is ideal (generally white). Don’t be trendy because you are selling the home. Keep in mind, you want to be neutral to appeal to the masses.

Take a look at the carpet and consider replacing it. Or if you have tile floors, and the grout is discolored, consider having the home deeply cleaned. Evaluate the systems of the home including the HVAC. Look to see if you have any faucets dripping or leaking. Look under sinks and see if there is any moisture at all. Also, consider the hose bib and make sure that is not leaking or dripping. Homebuyers will notice that as they walk up to the front door!

You can even update lighting fixtures very inexpensively from local hardware stores Lighting makes a big difference and having a new fixture makes a room look nice!

Vacant Homes are Difficult to Photograph

It is very difficult to differentiate one room from another if they are all vacant. Buyers may not be able to figure out how the room is supposed to be utilized without furnishings. Bedrooms all look the same when a home is vacant.

Remember, the first place a potential buyer is going to view your home is online. So having a bunch of pictures of walls with carpet may not be the best first impression.

Consider Staging the Home

Whether you hire a professional stager or you pick up some decent furnishings, having nice furnishings adds to the home. Staging allows a buyer to understand how a room is used. You may have an office in the front of your home, but how else can it be utilized?

Discuss with your Realtor about staging the home. Most staging companies will get paid when the home sells.

Final Thoughts

Taking the time to prepare your home to sell will make a huge difference when selling. Ensuring that the deferred maintenance has been addressed, and adding a fresh coat of paint will be appealing to buyers. You may want to consider staging the home and remember that can get paid when escrow closes.