The Sale
Name: Wayne Hiott
The home: A two-bedroom, two-bath ranch condo built in 1999.
Where: Crossings of East Cobb, Marietta
Why he sold: The home was part of the estate of a friend, who he also did business with, and Hiott was executor of the estate.
Time on market: 28 days
Original price: $185,000
Sale price: $164,750
What it took: He priced the home just below the lowest listing in the community, which helped attract prospects and generated an offer within a month. The home had white walls, cabinets, trim and tile. But Hiott had it painted in a tan palette. “The color was just too white. I didn’t think it would make that much of a difference, but it made a huge difference,” says Hiott, who estimates the painting cost about $600. Updating the paint, cleaning the carpet and staging the home, as recommended by Hiott’s agent, Ed Robeson with Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta, all helped the home stand out. “When you buy a condo, they’re kind of largely the same. You have a different view or where you sit on the property, but you can’t control any of that. You’re trying to really differentiate yourself. Ed’s idea was the staging,” Hiott said. We wanted to walk out of there with a net of $150,000 after paying costs (such as agent commission),” Hiott says. “That was really our only goal.”
Potential stumbling block: The inspection – after they agreed on a sale price – found that the dishwasher didn’t work. They decided to lower the sales price $250 so the buyers could purchase a dishwasher.
Seller’s hint: Accept your real estate agent’s opinion about how to best present the home because they see more houses than you do. “I couldn’t visualize what that paint and what the staging would do. It was a real eye-opening experience for me,” Hiott says.
