Then sell.
sell. Renting has its own huge list of requirements, expectations, tax implications, and legal headaches.
The very fact that you’re looking at it as a “sell or rent” says to me you really should sell, because they’re apples to oranges.
Any thoughts on houses selling better with furniture? We will be in permanent housing by the end of February, but I really didnt want to list the house until spring because I thought it would be better, but the house will be empty at that point.
If you can leave behind some pieces to stage the house that’s good, because people sometimes have a hard time visualizing the size of a room with no furniture in it.
But if it’s taste-specific or really beat up, better to remove it.
We have enough furniture in our house to move…and still leave the old house looking furnished…spaciously.
For example, we have a fully finished third floor family room. We won’t leave any furniture in THAT room at all…just a big open space.
Realtors claim houses sell better with furniture. Personally, I can envision myself living in an empty house better. It’s hard for me to look past other people’s stuff even if staged when the style is not my own.
^^Me too, but a lot of people can’t imagine it. They need to see a bed in a room to know a bed will fit ok in that room.
The right amount of furniture and often, less is more.
What the others said about furniture - it helps those without spatial imagination (“oh wow - a king bed fits comfortably here!”). Just a few pieces, not a whole lot, and definitely no personal effects.
Be careful if you are not nearby when the house is on the market. We did that, and the house was staged (for free by our agent), and it got an offer quickly - but - the seasons changed and we were never 100% sure that someone was watching the thermostat. A window was left unlocked and someone came in at night and stole some of the staging furniture, turned off the electricity (thinking there was an alarm) and left the window wide open on a night when it dropped into the low 20s. Luckily someone came by the next morning. Leave a key with a friend and have them check on your house often!!
“The 3% is worth it to me to get the brokered foot traffic through the house.”
That is very interesting, as we tried to do FSBO with our second home in a very hot seller’s market, and none of the real estate agents would bring any of their clients through. We did not know to make sure agents had assurance of what they needed from us on our end, i.e., indicating we would cover the buyer’s agent’s fees. No one told us that!
@greenwitch I spoke to a realtor today who said I should list sooner rather than later. She said when you wait until spring, you have more competition. So I should be here when it sells assuming it moves as quickly as others in my neighborhood. If not, I have a neighbor who may as well be called Mrs. Kravitz,lol who I have given a key to in the past. I spent a great deal of time in Central America this summer,and he kept an eye on the house.
I would sell instead of rent, especially since you recently had work done on the house. Four years of tenants will result in wear & tear. Also, if you are in a seller’s market now, take the money and run.
A realtor told me at a point that prices are higher in the spring, so you might ask that question. Yes, more competition, but it sounds as if your property is in good shape and moving it might not be a problem. Far fewer people are looking at this time of year.
Regarding selling vs renting, questions arise. How much trouble are you willing to deal with? Would you hire a manager? Your accountant could probable advise you on the details of taxes and expenses as well as whether this makes sense financially for your family. If you are in California, which I am guessing from your photo, you need to discuss the future of the real estate market in that area with someone in the know. Yes, there is wear and tear from renting. But if the place appreciates substantially, it may be worthwhile for the long term. Of course it sounds as if you are attached to the area, and that has it’s own value.
"She said when you wait until spring, you have more competition. "
More houses on the market but more buyers as well, especially if your home is of the type and in an area where you’ll be catering to families. Families like to time moving with the school calendar.
@greatlakesmom , actually Im in the midwest, I guess my profile pic is wishful thinking!
I have an idea of what I want for my house, if I dont get it, then I just wont take the offers. There have been 2 recent sales in my neighborhood, and 1 pending so I have a pretty good idea of comps. All of the houses sold within 3 weeks. We have temp housing until the end of February, so it makes sense to sell sooner rather than later but if I have to pay rent in a new location and a mortgage for a few months to get a better price, so be it.
Regarding having someone watch the house once it is empty, I purchased a monitor online where you pay for a monthly subscription and it texts or emails you if the power goes off or on, or the temperature goes out of a range you set. I had a handyman who works with my realtor stop by and walk through weekly. We made the decision to leave the water on and he flushed toilets and ran faucets, too. I had cleaners come in once a month to dust, make sure the hardwood floors were clean, swipe the toilets, etc. The monitor wasn’t that cheap, but I recouped some of the cost by selling it to my realtor when I was done.
Watch a few youtube videos regarding squatters taking over vacant properties and you may well decide not to have your house sitting empty. What a nightmare for those homeowners!
@intparent My mom lives here, so in addition to my neighbor she can stop by and take care of the things you mentioned.
@Nrdsb4 I would be shocked if my house was empty more than a couple of months given the area and school district. I am also not in a neighborhood where squatters occur.
My realtor is ranked nationally, and she includes staging as part of her services, so I am hopeful for a quick sale.
My neighbor sees everything, he even saved my daughter when she was playing Dart Wars, by telling us some kids were staked out in the neighbors backyard, lol. When I was in central america this summer, I had fleas in the house, so I checked into a hotel. I never told my neighbor I was back, but he immediately texted me, because he thought my car was stolen!
I’ve never heard of it happening in my area either, but it has happened in some million dollar homes. I was amazed at how long it took owners to be able to legally evict these scumbags!