Names: Jim and Mercedes Bolling
The home: A five-bedroom, three-bath traditional home built in 2002
Where: Dacula's Hamilton Mill neighborhood
Why they sold: The couple wanted to downsize by selling their two-story home of 11 years. "It was getting more and more difficult to get up and down stairs," said Jim, 72. They knew moving would be time-consuming and emotional because of their memories in the home. They considered adding an elevator, chair lift or downstairs master bedroom. "All of those solutions were impractical and didn't really solve the need to have everything on one level," said Mercedes, 68.
Time on market: 20 days
Original price: $259,900
Sale price: $259,900
What it took
For two years before listing the home, the Bollings repaired and replaced anything that would make the property more desirable for a potential new owner or themselves, if they remained in the house. They made major repairs, such as resurfacing the driveway, resodding the back and side yards, and fixing drainage issues. Interior updates included adding under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen and touching up paint. “When people walk in, it has to be clean, it has to look fresh. That’s what we tried to accomplish,” Mercedes said.
They spent about $10,000 on changes, which also included new carpet, exterior painting and epoxying the garage floors.
“We did what we felt we needed to do to really make the house perfect,” Jim said. “When you looked at the entirety of the house and everything about it, we could add $10,000 to the price. That’s exactly what we did, and we got it.”
Potential stumbling block
“The emotional attachment was really the most difficult because we loved our house. We had great neighbors. We had a great community,” Mercedes said.
Two years ago, they started getting rid of items in anticipation of downsizing. They packed items, such as dishes not used daily, to store in the garage. But they didn’t expect such a quick timetable for moving. The first person who viewed the home put in an offer and they had a contract two days after the home was listed. They negotiated up to the asking price, and agreed to close within a month. “We didn’t have another house to go to,” Mercedes said.
The couple had been looking at homes for several months but had not felt comfortable putting in an offer. They decided to look a little further north, at Sterling on the Lake in Flowery Branch. A ranch home built in 2009 offered everything they wanted, including a larger dining room, and extras such as a screened porch. They closed on their sale in April and moved into the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home two days later.
Seller’s hint
Keep a written history of home repairs and maintenance. The couple provided documentation and receipts to Jennifer Davis of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, who created a binder of information with details about the home and neighborhood. “Make sure that you’re the shining star out there when somebody is looking for a house,” Jim said.
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