The Housechick Blog

Sometimes, homes have to be sold vacant.  If you’re selling your real estate in Tucson, and you’ve already moved out of the area, there are a couple things you need to make sure are taken care of before you leave, and also while you are away (Hint: Your agent should be able to help you manage these).

1. Keep the climate comfortable.  I’ve addressed this once, but I’ll say it again.  Your potential buyers are uncomfortable and unwelcome in a hot and stuffy house.  It’s an immediate bad first impression.  I walked into a house last week that was 96 degrees.  Inside.  We left immediately, didn’t care how nice the house was. 

2.  Vacant means empty.  Completely empty.  This includes the stuff you don’t like and didn’t want to take with you and decided just to pile in the garage.  Finding odd evidence of the past owner in a closet or drawer is sorta creepy, and distracting.  I found a burrito in the cabinet of what was supposed to be a vacant house last week.  Really.  Do a last check through those cabinets and drawers before you lock up and leave for the last time.

3. Make it extra clean.  Without furniture or decorations to distract the eye, a Buyer sees every imperfection, every little bit of grime and dirt.  I heard a woman call the ideal cleanliness “Q-tip clean.”  That’s a good description, and your goal. 

4. Patch and paint the walls.  Hey, what better time to have the inside painted than when the place is empty?  (I know some great painters, by the way.)  Just have it done, or do it yourself.  Things hung on the wall tend to leave visible outlines when the object is removed.  It makes the house look dirty.  Patch all holes, and paint a nice fresh color.  This is also a good time to neutralize any wall colors that may cater towards very specific tastes.

5. Take care of the outside.  Your landscaping needs to be maintained while you are away.  The weeds need to be controlled, the front porch swept of debris from the last wind storm, and the bougainvillea needs constant trimming so that it doesn’t scratch the windows.  Hire a service, or have your agent spot check the house occasionally.  Overgrown yards and leaf piles by the door are signs of a very sad, not well maintained house.

6. Take care of the inside.  I wish insects would find a nice dark place outside to die, but instead, they like to wave their little feet for the last time in the middle of your living room.  Or on the countertops.  Or in the tub.  Anywhere blatant, really.  You need someone to check the house occasionally for critters, and to keep surfaces clean of dust.

Vacant or occupied, selling your house can be a challenge.  Make sure you aren’t putting yourself at a disadvantage by not taking inexpensive, simple steps to make your house attractive to potential buyers.