Purchasing a home is an emotional process for many people as there are often so many factors to consider. Location is usually number 1 but exterior/interior appeal and function are usually a close second and this is where vacant homes can struggle to sell. If buyers can’t quickly relate to or envisage themselves living in the space, they simply can’t connect to it. Not to mention the big price tag that’s associated with buyi
ng a home, that makes us even more emotional and cautious about getting it right!
It’s not just buying a home that has an emotion connection for us as humans, pretty much any purchase we make has some kind of emotion pull in order for us to commit. We need to think and/or feel that we need the item and then be shown before we can close the sale. I often use the analogy of comparing showcasing and staging your home for sale, to the sale of a brand new car. If there were parts missing from the car and you couldn’t see exactly how it’s going to perform for you, would you be as motivated to buy it?
It’s rare that buyers are emotional over the purchase of a home because the market is littered with exceptional properties and they’re spoiled for choice. The more likely scenario is that in today’s fast-paced society, we’ve become accustomed to a particular style of living that suits our needs and we want the new purchase to enhance and improve our lives. Or perhaps we’re looking for a completely new change but aren’t really sure what kind of house that is but “I’ll know it when I see it and feel it” (the emotional pull). So when it comes to shopping around for buyers there’s really no time to waste and your property needs to stand out above the crowd to them!
In simple terms, human emotions + top-notch marketing = SALE
If one of the pieces in this equation, i.e. the marketing of a home, is missing then it can be a much harder and lengthier process trying to achieve a sale, and in this case, usually costs the home seller more money.
It’s a fact that 90% of buyers are looking for homes online so visual marketing is crucial.
Which image is more appealing to you?
BEFORE – VACANT AFTER – FULLY SHOWCASED
This home sat empty on the market for 1 month with no offers. The feedback from potential buyers was that due to the small layout of the home, they didn’t think their furniture would fit in the space and there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to sit. However, as you can see from the photo we did actually fit a good amount of furniture in this room without over-crowding.
The real reason most of the time, is that buyers just don’t get excited over an empty box. Who does? They want to open that exciting Christmas present (or front door) and get enthused and motivated about what’s inside!
Check out our Vacant Home Staging portfolio HERE and we can bet which side of the image sliders you’re more attracted to!
