If you own an unoccupied property, you may be wondering how to sell an empty house. There are many dangers that come along with owning a vacant house, but luckily for you, we have created

The Quick 6-Step Guide to Making the Most of Your Vacant House!

Selling a vacant house quickly is critical. Liabilities of a vacant house can include:

● Vandalism and Theft
● Trespassing or Squatting
● Weather Destruction
● Neglecting Regular Maintenance
● Water or Fire Damage

Will My Empty House Sell?

Yes, selling an empty house is possible! Below, we’ll cover our top 6 tips for selling your empty house including:

1) getting an appraisal
2) staging the empty house
3) maintaining utilities
4) necessary repairs
5) securing the house and
6) how to sell an empty house fast

1.  Appraise & Estimate Repairs

Having an appraisal gives you credibility as a seller and reduces the time it takes to negotiate. Buyers who can see an appraisal will feel more comfortable with your selling price and more confident with their offer price. Whether or not you plan to repair the house before you sell, be sure to get repair estimates from more than one source (three quotes is always a good rule of thumb.)

Your “handy dandy cousin” may “know” what he is talking about, but believe us, ask for many different professional opinions. It’ll save you time, money, and give you a leg up when negotiating the sales price.

2. Do Houses Sell Better Furnished Or Unfurnished?

People are emotional creatures. Make your house light, bright, warm, charming, welcoming, and if necessary maybe even bake some cookies. Everyone loves cookies, particularly a cute house smelling of freshly baked cookies.

Have enough furniture and décor to make the house look like someone lives there, this works wonders. Staging your house helps buyers see how each space can be utilized.
How much does it cost to stage an empty house?

Staging an empty house is a great way to show buyers the potential your home has. So, how much does it cost to stage an empty house? We found that sellers spend an average of $1,800 to stage a house, but staging a house can cost upwards of $5,000.

3. Leave The Utilities On

Papa always said turn out the lights before you leave, but in this case you’ll want to leave the utilities on:

● Keeping the utilities on will help prevent weather damage
● If the utilities are off, the buyers get the impression that the house needs more repairs than it actually does, for example, “Well, honey the lights or water don’t work, that’ll cost us.”
● Keeping utilities on will also make it more comfortable for anyone seeing the house. Especially in Seattle, if you’re showing a house during winter, you want to make it as warm as possible so that people are inclined to enter and feel comfortable

4. Must-Do’s If You’re Making Repairs

If you are the DIY-er type and want to fix up the house before sale, heed this warning. First of all, you will have to spend time and money in the house, and if the repairs aren’t extremely effective you will more than likely be throwing your time and money out the window.

Also, if you do not complete all the repairs, make sure you disclose all the repairs needed. You could be found liable for problems you did not disclose, even in an as-is sale. We’re not saying it’s impossible, but make sure you measure twice and cut once.

5. Secure the House

Lock it up! To protect your house from intruders, make sure the house doesn’t look vacant. Here are some tips:

● Get automatic lights; when it gets dark, they’ll turn on!
● Get your neighbor to collect any miscellaneous items that end up on your doorstep. Little kids are very good at this, and $5 goes a long way when you’re 12 years old.
● Have your trustworthy local neighbor keep an eye on the house. This will give them something to do and they’ll like the authority you have bestowed upon them.
● If you want to get really creative, you could make it look like your house is full of people. Remember the party scene from Home Alone? 😉

6. How To Sell An Empty House Fast in Seattle

Selling an empty house fast is crucial if you want to avoid the dangers that come with a vacant house. Sellers have several options for selling quickly, but one popular option is selling to a reputable real estate investor like I Will Buy House.

This is how we make our living: we buy houses in any condition. We have everything you need to make selling your house as simple as possible. We are here to help you in your selling, our caring process is what separates us from our competition.

Contact us for a free, no-risk quote within 24 hours.
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