Most houses are sold before their owners move out, but what happens if you have to move away before your home is sold? Or if you have decided to sell your investment property but the tenants have already moved out?
Selling a vacant house is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. An empty house always looks and feels empty, so is harder for buyers to imagine themselves at home there. Fittings such as curtains or pictures can distract the eye from marks on the walls, while furniture gives a sense of perspective - prospective buyers may not like your sofa, but at least they can see how it fits in the room.
If you have to sell your house while it is vacant, here are a few points to take into consideration.
- Stay in close contact with your real estate agent. If you're selling long distance you'll have to rely on them more than if you still lived in the house. Stay updated on how many people are viewing your house and see what feedback your agent is getting.
- If possible, try to leave some furniture in the house. A furnished house is much more attractive and looks bigger than an empty one. Besides, people buy homes, not houses - they want to be able to feel they could live there. If you can't leave some furniture then consider renting furniture to fill out the rooms, or have a stylist come in and do it for you.
- Make sure the house stays looking good from the street. This will probably mean you'll need to hire someone to mow your lawn, rake the leaves or trim bushes and trees.
- Before you move out of your house, spruce up the landscaping. Plant new shrubs, lay down some fresh ground cover, or brighten it up with some colourful annuals... just make sure you have someone available to water your new additions otherwise they may not survive.
- Once your house is empty, go through it and touch up any paint where necessary. Moving furniture can leave scuff marks and scratches which potential home buyers will notice instantly.
- You might like to consider freshening up the paint in your house with a clean, neutral colour. If the house is empty, the walls are going to stand out. Bold coloured paints (especially in an empty room) can put buyers off, so consider painting them a neutral colour.
- Get the carpets professionally cleaned. After all, with nothing in the house, all would-be buyers have to look at are the floors and walls.
- Don't set your deserted house up for potential break-ins. Invest in exterior sensor lights that automatically turn on when it gets dark and turn off at sunrise.
- Make sure you cancel your newspaper subscription and redirect mail before you move. An overflowing letterbox is a sure sign to a would-be burglar that no one is home.
- If you have a security alarm, use it, but make sure you leave the entrance code with your real estate agent.
- Be sure to review your home insurance. Some insurance companies have a limit on how long they will cover a home while it remains vacant
