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Home Selling Guide

Kitchen Remodel Return on Investment in Atlanta

by Floyd Brooks Last Modified: February 4, 2022

When a potential home buyer walks into a house they are thinking about buying, the very first place that they want to see is typically the kitchen. The story is not much different when people view images of homes online. An improved kitchen can make or break a deal. The master suite is not far behind in the emotional pull it has on buyers.

In modern homes and the prevalence of open floor plans that buyers love, the kitchen is a central aspect of the home. Plus, everyone in the home will enjoy the kitchen. 

However, spending thousands of dollars on a full kitchen remodel before listing your home for sale may not provide the return on investment that you may expect. It is very unlikely that you will see a 100% or greater return on your investment if you foot the bill for a full kitchen remodel, unless your home is highly antiquated, malfunctioning, or damaged. On the other hand, giving your kitchen a minor facelift may provide a sufficient return on investment for a kitchen remodel and at the same time may provide you the sweetener you need to stand toe to toe with competing properties when you decide to sell.

Minor Kitchen Remodel vs Major Kitchen Remodel in Atlanta

Remodeling Magazine has grouped kitchen remodels into two major categories: major kitchen remodels and minor kitchen remodels. 

In a minor kitchen remodel, the kitchen is functional but outdated. In a remodel of his nature, the appliances may be replaced with updated energy-efficient models, cabinets resurfaced, or replaced with modern favorites such as shaker cabinet styles. In the addition, the counter and floors may get updated as well.

On the other hand, a major kitchen remodel may involve a full overall of the kitchen. This may include removing walls, moving the kitchen around entirely, installing custom appliances, top-tier sinks, faucets, pot fillers, a showpiece island with a waterfall edge countertop, and so forth.   A major kitchen overall can get very expensive.

Minor Kitchen Remodel Return on Investment in Atlanta

kitchen-remodel-roi-minor-repairs
  • ROI: 72%
  • Average cost: $26,055
  • Return: $18,752

Major Kitchen Remodel Return on Investment in Atlanta

Kitchen-remodel-major-kitchen-remodel-roi
  • ROI: 55.8%
  • Average cost: $147,439 
  • Return: $82,342

A full renovation may not be feasible for every homeowner or seller. What is more important is that your update meets your needs. In addition, if you are planning on selling your home in the near future, you want to make sure that your updates meet the needs of the market when you decide to list-future proofing your home.  

Related

  • Homes for sale in Atlanta
  • New Construction homes for sale in Gwinnett County
  • New Construction homes for sale in Alpharetta

Does painting kitchen cabinets increase home value?

Definitely. A fresh coat of paint is a great way to add value to your home. Kitchen cabinets tend to get used a lot and a fresh coat of paint will spruce them without breaking the bank. YOu could simply resurface the cabinets and apply a nice coat of paint

Do high-end appliances increase home value?

High-end appliances will add value to the right home. If the home is an entry-level home, adding top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances or designer appliances may not add much in terms of value to your home. Instead, check out the housing market in your area and look at the types of kitchens that buyers are loving.

How much should you spend on a kitchen remodel?

You should spend money on your kitchen that you are comfortable spending. To determine how much to spend on a kitchen remodel, look at the current value of your home and your equity situation in the home. In addition, think about how long you may keep your home before selling it and what will make you happy. At the end of the day, you do not want to spend more on your home than what it is worth unless that is not a concern to you.

Is remodeling a kitchen worth it?

Remodeling a  kitchen is definitely worth it and will help to make the home more of a destination for the entire family. A Remodeled kitchen is among the top ten renovations that can be done on a home and provide a good return on investment for sellers. 

What are the best kitchen updates for resale?

Among the best updates that add value to a kitchen are a freshly painted kitchen, updated appliances, updated countertops, cabinets (and pulls), and excellent lighting. These updates can be had without breaking the bank, especially if you add some elbow grease.

Credit

https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2021/south-atlantic/atlanta-ga/

Tagged With: Investment, ROI

7 Reasons to Upgrade Your Garage Door

by Floyd Brooks Last Modified: April 28, 2022

7-reasons-to-upgrade-your-garage

A garage door is commonly the largest door on a house. They can be opened manually or with electronics. For most homes, the garage door is a prominent aspect of the home. On average, a garage door takes up 20% of a home’s facade. In simple terms, a garage door can significantly affect a home’s curb appeal. A newly improved garage door may contribute as much as 4% to a home’s perceived value. 

Here is a list of 7 reasons to upgrade your garage door. Upgrading your garage door may include adding decals to your current garage door, painting it, improving the springs, or changing the panels. For some homeowners, an upgrade may mean replacing the garage and operating mechanism.

7 Reasons to Upgrade Your Garage Door

  1. Improved curb appeal
  2. Great return on investment (ROI)
  3. Increase a home’s resale value
  4. Reduce noise
  5. Improved Energy Efficiency
  6. Lower maintenance costs
  7. Improved safety and security

Improved Curb Appeal

As stated above, as much as 20% of a home’s facade may be taken up by the garage door. That means, upgrading your garage door can significantly improve the way your home is showcased from the street. You do not need to even replace the entire garage door to improve the appearance of the doors. You could simply splash on a new coat of paint or add decals to the garage door to spruce it up to make a banging impact.

Great Return on Investment

According to the analysis by Remodeling Magazine, investing $3,611 to replace a premium garage door might net you $3,520 when you sell it. That is a whopping 97.5 percent return on investment.

Increase a Home’s Resale Value

Garage doors are among the most used doors on a typical home. Some people may go months without opening their front doors, but they may use their garage doors on a daily basis. That means that a defective garage door, or one that is unappealing, may diminish the value of a home in the minds of some buyers. Therefore, a great garage door may be a compelling selling feature and a great selling point to highlight to potential buyers.

Reduce Noise

Since garage doors occupy so much of a home’s surface area, if your garage door faces a busy street or the neighborhood is prone to noise, a properly insulated garage door may buffer noise entering the home and make the occupants more comfortable.

Improved Energy Efficiency

Older garage doors are notoriously energy inefficient. This is particularly important if you have conditioned space above the garage. Most rooms above garages tend to be affected by the temperature of the garage. That means that those rooms may be warmer than other parts of the home during the summer months and cooler in the winter months. Therefore, if you do not use your garage to store chemicals and your garage door is south facing, it may be a good idea to have a garage door that is insulated to help mitigate the impact of the climate on your home. It will keep the home at a comfortable temperature throughout the year and save you money when it comes to heating and cooling.

Lower Maintenance Cost

If you have an older garage door, you may notice that it requires more maintenance and repairs. In one of my previous homes, I heard a huge commotion in the garage. When I went to investigate, the garage door had fallen. Upon closer examination, I discovered that the garage door had a failed spring. That was a huge expense. More on that another time.

Whatever your circumstance is, installing a new garage door might be the solution to lower your maintenance cost and potential safety issues. A newer garage door will save you money in the long run when it comes to maintenance.

Improved Security and Safety

A garage is an excellent security blanket for your home. It is an additional door that has to be opened before someone can get into your home. That means that the garage door will help to shield your home from burglars.  

Modern garage doors come with a slue of security features and enhancements that are great selling features to modern homebuyers. Some garage doors have enhanced security features such as WIFI, cameras, motion sensors, etc. Some garage doors come with internet connectivity that allows them to be controlled remotely over the internet. That means that you could be halfway around the world and open and close your garage doors and even set schedules for your door. 

A great safety feature is a safety sensor. The safety sensor on a grade door stops the garage door from closing if motion is detected under the door when the door is closing. This is is a great feature if you have pets or small children.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that a new, or renewed, garage door significantly improves a home’s curb appeal among many other benefits. A new garage door is estimated to provide the highest return on investment when compared to other noteworthy home improvements. A newer garage door has technological improvements that may be of interest to many buyers. 

Tagged With: Investment, ROI

Gwinnett County Population Growth

by Floyd Brooks Last Modified: December 21, 2021

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gwinnett County’s estimated 2020 population is 957,062. Visit the U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts page for other current statistics about Gwinnett.

According to the 2019 Census Bureau estimated data, there were 316,334 homes in Gwinnett County. Of that amount, 66.3% of homes in Gwinnett County are owner-occupied.

YearPopulation
2020957,062
2010805,321
2000588,448
2020957,062
2010805,321
2000588,448
1990352,910
1980166,903
197072,349
196043,541
195032,320
194029,087
193027,853
192030,327
191028,824
190025,585
189019,899
188019,531
187012,431
186012,940
185011,257
184010,804
183013,289
18204,589

See a list of homes for sale in Gwinnett County, GA

6073 Lucas Street Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - a week online
1 / 35
$475,000
Townhouse For Sale
Active Under Contract
2
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,140
SQFT
6073 Lucas Street
Norcross, GA 30071
Seven Norcross Subdivision
261 S Peachtree Street Norcross GA 30071
Price Change - 3 weeks ago
1 / 32
$579,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
3
BEDS
2
TOTAL BATHS
2,036
SQFT
261 S Peachtree Street
Norcross, GA 30071
 
831 S Peachtree Street Norcross GA 30071
1 / 9
$329,000
Commercial For Sale
Pending
1,018
SQFT
831 S Peachtree Street
Norcross, GA 30071
 
5946 Gaines Street Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 3 weeks online
1 / 37
$699,999
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
3
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
3,049
SQFT
5946 Gaines Street
Norcross, GA 30071
Seven Norcross Subdivision
2625 Sarah Carlin Court Norcross GA 30071
1 / 26
$550,000
Townhouse For Sale
Pending
3
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,477
SQFT
2625 Sarah Carlin Court
Norcross, GA 30071
The Kelly At Norcross Subdivision
500 W Peachtree Street Norcross GA 30071
Price Change - a week ago
1 / 10
$449,500
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
4
BEDS
2
TOTAL BATHS
2,280
SQFT
500 W Peachtree Street
Norcross, GA 30071
Historic Norcross Subdivision
119 Holcomb Bridge Road Norcross GA 30071
Price Change - 4 days ago
1 / 29
$599,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
3
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,422
SQFT
119 Holcomb Bridge Road
Norcross, GA 30071
Parkside At Norcross Subdivision
109 Holcomb Bridge Road Norcross GA 30071
Price Change - 3 days ago
1 / 40
$619,500
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
3
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,422
SQFT
109 Holcomb Bridge Road
Norcross, GA 30071
Parkside At Norcross Subdivision
243 W Peachtree Street W Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 3 weeks online
1 / 55
$750,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
6
BEDS
5
TOTAL BATHS
5,265
SQFT
243 W Peachtree Street W
Norcross, GA 30071
Historic Norcross Subdivision
1004 S Peachtree Street Norcross GA 30071
1 / 11
$525,000
Commercial For Sale
Active
2,269
SQFT
1004 S Peachtree Street
Norcross, GA 30071
 
414 Langford Drive Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 2 weeks online
1 / 20
$699,999
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
4
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,700
SQFT
414 Langford Drive
Norcross, GA 30071
 
254 Autumn Place Way Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 2 weeks online
1 / 67
$375,000
Townhouse For Sale
Pending
3
BEDS
4
TOTAL BATHS
2,024
SQFT
254 Autumn Place Way
Norcross, GA 30071
The Gates At Summerour Subdivision
2527 Old Rockbridge Road Norcross GA 30071
1 / 21
$790,000
Commercial For Sale
Active
2,896
SQFT
2527 Old Rockbridge Road
Norcross, GA 30071
 
402 Summer Place Norcross GA 30071
Price Change - 2 weeks ago
1 / 19
$220,000
Townhouse For Sale
Pending
2
BEDS
3
TOTAL BATHS
1,214
SQFT
402 Summer Place
Norcross, GA 30071
Sierra West Subdivision
5600 Chatham Circle Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 3 weeks online
1 / 43
$400,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Pending
3
BEDS
3
TOTAL BATHS
1,716
SQFT
5600 Chatham Circle
Norcross, GA 30071
Creekside Park Subdivision
5710 Chatham Circle NW Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 2 weeks online
1 / 33
$400,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active Under Contract
3
BEDS
3
TOTAL BATHS
2,241
SQFT
5710 Chatham Circle NW
Norcross, GA 30071
Creekside Park Subdivision
5526 Westberry Lane Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 11 hours online
1 / 24
$310,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
3
BEDS
2
TOTAL BATHS
1,357
SQFT
5526 Westberry Lane
Norcross, GA 30071
Mitchell Rise Subdivision
5441 Hughes Drive Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - a week online
1 / 25
$400,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Pending
3
BEDS
3
TOTAL BATHS
2,172
SQFT
5441 Hughes Drive
Norcross, GA 30071
Creekside Park Subdivision
5480 Chatham Circle Norcross GA 30071
New Listing - 2 weeks online
1 / 13
$475,000
Single Family Home For Sale
Active
4
BEDS
3
TOTAL BATHS
2,260
SQFT
5480 Chatham Circle
Norcross, GA 30071
Creekside Park Subdivision
2415 Beaver Ruin Road Norcross GA 30071
1 / 13
$134,000
Commercial For Sale
Active
0.45
ACRES
GWINNETT
COUNTY
2415 Beaver Ruin Road
Norcross, GA 30071
 

Find Your Next Home

How to Sell Your House Fast

by Floyd Brooks Last Modified: December 8, 2021

Trying to Sell Your House Fast?

Follow these steps.

Table of Contents

Contact Your Trusted Atlanta Real Estate Agent

Price Your Home To Sell

Choose The Right Time To Sell Your House

Prepare Your Home For Sale

Seriously Consider A Pre-Listing Home Inspection

Consider Staging Your House

Take Professional Photographs Of Your Home

List Your House And Watch The Offers Come In

Negotiating Offers

Open Escrow.

Home Inspections

Settle Contingencies

Schedule Appraiser

Closing Escrow


Selling your home can be a time of great joy and potential stress. It is a huge financial decision for most people. 

There may be sentimental values attached to your home. You may not know how much you love your home until you have to turn the keys over to someone else. This is especially true if you have lived in your home for a significant amount of happy years.

In this article, I will help you learn how to sell your home fast and how to make the most money from selling your house.

1. Contact Your Trusted Atlanta Real Estate Agent.

If you live in the Metro Atlanta area, reach out to your trusted real estate and let him know that you want to sell your home fast and get top dollar for your home.

Why would I list my house with an agent when you may sell your home fast as a for sale by owner (FSBO)?  That is a good question? That is a question that I have asked myself in past remodels when it was time to list. 

The fact of the matter is that there are not many people out there who are willing to take a chance on possibly the largest financial decision of their lives. 

Save yourself the headache and potential missed opportunities and list with a trusted agent who will give you concrete ways how they can help you sell your home fast. 

Research has clearly shown that the only way to know the maximum amount of money you can profit from a sale is to list it on the open market. In a competitive market with few homes on the market, that means that some buyers may be willing to pay more for your house than the comparables dictate.

2. Price Your Home to Sell

One of the most important questions you will have as a homeowner when it is time for you to sell your home will be: how much can I get for my house? 

In today’s digital age, you may think it is just simply going to one of those information-gathering sites, like Zillow, and getting an estimate for your home. Take it from my personal experience, Zillow’s Zestimate is a hit-or-miss situation. 

The Zestimate, as Zillow calls it, is primarily used as a way for Zillow to gather information on homeowners. In addition, Zillow buys and sells homes. Do you think that it is in their best interest to undervalue homes that could potentially come to the market?

Zillow is not a government agency, or is it? It does not gather and freely offer information to homeowners because they think it is better for society. No. They offer that information so that it becomes the de-facto first stop for people who are looking to buy and sell homes. They’ll offer a mortgage and a morgue if you need one. 

Pricing to sell your home fast takes knowledge of the local market conditions and general economic trends to figure out the best course of action to take when it comes to pricing your home so that it sells quickly and for top dollars. 

3. Choose the Right Time to Sell Your House.

Many factors determine the best time to buy and sell houses. Many of the factors involved are determined by the local market conditions. 

Typically, most people move between springtime and mid-summer in Atlanta. That means that the market will become more active during that time. Parents may be moving to find new schools for their children or people moving in or out of a local market. 

As your representative, if there are many homes listed in your market area during the spring, we will look at the competition and come up with an effective strategy to lure buyers to your listing and get the best price for your home. As more homes are listed during spring, some buyers can be pickier. Therefore, we have to look at what the market is saying to come up with strategies to stand out from the rest. 

4. Prepare Your Home for Sale

The less work that potential homeowners have to do before they take ownership of your home, the more they will be willing to offer for your house. Conversely, if potential homeowners feel like they will have to do too much work before they move in, they will be less likely to make an offer on your house. If they are willing to make an offer, they will more likely ask for concessions or will make lowball offers. The less work that potential homeowners have to do after taking ownership, the more they will be willing to pay for your property.

5. Seriously Consider a Pre-Listing Home Inspection

Especially if you are in a situation where you are competing with other sellers of similar homes, you want to make sure that you are one step ahead of the game. If you are not up to speed on the condition of your home or you may be concerned that your home has issues that could potentially cost your buyers, you should seriously consider a home inspection.

This home inspection will put you at ease. You will learn more about your home than ever before. Your trusted agent will show you how to prioritize any repairs you would like to make to your home. At the end of the day, the most important factor in this decision is the return on investment. You will have to decide what repairs are needed if any, that will maximize the amount of money you make in return as you try to sell your home fast.

6. Consider Staging Your House

Staging your house is presenting your house in the real estate marketplace. A properly staged home is presented in a way to highlight the advantages of a house and minimize the flaws that may potentially exist. 

A properly staged home will be free of excess clutter. It will allow the house to appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers. It will allow those buyers to envision themselves in that home as they tour your home. 

Staged properties sell faster and for more money than properties that are not staged. This is especially important if you are trying to sell your home fast.

7. Take Professional Photography of Your Home

Most buyers will know about your home before they ever set foot into your home. When your agent lists your home in the multiple listing services (MLS), that is the first impression that buyers today will have of your home. You want to make sure that your home is staged in such a way that when it is photographed, it truly captures the essence of what makes your house the perfect home. 

8. List Your House and Watch the Offers Come in

Now that you have done everything right, it is time to wait for the offers to come in. Your agent (hopefully yours truly) will take care of the rest. 

Requests will be made to view your home. After your house is viewed, make sure that your agent has a system in place to capture feedback from potential buyers. This will allow you to gauge what viewers to your home are really looking for. 

9. Negotiating Offers

Once a potential buyer makes an offer, be sure to look for any contingencies or stipulations.Make sure that you and your agent comb through the contingencies and pay close attention to how the property will be financed. 

In addition to that, make sure that your agent double checks to make sure that the stated funds are available by contacting to seller’s financial institution or verifying that the funds are truly available if the buyers offer to pay cash. 

 Make sure they meet your needs before accepting any offers. You and your agent will communicate an offer of acceptance or make a counteroffer. 

10. Open Escrow.

In Georgia, a closing attorney will take care of the closing. Once you and the potential buyers are on the same page, you then make sure that all timelines are respected by all parties involved. Your seller will indicate when they will deposit the earnest money with the closing attorney.

11. Home Inspections

The buyers will also disclose when they will carry out their home inspection. Home inspections are not required in Georgia, but most buyers do one anyway. They will be going through your home to educate the potential buyers about the current state of your home.

12. Settle Contingencies

Once the terms of contingencies such as financial, inspection and appraisal contingencies have been fulfilled, the closing attorney will schedule the closing. A buyer that is paying cash or financing through a conventional loan package is among the fastest ways to sell your house fast. 

13. Schedule Appraiser

If the property will be financed, the buyer’s bank will schedule the appraisal. The appraiser will come through the home and take pictures and measurements. The appraiser will tell the bank how much they think the property is worth on the day of the appraisal.

14. Closing Escrow

Before escrow closes on the property, the buyers may request a walkthrough before they show up for closing. Once everything looks good, the closing will proceed. Many documents will be signed and you will hand over the keys to the new owners.

Summary

In closing, make sure that you and your trusted real estate agent double-check all documents and financials of your buyers at every step of the transaction. There is nothing worse than having a deal fall through and losing precious time.

Tagged With: Quick-Sale

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