Selling probate Property - furnished or cleared ?

Daniel54

We actually aren’t there yet - probate applied for.Three executors

There is a lack of consensus whether the property should be cleared for sale or left furnished .All furnishings are old fashioned but clean

i have suggested taking the views of the estate agents before deciding.Others take the view it would be best to clear anyway, whereas my inclination is to leave furnished unless otherwise advised.

Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated

poppystar

I left the property furnished but removed a lot of excess furniture first along with ornaments and the like. There were several other properties on the market locally and I noticed some had been cleared. It didn’t seem to matter. I think you almost can’t second guess the buyers - someone intending to live there may like to see furniture in situ, someone keen to develop or majorly renovate might prefer to see a blank canvas. 

kipsterno1

We got rid of all the clutter and although the furniture was old fashioned dressed the house so viewers could see how it worked. 

BooJewels

I'm just doing one and for marketing it looked as though someone was living there, it's furnished and has some ornaments etc., but will be cleared to empty nearer completion - as we've sold it.  I think it's easier to get a sense of scale with furniture in situ.  All the cupboards and drawers were largely empty though.  It's still like that and I have lamps on timers etc.  I want it to look occupied from a security point of view.  My sister visits every week and moves things around a bit.

For your own comfort, if you have to visit to do any work, cleaning or to check on it, it's less comfortable if you have nowhere to sit or ability to brew up.

Sarahspangles

We took advice from the estate agents that leaving some furniture helped buyers visualise the way the bungalow could be used. OH removed everything personal, leaving pictures and ornaments etc, then I visited and said what my ‘first impressions’ were, working through from the front doorstep to stepping onto the patio. Then we moved furniture round until each room had ‘just enough’, including moving mirrors, lamps and pictures.

Be aware that if the paintwork is a bit tired or grubby, moving larger items will make this more rather than less obvious. OH gave the kitchen a coat of magnolia. We actually spent about £200 in total on paint or new stuff, which seems daft, but it meant each room had a single colour theme e,g. from inexpensive new duvet covers, plus brighter bulbs in case people viewed in the evening.

The pics looked great. There were multiple offers including one from a good buyer, above asking, within a week of listing.

At the end of ‘staging’ we took an inventory so we could tell family what was available and could book BHF to take the remainder. OH actually felt the house was less upsetting to visit once we’d moved things round but also that his parents would have liked it.

bobster2

Daniel54 said:

We actually aren’t there yet - probate applied for.Three executors

There is a lack of consensus whether the property should be cleared for sale or left furnished .All furnishings are old fashioned but clean

i have suggested taking the views of the estate agents before deciding.Others take the view it would be best to clear anyway, whereas my inclination is to leave furnished unless otherwise advised.

Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated

It's generally a good idea to keep some furniture for the marketing photos and viewings (e.g. for the reasons others have pointed out above).

But of course when you have a buyer you will almost certainly need to clear everything prior to completion. Unless there's a particular piece of furniture the buyer wants they will generally want the house empty.

SevenOfNine

We took the advice of the estate agent selling 2 inherited  properties. Both from elderly parents, so houses furnished with old stuff (very old) along with old decor, both homes 60+ years old & somewhat shabby.

Told to leave all actual furnishings in place & just remove 60+ years of everything else. Both sold promptly, for the asking price.

The more you strip out, the worse it's going to look, let estate agent guide you, he'll have a feel for the buyers & can let you know if interested but want it emptied.

Nearlyold

There's no hard and fast rule,  if there's too much furniture that's not helping to sell the place because it's all cluttered then remove it eg things like footstools.

Getting everything as spotlessly clean tidy and shiny as possible within the time you have available is probably the principal thing to aim for. ie clean windows, sinks baths taps, wood surfaces polished, no black mould round windows etc

Daniel54

Belatedly,thank you to everyone for your replies,all of which are helpful

My instinct was to sell furnished,and I think this is reflected in the majority of responses.My main driver was to feel justified in insisting we take the estate agents’ advice on this topic

We probably have (even more) decluttering to do and a good point  that personal items such as photos should be removed.

The house is kept clean and is in good external condition.

Thanks again