Life happens and sometimes a home seller has to move out of a home before it is sold. On occasion there are even circumstances that would lead me to suggest that they move out early to facilitate the sale. But that's not what I'm talking about here.
I'm talking about the fact that vacant homes are homes that present their own unique challenges since there is no one in them to notice if a pipe bursts, the newspapers pile up or the yard looks untended. Many home sellers who, for any number of reasons, end up having to vacate a property during the marketing period, seem to feel it is no different than going away on vacation for a couple of weeks. Everything will be ok, right?
The law of unintended consequences is always lurking, waiting for just this combination of circumstances. And let me point out something about human nature. While your neighbors may be willing to bring in your mail or water your plants while you are on vacation, and will almost certainly call the police if they see a moving van in your driveway while you are beaching it; they may be quite a bit less willing to become involved if they feel you have moved on and abandoned your home to the dreaded For Sale sign. After all, they don't know what folks might think if they are seen walking around your house, picking up debris or checking the doors. Besides, you've broken the bond. You moved on and they have no idea who they will have to deal with once the house sells...after all, it isn't likely you will call them for approval of the new owner. Trust me, neighbors can become a tad bit conflicted over these issues.
Do yourself a favor. Make sure this is a topic of discussion between you and your real estate agent if there is even a remote possibility of your leaving the home during the listing period. This should trigger your agent to begin an entirely new line of discussion. If it doesn't, don't say I didn't warn you.
If you tell me you might move while I have the keys to your property we will immediately discuss the following:
- I take my responsibility to go the extra mile to protect your property seriously; within reason. But it is STILL your property. I am happy to arrange for someone to cut your lawn or blow the leaves from the driveway and even to facilitate payment from you to them for the service.
- I will make sure to physically check your home more often BUT I cannot be responsible for watering the plants or changing out seasonal decorations. Let's approach one of your friends or neighbors and ask if they would help you out on this score. If not, let's get rid of the plants and decorations or replace them with staging items that don't require tending.
Just to be clear, the best option for a vacant home is to get it sold quickly! You'll be happier, your neighbors will be happier and your insurance company will be happier. Let's price it right, keep it in good condition and get it done!
It's Simple...When You Have A Great Agent!
SarahGray Lamm is a licensed, full time, residential real estate professional in the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina with over 60,000 hours of experience. She specializes in serving the real estate needs of home sellers, home buyers and investors in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Northern Chatham County and is proudly associated with Allen Tate Realtors, the Carolinas #1 independent realty company.
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Great summary SarahGray. So important to have those expectations met upfront. There's a home in my market that was listed while vacant last winter. I don't know how often the agent was checking in but the pipes burst and water was flowing freely throughout the house for 4 days! The insurance company said they wouldn't pay because they hadn't been notified the house was vacant (and had been for some time). It was a short sale then and now may be bank owned, however the bank clearly isn't motivated to do anything about it either as it's still just sitting there.
I personally don't want to take on the responsibility for monitoring a vacant home, beyond checking for showings. But it's imperative that each agent and his/her clients get a clear understanding of how the house will be monitored and maintained. Thanks for another great post!
Colleen, thanks! I work in a rather small market area and checking on my listings is pretty easy. I do, however, want my sellers to understand that a listing is not the same as hiring a housesitter. I just need to know up front that they need extra help in preparing to leave a home empty and I'll make suggestions all day long for how they can maintain their own property so we can get it sold!
SarahGray - going the extra mile makes a big difference. Another suggestion? Hire a weekly or biweekly landscaping service to mow the yard and keep everything outdoors neat and tidy. Makes a big difference!
Sarah - that's an excellent collection of thoughts on how to handle a vacant property. they should also note that many insurers consider a "vacant" home a different kind of policy. Check with your insurer before leaving your home empty for any length of time.
btw... What's an agent "outlier"?
@Penny, I agree! I think folks like and need to understand exactly what they can expect! The lawn service is part of bullet point #1! ;-)
@Alan, Thanks! That's what I am talking about in the last bullet point only since all do not define 'vacant' the same way I simply want to let sellers know this is a possibility. I always strongly suggest that the seller talk to their insurance co if the home will be vacant!
An outlier is a person with tens of thousands of hours of experience in a given field who also has had the good fortune to be in the right place/right time to take advantage of unique opportunities to learn and hone skills which others may not have had the fortune or time to acquire, making it possible for the outlier to stand out in a crowd when it comes to their particular skill. Thanks for asking!