I’m moving out of the co-op I own at the end of the month because I am relocating to another city. Unfortunately, my very nice one-bedroom hasn’t sold. I’m told that showing the place empty (the furniture is coming with me) may negatively affect the selling price. What do you think?

It’s a long-held belief that furnished apartments show better and garner higher prices. Even popular new condo developments often include tours of fully decorated sample units in addition to the vacant unit for sale. Obviously, some apartments will show better (new high-rises with views) than others (dark prewars with great locations but no panorama).

One of the main reasons empty digs have less appeal is because they appear significantly smaller. (Debate me on this if you want, but just so you know, you won’t be the first.)

Secondly, even if you’ve taken great care of your home, the apartment is likely to look dingy after you leave because of things like exposed hooks or holes that held artwork and uneven floor color where the sun bleached certain areas. Plus, any structural flaws – e.g., the leak you fixed, the broken bathroom tiles behind the towel rack, that odd structural beam hidden by the coat rack – will be apparent. This abandoned look may appear grim to even an experienced buyer.

Also, an empty apartment can leave the impression that the seller is willing to unload it cheap, leaving you to field low-ball offers.

That said, consider the options and make a plan.

Discuss the situation with your broker. Most potential buyers – through curiosity, seemingly crafty financial assessment or simple small talk – will ask where the seller has gone. You and your broker will want a positive answer to this.

Carefully reconsider the asking price, understanding if you’re eager for a tough negotiation or bidding war, that time has passed. A lowered price may bring in new prospects and, frankly, a new spirit. (Apartments that linger unsold tend to see diminished interest.)

Next, it’s probably worth splurging to freshen up the apartment with a coat of paint and a professional cleaner. And if you can rent, borrow or leave some furniture in place (good furniture, mind you), it might be the tipping factor.

A final option would be to take the apartment off the market for a year and rent it. You’ll want to stipulate in the lease that the tenant make the apartment available to brokers during the final three months of the contract. Most co-op bylaws include a rent provision that a tenant must be approved by the board. So if you’ve got a nice, friendly board, it might be worth a shot.

Why did our co-op board reject our buyer? This man founded, owns and runs a successful family business valued at millions. Plus, he’s willing to pay cash.

Ah, the question of all questions. Co-ops are notorious for finding the pettiest complaints about a potential buyer and throwing them out on their ear. You’ll never know why your buyer was rejected since boards are not legally required to say.

Prejudice and snobbery used to play a large role and probably still do. However, co-op boards usually turn down buyers because of money.

It’s become more of a trend in today’s market (with prices going through the roof) that if someone is willing to pay entirely in cash for an expensive apartment, the co-op board will relax. But old habits die hard.

In your case, it’s likely the board was concerned about this buyer’s finances, which appear tied to one source; specifically, the continued success of his privately owned business. Many enormously successful people with unspeakable yearly salaries butt heads with these boards because they have limited savings (i.e., liquid assets) to use for the proverbial “rainy day.” A good broker should know the scoop on what qualifications your building has.