Vacant Homes: Why They are a Tough Sell

 

Vacant homes are some of the toughest properties to sell. A national survey done by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) in 2009 found that vacant homes which were staged spent 78% less time on the market.

Below are the reasons why vacant homes are so hard to sell:

1) Buyers are inherently visual - only 10% of buyers can actually see past what is right in front of them. If they can't see it, they won't buy it. 

Living Room "Before"

Living Room "After"

2) Rooms always appear smaller than what they actually are without furnishings in them.

3) Buyers can't imagine how their furniture will fit in a room without any frame of reference.

4) In a vacant property, dated or extreme decor dominates what a buyer sees - and remembers - which results in the overwhelming impression that "the house needs too much work."

 

Ensuite "Before"

Ensuite "After"

5) Without furnishings, buyers are often confused as to the function or purpose of a room. Rooms without purpose detract from the overall value of a home, making the property less desirable.

6) Without furniture or accessories, buyers cannot imagine living in the home.

7) Because the property is vacant, buyers can form the opinion that the home owners are desperate to sell and then figure that the seller will accept any offer just to get the property sold.

8) Vacant properties have no warmth and buyers have a tough time connecting emotionally to them.

9) Without furnishings, all flaws or defects in a room are magnified for buyers. So instead of focusing on the potential of a space, buyers will simply see how much work and money is required to fix it.

10) The sheer emptiness of the home can be overwhelming to buyers. To them it will seem as if there are too many windows and too much expansive wall space. This is true especially in large, luxury homes. 

Master Bedroom "Before"

Master Bedroom "After"

Unfortunately, vacant homes will statistically sit on the market for 190 days before either selling at a much lower price or being taken off the market, staged, and then re-listed. By comparison, vacant homes which have been staged have been shown to sell in a mere 33 days according to RESA's 2009 survey. That is a staggering 85% difference! 

Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design specializes in staging vacant and model homes. If you have a vacant listing which is sitting on the market and getting little interest, or if you will be selling a vacant home, we hope you will give us a call. Our staging designs will turn your property from forgettable to memorable!

 

 

Heather Cook ~ Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design