Should you move out while you're selling?

Why move early

There are several reasons why you might choose to move out of your home while it’s being sold. Perhaps it needs a major renovation, or you’ve already bought your new place. Or maybe you just don’t want to be around during the sale process.

If you’re not there, it’s easy for a home stylist to create a setting that other people could imagine themselves living in by staging your home with furniture and fittings.

This could be very different from your idea of the perfect décor for your house, because a stylist will be considering other things, such as the type of house, the neighbourhood and buyer expectations. So if you’re having a stylist stage your home, you may well prefer not to live in it!

If you want to move out but haven’t a new home yet, there are some things to consider as it could get expensive.

• Will you rent, stay with family or go on holidays?
• Will you store your belongings?

Your home, alone

Selling a vacant house is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. An empty house always looks and feels empty, so it’s harder for buyers to imagine themselves at home there. Fittings such as curtains or pictures can distract the eye, while furniture gives a sense of perspective – prospective buyers may not like your sofa, but at least they can see how it fits in the room.

If you choose to sell your house while it is vacant, here are a few points to take into consideration.

• Keep in close contact with your real estate agent. Know how many people are viewing your house and what feedback the agent is getting.
• If possible, try to leave some furniture in the house. A furnished house looks much more attractive and spacious than an empty one. Besides, people buy homes, not houses – they want to be able to feel they could live there.
• Make sure the house looks good from the street. Hire someone to mow your lawn, rake the leaves or trim bushes and trees as necessary.
• Don’t set your deserted house up for potential break-ins. Invest in exterior sensor lights and a battery-operated burglar alarm.

If you’re moving early, be sure to review your home insurance. Some insurance companies have a limit on how long they will cover a home while it remains vacant.