Not only is selling a house a stressful undertaking, but it can also be pretty costly. Some estimates for the cost of selling a house run as high as $20,000 – and that makes the cost of selling prohibitive for many homeowners. There are, however, according to knowledgeable agents, a number of budget-friendly things you can do to sell your house, possibly even quicker and at a better price. Here, then, are our 5 agent tips to help you sell your Atlanta house on a budget.
1. Create a Great First Impression With Curb Appeal
First impressions are immensely important, and you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. That’s why enhancing curb appeal is so important. And it doesn’t have to cost much either, which is why working on curb appeal should be a major part of your efforts to sell your Atlanta house on a budget.
Here are some of the things you can do to boost curb appeal on a budget:
- Take care of basic lawn maintenance – mowing, trimming hedges, edging, pruning, laying down new mulch in beds, and so on.
- Wash all the windows, and re-caulk where necessary.
- Spruce up the front porch and paint (or replace) the main front entry door.
- Plant flowers (especially yellow) and place potted flowers in strategic places.
- Power wash siding and walkways.
- Touch up paint where needed.
A good way to proceed is to talk a walk around your home and look at everything with a critical eye, noting what needs work. You can also contact your Atlanta agent at (404) 977-5054 for more tips on how to enhance curb appeal on the cheap.
2. Declutter and Deep Clean
Decluttering and cleaning are also important to help you sell your house on a budget. They cost almost nothing and can make a huge difference in the appearance of your home’s interior.
For decluttering, make sure to give attention to spaces that you usually ignore because you can be sure buyers will poke into every nook and cranny. So clean all the junk out of areas like utility closets and basements.
When it comes to cleaning, you should tackle the house in sections to ensure that you don’t miss any areas or spots. And be sure to allow plenty of time to do a thorough job. Also be sure to clean all the places you don’t usually clean – for example, the top of the refrigerator and behind the stove – basically any place where dirt and grime may have accumulated. In addition, scrub all the bathroom grout and re-grout where necessary.
3. Make Quick Repairs
Since your goal is to sell your Atlanta house on a budget, you won’t perform any major renovations, which often don’t yield a good return on the investment anyway. Rather, you just need to make the quick and noticeable repairs.
Experts advise that you “focus on quick repairs to address things that could deter potential buyers.” These include . . .
- Fixing loose tiles
- Repairing leaky faucets and running toilets
- Touching up paint
- Tightening door knobs and handles
- Shampooing carpets
- Replacing switch plates and outlet covers
Depending on time finances, you could also “update fixtures, buy new appliances, install new hardware on the cabinets, and give the interior a fresh coat of (neutral) paint.”
4. Stage It
And be sure to stage your home – it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to help sell your Atlanta house on a budget. You can do it all yourself (after a little research and reading), and it can increase the sale price. In fact, agent surveys reveal that staged homes typically sell for 1% to 5% more than homes that aren’t staged.
The two main ingredients of effective staging are depersonalizing and defining rooms.
Here’s what experts recommend with respect to depersonalizing. “Buyers need to be able to envision themselves in your home, so remove all the family photos, keepsakes, and refrigerator art. Keep clothes hidden away as much as possible, and make sure the bathroom counters are empty (except for hand soap, of course). Likewise, put away all the toys and anything else that is highly personal or evocative of the home’s current inhabitants.”
You also need to make sure each room “has a single, defined purpose.” For example, “[i]f you have a finished attic, make it into an office. A finished basement can become an entertainment room, and a junk room can be transformed into a guest bedroom.” Even if buyers don’t want to use the rooms for the same purposes, it will still help them to see “how to maximize the home’s square footage” and that “every inch of the home is usable space.”
5. Use a Good Local Agent
Maybe the best thing you can do to help you sell your Atlanta house on a budget is to work with an experienced Atlanta agent. Yes, agents charge a commission (up to 6%), but they can also help you sell your house for more, typically increasing the sale price by 13% over a sale by owner. And that is an important fact for the budget-minded seller.
Your Atlanta agent can use her marketing expertise to get wider exposure and can then deploy her negotiating skills to get you a better deal. And you won’t have to pay the hidden costs associated with an FSBO deal. When you’re ready to sell your Atlanta house on a budget, be sure to contact us today at {phone].