Home manager can help you sell
For a lot of homeowners it’s crunch time. You property has been on the market forever, you have delayed your move because of a lack of buyers or you’ve decided that your second home is no longer cost effective in this economic climate. No one likes to walk away and leave a property vacant, but if you do find yourself in this unenviable position, there is something that could help.
Most homeowners have heard about staging your home for sale. Essentially you maximize the home’s good features and downplay the bad by strategically placing furniture, pictures and other decorative pieces. Staging also involves getting rid of the clutter, some personal items and collections while the property is on the market.
But if staging alone is not enough, you can take it to the next level by hiring a home manager. Home managers are basically live-in stagers who are also responsible for taking care of the property and keeping it in ready-to-show condition at all times. In addition, they are required to accommodate real estate agents who want to show the house any day of the week.
The home manager theory is that a vacant property is more difficult to sell than one that is meticulously kept and furnished with high-quality items. Buyers tend to spend less time in vacant properties, and empty properties frequently convey to potential buyers that the property is somehow distressed and has been on the market a long time.
Managers are provided through local and national companies that do extensive background checks as well as scrutinizing a potential home manager’s furniture and décor. In return home managers pay reduced rent, they also pay utilities and grounds maintenance, providing them with the privilege of living in what are usually large expensive homes for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost. Home managers can bring their children, although pets are generally not permitted, and agree to vacate the property quickly when sold.
Homeowners are charged a fee by the home manager’s company which the company claims is worth the investment in reduced selling time. It also points out that homeowners experience less stress since they do not need to worry about vandalism and increased insurance costs associated with a vacant property.
If you want more information about home managers, Showhomes is a company that provides home manager services. It is a national company and claim it is the largest in the country with six franchises in Florida, St. Petersburg and north Tampa being the closest to our area.
I had some personal experience with home managers when I was marketing corporate-owned properties on Long Island, N. Y. One worked out great, the property was sold and everyone was happy. The other one was not as successful and ultimately was asked to move out. Nevertheless, desperate times call for desperate measures and employing a home manager could be just the spark your property needs to get it moving.
Hiring a home manager is just another marketing tool to help get the property sold faster. It is a service that will help keep your property fresh and accessible when you need to move on, but like everything related to our unpredictable real estate market, proceed with caution. The show called "Sell This House" must go on, even if you’re not there to see it. Home managers will help keep the curtain going up every day.
