Persuading a homebuyer to purchase a real estate property or selling a home is typically straightforward. With the proper staging techniques, you can make even the most average-looking house seem like the best one in the neighborhood. Of course, it won’t be easy.
It’d take considerable experience to make it possible, but in the case of vacant homes, it’s even more challenging, and for several reasons. First, a vacant or an empty house isn’t as attractive to buyers. Second, rooms tend to look smaller when empty. And third, flaws are more noticeable since there’s no decor or furniture to hide them. All these can turn off potential buyers, which often ends with them trying to propose lowering your selling price.
Regardless, in most cases, you’ll probably have to settle for a selling price lower than usual, unless, of course, you can make the home more appealing, and that’s what this article is all about.
What to Do When Selling a Vacant Home
When selling a home, there are several things you can do to maximize the appeal of a house you’re selling, and this section will talk about five of them. But if you think you won’t have the time to do all these, you might want to look into real estate investors such as Safe Home Offer, especially if your house is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They should at least offer a reasonable price for your real estate property.
- Do Consider Upgrading the Mailbox
Since a vacant home means there’s no property or furnishing inside, you have to focus on the home’s exterior. And one particular element that often stands out is the mailbox.
For that reason, many agents recommend upgrading the mailbox, as it’s practically the highlight of a vacant home. Besides, it’s relatively easy on the wallet, as it’d only cost up to USD$100. It also takes one hour to complete the upgrade at most, so it’s a quick project as well. While one may argue that it won’t do much, remember that it’s often the little things that can appeal to buyers.
- Do Make Sure Pathways, Walkways, and Sidewalks Are Clean
Apart from the mailbox, buyers also tend to focus on the hardscaping of your home. Hardscaping refers to the hard elements in the environment, as opposed to landscape. It includes the pathways, walkways, and sidewalks around the area. Since it’d take a considerable amount of money and time to upgrade these elements, cleaning them should be enough for your purposes.
- Do Light Up the Exterior
Even though your prospective buyers know that you’re selling them a vacant home, your mission is to make its vacancy as subtle as possible. It sets the precedent that if the house is already lovely enough without furnishing, what more if the buyer settles in. On that note, one way to make a vacant house less vacant is by installing light fixtures on the exterior, specifically, the entryway.
- Do Install a Security System
Security is one of the many things prospective buyers would look for in a home. Normally, elements such as cameras and doorbells are barely noticeable; what will all the interior furniture and decor. However, in the case of a vacant home, buyers would immediately notice the presence of security measures. And they’d highly appreciate these elements.
- Do Consider Working With an Agent
Selling a home, especially a vacant one doesn’t only involve staging. Advertising is also a part of the process. If staging can make an average home look appealing, proper advertising can make a decent offer sound attractive. While advertising is possible by yourself, working with a real estate agent would boost your chances of getting a favorable deal from a buyer.
What Not to Do When Selling a Vacant Home
Much like how there are things you need to do when selling a vacant home, there are also things you must not do, such as the following:
- Don’t Leave Stray Items Be
During the selling process, random items will accumulate inside the house. One of the many mistakes sellers make is leaving these stray items behind. Not only does it make the house look abandoned, but it also shifts buyers’ attention away from the highlights, such as the security features or the light fixtures. In short, everything you’ve done would be all for naught if you forget about this tip.
- Don’t Let Mail and Newspapers Pile Up
Another element that makes a house look abandoned is the buildup of newspapers and mails on the mailbox or entryway. It usually happens when the seller is unable to visit the house due to personal reasons. If that’s the case, you can instead change your mailing address or ask your neighbor to collect them for you. Either way, it’s better than leaving them be.
- Don’t Turn off Utilities During the Tour
The first thought that comes to mind when selling a vacant home is to turn off all the property utilities. These would include the water, lights, and, in some cases, heating or air conditioning.
However, real estate agents suggest that sellers avoid doing so, at least during the tour. For one, it gives off an abandoned aura that you most certainly would want to avoid. Moreover, prospective buyers would most likely find it easier to visualize how the home would look once they settle in if these utilities are on.
Final Words
Many people tend to think that selling a vacant home would be as easy as selling any other home, but it’s not. A vacant home has no furnishing on the inside. Since staging relies primarily on furniture and decor, it can be challenging to find a suitable buyer. However, with this post, you should at least know about the mistakes you have to avoid and what you must do to maximize the home’s appeal.
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