I recently had a listing in Concord, MA that when I first brought it onto the market in July 2010 was vacant. My sellers had moved to the West Coast two years prior and had rented the home. They decided that they would not be coming back and decided to sell their completely empty home.
The home had a mix of functional rooms and bedrooms on both floors which confused many buyers. It became clear to me I needed to remove the confusion with a staged used of certain rooms.
Many appointments to the house were dated, worn and tired. Before we staged we tackled some basics: removed wallpaper, updated paint colors, replaced all carpet with new Berber carpeting and replaced the vinyl bi-fold closet doors with wood doors.
Even with all the updating the living plan still not make sense. It became obvious that we needed to stage the home how a buyer could visualize living in the rooms.
The living room offered gleaming hardwood floors, built-in’s, wood burning fireplace and a slider to a 20′ x 20′ deck. The natural sun light combined with the large windows invited you to the outdoors. Adding furniture, a beautiful rug and some artwork just warmed the room and made you feel at home.
Before, the dining room seemed out of place, didn’t know where to put the table with the flow of traffic and the wood burning fireplace. We also updated the light fixture and got rid of the curtains and repainted the ceiling.
The master bedroom felt very large with the cathedral ceiling and the openness of the room. Furniture and a rug made it feel anchored and inviting. A bedroom that you wanted to spend a lot of time in.
We staged the family/office that was located on the entry level as an office, it has a huge window with lots of natural sun light for someone who works from home to enjoy. With the adjoining play/game room you could work and watch your children at the same time.
I had the home on the market for 11 months and after the home was staged and with a slight price reduction on Saturday I had the first open house the next day on Sunday, the buyer came to the open house at the suggestion of his agent and just loved it! He came back with his agent that same evening and put an offer in two days later!
To answer the question “Do you Stage a Vacant House?” – Yes! The point is you have to help buyers see the potential and remove the confusion.
This home was staged by Mark Luther of Mark Luther Design located in Bedford, MA. Mark is an interior designer and works with both residential and commercial clients. You can learn more about Mark by visiting his website or email him at mark@marklutherdesign.com.
Posted by Peggy Dowcett, your Concord MA real estate professional. Using a seasoned real estate professional brings a wealth of knowledge and assurance to your home selling experience. Call or email today at 978-302-3988.
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