To sell your home furnished or to not sell your home furnished; that is the question. In fact, it’s “the question” that a lot of home sellers go back and forth on. After all, a home is a major investment and you want to get the highest possible ROI when you decide to sell.
However, not all homes are created equally, nor are all situations the same. Here are some things to consider prior to listing your home on the market as ‘furnished’.
Pro: Furnished Homes Tend to Sell Quicker Than Unfurnished
The key to successfully selling a house is to remove enough items so the interior is depersonalized, yet keep enough items in it so the interior appears livable. There’s a very fine line between the two, but you’re already one step ahead of the competing homes by selling furnished.
Chances are you won’t be leaving your family photo albums and memorabilia in the home when you sell it anyway. So, you’re already tackling the tricks to successfully selling your home.
Con: Not All Homebuyers Want a Furnished Home
All homebuyers will need to furnish their home, but not all homebuyers want the home to come furnished. By listing your home as furnished, you may be driving away potential homebuyers. Even if they like your house, having it come furnished only creates more work for them once they move in as they’ll have to remove, sell or donate all of your items.
Pro: The House Is Move-In-Ready for Potential Homebuyers
When you decide to sell your home furnished, you appeal to a market that not all homes for sale can target. There are some potential homebuyers, such as people relocating or individuals looking for a second home are intrigued by furnished homes because they’re move-in ready. There’s no need for them to hire a moving truck to lug all of their belongings across the state or country, nor do they have to spend an abundance of money just to re-furnished their new home.
Con: Your Furnished Home Can’t Appeal to All Types of Personalities and Buyers
An unfurnished home leaves room for imagination. It doesn’t matter who the buyer is, what they like or the interior styles they prefer because that’s all within their control once the house is theirs.
However, when potential homebuyers are looking at furnished homes, there’s more to consider than just the structure, architecture and foundation of the property. They have to like your furnishing or else they’re losing money on their investment because they’re paying a higher price for furnishings – furnishings they essentially don’t want.
Pro: A Furnished Home Makes It Easy for Homebuyers to Envision Themselves in The Space
In order to sell a home, potential homebuyers need to be able to envision themselves living in the space. This is why depersonalizing the interior is such a mandatory task within real estate.
When a home comes furnished, the key is to make sure that the the interior can leave a long lasting and positive impression.
Con: A Furnished Home Can Make It Difficult for Homebuyers to Envision Themselves in The Space
On the contrary, a furnished home can make it difficult for potential homebuyers to envision themselves in the space. After all, they’re looking at a home with someone else’s belongings, memories, experience, and lifestyle.
The best news is that if you do sell your home furnished, you don’t have to worry about moving all of your belongings, nor do the homebuyers. Everything is already there upon arrival. However, if you like your belongings or don’t have a budget to replace everything, you may be better off hiring movers and selling unfurnished. There are pros and cons to each, only you can decide what the best-case scenario is in your situation.
