Selling a home is not easy in this market and selling a vacant house is even more difficult. Why? Simply because there is not furniture, pictures, curtains or anything else for the buyer to look at. So, any defects, however small are visable and will surely be noticed. I've always believed it is not the furnishings that help sell a home, it is what those furnishings hide that makes a furnished home sell faster. Face it, when you take out the couch, bed and other furniture even good carpet shows the wear patterns. And when pictures are removed from the walls they almost always leave a shadow. These thing are very noticable in a vacant home. My suggestion is always replace the carpet and paint the walls and ceiling so the home shows like a new home. You will get a much larger return than leaving the home in so-so shape.