At the end of the day, people aren’t just buying a house, they’re buying a home and a lifestyle and most of us find it difficult to make an emotional connection when the property is devoid of all signs of family life.
Additionally, if there are any maintenance issues or signs of neglect, these will be much more obvious than they would be in a furnished family home that shows all the signs of life.
It’s not all bad news
There are, however, also a couple of advantages to showing an empty home that sellers should capitalise on:
1. Vacant homes allow for quick and unhindered access for short-notice viewings and show days;
2. If a buyer is looking for a home to renovate, it’s easier for them to see the bones of what they are buying and also to envisage what needs to be done when all the basic structures are visible.
Downplay the vacancy and showcase highlights
Fully staging a home is one solution, but it’s a costly, laborious and time-consuming exercise that few can afford and isn’t necessary if you know which elements are most important.
There are several inexpensive staging tricks you can use to make an empty home seem more inviting - you just need to pay attention to detail and add a few props to transform a vacant shell into a potential home.
1. Keep the utilities on: Having lights on during a viewing will add warmth to the property and on a practical level, potential buyers will want to check that light switches and fitted appliances are working.
2. Maintain curb appeal: Don’t allow the garden and house exterior to start looking unkempt. Remember that these are the first aspects of your home a buyer sees and also when first impressions are formed. You can also stage the area by adding a couple of plant pots, a new welcome mat or giving your front door a fresh coat of paint.
3. Rug strategy: A couple of well-placed rugs will help to define spaces, especially in open plan areas as well as adding a splash of colour and warmth. Ensure that the size of the rug you put down is proportionate to the size of the space.
4. Neutral walls: Boldly coloured rooms are off-putting to many people and they also make it harder for potential buyers to imagine their own belongings in a space.
5. Occasional tables and lamp accessories: These create warmth and help to define a space without blowing your budget.
6. Mirror, mirror on the wall: Well-placed mirrors will brighten and lighten a room and, if strategically, they bounce light, reflecting it around the room and making everything feel that much more open and spacious.
7. Dress the bathroom: Softened the cold, stark surfaces with a few simple and inexpensive additions like neatly folded fluffy towels, quality hand soap and lotion and a small bunch of colourful flowers.
8. Kitchen-wise: Pop a toaster and a kettle on the kitchen countertop to show off counter space and visibly display a spice rack to help the viewer imagine creating family meals in the space.
9. Floral welcome: A vase or two of fresh, sweetly scented flowers, especially at the entrance, will make the home seem more inviting.
10. Make sure all the small repairs are done: Take care of leaky taps, broken door handles, replace missing light bulbs and fill in wall cracks so that prospective buyers don’t start wondering what else could be wrong with the property.
Security measures
Vacant properties are at risk of being broken into or vandalised which would not only be a costly inconvenience, it could also cost you the sale of your home so ensure you take the necessary safety precautions.
1. Inform the neighbours: Let your immediate neighbours know that your home will be vacant for a time and also that it is for sale. Also inform the neighbourhood watch group and ask them to keep an eye out for any unusual activity.
2. Install a home security system: If the home does not currently have a security system, install one. This could also increase your property’s value as security is a top priority for most home buyers these days,
3. Update your insurance policy: Does your policy cover a vacant home and does it include cover for Vandalism and Malicious Mischief Coverage once you have moved out?
4. Timed and motion activated lighting: Motion activated lights are excellent deterrents as are lights on a timer to give the appearance that someone is home in the evening.
5. Clear the mail: Update your forwarding address and ask a neighbour to clear junk mail every few days as an overflowing mailbox is a tell-tale sign of a vacant home.
6. Mind the exterior: Allowing your lawn to become overgrown and the garden unkempt will not only make your home less attractive to potential buyers, it’s also a tell-tale sign that no one is living there.
Selling a vacant home can be more challenging to sell, however, it’s still preferable to selling home with a messy tenant in place so as long as you ensure that it’s in pristine condition with freshly painted walls, then potential buyers may feel as though they are moving into a brand new home of their own.
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