Budgets are tight enough these days, and to have two house payments with rising utility cost can prove to be too much when trying to sell your vacant home.  So what do you do?

Buyers want to feel comfortable in their next home and the temperature is a huge part of helping someone feel at home.  They will understand what the seller is trying to do by keeping the thermostat set high, but will they take the time to really look at the home and visualize themselves living there?  Whether they are conscious or unconscious of why they are not comfortable they will not enjoy being in the home if the temperature is too high. 

Beyond the home showing well, houses need to have air flow.  Also, having the A.C. run helps with humidity.  Do what you can to keep the HVAC on, even at higher temperatures.  It may be worth your money to have a HVAC service company out to make sure it is running optimally.  It may be cost effective to get a programmable thermostat so you can adjust the temperature gradually throughout the day.

If you leave the home at higher temperatures you may want to put a sign on the thermostat asking for prospective buyers and agents to leave the thermostat alone.

Just remember the extra utilty cost you pay now may be well worth the money if you can stop making extra house payments!