There’s nothing worse than having your home sit on the market for months with no sure answers for why. Here are our top 5 tips to help you sell your home faster:
1. 1. Make Sure The Price Is Right.
Your house could be the prettiest home on the block but if it’s not competitively priced it may be the prettiest house siting on the markets for months! The number one reason an otherwise, attractive home stays on the market forever is price. Why? Because home buyers tend to not make offers on them. Why don’t they make offers on them? Because no one wants to be considered a “lowballer”. Making a substantially low offer on someone’s home can be insulting. Home buyers might also assume that the seller must have turned down lower prices since the home has been listed and the buyer may not be confident that their offer would be accepted. Knowing the true value of your home is so important when selling. Getting an appraisal should be the first step on your list of to-dos when deciding to sell.
2. Make It Look Nice.
Although pricing your home correctly is important, if your home looks bad, the price becomes a secondary factor. Curb appeal should be your first project when making updates to your home. Cut your grass, clean up the trash or toys the kids leave in the yard. Paint, add some window boxes. These small, inexpensive changes to the outside of your home can pique the interest of sellers to want to at least see the inside.
I know you hear all the time; the most important rooms in the house are the bathrooms and kitchen when it comes to selling your home. And that statement could be truer. If you come up with a renovation budget and are trying to figure out what part of the house to invest the money in, choose these two rooms. Many studies have shown that an updated kitchen and bathroom can be the biggest selling point in your home, above even the square footage. 3. Market Your Home.
Marketing your home for sale doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Nowadays, there are so many different ways to reach home buyers in the market for a home.
“For Sale” Signs
You can purchase these at your local home improvement store for a few dollars. Many home buyers ride around in neighborhoods they are interested in living in to see if there are any homes for sale that they may want to view.
Home Listing Ad
You know your home better than anyone. What you love about your home may be what others will too. Get creative and brag a little. Make sure to add in critical features buyers look for such as the number of bathrooms, re-modeled kitchen, school district etc.
Pictures
If listing your home online, you cannot skip this step. Adding pictures of your home is crucial. When taking pictures of the outside of your home, make sure to remove, trash cans, clutter and parked cars out of the driveway. The same applies to the inside. Remember, less is more when it comes to your furniture and belongings. Too much clutter can turn off a buyer and distract them from your home itself.
4. 4. Home Inspection
Real estate contracts give the home buyer the right to hire an inspector to inspect the property. Inspectors are going to inspect the plumbing system, the roof, electrical and heating etc. The home buyer is then responsible to repair any problems found.
The buyer’s home inspection is usually the last thing on the list to do. Once the inspection is complete the buyer makes an application to the mortgage lender. To insure a smooth process in the end, you may want to consider having your own home inspection done so you can fix whatever problems before they’re found later.
5. 5. Consider Any Offer and Negotiate
When a buyer makes an offer, consider it. However, carefully look through (with a real estate lawyer if possible) the contract’s terms and conditions. You may find too many contingencies in the contract that cause the deal to fall through. Many contingencies favor the buyer and if not read carefully and understood, can result in the home seller finding themselves in a bind.
To get in touch with an appraiser in your area or for more information click on one of the areas below closest to you:
Alpharetta|Brookhaven|Buckhead|Cobb County|Dekalb County|Dunwoody|Fulton County|Gwinnett County|Marietta|Sandy Springs
An Appraisal License is the same as an Appraisal Certification.
A licensed appraiser is the lowest level of accreditation for a professional appraiser, without requiring supervision. To receive a license in the state of Georgia, one must complete 150 hours of classes, dedicated to basic appraisal skills and procedures. A certified residential and commercial appraiser must complete 210 hours of coursework, on top of the education a licensed appraiser must receive.
A certified home appraiser is able to work on properties of any size, value, or complexity. On the other hand, an appraiser with simply a license can only appraise property less than $1,000,000. There is a clear benefit to being a certified appraiser, and one should always take the time to research their appraiser’s educational background.
Appraiser do the same thing ad home inspectors
Contrary to popular belief, the job of an appraiser compared to that of a home inspector is entirely different. An appraiser surveys the value of the home and offers their opinion accompanied by a report of their findings. A home inspector searches for damages and issues within the home to determine its condition, and essentially inform the client of the goings on beneath their roof.
Appraisers enter situations with a personal agenda.
It is rarely beneficial to the appraiser to enhance or decrease numbers in their appraisal report. They are typically the only unbiased party in the entire equation. It is a normal reaction to initially blame your appraiser for an unexpected value, however, after a minute or so of consideration it should become evident that this is a third party service that receives no reward for a higher or lower appraisal value.
Your home improvements will be reflected monetarily in the appraisal.
Many homeowners expect a higher appraisal value because of their personal additions to the home. This could mean a swing outside, an added-on balcony or a renovated bathroom. Sadly, this is not normally the case. The money put into these special projects is usually not directly reflected on the appraisal value.
Appraisers own the appraisal report.
Unfortunately, once an appraisal report has been completed it is technically in the hands of the client. Whether it be the owner or the lender, they reserve the right to deny anybody else the opportunity to view the report.
They don’t care about any of your input
While appraisers remain trained professionals, this does not mean they are completely versed with your home in its entirety. There is the possibility that they may not be aware of certain market trends, neighborhood sales and home repairs. Appraisers are open to communication with their client, and while it may not always have a direct effect on the outcome it is essentially beneficial for overall consideration.
It’s no secret that Atlanta’s cost of living is rivaled by the rest of the nation. It only takes a couple pieces of pocket change to find an adequate roof in this bustling city. On the other end of the spectrum, it may be an even more common piece of knowledge that New York City is one of the most expensive places to reside. While Atlanta merely requires a decent-paying job and sufficient credit in order to be able to sign your name at the bottom of a lease agreement, NYC demands a full time job, a part time job, an organ, a loc of hair from your great grandmother on your father’s side, and the shoes you are currently wearing.
In an effort to visualize the drastic comparison, we did a bit of research in regards to this topic. What would happen if someone went to New York with the expectations based on the Atlanta cost of living? How much can one get in both cities with $2,000? $3,000? Check out what we found out during our investigation.
For under $1,000 in Atlanta:
The Auburn Glenn has apartments starting at $690 and reaching up to $868 in price. The roomy property comes complete with a gym, clubhouse, pool, and other fun amenities. For under $1,000 in New York City: This two-bedroom apartment is currently renting out one of the rooms to the best candidate. With a good credit score, considerably high income, and $800 for monthly rent, you may be considered to share this apartment with the young female professional who lives there currently. For $2,000 in Atlanta: Apparently at this price you have upgraded from renting apartments into the realm of house rentals. This subdivision offers a pool and quiet neighbors, perfect for a family. For $2,000 in New York City: We found a newly renovated 2 bedroom that boasts about its heat and hot water that are included in the monthly rate. The view makes it worth the price, however. For $3,000 in Atlanta: This telephone factory-turned-apartment complex has such a unique look and it's extremely spacious. The loft-styled apartment still slightly resembles an old factory, but that's what completes the overall look. For $3,000 in New York City: For this, you can live in a nice three bedroom apartment that has been remodeled to fit six beds. Of course, space is tight. However, it's in a decent area and has central air conditioning. For $4,000 in Atlanta: Located in the middle of Buckhead, this 4 bedroom/4 bathroom home is modernly designed and built with an abundance of space in every room. For $4,000 in New York City: Unfortunately, for this amount of money we still haven't upgraded to anything more than a Harlem apartment. While it fits a small family, the bedrooms are still relatively small. However, for the New Yorker, this is the norm.