The Sale
Names: Tonya Bassett, a sales consultant for Thomson Reuters, and Courtenay August, director of food and nutrition at a children's hospital
The home: A three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home built in 2006
Where: Atlanta's Ormewood Park neighborhood
Why they sold: They loved Ormewood Park and its access to downtown and the interstates, but have two boys, ages 2 and 4, and wanted to move into the Decatur school system. They bought a house in Decatur in April 2014 and planned to eventually custom build on the lot. They rented out the Decatur home for a year and then decided in 2015 to sell their Ormewood Park home.
Time on market: 38 days
Original price: $449,000
Sale price: $440,500
What it took
They asked three real estate agents to look at their Ormewood Park home and suggest a potential asking price. The answers were different and they felt that a couple of the agents didn’t place a high enough value on their yard. They had spent $100,000 a few years ago to add a waterfall, saltwater pool, spa and patio, and trees lined the property.
Lee Ann Saxton with Keller Williams Realty Buckhead suggested $50,000 more than the other agents and even showed off the backyard by hosting a luau-themed “caravan,” which is an open house just for real estate agents. It was a creative touch that Bassett and August said showed that their real estate agent was trying to make their home stand out and show how the backyard could be used for entertaining. “With Realtors today, they have so many open houses they have to go to. She made it something different that attracted them, which is great,” August said.
Saxton also suggested they rent a storage unit so they could clean out an attic and their closets, and also move excess furniture out of their loft. Repainting the blue walls in one of the boy’s rooms a more neutral beige and bringing in flowers also freshened up the interior.
Potential stumbling block
Keeping a home clean for buyers can be a challenge with kids and pets. So they put the home on the market and left town for spring break. Three people viewed the home while it was on the market, and one made an offer that they accepted.
Seller’s hint
If the buyer asks for repairs, consider negotiating the sale price. They lowered the home’s sale price to cover the cost of repairs to a canopy in the backyard, which alleviated some concern about the appraisal value.
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