Names: Michael and Deborah Kazamias and their children, Nicholas, 13, and Alexandra, 9
The home: A five-bedroom, five-bath home with a finished basement built in 1932
Where: Atlanta's Morningside neighborhood
Why they sold: The couple, who bought the home in 2006, renovated it in a way that maintained the existing Tudor-style charm in front, but expanded the back. "It was almost 5,000 square feet, but you could not tell (from the outside)," Deborah said. When their daughter was accepted into a charter school further from her existing school, they decided to move closer to that school and their son's private school. "We wanted to be close to their schools and their friends," Deborah said. She adds that they wanted a larger lot.
Time on market: 27 days
Original price: $1.199 million
Sale price: $1.145 million
What it took
Before they put the home on the market, they spruced up the petite front yard with flowers to add curb appeal, and repainted and made minor repairs to the back deck. The earlier renovations included gutting the home to install new pipes and other changes, adding a two-car garage and finishing the basement. They redid the kitchen with a SubZero refrigerator, Wolf range and custom cabinetry that was traditional, but not overly ornate, and updated the master bath with features such as a steam shower.
Deborah believes one of the main reasons the home sold so fast was that it was clutter-free and neat. “I donate a lot, because I feel like if I’m not using it, I’m not going to use it. I donate a lot to charity, instead of just sticking a table in a corner that doesn’t work,” she said. Each day, the family made their beds and cleaned up any clutter before heading off to school, work and other activities. She made sure the yard was maintained and weed-free.
Potential stumbling block
A week before they were supposed to close, the hot water heater flooded the basement. “The buyers still wanted the house if we took care of it,” Deborah said. They bought a new hot water heater, which cost about $1,200, and paid about $2,500 for a crew to remove the carpet and clean the basement. They closed on the home they sold and the purchase of a five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath Atlanta home on the same day in December. She was represented by her sister, Donna O’Kelly of Donna O’Kelly Realtors, in the purchase of a split-level home with California-style contemporary elements closer to the kids’ schools.
Seller’s hint
Be willing to drop everything if buyers want to visit. Deborah said her agents, Joy Myrick and Donna Boynton of Beacham & Co., Realtors, had multiple showings and an open house. “I was always available to show it. I would stop what I was doing,” Deborah said.
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