There are many reasons why a house may be vacant when it is sold; several reasons include:

* new building

* relocation property

* the seller has already moved into his new home

*was a rental property that is now for sale

In all of these cases, the bottom line is that SELLING the property FAST is CRITICAL. There is a lot of money on the table due to ongoing mortgage costs, maintenance cost, insurance cost and other maintenance costs that have to be paid during all these months that the property is on the market without any income stream.

Selling fast in a buyer’s market and a down market is challenging, but especially difficult for vacant homes. Vacant homes tend to sell more slowly than occupied homes. What are the 5 biggest mistakes when selling a vacant property?

Mistake #1: Selling the house as VACANT property

We just said that vacant homes sell slower than occupied homes. Why is that?

has. People don’t buy houses, they buy houses, they buy a lifestyle! With no furniture, wall art, rugs, lighting, decor… there are no emotional connection points in the house – the house does not show its soul or any lifestyle buyers can aspire to.

b. Buyers do not have a point of reference.

* empty rooms appear smaller

* buyers cannot see how much furniture will fit in the room

* can’t figure out how to set up the room functionally: how should I face the sofa, where does my TV go, can I fit in…

Adding the right furniture, rugs, lighting, wall art, and other decorations that reflect the lifestyle of your target buyers will draw them in and help them imagine living in that home.

against When a room is empty, buyers focus on the negative details

It’s much easier to notice cracks in the walls, peeling paint, missed repairs… if buyers have nothing else to look at. By providing them with a cozy home, they will focus more on how they can live in that home than on what they don’t like about it. With staging we emphasize the positive features of the property while minimizing the negative features.

d. Only 10% of homebuyers can see the potential of a house

Nine out of ten people who walk into your house do not imagine the wonderful possibilities that your home has to offer.

Mistake #2: Wait to see if you sell a vacancy

As a home stager in Connecticut, I often get the response from clients “I want to see if it’s vacant for sale first before I consider staging.” This can be a very costly mistake.

Selling a home is all about FIRST IMPRESSIONS. On a new listing, most of the traffic is generated within the first 2-4 weeks.

The real estate brokers open house will attract buyers real estate agents to the property. They are your “sales people.” If these brokers aren’t thrilled with what they see, they’re less likely to bring their buyers to your property rather than their neighbor’s house on the market.

Let’s say you change your mind in the future and have the property staged and then have another real estate agent open house. It will be difficult for the Brokers to return to the property because they have already seen it and do not want to waste time, nor will their buyers return a second time.

So now you’ve wasted all that traffic and time on the market without showing the house to its best potential. If you had it arranged in advance, you may have already sold it.

Mistake #3: Not differentiating your listing from the competition

Put yourself in the shoes of a homebuyer: 94% of homebuyers begin their online search by first looking at all photos of homes within their qualifying criteria. This is what they might see:

House #1: vacant room with fireplace and 4 windows

House #2: vacant room with fireplace and 4 windows

What makes your house different from these other empty houses? Why should they visit your home? There is nothing to attract a buyer to these houses.

Remember: A SALE CAN BE MISSED WITH A CLICK OF THE MOUSE: If your home doesn’t stand out and attract these buyers to visit, you’ve lost a potential sale.

Mistake #4: Price has now become your only marketing strategy

Selling a home, often the homeowner’s most valuable asset, is no different than marketing a commercial product. Location, condition and display, price and promotion must all be considered together. There is nothing you can do about the location of the property, but you can influence the other marketing factors. The price is influenced by the Location and the Condition and Exhibit (packaging) of the house. Promotion to drive traffic to your home will be more effective if the Display and Photographs are professionally done.

Therefore, if there is no display, the promotional images will not stand out, so the price is now your only marketing strategy.

Buyers are willing to pay more if they feel emotionally connected to a home; On average, phased homes sell for 5-10% more.

Mistake #5: View home staging as a COST instead of an INVESTMENT

Organizing a home for sale can help you MAKE money. It’s an INVESTMENT in the process of selling your home – Most home staging investments range from 1 to 3 percent of the listing price, resulting in a sales price of 5 to 10 higher. How good is this, but this is not all. If you sell your home faster, you WILL SAVE on current mortgage payments and maintenance costs. See more details and examples of how Birgit Anich Staging and Interiors helped clients PROFIT through staging.

Barbara Corcoran, one of America’s leading real estate experts, says, “Never sell a house without furniture!” “Once the staging is complete, you might even find you can raise the price”