Selling Used Condo: Show It Empty Or Dress It Up?

[chivo]

i've heard two schools of thought about the best way to sell a condo:

some pople say you should completely empty it and return it to simple clean form so buyers can imaging their own style, and imagine themselves in the place.

another is that you should dress it up as a showroom- that people want to buy into a lifestyle.

[krisb]

The dress up furniture has to be nice. Not overdone, not crowded, not cheap looking tacky etc.

[iancnx]

For me, I had a tenant already in place..... New owner very happy for it to be let. Process was simple for lease to be transferred to new ownership.

[ripley]

I've wondered about this too. Personally, I think I'd just like a plain palette of good quality to develop my own home, but not everyone feels that way. I think at most they want a simple decor so they can move in straight away & remodel in their own time.

I've also been trying to decide whether to retile the bathrooms (although the current ones aren't broken or stained), upgrade the fixtures, etc. The thing is that on the one hand you want to show the place to its best advantage. On the other, isn't it true that many people will just gut most of it and put their own look in?? If that were true, then why all the additional expense and mess? You just can't account for everyone's taste.

Tough call.

[Salapoo]

If small, leave it bare.

If big, dress it up a bit.

Just cleaning it will automatically make it stand out from the Thai adverts.

[xylophone]

A nicely presented property usually wins over an empty one, as there aren't too many people who can successfully visualise the potential of an empty condo. One proviso though, if the current furniture and condition is "poor" then empty is an option OR you can rent some nice furniture and drapes etc to tart the place up.

Little extras like fresh flowers and coffee percolating away can also make a difference.

[xen]

Just think about when you have been looking at places to rent or buy and you walk into a place and the interior design makes you cringe because it is so far from your taste. It will definitely influence your decision. Nobody has identical taste is design or furnishings. An empty appartment or house is neutral in that respect and allows the client to see the potential , unless they have no imagination at all.

Every place i have bought or rented has been empty .

[jonjo]

A nicely presented property usually wins over an empty one, as there aren't too many people who can successfully visualise the potential of an empty condo. One proviso though, if the current furniture and condition is "poor" then empty is an option OR you can rent some nice furniture and drapes etc to tart the place up.

Little extras like fresh flowers and coffee percolating away can also make a difference.

I agree, most people cant visualise empty property so the better you make it look you will make someone want to live there now,as said here you don't have to buy you can rent furniture...good luck.

[ripley]

"'ve also been trying to decide whether to retile the bathrooms (although
the current ones aren't broken or stained), upgrade the fixtures, etc.
The thing is that on the one hand you want to show the place to its best
advantage. On the other, isn't it true that many people will just gut
most of it and put their own look in?? If that were true, then why all
the additional expense and mess? You just can't account for everyone's
taste."

So what's the general opinion on this?

[xylophone]

"'ve also been trying to decide whether to retile the bathrooms (although

the current ones aren't broken or stained), upgrade the fixtures, etc.

The thing is that on the one hand you want to show the place to its best

advantage. On the other, isn't it true that many people will just gut

most of it and put their own look in?? If that were true, then why all

the additional expense and mess? You just can't account for everyone's

taste."

So what's the general opinion on this?

For what it's worth from my experience of buying and selling around 10 houses, and taking the post above as a starting point: I certainly wouldn't re-tile anything if the tiles were in okay order and the same goes for the fixtures and fittings, unless one is absolutely "shot" and really does look an eyesore.

It is true that some people will buy a place and gut it, but then that's their choice and all you can do is to present your place in its best light, and if there is some discussion about wanting to replace "this or that" because it is a matter of the buyers choice, then you always have a little leeway for negotiation on price. However do not be beaten down too much on price just because the potential purchaser wants to change everything in the place and expects you to "pay for it".

Really hard to give a definitive answer, because there are so many variables, however provided the seller gets a reasonable price, and the purchaser gets a reasonable deal, then it's a win-win.

[watcharacters]

.

Easy.

Show it as you would want it to look as if you were buying it and planning to move in to the place.

Make it clear what items will not stay if and when it is sold.

[johnnyk]

If you aren't living in it then clean it thoroughly and maybe give it some paint. If you are living in it then dress it up a bit to show its best face. But don't go over the top with decor because you never know the other person's taste.

[pattayadingo]

Not a condo, but I looked at some houses recently, all of them empty.

Each of the properties I looked at were dirty with stained walls and bathrooms. They were Thai owned and the general gist was that I'd have to pay to have the places redecorated.

The point being that a clean (painted), empty place can catch the eye as much, if not more, than a furnished one from my point of view. And furnishings can hide problems.

The only furnishings I'd like to have in place are curtains.

[Thighlander]

empty...but some simple things to do are making sure all the lights work. Also, replace dingy water supply lines, with nice braided stainless steel. I've sold a house. a townhouse, and a condo in the last four years. Looked at hundreds of banked owned properties. An airplane tarmack full of tacky ceramic tile. People think tile is so great, it is usually a pain in the ass to keep clean, and their are many, who have it, who do not have indoor plumbing. A nice coat of neutral paint is worth the investment. Too much tan is being used now, though. www.benjaminmoore.com is an excellent website, where you can select your paint by number, and you can go get it made at wal-mart or homedepot, or probably home-pro. Just remember paint looks different on the screen, on the sample card, wet, and then dry, and different lighting will make it look different, too. I actually used a shade of green called "camouflage" for the first time. If you weren't paying attention, you couldn't even see the green....nice and neutral.

They also have an entire section on staging your home with color.

Edited June 14, 2013 by Thighlander

[johnnyk]

empty...but some simple things to do are making sure all the lights work. Also, replace dingy water supply lines, with nice braided stainless steel. I've sold a house. a townhouse, and a condo in the last four years. Looked at hundreds of banked owned properties. An airplane tarmack full of tacky ceramic tile. People think tile is so great, it is usually a pain in the ass to keep clean, and their are many, who have it, who do not have indoor plumbing. A nice coat of neutral paint is worth the investment. Too much tan is being used now, though. www.benjaminmoore.com is an excellent website, where you can select your paint by number, and you can go get it made at wal-mart or homedepot, or probably home-pro. Just remember paint looks different on the screen, on the sample card, wet, and then dry, and different lighting will make it look different, too. I actually used a shade of green called "camouflage" for the first time. If you weren't paying attention, you couldn't even see the green....nice and neutral.

They also have an entire section on staging your home with color.

Benjamin Moore may not be available in Thailand and if it is may be very expensive, ts bad enough here and there are other brands as good at lower cost.

Beger dealers in Thailand have a colour-staging program on their computers.

A realtor once told me that a coat of paint offered the most cost-effective way of sprucing up any dwelling for sale.

[Thighlander]

I didn't make it perfectly clear you can get the benjamin moore colors made for you elsewhere?

[shiroboi]

It's been my experience that women, who often make the final decision on a home purchase, have little to no imagination when it comes to home shopping. They want to walk into a place and be hit by a wonderful feeling. It's all about emotions and it's really hard to get an emotional feeling about an empty room. Why do you think they put so much time and effort into decorating model homes to look so good? It sells the house.

Oh, that works if you have good taste in decorating. If your decoration sucks, maybe it's best to leave it empty. Clean and uncluttered is key.

Edited June 16, 2013 by shiroboi

[Thighlander]

yep, pictures of inbreds on the walls make people clam up.

[Khun Jean]

Dress it up as fancy as you can.

I would never buy it but it works for most, especially when they bring along their wifes who have the final say in these things.

If i buy a condo i look at structure and a freshly painted wall is not helpful at all.

I like to see all the warts and fix it on my terms.

So it depends who your target is.

[jbrain]

I always appreciate if the OP shows such a tremendous interest in the comments made in a thread he has started.

[chivo]

Listening, not interrupting. Best policy. ;-)

[chivo]

But thanks to all for opinions! Seems a split decision.

[chivo]

But thanks to all for opinions!