Furnished or Unfurnished (agents, realty, contract, Realtor)

[CarolinaCruzes]

For those of you following the saga... the realty company finally released us from our listing contract. So we are looking for a new realtor. We now know, through this forum, what questions we should have asked the first time. But here is a question for you professionals. Is it better to to sell your home furnished or not furnished. Our furniture is new (within the last 2 years) and relatively contemporary. I have pictures but wasn't sure if posting them would really help in the general discussion. What are you thoughts as agents? Too Furnish or Not To Furnish...That is the Question.

[IntownHomes247]

Furnished homes typically sell faster. The most important thing is that the house look like a model -- no piles of junk lying around, no "excess" furnishings or accessories -- and be completely clean. Rooms without furniture almost always look smaller than furnished rooms. They're not welcoming, and buyers can hyper-focus on small imperfections. So keep at least some of your furnishings in the house but at the same time try to make the house feel as bright and open as possible (light sells).

Good luck!

[garth]

You're really asking two different questions. Your poll asks if the house should be shown furnished pending its sale. Your narrative speaks about selling the house with the furniture. Those are two different things.

In my expereince, it's best to market the house with the furniture inside, so I answered you poll in that fashion. However, it should be unpersonalized so prospective buyers can see themselves in the house, and not you in the house.

As for selling a furnished house, one where the furniture goes with the house, I would say that's not the best thing to do as a general rule. As an example, I have my own stuff and don't want other people's stuff. Whether or not their stuff meets my taste, I don't want it and don't want to pay for it. What the heck am I going to do with double the bedoom sets, double couches, double TV's, etc?

If there happens to be something I want to remain with the house, I can always include it in my offer. People will do that but I think a turn-key totally furnished house wouldn't be desireable to the broadest spectrum of buyers.

[martinez4]

As the other poster stated....furnished like a model. When we sold our homes, we removed the photos, knick knacks, extra furntiure, appliances off the counters, nothing on the fridge...the buyer does not want to see the kids paintings, etc.

Bathrooms are biggies....no plungers/toliet bowl wands out, no kids bath toys, clean towels folded on vanity, etc.

Bedrooms....beds made, clean bedside tables.....just a light and maybe a book, make sure your laundry basket is out of sight, etc.

I usually always try to have fresh flowers in the kitchen/dining room. Open all the curtains so that the house does look bright but make sure the windows are clean and the window sashes/ledges are not dusty!!!

Good luck this time around:-)