There are many properties on the market that are empty– be they deceased estates, newly empty after tenancy or simply because the owners have already moved to their new home. For some vendors, the additional cost involved in homestaging the property seems uneconomical, on top of the mortgage payments, insurance and utilities
But why are empty rooms not a cost-saving in thelong term?
There several reasons that an empty house can workagainst your marketing campaign:
1) Reduced emotional connection.
Bare walls and empty rooms fail to elicit an emotional response from buyers, and according to Australian Homestaging company, Shift, “only 10% of buyers are able to visualise a house’s potential. The rest will walk away and ask questions such as “will this dining room be big enough for our dining table”?”
2) Empty spaces look smaller.
“Carefully selected furniture gives buyers a measurement of scale to compare their items to – “my dining table is bigger than this one but I can see it will fit”. It also gives an idea of layout for the home taking into consideration any views, walkways, lifestyle factors such as TV viewing and entertaining.”
3) Negatives are emphasised, positives can beoverlooked.
The International Institute of Homestagers explains that “if the room is empty, it is natural for the buyer to concentrate on the negative sides of the house or even under-appreciate a beautifully designed flowing space. To make a great first impression, it is necessary to keep their focus away from the cons and really emphasise the highlights of the home.
Shift adds that “Buyers don’t get excited about the negative aspects ofa home unless they are looking for a bargain…this will be reflected in theiroffer. You don’t want your home to be considered a “fixeruperer”!”
4) Reduced curb appeal.
An empty house if lifeless inside and out, and buyers driving around before an open home can be put off by that lack of cosiness.
5) You only have one chance to makea positive first impression.
Vendors might like to test the market with an empty home, to see what bites they get, but as Shift explains “Most of those initial interested buyers can’t be bothered coming back, because they have seen the property, judged it and moved on, as they did not make the connection.”
7) Consider property styling aninvestment rather than a cost.
Statistics show that property styling has a 4-fold positive effect by drawing more traffic to the property, enhancing the buyers’ visualisation of the property’s potential, the property is likely to sell at a higher price than an empty home and it will sell faster.
8) People take their first lookonline – make the images stand out!
Staged houses are more visually appealing as they allow for a clean, fresh and seamless look. It eliminates the mismatched and sometimes outsized furniture, personal items and even objectionable pieces that may cause buyers to be put off, or which can detract from the light and space. It means no messy cables, toothbrushes or photos to distract, and creates an enviable lifestyle that invites further investigation.
10) There is a perception of desperation.
Finally, an empty house may seem as if the vendor is desperate or there is a problem with the property. Why is this home empty? They must need to sell, as this would be costing them a small fortune to hold onto, all of which invites lower offers on price.
Don’t risk losing time or buyers – rather, sell faster for more!
