Guest Blogger: The Pros and Cons of Selling Your Furnished Home

Guest Blogger #641, Entry #1521, August 28, 2012

If you’ve ever had to move from a house before, probably one of the things that you dreaded most about it was moving all of your stuff out. Just packing up your kitchen alone can be a project that takes a couple of weekends.

Should you sell your furniture with your home?

Image via

So, if you’re about to put the house that you are currently living in on the market, you may be considering selling it already furnished. Aside from the furniture and other things being one less thing that you’ll have to worry about, there are actually some pretty substantial “pros” that come with making that decision; there are a few cons too.

Before you make your final decision, we have enclosed three of each:

Pro. You don’t have to pack.

OK, you will have to pack some things. After all, no one is going to want your old books and probably not your dishes, either. But, if your couch and bed are in really good condition, you can definitely save some time and money (in moving expenses) by leaving those things behind.

Con. You will have to purchase furniture all over again.

Even if you don’t feel like packing the items up, if once upon a time, you made the effort to purchase the pieces, then that probably means that you like them. And, if you don’t pack them up and take them with you, that means that you will have to buy furniture all over again.

Pro. You can ask for a bit more with the selling price.

A tenant who doesn’t have to buy furniture is a tenant who doesn’t have to spend money on those things. Some people don’t have a houseful of pieces and so if they like what you have in your home, you are actually doing them a favor by leaving some items behind. This means that you can up your asking price just a bit.

You can ask more for your home if furnished

Image via

Con. You could keep some potential buyers away.

On the other hand, there are some people who want the freedom of being able to decorate their own place. So, you may actually keep some prospective buyers at bay with an already furnished house. One way to keep this from being too much of a problem is by marketing the home as an “either or”; that you’re willing to sell the house already furnished or with the furnished removed, pending the best offer.

Pro. You can negotiate rooms.

Studies support that there are actually more prospective tenants who are looking already furnished homes than people who want unfurnished places, but that doesn’t always mean that a potential buyer wants all of the furniture that you have to offer or that you’re ready to let all of your items go. If you love your bedroom furniture, but you can do without your living room sofa and chairs, then state that when people come to view the house. It’s a smart way to get “the best of both worlds”.

Con. Once you’ve sold it, it’s gone.

Whether we’re purchasing some Las Colinas real estate, some Raleigh real estate or even some property overseas, sometimes, we’re so excited about what lies ahead of us that we’re not really thinking about the things that we’re leaving behind. Although it may be more convenient (and sometimes more profitable) to sell a furnished home, there may be certain pieces of furniture that you want to hold on to, even if it’s just for sentiment’s sake. When it comes to making your final decision, be honest with yourself about what you can part with and what you honestly cannot. Because after you’ve sold it, it’s as good as gone!

For more moving tips on Stagetecture, click here.