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Sellers often have difficult decisions to make when preparing their homes for sale. In addition to de-cluttering and staging there may be other substantive repairs to consider such as a new roof or needed upgrades to bathrooms and the kitchen.

Generally, if the work being considered needs to be done in order to bring the home into line with others on the market the repairs should be done by the seller prior to listing. Things that won’t increase a buyer’s price viewing window are best left incorporated into the initial price point decision.

While sellers can deliberate on which home renovations and repairs can be delayed they should know that, for the basics, a “no compromises” slogan should be their motto.

With the proliferation of TV programs targeting the real estate industry most people are now very conversant on the basics needed to get a home into “show shape.” Sell This House, Designed to Sell, and others have done a very good job proving the importance of removing clutter, generalizing the décor, and using vignettes to clearly define space.

The reality for many home sellers is that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to thoroughly accomplish this and force features of their home to take center stage. There may simply be an overwhelming amount of “things” and it may be impossible to redecorate while they continue to live in the home.

When sellers find themselves in this unfortunate situation, vacating the house may be a good thing to consider. Once the house is vacant, repainting, carpeting, and staging becomes easier and less stressful on the homeowner. It is also easier, and generally less costly, to affect needed changes in style when the house is vacant and workers do not have to work around the occupants.

And in those instances where there are children or pets it can be even more important to give serious consideration to vacating the home prior to listing. Let’s be honest- a family that manages to keep a home in show shape with kids or pets is a candidate for the Superhero Hall of Fame.

From a financial standpoint the numbers would seem to suggest that listing a vacant and properly staged home makes sense and deserves serious consideration. A properly priced home in great show shape usually generates a maximum amount of interest in the first few weeks on the MLS. An acceptable offer can often be negotiated within 30 days and close under 75.

So, if a homeowner is forced into an interim housing situation the rent paid for 90 days while the home is being marketed would be an expense they would add to the ongoing mortgage payment on the vacated home. But, the total cash outlay needed would likely be significantly less than the cost associated with a home on the market for 6 or 7 months.

Viewed objectively it readily becomes evident that vacating and staging can be a viable option to living in a home throughout the listing process.

Selling doesn’t have to be stressful and giving serious consideration to the moving timeline can go a long way towards ensuring lower blood pressure along the way. So, while sellers are thinking about the repairs and renovations to do before listing they should also give serious consideration to a “vacate and stage” strategy for the basics.