It’s reasonable to say that the property market has been slow over the last couple of years than we’d become accustomed to in the U.K.
But properties in Chelmsford have still been moving at a high rate and at decent prices too as people begin to shuffle in their Brexit chairs and release their hands from the sit-and-wait routine they had gotten used to.
In Chelmsford over the last year, over 2,000 properties have been sold – a figure which represents a 6% lower rate when compared to the previous year but is still 3% higher than the national average.
So, there are people who are selling and there are definitely people who are buying.
But with post-Brexit hiccups having delayed many transactions, there’s a high probability you may come across an empty property when looking for a new place to call home, where the seller has transitioned to their next home while they wait for their existing property to sell.
Empty properties can be harder to sell. This is because buyers sometimes have a difficult time visualizing living in an empty space without any furniture or decorations.
So, here are our top tips for buyers and sellers when it comes to dealing with empty properties for sale.
Tips For Selling An Empty Property
If the home you are selling is currently vacant because you have moved out already, it can make things difficult for you when it’s time to sell.
However, there are specific steps you can take to help you achieve a faster sale.
Make The Most of Your Kerb Appeal
If your home’s interior is nothing but a shell, the most effective way to make a good first impression with buyers is to spruce up the exterior.
Kerb appeal plays a critical role when selling a home anyway, but even more so when the property is absolutely empty.
Your marketing images are unlikely to attract suitable buyers, as well as properties that are fully furnished. This is why it’s important to ensure that your property is as appealing as it can be, both for the marketing images and when potential buyers show up for viewing. So make sure you use good property photography services to help with the images.
Make Sure Your Property is Clean
If you’re selling your house while you’re still residing in it, any small areas that the duster or vacuum misses can be easily hidden by your belongings.
When your house is empty, dirt and debris will stand out like a sore thumb and buyers will run away without looking back.
Scuffed or dirty flooring or a worn-out carpet that has remnants of old wine stains engrained in it will just turn buyers away – and mind you, you won’t have a nice coffee table to conceal these blemishes.
Walls can also look amazing where a piece of furniture once existed, which only makes it easy to see how dirty the rest of the walls are.
Make sure your floors, walls, and other visible surfaces are as clean as possible. You can even improvise by using decorations if you have to.
Get Those Windows Gleaming
As with other parts of your house, when it’s bare, dirty windows look even dirtier with no blinds or curtains to conceal the underlying mess.
You should make sure that your windows are sparkling – it will help to make each look bright and improve the amount of natural light that enters the house.
Visit The Property Regularly
You wouldn’t think grime and dirt could accumulate with no one living in your house, but you’d be shocked.
It’s highly likely that your home’s exterior will need some attention – especially those windows – due to exposure to outdoor elements like dust and rain.
Your home’s interior may also begin to smell musty or damp after a while when a house is empty.
It’s recommended that you visit your property at least once a week and open a couple of windows for an hour while you check and clean the property.