STAGING OF VACANT HOMES

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By Heather Chotard ISP                    www.edmontonhomestagers.com

I receive numerous emails and phone calls regarding vacant home staging. I thought this might be a perfect time to address the reasons that home owners should stage a vacant home.
The good news for Realtors is that you don't have to contend with the buyers clutter, old furniture, pets or showing schedules. The bad news is that the home doesn't show well. Vacant homes tend to sit on the market longer than owner occupied homes and with good reason.

There are many reasons to stage vacant homes. Below are some of the best reasons:

• Homes that are vacant, feel and look smaller without furniture.
• When there is nothing to look at, buyers notice more flaws in the home.
• Buyers assume sellers are "desperate" and will take "any offer"; this is particularly true if the home has been on the market for some time.
• Uninviting photos on Realtors websites and MLS.
• Rooms have no life or warmth for a buyer to really want to live here.
• Vacant homes amplify sounds and echo making everything sound louder and hollow. Buyers don't want to live in this type of environment, it feels very institutional.
• Many times home buyers simply think their furniture won't fit or work in an empty property.
• Homes sell 50% more quickly - less carrying costs & marketing costs.
• Homes sell for 3-9% more than un-staged.

Vacant homes attract more attention from Realtors and buyers alike. This in turn, results in more traffic, viewings and offers.

As a Realtor, don't you prefer to show properties that will peak your buyer's attention, and show a property you KNOW will sell quickly?

With home staging, we move the sale time of properties from months to weeks.

Before your next price reduction, maybe you should try something new.... try Home Staging.

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