Many homeowners trying to sell their houses are easily swayed by the notion that moving their stuff out and letting potential buyers view the space is enough. However, they tend to overlook the importance of selling a home over just a “house.” There are several ways to maximize a sales opportunity without having to show your current home situation. Here are a few tips to consider if you’re wondering how to stage an empty house for sale.
Tips on How to Sell an Empty House
1. Consider the soft staging bare rooms
This technique works best with rooms that don’t need furniture to accommodate people. It applies to bathrooms or a garage because it only requires simple decor pieces that serve as accents. For instance, consider placing a vase or a rug to add texture to a bare receiving area to counter the negative space.
Soft staging bare rooms is an excellent hack for an open house since it would invite potential buyers entering the home to a welcoming space. Applying this technique to a bathroom is excellent since all you have to do is show off nice scented decorative soaps, newly washed towels, and a clean rug to woo viewers.
2. Choose a simple and neutral color scheme for the walls
Another tip is to apply fresh coats of paint on the walls without going overboard on the colors. Make sure to select the paint color wisely and go with neutral colors like off-whites, creams, grays, and beige tones to make more room for accents. This will also help save you a great deal of time and energy from furniture-hunting.
Consider the canvas of your paint. Will you be painting the kitchen cabinets, the doors, or just the walls? It’s a must to highlight the area’s woodwork, specifically the kitchen since painting its outdated woodwork can easily amp up its aesthetic. Kitchen cabinets often turn dull over time and making sure you apply a fresh coat of paint while also changing the knobs or handles can make a fundamental difference.
3. Rent or borrow furniture for the showcase
If you prefer not to leave any of your furniture when showing your house to create a lived-in vibe, consider renting furniture. This is an option that is often overlooked, but several companies offer rental furniture with accessories so that homeowners can maximize the value proposition of their house. This is ideal for those who have the money to rent out expensive and stylish furniture and the time to make the right sale.
However, if you’re on a budget and wish to sell your home fast, borrowing furniture from loved ones is also a practical solution. If you’ve got a broker to narrow down offers to less than five people who wish to view the house on a specific period, then this could be effective too. Thrift shopping cheap and repurposed furniture from estate sales or garage sales are another option that won’t break your bank.
4. Play with the emotions (the right way)
This is a significant part of making a sale since buying a house is usually an emotional decision. Sparking the emotional tie between the potential buyer and the house can be done by explaining the financial advantages and personal investment they’re about to make.
This is the part where soft diplomacy and sales talk come to play with emotions. Get a little personal and ask these potential buyers what they envision for certain rooms that create an emotional tie.
For instance, when showing a room to a newly married couple starting a family, throw in a little anecdote about your experience with toddlers and baby rooms. Navigate a conversation that would invite them to imagine all the themes they could play around with within the room. If you’re able to paint them a picture of a future they want for them or their families, you’re a handshake away from making a sale.
5. Focus on the top three rooms to lessen expenditure
Top real estate leaders reveal that the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen are the most cost-generative spaces. When staging an empty house, focus on these top three rooms and spend time and money making these areas pop. Creating a lived-in vibe by renting furniture, painting all the walls, and adding accent decor to hide some worn-out space is best exerted in these areas.
Ensure you’re creating a neutral space for the bedroom and invest in a few new sheets and pillow casings to highlight the bed. Since the bedroom is the place of rest in a home, make this the focal point and create more storage space. This means emptying the closets and cabinets to create an illusion of additional storage.
6. Take advantage of natural light
This trick is used by everyone and not just those trying to sell a house. Using natural light to maximize space is a great way to add to the homey feeling. Although, sellers should be aware that some bedrooms have dim lighting due to limited windows. This can be tricky to hide, especially if viewers come at night.
A simple hack is to install sheers and light curtains to invite light in during the day. This way, you wouldn’t have to spend so many layers of white paint on the walls or layered draperies to make the bedroom look large. All you have to do is rely on natural light, replace bulbs, and maybe add some new light fixtures to create a more vibrant space.
7. Don’t forget to “curb with enthusiasm”
Empty houses with big yards boast a ton of potential for a sale just by the exterior alone. Create a curbside appeal and ensure your landscaping is kept intact. Driving by a freshly painted house with a well-maintained front yard can make some people pause, and it’s in that pause a potential buyer lies. Homes with a curb appeal give off the impression that it’s often visited and is consistently maintained, which is a great first impression you could set for a home.
If you don’t have flexible time to spruce up the landscape when selling a house, consider looking for a property management service or even hire a lawn service. These are other possible ways to make sure you’re able to amp up the exterior of the house while ensuring you’ve maximized all your resources to “curb with enthusiasm.”
Getting the Feel of it is the Key
When staging an empty house for sale, there’s no one way to do it. Regardless, putting your best foot forward to make a house look and feel more like a home is the key to a sale. Ensuring an empty and moved-out house can still be a worthy investment with the right tools and techniques.
Whether you’re looking for a rush sale or the next best people to make a new home in your house, remember that the appeal lies in the way space makes a person feel. But if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of staging an empty house, SEEB Homes will buy your home for cash no matter its condition. You don’t have to worry about repairs and ambiguous contracts. Contact us today!