Behind the Sale / Creative marketing / Clifton Springs
The Furniture Was Supposed to Be a Problem. Instead, We Sold for $60,000 More.
An overseas owner. A furnished Airbnb. And a selling challenge that turned into an opportunity.
What do you do when your client lives overseas, their property is operating as an Airbnb, and they want to sell the home with all the furniture included?
For many, the obvious solution would be to empty the property and find a buyer.
I saw things differently.
Our campaign ultimately achieved a sale price approximately $60,000 higher than a neighbouring comparable property. Here's how it unfolded.
An overseas owner and one big complication
My client lived overseas. The property was operating as an Airbnb, complete with contemporary furniture, and the owner wanted everything sold together.
Most homebuyers already have their own furniture. What looks beautiful to one person can be an inconvenience to another. And with the owner thousands of kilometres away, someone needed to take responsibility for the process, from coordination to inspections and negotiation.
If this were my own property, how would I handle it? That became my guiding question.
The first move wasn't about finding a buyer
As the selling agent, I established a strong working relationship with the Airbnb manager. With the owner overseas, clear communication and coordination mattered.
But I also wondered whether the furniture could become part of the reason someone wanted to buy.
That led to a different marketing angle: “Try Before You Buy.” Rather than treating the furnishings as an obstacle, I positioned the home around the lifestyle and experience they helped create. The property was already operating as short-term accommodation, giving the concept a natural fit.
I wasn't looking for every buyer
Some buyers would never want a furnished home, and that was fine. I didn't need everyone to see the value. I needed the right person to see it.
We found a purchaser who genuinely appreciated the contemporary furniture, the design and the overall feel of the home. What another buyer might have seen as an inconvenience, she saw as an advantage.
The conversation was no longer about unwanted furniture. It was about a complete home that appealed to someone who valued exactly what was there.
The $60,000 difference
A neighbouring comparable property had sold for approximately $60,000 less. Our property achieved a sale price $60,000 higher, within a two-week campaign.
No two properties are identical. Condition, features, presentation, timing and buyer preferences can all influence the final price, so that difference cannot be attributed solely to one marketing decision.
Great negotiation doesn't begin when the buyer makes an offer. It begins with how you position the property.
For me, this is what thoughtful property marketing is about: recognising what makes a home different and finding a buyer who genuinely appreciates those qualities. That approach helped create the conditions for a strong result.
What happened to the furniture?
It stayed. The vendor avoided having to organise the disposal of an entire household of furniture, and the purchaser acquired a home with furnishings she genuinely liked. The sale worked for both parties.
Sometimes the problem is the opportunity
An unusual floor plan, an awkward location, a difficult tenancy or a house full of furniture can all appear to be disadvantages. Sometimes the better question is whether a perceived obstacle can become an advantage for the right buyer.
We didn't just sell a furnished property. We found the buyer who valued it.
Your property has a story
Let's make it count.
Considering selling across Geelong, the Bellarine or Surf Coast? Talk to Vincent John about creative marketing and a selling strategy that fits your property.
Request my complimentary estimate →Privacy and confidentiality: This case study is based on a real property transaction. Certain names, identifying details and circumstances have been omitted or generalised to respect the privacy of those involved. The $60,000 difference refers to a neighbouring comparable sale; it does not imply that the properties were identical or that the difference was solely attributable to the marketing strategy or negotiation. Individual results vary and past performance does not guarantee future results.