When you decide to sell your home, you want to get top dollar for it, right? Even in the current seller’s market here in Atlanta there are tips and tricks that you can use to get the most out of the sale of your home.

For example, earlier this year, one of my clients had an investment property that sat on the market for a few months because of the outdated interior. We had great traffic with buyers taking second and third looks at the property, but still the outdated paint and kitchen kept buyers away.

Finally, my clients agreed take the property off the market to update the kitchen, repaint the whole interior a single color, and freshen up the bathrooms for an investment of about $5,000.  We went back on the market and the home was under contract in two days, and sold for $10,000 more than the previous listing price before the updates were made. Small changes can make a big difference!

So, here are my tips and tricks:

Hire a Realtor® – If you’re thinking about selling your home yourself, think again. A recent study from Collateral Analytics found that sellers that work with an agent make 5.5 percent more on the sale of their home. So, working with a real estate agent is my top tip. Our expertise pays for itself in the sale price of your home!

Improve curb appeal – What your home looks like when your potential buyers pull up for the first time can make or break your sale. Paying attention to the details can result in a faster sale. For example, make sure the front door entry area is clean, freshly painted, and welcoming. Trim or remove all landscaping that covers your entry so that the home looks bright and welcoming. Clean up all clutter, like hoses, trash cans, un-used planters. Install some flower or other colorful seasonal greenery for a homey feel.

Use staging strategies – Inside you can use simple staging strategies to make your home look more upscale and spacious. Decluttering the entry area and main floor is the best place to start. Move out unnecessary furniture, box up all personal photos, and clear off all countertops as much as possible. Get some trendy decorative pillows and install brighter lighting. These staging secrets will make your home seem more spacious and—with most of your personal effects absent—help potential buyers see themselves in the home.

Top notch photo/video – Suffice it to say that in this day and age, your buyers will find your home online and their first impression of your home depends on the quality of the photos and video available for them to see. Most likely your real estate agent will take care of hiring a photographer and videographer to capture your home on film but there’s some work you will have to do to prepare for your photo/video shoot. I recently wrote a checklist on preparing for your photo/video shoot here.

Do targeted updates – Doing a few important upgrades and updates to your home can make a huge difference in how quickly and how much you sell for. Millennials—who are currently one of the largest blocks of home buyers—highly desire an updated kitchen and bathrooms. And they’d rather not do the updates themselves. So, if your kitchen is older, consider putting in granite countertops, painting cabinets white, install new hardware, and apply a fresh coat of paint. Do the same in the bathrooms.

Remember, I work with an interior designer to help you pick colors and I have a network of cost-effective contractors to help do the work.

If you would like specific suggestions for your home, just give me a call! I’m happy to help!

Cheers,

Michelle