Selling an empty house: advantages and disadvantages
Is your property on the resale market and you’ve already moved to a new home? This situation, although common, requires special attention.
Indeed, if your home is unoccupied and unfurnished, there are several points to consider during this real estate transaction.
BENEFITS
<1. Flexibility on possession date.
If you’ve already moved into your new property, you’ll be more flexible about when you take possession, which may appeal to many buyers.
2. Ease of preparation for viewings.
There’s no need to take the whole family and pets out every time you visit. Cleaning is also quicker and easier in the case of an uninhabited home.
3. A blank canvas for buyers.
Some visitors won’t be able to imagine themselves in an empty space (see disadvantages). Yet this can be an advantage for many people. Indeed, future buyers may prefer to visit an empty house with no personality, so they can easily imagine their furniture and personal effects inside.
DISADVANTAGES
1. Convincing people it’s their future home.
Some buyers have difficulty visualizing life in an empty house. How can they imagine how they would use the rooms without the furniture? Not everyone can do it.
2. A magnifying glass on all the little defects
When walls are emptied of artwork and rooms are unoccupied, every little imperfection is accentuated. Chipped paint, a light mark on the door frame or holes caused by removed shelves can give buyers the impression that the house needs more repairs than expected. The property may even look neglected or lacking in maintenance.
3. A more vulnerable property
Vacant homes appear to be an easier target for vandals, thieves and intruders. That’s why insuring an empty property is more expensive than insuring an occupied home.
4. Rooms that look smaller
Properties that contain no furniture or decorations appear to have smaller rooms than they actually are. It’s all a question of perspective!
To overcome these drawbacks, use these tips:
- Take the photos before removing all the furniture. This step both gives a nice virtual look and helps buyers imagine themselves in your home, but also so as not to give leads to thieves about how unoccupied your home is on the online ad;
- Continue to pay your hydro bill: keep the heating or air conditioning system open to keep viewings comfortable;
- Keep the outside of the house well maintained: mow the lawn, rake the leaves, etc;
- Turn on the fans: a displacement of air is preferable to the synthetic odors of air fresheners;
- Ask your neighbors to pick up the post – or go get it yourselves;
- Apply stickers indicating an alarm system on entry points (failing a real working alarm system);
- Clean the interior frequently: if the house is on the market for several weeks, take advantage of weekly visits to dust and wash the floors, at least once a month;
- If necessary, rent furniture to give visitors a clear view of the space and potential of the rooms;
- Leave chalkboards or other decorations on the walls.
With these few small considerations, your uninhabited home will be ready for the quickest possible sale!
