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Planning to sell the house, so did a full interior paint job. All the wall art was taken down and nail holes filled in. Same with window treatments. We were planning to sell vacant but now we’re having second thoughts. Everything looks so blah without the added color so if not vacant it wouldn’t look right without re-hanging everything.
What is the current thinking on this? Do vacant houses sell well? Or do buyers really lack ability to envision basic furniture placement and potential?
So three posible scenarios. One is to sell when vacant. Two is to sell with furniture still in place while decor is packed in one of the rooms. And three is to attempt to put everything back for optimal presentation. Walls are freshly painted gray, of course. Putting everything back on the walls means lots of nail and screw holes...and labor.
IMHO - Ask your realtor (in fact, ask all of the ones you interview). They are objective and have professional LOCAL market knowledge. And the floorplan of your home may also affect the decision.
Those on this board have opinions, but lack specific information to YOUR home and YOUR market.
Vacant is just fine, and particularly if properties are moving briskly. Even people who cannot project their stuff into a house are jumping on what is available, vacant, overstuffed, whatever. Their choices are even more limited if they have to have staging and furniture to make a purchase.
Clean as a whistle and fresh paint are just great.
I would suggest not re-hanging much wall art. but maybe a few pieces to pop some color into the neutral walls.
Maybe you leave just enough furniture for photos to look good, but vacant is just fine for photos and showings and selling.
I think buyer demand has moved us well past the point (a la 2011), of "We can get a deal. They have to pay for two houses."
"Vacant" or "Don't care" were the overwhelming response of the CD folk a few years ago:
Planning to sell the house, so did a full interior paint job. All the wall art was taken down and nail holes filled in. Same with window treatments. We were planning to sell vacant but now we’re having second thoughts. Everything looks so blah without the added color so if not vacant it wouldn’t look right without re-hanging everything.
What is the current thinking on this? Do vacant houses sell well? Or do buyers really lack ability to envision basic furniture placement and potential?
So three posible scenarios. One is to sell when vacant. Two is to sell with furniture still in place while decor is packed in one of the rooms. And three is to attempt to put everything back for optimal presentation. Walls are freshly painted gray, of course. Putting everything back on the walls means lots of nail and screw holes...and labor.
Ask your realtor; they're the best source of info. I will say that even if I hadn't sold my house vacant I wouldn't have put any of the artwork back on my freshly painted walls. Most of my artwork was specific to the period of the house (1920s) and was very old-timey or antique and might have turned off younger buyers. Selling my house vacant also showed off the gorgeous original heart pine floors as well.
I think it may depend on the house. I live in an old house with smaller rooms. I think having the furniture in the room was helpful since I knew a king-sized bed would fit easily in either of the two main bedrooms. The prior owner also had fairly large furniture, so it helped to get a good idea of how much you can really fit in. Probably if the rooms are huge, it is not necessary.
I have sold 15 houses in the past four years. The only one that didn’t sell fast with multiple offers was the one that wasn’t vacant. I allowed it to be listed and shown because they people had it nicely furnished/decorated. I didn’t get it but that’s my experience.
Unless you have custom things (e.g. window treatments) and/ or don't want to take certain things with you (art that is perfect for the space, custom furniture, wall sconces), I wouldn't put anything on the walls.
Plus, in today's market it doesn't matter much which way you do it since most houses are selling super fast anyhow. Why put yourselves through the extra work? Also, why put new holes in the wall to hang art that's not part of the sale? Maybe, if it's not too much trouble, you can put back a dining table and chairs, a couch, things like that for the buyers who want to take a minute to sit and ponder.
But really, as a buyer, I love to see a house vacant; no hidden surprises. The fresh paint you did is a bonus for me, too. I am looking to buy a house right now and I love when I see them vacant. It can sometimes mean a quicker closing, also.
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