There are approximately 700,000 empty homes in the UK according to government statistics.
There are many reasons why a house might be left empty.
And when this happens, most homeowners want to sell it quickly.
Read on to how to sell an empty home fast.
Why do houses end up empty?
Houses might end up empty for many different reasons. Some of the most common examples include:
- Inherited: A house might be inherited by someone who does not want to live there. In which case, the new owner may simply want to sell the inherited property.
- In bad condition: A property might fall into disrepair due to neglect or damage. The cost of renovation sometimes outweigh the potential return on investment (ROI)
- Derelict: Properties abandoned due to severe structural damage, health hazards
- A new-build house: a new property completed (usually as part of a larger building project) that has not got a buyer yet.
- A formerly tenanted property waiting to be sold: Some landlords decide to sell some of their properties or even all of them. In the interim, they sit empty.
Should you get unoccupied property insurance for an empty property?
Home insurance is an integral part of all kinds of property ownership.
Many major insurance companies offer homeowners unoccupied property insurance. This enables you to fully protect your property when nothing is in it.
If your house is likely to be empty for more than 60 days, you should consider this option.
Most home insurance policies only cover an empty property for up to 60 days – but with unoccupied property insurance, you are covered for up to 12 months.
The exact way insurers define ‘unoccupied’ varies. So, make sure you do your research on any policy you consider.
Do empty houses sell for less?
There is no data suggesting that empty houses sell for more or less. It all depends on the buyer and the property itself.
Some people prefer to buy a neutral, empty house, while others like to see what the previous owners did with the place.
In many cases, house sellers will include furniture in their sale to increase their asking price.
Whether this tactic works depends on A) whether or not the buyer wants furniture and B) likes the seller’s furniture. Otherwise, it may decrease its value – furniture removal itself will cost the buyer time and money.
So, in summary: as long as your empty house is well-maintained and clean, it should sell for just as much as any other.
Are empty houses harder to sell?
There is no hard data to answer this question with. So, we can only consider anecdotal evidence.
Some estate agents argue that empty homes don’t sell quickly as buyers focus on the negatives. Cracks on walls and fading paint might grab their attention. The property may also feel too depersonalised.
Other estate agents believe empty houses are just as easy – if not easier – to sell. They may look larger because they are emptier, and they look ready to move into quickly.
Should I empty my house before I sell it?
It all depends on your situation.
In other words, you should consider what’s in your house and whether or not your buyer wants it.
So, if the house has lots of unwanted junk, emptying it beforehand is a good idea.
This is especially advisable if you have inherited the probate property from a hoarder.
On the other hand, if you have valuable pieces of furniture, you could use them as bargaining chips to get a better selling price.
Advantages of selling an empty house
Easy staging process
Aside from a basic clean, you won’t need to spend much time or effort staging your property for viewings (See below for staging tips).
Blank canvas for viewings
Selling your house empty can give your potential buyer a ‘blank canvas’ upon which they can imagine themselves living.
No removal effort or costs
Your property will be easy to move out of, and you will have no removal costs.
This has a knock-on effect of making the property look more ready to move into to potential buyers.
Disadvantages of selling an empty house
Too impersonal
Some estate agents argue that buyers find it challenging to envisage themselves living in your house if it is empty.
An equivalent property with sofas, beds, and kitchen appliances will look ‘lived in’. This inspires the viewer to imagine where different items could go and how they could make it their own.
Similarly, it can be more challenging for potential buyers to form an emotional attachment to an empty house.
Buyers might suspect something is wrong with the property
Buyers are naturally curious about properties they are moving into.
If they perceive the reasons for it being empty as being to negative.
However, this will likely only apply to a small subset of reasons. For example, if you moved out because of a neighbour dispute, or the area has a bad reputation, etc.
How to stage an empty house for selling
When you are selling an empty house, staging is everything.
Focus on details
The minor details on the outskirts of the room will become more noticeable, so it is crucial to keep it extremely clean.
If it isn’t cold outside, keep the houses’ windows open for at least thirty minutes before viewings to reduce or expel any musty smells.
Curb appeal
You don’t want your house to look empty when buyers first pull up outside, so some curb appeal is essential:
- Keep the front garden well-mowed
- Trim any hedges
- Fix cracks in the pavement or driveway.
- Giving the property a fresh coat of paint (both on the front door and all the house walls)
You should also tend to any mould or damp that has appeared, as it doesn’t make the best first impression (even if the survey reveals it).
Optimise natural lighting
Use natural lighting wherever you can, i.e., open curtains and blinds. And keep doors between rooms open to aid with this.
How to sell an empty house fast in the UK
The time it takes to sell a house depends on several factors.
Nothing stops you from selling your empty house with an estate agent – but this is not the fastest way to offload it.
The question of how to sell your house faster has a twofold answer:
- There are different ways to make your house sell faster through traditional channels
- There are different (/non-traditional) channels to sell your house faster
If you want to sell an empty house quickly, selling it to a cash buying company is undoubtedly the fastest way.
The most reliable cash-buying companies can purchase your property within 7 days, as they are not reliant on a mortgage (they have all the funds up front).
You can also sell an empty property at an auction house, although this will typically take a month or two rather than a few days.
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