Should I Move Out Of My Home While I Sell It?
When you decide to up sticks and relocate you’ll naturally be excited to move on to pastures new – but it’s undoubtedly true that relocating can also be stressful.
Often the worries that surround constant viewings and the pressure to keep your home in tip-top condition for potential buyers can be overwhelming. Sometimes agents advise their clients to move out temporarily during the crucial viewing stages, but is this actually an effective way to reduce stress and sell your home more quickly? Here we explore the pros and cons of moving out of your property during the sales process.
It’s the preferred way of doing things – but it’s not always possible
Your real estate agent may not tell you this – but we will. We do actually prefer it when you move out of your property during the sale. The ideal situation is a completely empty home, free of personal items, people and pets. The reason for this is that properties without clutter and lots of furniture (the ‘lived in’ look) tend to sell more quickly, as buyers can really see themselves living there without distraction. Flexibility is another advantage – since some sellers can’t free the house up at certain times due to work or family commitments – and this can frustrate, delay and impair the process considerably if buyers feel they are struggling to book in a viewing. Maintaining a ‘show home’ standard for the duration of the sales process can also be tricky when you’re trying to maintain normal everyday life as much as possible – especially when little ones are involved. Despite this, we do of course understand that for many sellers it’s simply not possible to move out – and in some cases it could actually cost a considerable amount to relocate temporarily. We’ll always work with you to find the simplest and least stressful solution depending on your situation.
Moving out opens up opportunities to appeal to and attract buyers
The reason real estate agents prefer empty homes over occupied ones is simple – we know that it’s much easier to sell a property with nobody living in it. ‘Not having to give 24 hours’ notice to tidy the house undoubtedly brings more vendors through the door,’ explains realestate.com.au. In short, it’s much easier to have access to a clean, tidy, well-presented home at all times – that way we never have to say ‘no’ to potential buyers and can maximise each viewing in accordance with their preferences, not the sellers.
Can you afford to sell after you buy?
The easiest way to free up your home during the selling process is to purchase your next property first – then move out and clear it up ready for sale. This isn’t always financially feasible, so it’s important to see whether this is a viable option for you if your agent feels it could considerably impact on the sale in a positive way.
