Getting the Most out of a Vacant Home

Posted by Aaron Myers On September - 5 - 2010 0 Comment

Today we have the second of a series of articles written by Rhonda Wilson, of Revealing Assets Home Staging and Decluttering Services. We have partnered with Rhonda and she has helped many of our clients prepare their homes for sale with phenomenal results.

Vacant Living Room

It has been statistically proven time and time again that vacant/unoccupied properties take up to double the time to sell, and typically sell below market value.

So, how do you get the most for a vacant property?

Professionally Home Staging a vacant property dramatically increases buyer interest, and causes your property to stand out above the comparables.

Staged Living Room

I challenge people to take some time to sit and browse active listings on MLS. You will quickly notice that all photos of vacant listings look the same after a while. How easy is it for you to determine which particular rooms are being photographed. Look at the photos on the right of the same room vacant, and then staged.

Unless a buyer has enormous amounts of spare time on their hands (in our generally time-bankrupt society), it is usually not feasible, nor enjoyable, to have to view photos of vacant listings as well as reading the room measurements in the specs in order to determine whether your property will suit their needs or not. It is in your best interest as the seller to make a decision easy and labour-free.

Why stage a vacant home?

Vacant Master Bedroom

1. Buyers crave a property that feels, looks, and is Move-in-Ready

2. Buyers require a sense of scale, as the majority of humans are spatially-challenged. It is near impossible for most people to view a space (in photos or in person) and determine actual amount of available space without free-standing items for reference purposes.

3. Buyers prefer to be able to quickly determine whether or not their existing belongings will fit inside the spaces within a property, and cannot do this when the spaces are bare.

Staged Master Bedroom

4. Buyers crave a warm and welcoming feeling of “Home” when they view a property. A vacant property tends to feel cold and voices always echo inside.

5. Buyers rely largely on visualization to make large purchase decisions. So, any time you can visually demonstrate appropriate room-roles/function within a space with furnishings and accessories, you are assisting your buyer in envisioning moving right in and making it their new home.

6. Since buyers are purchasing a property, it is imperative to draw their attention to valuable architectural features. Professional Home Staging is defined as the art of directing the buyer’s eye exactly where you want it to land. For example, modestly accessorizing a fireplace, without creating a cluttered situation, ensures that the buyer is literally drawn to the fireplace without being interested in the “stuff” adorning the fireplace.

7. It has been proven that within a mere 4-6 seconds from the time the buyer opens that front door to a property and steps inside, the MOST lasting first impression has been created and imprinted on the buyer’s memory. Opening the door on a vacant property exposes a cold, seemingly small, empty, and unwelcoming vision. Great first impression to give a buyer? No.

8. The last, and most important, reason to have Vacant properties Staged for sale is that very few sellers out there are doing this, which translates into your property leaping and bounding above the competition, and becoming the most sought after property amongst the comparables. Good deal? Yes.

Rhonda Wilson – CCSP™
Owner/Operator of Revealing Assets Home Staging and Decluttering Services
RevealingAssets@shaw.ca

We transform properties into highly sought-after products that sell in half
the time and for 7-10% more money. Through personal experience, extensive
research and training, and a compassionate approach, we De-clutter living/work spaces for up-lifting and positive life changes.

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