While it’s most common to sell a home unfurnished, so that you can transport your existing belongings into your new location and buyers can bring theirs into your old one, there are homes bought and sold fully furnished all the time. In certain cases, it’s a situation that makes most sense for the seller and the buyer, and here’s why.
Why Sell Furnished?
Sometimes, whether because of downsizing or extensive relocation or something else, sellers cannot bring all of their furnishings to where they are moving. They are then faced with not just needing to sell a home but also the majority of its contents, and so lumping everything together saves a step. Other times, the property may be a vacation home, in which the sellers do not need to keep the furnishings or specifically purchased them for that individual location, so it doesn’t make sense to transport them.
Why Buy Furnished?
Buyers sometimes prefer furnished homes, particularly when they are significantly upgrading, moving from somewhere very far or purchasing a vacation home. The furnishings offer convenience and time-saving help so that their move can be a little simpler.
Cautions & Advice
If you are a seller thinking of offering your home fully furnished, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind.
First, consider the quality of the furniture—is it clean, in good condition, free from damages? In order for the furnishings to be an incentive, they must be showroom-quality. Otherwise, buyers will find it better to buy a vacant home to fill with the right kind of merchandise.
Second, look at staging for inspiration. Professional home stagers make their living off helping people stage their homes to look impressive enough to buy. Statistics favor staging as a fantastic method of not only increasing a home’s selling price but also decreasing its time on the market. Use this information to your advantage by making your furnishings work for you, not against you!
Third, eliminate that which clutters. All excess furniture and decoration should be put away, whether sold, donated, stored or trashed. If you don’t want to take it with you and it doesn’t add to the value of your home, get rid of it!