Leaving a vacant home in Louisville up for sale can be very costly but it doesn’t have to be. You will still have to pay your taxes, mortgage payments, and other expenses. Generally speaking, it is always best to avoid selling a vacant property whenever possible.
In the interest of full disclosure, here are some of the added expenses you can expect when selling your vacant Louisville home.
1. Homeowners Insurance
You will have to let your insurance company know that the home will be left vacant. This will increase the premiums and you may have to pay up to double the cost to keep the house insured. There will be an increased risk of theft and vandalism to your vacant home in Louisville, as well as, the risk of damage from home systems that malfunction. If a pipe were to leak, for example, the results could be disastrous.
2. Maintaining the Exterior
You will have to make sure that the exterior of the home is maintained while you are gone. The grass will need to be cut and trees and bushes will need the occasional trimming. The overall condition of the exterior will need to be checked on a regular basis to make sure that no debris falls onto your property from the wind or careless passersby.
Ask a friendly neighbor or nearby family member to routinely stop by to check on your home while it’s listed for sale.
3. The Interior of the Home
You’ll need to hire a caretaker to walk through your Louisville home on a regular schedule. They will also need to open the windows to air out the house and make sure that everything remains in order. They will be looking for anything out of the ordinary that may suggest that someone has stepped into the house that shouldn’t have been there and also keep a lookout for any systems that are malfunctioning, such as the electrical or the plumbing.
4. A Pool
If you have a pool you will need to have it maintained while you are gone. The pool service will make sure that the proper chemicals are added to the pool to prevent algae and other fungi from accumulating and will manually clean the pool of any debris.
Your real estate agent can give you more hints and suggestions about leaving a vacant home up for sale. You will not only have to pay extra for home maintenance and insurance, but you may end up with a lower closing price as a result of selling an empty home. You need to weigh your options and only leave the house empty if there is no other alternative available.
