For many reasons, home sellers often find themselves in the position of selling a home that is vacant.  Job changes, family emergencies, or simply buying another home prior to selling an existing home will result in the need to sell a vacant home. 

Homes that look like ‘model homes' typically sell more quickly, and for more money (even though the beautiful furnishings and décor are not staying with the home).  Buyers easily envision themselves living with comparable surroundings, making the purchase decision easier as well.  So what is the best way to sell a vacant home when the home will not have the benefit of beautiful decor?

The key is that the home must show bright, clean, open, airy and as perfect as possible.  When you move out of a home, it is amazing how many dust-bunnies have accumulated, how many spots on the walls need touch up paint, and you are reminded of the original color of your carpet where your couch used to sit.  The slightest flaws are emphasized when there is nothing else to look at in a room.  It is amazing how a broken outlet cover jumps out at you when there is nothing else to focus on in a room.

When possible, I suggest my clients have vacant homes painted, carpets cleaned or replaced, landscaping neatened up, and the home have a thorough professional cleaning.  One of my sellers earlier this year spent over $12,000 to have their vacant home painted inside, re-carpeted, cleaned, some electrical repairs completed, some light fixtures replaced and the landscaping touched up. 

Before completing these items, the home would have been viewed as a fixer-upper, with every issue being magnified.  Once these items were completed, the home showed beautifully.  The bottom line is that the home sold at a reasonable price that I am confident was $20,000 to $30,000 more than the seller would have received in the home's previous condition, making the cost of improvements a wise investment.  In addition, my client's home was one of the few to actually sell in their neighborhood during the past 6 months and now there are two of the same model priced $25,000 and $35,000 less than what my client's home sold for.