Furnished or Vacant?

Is It Better To Sell a Home
Furnished or Vacant?

Provided by Jay Burnham

Think of a house or condominium as if it were a theatrical stage. When the stage is empty, it looks like a hole in the wall. It lacks interest. But after the set designers and lighting technicians apply their handiwork, the stage comes alive. It becomes captivating.

Without furnishings, many homes aren't too interesting. Buyers often have difficulty imagining how a vacant home would look furnished. That is why many builders go to the expense of renting furnishings for a vacant house before they put it on the market.

Some buyers can't make sense of a floor plan of a home that's not furnished. They have difficulty figuring how the home functions. So they can't imagine themselves living there. Buyers fall in love with a house because they can see themselves living there.

It's often hard to get the feel for the size of a home when it's vacant. Furniture can provide a gauge. For example, it's easy to see if a king-sized bed will fit in a room that already comfortably holds a queen-sized bed. In an unfurnished room, the answer might not be obvious.

Some furnished homes need weeding out and de-cluttering for the best marketing results. An over-furnished home - even if it is spacious - can appear cramped, crowded and small. But a comfortably furnished home will show the living space off advantageously.

Buyers often like to sit down in a home they're considering buying to get a sense of how they'll feel living there. An unfurnished house does not offer this opportunity. A furnished home leaves less to the buyer's imagination. The buyer can simply walk in, sit down and say "This is the house for me."

Furnished homes are easier to sell if they're neat, clean, appealing and if the furniture suits the home. This can pose a problem for sellers who are selling tennant-occupied property. Most sellers acquire furniture that compliments their homes. Tenants, on the other hand, might have furniture that looks out-of-place.

HERE'S A TIP: Sometimes it is best to put a tenant-occupied property on the market after the tenants move out. Then the owner can paint, if necessary, and complete needed fix-up-for-sale projects. Furniture can be rented and accessories moved in to give the home a lived in look. And let's not forget that some tenants can make it difficult for your Realtor to show the property and have been known to make inappropriate negative comments.

Sellers often object to asking a tenant to leave before the home is sold because they will lose rental income. However, a home that shows well will sell faster and for more money. This could more than offset lost rental income.

Homeowners who are transferred by their employers often have to start work in a new locale before their current home is sold. Should they pack up all their belongings and move out or leave their home furnished until it sells?

Some employers offer to purchase the transferee's home. This takes the responsibility for selling the home off the employee. In that case, the employee is free to pack up and move. The burden of selling the home is on the company. The company might be wise to rent furniture and have the home staged to sell, but it is no longer the employee's problem.

Relocating sellers who do not have the benefit of a company buy-out are wise to keep their home furnished until it sells. Either leave your furniture in the house while it's being marketed or rent furniture to replace what you take with you.

IN CONCLUSION: If you personally stand to gain or lose from the sale of your home, it's best to have it as well furnished as possible while it's on the market.

JAY BURNHAM, VP
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
PREVIEWS International® Property Specialist
54 Dodge Street
Beverly, MA 01915
978.233.2828

Designations Earned: CRB, CRS, GRI, RECS, SRES