Designer HomeTending launches service in Las Vegas to help vacant homes sell faster

Designer Home Tending (DHT), a no cost service that helps the owners of vacant homes by arranging for a temporary occupant to move into and care for a home while it’s on the market, has opened a new office in Las Vegas.

Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the company matches approved, qualified live-in "Home Tenders" with homes until they sell, making the home more visually appealing to prospective buyers. Home Tenders are contractually obligated to furnish the home, pay all utilities and maintain the home inside and outside, including lawn and pool care. In exchange, they pay a monthly fee to DHT that is less than the cost to rent an apartment. There is no cost to the homeowner or real estate agent for this service.

Cathy Cardenas, owner of DHT, said the company was created to meet the needs of a real estate market in which expensive homes are remaining empty on the market for months at a time.

“Real estate professionals agree that a well-furnished home sells much faster and at a better price than a vacant house,” Cardenas said. “Vacant homes can look stark, smell stale, and are at risk for damage that can happen when no one’s there to keep an eye on the property. Vacant homes can also have insurance coverage problems. A live-in Home Tender offers a solution for the homeowner.”

In addition to providing quality furnishings and keeping a property in top condition, Home Tenders are required to cooperate with real estate agents who conduct showings and open houses. Additionally, the Home Tender safeguards the insurance policy throughout the time it takes to sell the property.

DHT was founded in 2005 by Cardenas and business partner and real estate agent, Rachel Baird. The company currently has Home Tenders living in properties in the Las Vegas and Boise-metro areas, and is beginning to see positive results from its service.

“HomeTenders help bring life back into a vacant home, and that can be a positive selling point for a market filled with thousands of vacant houses,” she said.

For more information visit www.designerhometending.com, or call the Las Vegas office at (702) 403-8906 , or the Boise office at (208) 713-3573.