Who should keep an unoccupied home show-ready while on the market?
Sellers should have their houses show-ready at all times, but what if it’s unoccupied? Who’s going to mow the lawn, sweep the cobwebs, and ensure it’s always in show-ready condition? That’s a conversation you need to have with your real estate agent during the listing appointment.
The easy answer is that the seller should take care of it, but that’s not always an option. The seller may live out of state or be unable to take care of the home for some reason. If you can’t keep up the home, your agent may oversee its care, or you can hire a service to come over periodically.
“No matter the situation, your agent needs to have your best interests at heart.”
However, your agent may not want to handle the upkeep because it puts them at risk; if someone comes over to care for the lawn and they damage it, whose fault is it? Yours, the lawn maintenance company’s, or your agent’s? Then who’s going to fix it?
Another option is to hire a professional property management company that’s accustomed to taking care of houses. It comes at an expense, but it takes the burden off of you and the risk of your agent. No matter the situation, your agent needs to have your best interests at heart. Speak to them and come up with a solution that works for you both.
Making sure the home is taken care of will help it sell at its highest value. As always, if you have questions about buying, selling, or any other real estate matter, please give us a call or send an email. We’d be glad to help. Also, let us know if there’s a topic we can cover for you in a future blog.
