Buyer's struggle to visualise themselves living in an empty home. There’s a number of reasons for this:
Difficult to differentiate from competition
Today buyers mostly search on-line. Search results present a list of properties, some of which are likely to be empty homes. As there’s no distinguishing features, empty homes will go to the bottom or even fall off the buyer radar and if there’s multiple empty homes, the photos will merge into one another in the buyer’s mind.
#1 FACT: 69% of buyers decide whether your home meets their criteria based on photos only
Raise alarm bells that you are in a hurry to sell
Although there is a genuine reason why your home is empty, this sends the wrong signal to buyers - it implies that you are in a hurry to sell.
#2 FACT: Buyers are likely to negotiate a lower price
Lack of Kerb Appeal
There’s only one chance to create that all important first impression. This happens the moment the buyer turns up and looks at your property from outside. If you’re not living in the home, it may not be looking its best because you’re priorities are elsewhere. Buyers may be concerned that it’s not well maintained and will struggle to visualise themselves living there.
#3 FACT: Two thirds of home buyers think kerb appeal is important
There’s no emotional connection
Buyers are not buying houses, they’re buying homes. Buyers are also buying with their emotions. An empty property is a house not a home and that’s not what buyers are looking for.
#4 FACT: 80% of buyers struggle to imagine themselves living in a house
Buyers focus on the negatives
In an empty home, buyers’ eyes are immediately drawn to what’s left - the walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors and the heating system. Buyers will focus on the negatives - whether there are dents in the wall, if there's cracked plaster, uneven and/or insufficient light switches, damaged sockets, poor decorating, chipped woodwork, stains on the carpets, repairs which are needed and so on.
#5 FACT: Buyers make up their minds within 60 seconds of entering the property whether this is their dream home and its human nature that they focus on negatives
No size comparables
Blank spaces make it very difficult for buyers to imagine if their furniture will fit as there’s no comparable furniture pieces - this will instantly put doubt in the buyers’ mind.
#6 FACT: An empty room looks smaller than a room filled when compared with a room which has the right amount of furniture and accessories
Would you still consider selling an empty home? Let us know at info@sortstyleandstage.com