The Sale
Name: Mike and Beth Towers. Mike, an attorney, is a trial and appellate advocate, and Beth has been a massage therapist and teacher at Atlanta School of Massage.
The home: A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home built in 1948.
Where: Decatur's Druid Hills neighborhood
Why they sold: The couple, who lived in the home for 31 years, wanted to downsize and save money on utilities and other costs as they approached retirement. It took them about three years to decide to sell, and during that time, they looked at retirement communities and homes in Arizona as well as staying in Atlanta. "It was an emotional process for both of us. We put our heart and soul in the garden, as well as in the house," Mike said.
Time on market: 179 days
Original price: $550,000
Sale price: $475,000
What it took: The couple worked with a stager to remove furniture and other items in the home, which had new paint. "If you're just going to leave all your knickknacks and stuff around, it's hard for people to see the bones of the house," Beth said.
But in the end, it took finding a buyer who loved gardening, since that was a focus of the property (but also the potential stumbling block). Working with Peggy Hibbert with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, they closed on the home in December and purchased a condo with 14-foot ceilings in the Artisan in downtown Decatur.
Potential stumbling block: The extensive garden, which has been on local garden tours, added to the beauty of the property but could intimidate buyers. Most buyers knew right away that it was more than they could handle, Beth said. "We recognized that the nature of the gardens was going to require the right person to come along," Mike said.
Seller's hint: Keep the home neat, but don't let the home being on the market keep you from planning family events or enjoying regular activities. Beth said she was afraid to cook while the home was on the market because she didn't want a messy house, if a potential buyer decided to stop by. But as the holidays approached with no contract on the home, they decided to host family, from as far away as the state of Washington, for Christmas. Once they made the plan, they got the offer a week later (they rented the home back from the buyers through the holidays).
