There are many reasons for a vacant home to be on the market. It could have been an investment property, a 2nd home, or the owner has passed away or moved to assistant living to name a few. OK so lets just say you have a home that is vacant and needs to sold. What are the steps necessary to assure the home is ready for market and is safe?
Step One- You want to make sure it has been cleaned, painted and spruced up where needed.
Step Two- You will want to hire a gardener (if needed) to keep the grass cut and garden weeds at bay.
Step Three- A home inspection is a great idea as you will know the homes condition and can either make repairs or adjust the price accordingly given the repairs needed.
Step Four- You will want to have part of it staged. Living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath to name a few. A staged home shows better and gives the warmth that buyer are looking for
Step Five- You need Vacant home Insurance. A normal home insurance policy does not cover a vacant property if it sits for more than 30 days vacant. If pipes burst, vandalism took place or even an accidental fire all of which your normal insurance policy would not cover a thing.
Wow!! Not many sellers or agents know about Vacant Home Insurance. They can or should offer the guidance of steps one to four but step five is a much neglected area in the home marketing area of a vacant home.
When listing a vacant home the first thing I discuss is the Vacant Home Insurance that Long & Foster and myself offer. We have a Vacant home insurance policy that will protect your home during the marketing and sale process.
Selling a Home- What if it is Vacant? Contact me anytime. 410-440-7839 or [email protected]