I have yet to meet a homeowner who doesn’t want their home to sell as fast as possible. Everybody wants to get on and off the market as quickly as possible because, let’s be real, the whole process can be exhausting. But, it doesn’t have to be! Here are my 7 tips to help you sell your Atlanta home fast this spring!
1. Declutter and Clean
Decluttering and cleaning: these should be no-brainers, right? As obvious as they are, they are also among the most important on this list. The easiest way to think about decluttering is to put yourself in the mindset that you’re moving into a new home, and everything in your existing house has to be packed up and gone on the day of closing. With that in mind, you’re simply getting a head start on having everything out by closing when you start the declutter process upfront, and you’re also helping to make your home more welcoming and inviting in the meantime.
Take down personal items; pack up those family pictures, heirlooms, keepsakes, trophies, and especially those collectibles. You are probably very proud of your 500-doll collection; they could actually be worth a fortune too. But when Johnny Homebuyer comes walking through your home, you want their attention focused on the house, not on your amazing collection.
I also recommend a deep cleaning. Not just a quick vacuum and dusting, but getting deep and dirty. Make sure your kitchen and bathrooms are spotless from top to bottom. It’s time to get hot and heavy on cleaning up the floors, baseboards, window sills, and blinds. If you can afford it, hire a professional team to do the deep clean for you and save time (and your back). We can recommend some amazing Atlanta home cleaners if you need them; just reach out!
If you have carpet, I highly recommend getting it steam-cleaned as well. Sure, the rug doctor machine from your local grocery store or hardware store can do the job. But the dollar investment to save time (and, again, your back!) is worth it more often than not.
2. Paint and Minor Repairs
New paint is one of the most cost-effective and impactful updates someone can make to their home before going to market. A new paint job costs, on average, $2,000 to $3,000. However, if not done, it could end up costing a homeowner $10,000 or more because, when a buyer walks through the property, they severely overestimate the cost of a needed update and adjust their offer accordingly. In a buyer’s mind, everything costs 3–10 times more than it actually does. That new paint smell is also like a new car smell; it instantly adds to a buyer’s perception of value of the home, and thus helps it sell faster.
I also recommend a pre-listing home inspection. Hiring an inspector before going to market will set you back $400–$600, but it could save you literally thousands of dollars later. Think of it as a glimpse into the future. You get to see what a future buyer will see, but only when you actually have the time to get proper quotes and not rush the process. Once you’re under contract, there’s a limited amount of time to get quotes and get repairs done, so homeowners often end up overpaying.
3. Enhance Curb Appeal
First impressions are not just important, they are everything! When a buyer pulls up to the house, what are they going to see? Are they going to get goose bumps because they’re excited? Or will they be turned off and want to skip the tour, or spend just minutes before moving on?
Use this opportunity to touch up paint, fix wood rot, refresh landscaping (pine straw, pine bark, cut the grass, etc). A small touch that goes a LONG way is painting the front door and updating the door hardware if it’s weathered and worn-looking. Think about what buyers are doing when their agent is taking a few minutes to retrieve the key from the lockbox. They’re standing there looking around, scrutinizing everything. Give them a fantastic first impression, and they’ll be excited to see the inside, and your home will sell faster.
4. Stage Your Home
Once the house is clean, repairs are made, and it has a new coat of paint, it’s then time to stage the property. Staging your property allows the home to be seen in its best light. There’s a reason builders spend so much money staging their model homes. It helps them sell more homes, in less time. When you stage your home, you are transforming it into a model home, like the builders do. It’s about helping a buyer create an emotional connection with the house.
If you aren’t sure how to stage your home, hire a professional. When our clients work with us, we offer a complimentary staging consultation with a professional home stager. We don’t see it as a cost, but rather an investment we make in our clients because staged homes will sell for more money, in less time.
5. Price It Right
This is arguably one of the most challenging tips on this list, but the most crucial. Overprice your property, and it’ll sit on the market with minimal activity. Underprice it and you might leave money on the table. Price it just right, and you’ll have a flood of showings, multiple offers, and the best price and terms the market will offer. Most people turn to Zillow for a quick estimate of their home’s value. However, relying on the Zestimate is dangerous. The Zestimate is a computer-generated number based predominantly on square footage alone, none of which takes into account the actual specifics of your home, or comparable sales in the general area.
The best thing you can do as a homeowner when you’re thinking about selling your home in Atlanta, is to have your favorite agent over to get their opinion of what a good market price would be. To be clear, that’s not necessarily the same as your home’s value. Rather, it’s the best price to hit the market
Do yourself a favor, have your favorite agent over, and don’t just get a professional opinion of your home’s value, but get their opinion on what the best listing price would be, because they aren’t the same.
6. Prepare For Showings
It surprises me sometimes how this next tip can be an afterthought. Once your home hits the market, do your best to make it available to be seen as often as possible. The more restrictive you are with your showing schedule, the less it’ll be seen, the fewer offers you’ll receive, and ultimately, the longer it will take to sell.
The easiest way to prepare for showings is to have a daily routine. Make the beds, sweep the floors, don’t cook anything that’s too pungent, and be ready to allow the house to be shown on an hour’s notice, and you won’t be on the market for very long. Rip it off like a bandage, then it’ll be done and over, but you’ll have the best price for the house in the least amount of time.
7. Hire The Right Agent
Finally, hiring the best Atlanta real estate agent you can find can help make this entire process as easy as possible. For instance, I have a complete system for helping my clients through all of the previous tips. From contractor suggestions, to being present when sellers cannot be, to sharing crucial market data to price the house right the first time around, everything I do is to help my clients sell faster, and for more money, using modern marketing strategies.
If you are thinking about selling your house this spring, don’t hesitate to contact me for a free consultation. I promise that if you do, you will sell your home fast in Atlanta!
