Real Estate Advice

Get Outta Town

Dear Pat,
I’ve accepted a terrific job offer from an Australian firm that wants me to start immediately. The problem is, we have a house to sell. Should I abandon my husband, two kids and both dogs until the house is sold and they can join me, or would it be OK to sell a vacant house? It would be a hardship for us to be apart, but I’m concerned that a forlorn and empty house would sell for lots less. I’m excited, but…
-Nervous

Dear Nervous,
It may surprise you to learn that I have actually suggested selling a house empty when there is an active family to work around. It’s difficult to keep a house in proper showing condition with so much daily activity. Repairs, painting and deep cleaning are of course easier when the house is empty--and these details are essential to get top dollar in the marketplace. When the work is done, it stays fresh--no need to re-clean and get the dogs away for each show.

And a well-maintained, freshly painted house can look very appealing when empty, especially if we “stage” the home with rugs, pictures, window treatments and small furniture. Savvy agents have learned that staging is a great way to get the best offer for their clients. The advantage here is that buyers get a chance to see the rooms with a sense of scale, as opposed to empty space. The spare, clean look of small pieces in a room helps make it larger, and gives buyers a chance to visualize their own furniture in the spaces. Many times I have asked sellers to remove overstuffed, ungainly furniture from a room to create more of a blank canvass.