North Atlanta Real Estate Voice

Archive for the 'Selling Tips' Category

10 Tips for Making A Good First Impression For Your Home For Sale in Marietta GA

Here are ten simple things to do that will make a big difference in how a buyer perceives your house and whether they decide to keep driving or stop and see it.

1)  Light bulbs – Make sure all of them work!  Next, replace energy savers with clear glass regular bulbs.  You want clean, bright light.  If you have fluorescent lights, make sure they are all working and turn on at the same time.   Bright light creates space.  Shadows and darkness close down space.

2) Screens off – Remove all window screens from the front and visible sides of your house.  In my opinion, screens are the equivalent of putting braces on your teeth.  You may have a great smile but you’re going to be distracted by the braces.  Needless to say, clean your windows once you’ve removed the screens

3) Trim bushes – Landscaping should be neat and trimmed.  Nothing should cover any of the front windows of your home.  Replace briquettes or pine straw as needed and watch the weeds.

4) Power wash drive and walk way – It’s amazing how much dirt accumulates on these areas.  A good power wash will make your entrance more appealing.

5) Plant flowers at mailbox and entry – Add some color to maximize curb appeal.  As I approach a house for a showing, I always notice whether it has a bright and colorful appeal or if it is the typical green grass and red brick.  Add some color (yellow, white and red almost always work) especially at the mailbox which is typically at the front of the driveway. Use planters at the front door to brighten up this area.

6) Clean screen/paint front door – If you have a screen or storm door, make sure the glass is clean and/or the screen is not torn or ripped.  For your front door, a fresh coat of paint plus a new knocker and/or kick plate will draw people into the house.

7) Wash entry lights – While most showings are done during daylight hours, one thing I always notice is if the front entry lights are clean and straight.  Since most sellers enter and leave through their garage, they forget about these lights.  Replace them if needed but many times all they need is a wash and new bulbs.

8) Paint stair rail or porch – Again, with most sellers using their garage as their exit/entry portal, they often forget to look at
the house from a guest’s perspective.  If your rails are rusted or just worn from the sun, put a fresh coat of paint of them.  If
you have a porch, the same goes here.  Make sure the paint is in good condition.

9) Cut  and edge the lawn – This one seems like a given but you need to keep your lawn mowed (weekly in season) and
edging will make it look sharp.  Also, don’t forget to edge the beds and islands if you have them.

10) Replace or remove worn welcome mat – Again, remember how buyers are approaching the house.  If everything else
looks good but you have a worn out welcome mat, it can negate all the work.  Either replace the mat or remove it and put
one inside.

These simple tips will show you care about the house and want to make a good first impression.  Buyers will be more likely to feel that you have also taken care of the rest of the house if they are impressed as they walk up.

For more tips and information on selling your home, click here or contact me.

Make A Good First Impression When Listing Your Marietta GA Home For Sale

When selling a home, there are so many factors that are out of your control: the economy, supply and demand, mortgage rates, quality of school district, etc.  So, if you’re thinking about selling your Marietta, GA home, you should make sure that the things you can control are working for you.

Selling a home is all about marketing.  Yes, there are other factors but if no one knows your home is for sale then it really doesn’t matter how good it looks or is priced.  The #1 marketing tool all agents have is the MLS.  Because the majority of buyers have agents (over 80% according to NAR), the most important place to have accurate and correct information is in the local MLS.  Unfortunately, many agents don’t know how the MLS works and even fewer know how to use it to it’s maximum.

Here is one tip and example of a good agent and brokerage missing the boat for their client.  First, the example, then the explanation. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Top Home Improvement Projects Based on Cost and ROI

In today’s competitive home seller’s market, it is critical to make sure your home is in top showing condition.  Sometimes small things add up to make a huge impact.  HomeGain.com announced that it has released the results of its nationwide home improvement and home staging survey.

HomeGain’s recent survey shows the top do-it-yourself home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers. HomeGain received responses from nearly 1,000 Realtors nationwide and configured a list of the top 12 do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit sellers most when they sell their homes.

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Attention Home Sellers: Use This Staging Technique To Neutralize Personal Photos

In today’s competitive housing market, making your home for sale standout is critical.  Every home has it’s own set of features and challenges.  Some of these challenges can not be overcome directly (size of rooms, lot location, school district) while others require just a little bit of creativity and perspective.

As a buyer’s and listing agent, I am constantly reading other real estate blogs and websites looking for new ways to make my client’s experience better.  I cam across a blog post by a stage who suggested a creative way to remove the distraction of family photos without necessarily having to strip the walls bare. Staging a home is so important because you need to accentuate the positive features of your home and minimize any distractions that might cause the buyer to move on. READ THE REST OF THE STORY

Real Estate Capital Gains On The Sale Of Your Home

This is a topic I find that many homeowners are confused about.  The law changed in 1997 but many people remember the old law that had a lot of limitations on when you could be exempt from capital gains.   The “new” law, The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, allows for an exclusion of up to $250,000 in profit if you are single and $500,000 if married. In order to be eligible you must have lived in your home for two of the last five years. Again it must be your personal residence and can not be an investment property.

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How Much Should You De-Personalize Your Home When Selling?

I’ve read and heard many opinions on how to set up a home for sale.  Declutter, neutralize paint and wallpaper, etc.  These are all important in making sure your home looks “show ready”.  But to what degree should you  neutralize your home?   What about personal items such as family photos, college degrees, posters, etc?

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