When it comes to selling your home - or any other consumer product - you've got to do what you can to make it stand out. Buyers need to be compelled to want to spend their hard-earned dollar on your home, especially when there are so many other homes vying for their attention.
READ: 6 Home Staging Mistakes That Could Sink Your Selling Price
That's exactly why sellers need to take the time to clean their homes, declutter, and stage their homes before listing. One thing you shouldn't do, however, is empty out your home before listing. This simple act might actually hinder sales. Here's why:
It's Harder For Buyers To Develop An Emotional Connection
An emotional connection to a home can help entice buyers to put in an offer. But that connection may be more difficult to develop if the home is vacant.
Buyers aren’t just purchasing a house. Instead, they're buying a home. Buyers want to be able to feel that the place is somewhere they can call home and build memories in. Leaving it vacant will only make the home appear stark and cold.
Flaws Are Magnified
While you don't want to scam buyers and not disclose any issues with your home, you also don't want to go out of your way to highlight imperfections, either. Proper furniture arrangement and decor can help camouflage any imperfections and instead highlight the best parts of your home.
READ: Interior Designers Reveal The Best Home Decor Shops In Toronto
On the other hand, leaving your home vacant will do the opposite and can actually shine a light on minor issues that could be a turn-off for buyers. A bunch of bare walls and floors won't do much to play down the flaws in your home.
Spaces Are Not Defined
Certain rooms might not be obviously defined if there isn't any furniture in them. While it's pretty easy to guess where the kitchen and bathroom are, other spaces like a living room, dining room or even a bedroom might not be as obvious.
If you leave your home vacant, buyers may be left guessing what the spaces are intended to be used for. Further, they may not be able to see the potential of the room if there is no furniture or decor to help them visualize. And if your home has an odd floor plan, defining spaces can be that much harder if your home is left vacant.
Buyers Can't Visualize the Home's Potential
Most buyers are not able to visualize what the home could look like if it is not staged appropriately. That means if you leave your home vacant, you'll be leaving it up to buyers to try to see how the place could look furnished and decorated.
READ: 6 Helpful Tips For Selling A Unique Home Or Property
Since most can't see past the empty space, you're taking a gamble. Give buyers what they want and need on a silver platter by staging the property to create a liveable space.
Rooms Look Smaller
If you're already short on square footage, you may be doing yourself a real disservice by leaving your rooms vacant because they can appear smaller than they actually are. When rooms are appropriately furnished with pieces that are the right size, rooms can seem larger than they really are.
That's because furniture helps to create perspective. Without it, buyers may assume the spaces are smaller. They may even think that they won't be able to fit their furniture in the rooms if you don't show them that they can.
Final Thoughts
If your home is vacant, do yourself a favour and have it staged before you put it on the market. Not only will you be more likely to sell faster, but you just might be able to sell for a higher price, too.
