It’s a question with opinions as divided as crunchy or creamy peanut butter, and one debated more furiously than which came first, the chicken or the egg—should you list your home fully furnished or completely bare?
It seems that there’s a bit of contention in searching for a definitive answer on the matter. Just like every other either-or debate, the answer lies somewhere in between. Some Realtors prefer empty, others prefer a lightly furnished home. But which is right for you?
Why Buyers Look For ‘Homes’ and Not ‘Houses’
The simple fact of the matter is that your potential buyers are looking to move into a home and not just a house. As most homes are furnished by their owners, so too should your newly listed home. Furnished homes allow potential buyers to experience the home as they might someday have it, as well as offering a true-to-life glimpse of space considerations. For instance, the bedroom with a queen bed in it gives a lot more spatial detail than an empty bedroom. It also ensures potential buyers will get a good feel for the home’s flow, rather than just its floor plan.
What to Do if You Have to List Unfurnished
Sometimes we’re not always given the ability to list our home furnished. Maybe you’re moving out of state, or there are special time considerations that need to be addressed. Whatever the reason, sometimes the ideal is not possible. In this case, it’s important to remember that your home is essentially naked and all of its blemishes are on display for the world to see.
It almost goes without saying that your home needs to be in a state of immaculate cleanliness, with every nook and cranny spotless and polished to absolute perfection. While furniture may be gone, be sure to include the minimum essentials necessary for functionality. Meaning if you’ve taken light fixtures at least leave a small lamp to light the room.
What Furniture to Leave
With all this being said, it’s important to keep in mind that not everything should be put on display when selling your home. Any extremely personal items, like family photos, should be put away. While it may be disheartening to shelve childhood photos, you have to consider that your buyers want to fill the house with their memories, not yours.
Instead, decorate with the same kind of generic embellishments you might find in the living section of a department store. Make sure all of your furniture is clean and spot free as well! It’ll pay in the end to get your couches, rugs and carpets looking sparkling and new before showing it off to potential buyers.
My husband and I are looking at a house that has an HOA, but we never lived with one before so we are curious to know if there are benefits to having one. I liked how you pointed out that one good thing is that they will provide a landscape company to help with the yard work. It will be great not having to worry about spending all of our time doing it, but having it still look nice.
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I would love to have a tiny home to live in! It seems more manageable and affordable. The Hiatus in Oregon is beautiful. I love the wood floors. can you put a tiny house on any property? Thanks for the inspiration and information!
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