How to Keep Your Vacant Home "Show Ready"

Ideally, many of us would like to have our current home sold before we actually move into a new one, but life doesn’t always work out the way we plan. Therefore, it’s important to understand how to keep your home looking attractive to buyers if you have to move before it’s sold.

SENSORY ISSUES

Yes, buyers want your home to look as perfect as possible. While not everyone expects a complete turn-key home, a lot of house hunters will still have a hard time overlooking the normal flaws that occur when all of your furniture is moved out—i.e. marks on the carpet from heavy items, notches on the wall from pictures, etc.

Additionally, homes that remain vacant for an extended period of time often adopt a stale smell from the lack of air flow. If the windows and doors are rarely opened, air within the home becomes stagnant, which encourages odors that may make it difficult to sell.

Therefore, to help encourage buyer interest, it’s wise to start by consulting the advice of an experienced Realtor who can help you make the most cost-effective decisions. From there, making a point to hire a professional cleaning crew to not only get any oft-neglected nooks and crannies, as well as someone to shampoo your carpets, is a smart investment. Additional considerations include repainting any walls or rooms that need more than a touch-up, and making minor repairs to things such as loose hardware, shaky stair railings, and squeaky door hinges.

In regards to furniture, if you can afford it, hiring a staging company can be a smart move since the home will most likely sell faster and for a higher price. Since the majority of potential home owners start their search online, empty rooms tend to produce relatively unattractive photos, while also suggesting to buyers that you are desperate to sell—and desperation often leads to lower bids.

CONDITION ISSUES

While vacant homes have a few pros which revolve around their ease of showing—special arrangements don’t need to be made with family members and there are never things like dirty dishes in the sink—there are still larger issues to consider which far surpass simply sights and smells.

Without human involvement, buildings break down surprisingly fast, which means your vacant property is at the mercy of the elements unless you make a point to perform a bit of continuous structural upkeep.

To protect its integrity, make sure preventative measures are taken to stop destructive things such as leaks, frozen pipes, and insect infestation. If the house is going to be sitting all winter, it’s wise to set the heat to low and if it’s going to be sitting all summer, it’s smart to keep some cool air circulating. To protect against unwanted vermin, utilize the services of an exterminator who can keep your property protected, and in an effort to retain your curb appeal, make sure to have someone tend to your lawn.

While these services can be completed by professionals, other budget-friendly options involve asking a family member or friend, or even the teenager down the street for help. It doesn’t take much for someone to regularly check up on your property or to mow the lawn, so get creative and manage your resources.

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, conducting upkeep on your vacant home isn’t simply about getting it sold as quickly as possible—it’s about protecting your investment. Homes involve large financial transactions, so making sure it remains structurally and visually sound is important.

If you’re in the process of moving and have yet to sell your home, please feel free to contact me for assistance.

Pam Evans | Hello Pam Evans | www.HelloPamEvans.com | 678-778-6551