Selling a fixer-upper or vacant property in Atlanta may feel impossible. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘who is going to want a house that needs so much work?” These tips below should help make the process easier and quicker. Keep reading to learn more about how to sell a distressed house in Atlanta.
If you are feeling stuck with an old house that needs some TLC, don’t worry, Homeowner Help Today is here for you! If you don’t have the money or the time to spend fixing it up, but you’re tired of paying the taxes and utilities (if they are turned on), then you may be wondering what you can do.
Determine Which Repairs Are The Most Cost-Effective
Some repairs will obviously cost more than others, and not everything is going to be worth the expense. Realize that you don’t have to fix everything in order to sell your home. We are still in a seller’s market (although we seem to be heading toward a buyer’s market), and buyers are purchasing fixer-uppers because there are so few houses out there to buy.
If you decide to list your property with a real estate agent (on the Multiple Listing Service or MLS), you can begin by making a few small cosmetic repairs like new paint and carpet to capture the interest of more potential buyers.
Unless the house is a total tear-down or gut-job, buyers want the house to be clean more than anything else. New paint and carpet go a long way (or at least a solid cleaning), and take everything off the walls whether you live there or not. Your agent should be able to guide you on what makes the most sense to fix or update.
If your house requires a lot of repairs, be prepared for your buyer to negotiate to either have these things fixed, or to take some money off the sale price knowing that they will have to fix it themselves.
Highlight the Potential
Even the saddest house can become the neighborhood star with the right rehabilitation. When people come to see the house, make sure they get a good idea of the property’s potential. If you’re willing to spend a little more, you can even have a designer draw up some plans to help buyers see the possible beauty before them.
If you can help paint the vision for your buyers, many times they will ultimately enjoy the freedom to customize the house to their liking.
After all, if your buyers are looking for a sparkling new dream home, they wouldn’t be looking at your’s, right? Your buyer expects to spend some on rehab themselves, so help them see its potential.
Utilize Staging & Professional Photography
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and you want your potential buyers to be saying happy words after seeing your listing photos. A good cleaning, the use of some staged items, and the assistance of a professional photographer can make even the most run-down space look like the next HGTV dream home.
Once you get people in the door, you can always share with them what you love about the house and staging can help them see that vision.
Everybody looks at pictures online, so don’t skimp on this part…. Unless the house is in really bad shape – like unlivable shape. A vase full of fresh flowers won’t help buyers overlook that tarp covered roof.
We know plenty of photographers and stagers, and we’re happy to help.
List Your House As-Is
If there is just too much work to do or you don’t want to spend the time and money on the tasks we’ve listed so far, you can always list the house “as-is”. Keep in mind, that you may not find a buyer for your house right away – and you may even have trouble finding a real estate agent willing to list it. For many realtors, a fixer-upper is not worth the effort.
Typically, people searching the MLS for a new home are looking for something they can move into right away, with few to no repairs. Not everyone is up for a home renovation, and the more rehab needed, the fewer potential buyers.
Note that you probably WILL get a lot of attention from real estate investors – both house flippers and wholesalers – if you list your house “as is”. But be careful – they are going to be looking for a “deal” and may try to get you to agree to a low-ball offer.
We would love to help you evaluate offers you get from investors. Check out my video on how to quickly estimate the value of your home using Zillow, or just give us a call/text or email. We want you to have all the information you need before making a decision.
Working with an Investor
Although not all investors are the same, there are definitely some upsides to going this route to sell a fixer-upper. You will be able to sell it without any commissions, repairs, cleaning, photography, or any of the stuff we discussed above. This of course means that you can sell it faster, and often with less expense – even with the discount that the investor will be looking for.
Selling a distressed, vacant, or unwanted house in Atlanta can feel overwhelming. That’s totally understandable and completely normal. The key is finding the right audience and exploring all options to determine which is right for you. Here at Homeowner Help Today, we will review everything with you so that you can make the right decision about how to sell that property and get that stress off your shoulders.
We will always be able to answer all questions without any hassle, cost, commitment, or pressure!