Tag Archives: Home Market Conditions North Atlanta

Tips for Selling Your Home in 2022

Thinking about putting your house on the market?  There are a few things that should be at the top of your to-do list before you even consider contacting the realtor and listing your property. You might think your home is perfect, but that’s because you live in it. You need to take an outsider’s perspective. Let’s have a look at some top tips to sell your home.

Four things that many people need to consider before putting their house on the market are to declutter, deep clean, make vital repairs and consider the exterior. If you follow these simple steps before selling your property, you’re likely to sell your home much quicker. So, let’s get started.

Declutter

Decluttering is a very important task you must do or should we say endure to sell your home. The reason behind decluttering is to get rid of all your stuff that is laying around and find a home for it. This is done for two reasons.

First, when prospective buyers come and take a look around your home they don’t want to see your belongings cluttering up the place. They need to be able to envision their own items filling the spaces. Second, if you spend some time decluttering then you are opening up the rooms and making them seem more spacious. Bigger homes command bigger places. Decluttering increases the size of your home in the minds of potential buyers. It’s like magic.

One major tip for decluttering is to go through each room and sort your belongings into three different piles. First, you should look at the items you want to keep. Second, stuff you want to throw away. Finally, a third pile should consist of the items you want to sell. Holding a yard or garage sale is a great way to make a little extra cash on the stuff you no longer want.

Although this task can appear a daunting one, there are a few ways to make it easier. Don’t try and do everything at once, start with 5 minutes stints throughout the day. Give items away, choose one to two and give them away daily. Donate things you don’t use or wear. Envision your home as a potential buyer, or ask a friend to. This will help you get rid of those items you’re unsure of letting go. Make, and refer to a decluttering checklist. Again, when you find it difficult to let go, this list will remind you of why you’re doing this.

Deep Clean

After you have spent time decluttering you must deep clean your home from top to bottom. This is to ensure that there is no dust or debris leftover from the time you have spent there. If you have pets it is a great way of getting rid of pet fur and dander that has gathered in hard-to-clean or reach places.

Notorious places that gather excess dust seem to be the extractor fans and oven hoods. You should make sure these aren’t missed when you thoroughly clean your property.

Worried that you won’t do a good enough job? Or perhaps you simply don’t have the time. Why not call in the professionals? There are cleaning companies out there who are used to doing major house cleaning. They will ensure your home is sparkling and looks brand new. Especially important for when the photographer comes to take pictures of your home.

Make Repairs

Decluttered and cleaned your property? Next, you should make sure you mend any repairs that need doing. You may have been putting these off for some time, but they need to be done. This is one of the top tips to sell your home that many forget. You can claim on your home warranty if you have any general wear and tear problems within the home. You may notice your roof has been leaking, this is covered under your home warranty.

Repairs do need to be done, even if it seems easier to leave them to the next owner. When you sell your home, the buyers will send in a home inspector to report on the house. If they find any damage this will be in the report and some buyers could pull out of the sale. Buyers don’t generally want to carry out repairs on a property they move into.

If the leaky roof has caused damage to the walls then you will need to fix these. Give them a fresh coat of paint to repair the damage to make them look brand new. This is a sure-fire winner.

Consider the Exterior

One final thing to mention before you list your home on the market is to make sure your exterior matches the interior. The outside of your property is the first thing buyers will see when they drive up to view. It is important this looks appealing and welcoming. Make sure the grass has been mowed and any weeds are gone. You could add some flowers to bring a bit more color to the property.

Make sure windows and doors are not looking worn and tired. If they are you could paint them to bring them back to life. Another thing to mention is once you have revived the doors be sure to give the door handles a lick of shine.

One way to check what the house looks like from the outside is to take a view as if you were the buyer or get a family member to do it. They will give you an honest opinion on how your home looks and how you could improve it to make it seem more welcoming.

We hope these top tips to sell your home help you understand what you need to do before you get your house listed on the market. Fingers crossed you get a speedy sale at a great price. And if you’re moving on to somewhere new. Good luck with that too.

We are always here to help.  Give us a call.

Marie Dinsmore

The Dinsmore Team

Experience, Passion and Commitment to Excellence!

Featured Neighborhood: Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is a luxurious, gated community located in Johns Creek. Just 30 miles outside of Atlanta and 20 miles from Lake Lanier, this area offers residents numerous amenities and recreational opportunities, including the Atlanta Athletic Club and the Country Club of the South.

Greenwich

With homes built by the respected builders, Traton Homes, these estates will have stunning architectural exterior and interior design, including four sides of exterior detail, elegant yet functional features and 3 car-side entry garages. Gourmet kitchens will be garnished with stainless steel appliances and granite countertop; hardwood flooring will spread throughout the homes and each owner’s suite will be equipped with a luxurious bath and walk in closet.

Greenwich 2

Johns Creek is a diverse community that is proud of its impeccable public safety, various national park services and exceptional public schools. In fact, the children of Greenwich Park will attend the finest public schools in Georgia, including State Bridge Crossing Elementary, Autrey Mill Middle and Johns Creek High Schools.

With easy access to I85, I285, 141 and GA400, Johns Creek offers its residents the perfect balance between rural and city life. Johns Creek national park services include the Chattahoochee River, National Recreation Area, Autry Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center and the Johns Creek Art Center. Music lovers will also take note of the 45-acre Encore Park, which includes the 12,000 seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, the summer home of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and venue for top musical acts.

Each of the 21 Greenwich estate homes rest on 1/3 acre to 3/4 acre lots, and prices are in the $800,000’s. For more information about this fabulous community, please contact me.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team | www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

 

The New RE/MAX App Is Here!

Now you can search for homes just like Realtors do, using MLS.   If you are in the market for a home, or just curious as to what homes in your area are selling for or what features they have, simply text DINSMORETEAM to 678-929-2100 to receive this powerful, free tool.

Remax App Demo

With the new app, in a few taps of the screen users can:

  • Download and enjoy it free of charge on your mobile phone or iPad.
  • Instantly search by your current location, city, zip code, or draw your own search area on the map.
  • Search by type of home desired, price, square footage, year built, # beds/baths, and much more!
  • View all photos of the home saved to MLS.
  • Quickly zoom and navigate neighborhoods with interactive “balloon view” maps.
  • Generate turn-by-turn driving directions from your current location to properties that interest you.
  • Save your favorite listings.
  • Easily share properties for sale with friends and family.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com  | 770-712-7789

Even With A Newly Built Home, You Still Need A Buyer’s Agent.

Close up of a welcome mat in front of an inviting house With the accessibility of today’s housing via the internet, many home shoppers may feel that they don’t need a buyer’s agent to help them find their dream property.   And for newly built homes, while you can do a lot of the legwork yourself, in the end you won’t be saving either money or time.

Plain and simple, even though the buyer’s agent works for you and not the seller, the seller is the one who will wind up paying for your agent upon closing.  Therefore, the first question you should be asking yourself is, “Why would I pass on a service that is in essence…FREE?”

In today’s market, most new homes are being built by national builders who employ salaried agents to sell their properties who don’t always have your best interest in their heart.  Generally, the first thing a seller’s agent will want to know about you is whether or not you have representation – if you don’t, the commission that they would normally have to split with your agent will go directly into their pocket.

With this, a selling agent is obviously interested in getting you to pay top-dollar for their property; however, a buyer’s agent will help counteract this by taking note of other similar sales in the area and making sure you aren’t paying too much.  In essence, your buyer’s agent is there to buffer you and negotiate on your behalf so that by the time you close, your house has not only been properly inspected, but has also been placed in perfect condition.

Similarly, when it comes to financing, a good agent will help you walk through the process of finding a solid mortgage company who can give you options which fit your lifestyle.  While the agent employed by the builder may also come ready with financing through a partnered company, it’s important to remember that they may not be looking to help you find the best solutions.

In short, when entering into a real estate transaction, it’s important to have someone in your corner who will make sure that you are taken care of throughout the entire process.   The Dinsmore Team can help you find the right mortgage lender, closing attorney and help you find your perfect home.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com  | 770-712-7789

Appraisal Myths

Another very good article house questionfrom Mary Thompson, Certified Appraiser, with Lanier Appraisal Service.  It’s important to know the facts regarding the appraisal process when valuing a home.  Although your  personal loan approval may be accomplished early in the loan process, the final loan commitment usually hinges on a satisfactory appraisal.

An experienced Realtor will be able to advise if you are listing your home too high for the market even before the final appraisal.  Having the right team on your side will help you get your home sold faster, and at the best market-price possible.

Marie Dinsmore, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

The Dinsmore Real Estate Team  |  www.dinsmoreteam.com

Marie@DinsmoreTeam.com | 770-712-7789

***

Article courtesy of Mary Thompson with Lanier Appraisal Service.   Please see their website for additional information:   www.lanierappraisalservice.com

Myth: Assessed value should equate to market value.
Reality: While most states support the concept that assessed value approximate estimated market value, this often is not the case. Examples include when interior remodeling has occurred and the assessor is unaware of the improvements, or when properties in the vicinity have not been reassessed for an extended period.

2014 Lake Lanier Tax Assessments are out and your homeowners may need a Certified Appraisal for their Appeal. If so, call Lanier Appraisal Service ASAP. We are getting booked up quickly for Tax Appeal Appraisals as the DEADLINE is June 30th! 

 

Myth: The appraised value of a property will vary, depending upon whether the appraisal is conducted for the buyer or the seller.
Reality: The appraiser has no vested interest in the outcome of the appraisal and should render services with independence, objectivity and impartiality – no matter for whom the appraisal is conducted.

 

Myth: Market value should approximate replacement cost.
Reality: Market value is based on what a willing buyer likely would pay a willing seller for a particular property, with neither being under pressure to buy or sell. Replacement cost is the dollar amount required to reconstruct a property in-kind.

 

Myth: Appraisers use a formula, such as a specific price per square foot, to figure out the value of a home.
Reality: Appraisers make a detailed analysis of all factors pertaining to the value of a home including its location, condition, size, proximity to facilities and recent sale prices of comparable properties.

 

Myth: In a robust economy – when the sales prices of homes in a given area are reported to be rising by a particular percentage – the value of individual properties in the area can be expected to appreciate by that same percentage.
Reality: Value appreciation of a specific property must be determined on an individualized basis, factoring in data on comparable properties and other relevant considerations. This is true in good times as well as bad.

 

Myth: You generally can tell what a property is worth simply by looking at the outside.
Reality: Property value is determined by a number of factors, including location, condition, improvements, amenities, and market trends.

 

Myth: Because consumers pay for appraisals when applying for loans to purchase or refinance real estate, they own their appraisal.
Reality: The appraisal is, in fact, legally owned by the lender – unless the lender “releases its interest” in the document. However, consumers must be given a copy of the appraisal report, upon written request, under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

 

Myth: Consumers need not be concerned with what is in the appraisal document so long as it satisfies the needs of their lending institution.
Reality: Only if consumers read a copy of their appraisal can they double-check its accuracy and question the result. Also, it makes a valuable record for future reference, containing useful and often-revealing information – including the legal and physical description of the property, square footage measurements, list of comparable properties in the neighborhood, neighborhood description and a narrative of current real-estate activity and/or market trends in the vicinity.

 

Myth: Appraisers are hired only to estimate real estate property values in property sales involving mortgage-lending transactions.
Reality: Depending upon their qualifications and designations, appraisers can and do provide a variety of services, including advice for estate planning, dispute resolution, zoning and tax assessment review and cost/benefit analysis.

 

Myth: An Appraisal is the same as a home inspection.
Reality: An Appraisal does not serve the same purpose as an inspection. The Appraiser forms an opinion of value in the Appraisal process and resulting report. A home inspector determines the condition of the home and its major components and reports these findings.