Do you want to sell your Atlanta house? Before you hire an agent or sign a listing agreement, make sure you know how much a listing will cost you. In our latest post, we outline some of the costs you will incur when listing your house in Atlanta.
Many times, sellers aren’t prepared for how much a listing will cost when hiring a real estate agent in Atlanta. An agent might make big promises on how much you can list your house for, but that doesn’t mean they will be able to follow through. Below are some of the costs you can expect to face when listing your Atlanta home. For a fast and fair alternative, call Breyer Home Buyers now for a direct offer! You will be able to sell right away and avoid the costs listed below!
How Much A Listing Will Cost With A Realtor
Commissions
Commissions will typically run about 5-6% of the final sale price. So let’s say you sell your house for $200,000. That is $12,000 that will immediately go to your agent. That doesn’t include any fees charged by your agent. Every realtor works differently, but not all are full-service. You might find yourself paying marketing and administrative costs to your agent in addition to their commission.
Many homeowners try to avoid these high fees by offering their home as for-sale-by-owner (FSBO). If you do that, be prepared to assume the duties of a real estate agent, including showing the place to prospective buyers, negotiating, hiring a lawyer to draw up the contract, and taking care of the transfer of title.
Closing costs and additional fees
While the closing costs to sell a house are typically the responsibility of the buyer, don’t be surprised if you are asked to foot the bill, especially if you are trying to sell your home in a buyer’s market (one which has a lot of homes for sale).
Some of these costs may include homeowners association fees, property taxes, attorney fees, transfer taxes, and title insurance. You also may be asked to pay an escrow fee, a brokerage fee, and a courier fee. Altogether, closing costs can range from 2 to 4 percent of the selling price.
Many of these fees are negotiable, and it’s unlikely that a seller will be responsible for all of these. Still, it helps to be prepared.
Repairs
You repair costs will vary greatly depending on the house. You will likely need to do at least some small things such as paint, repair holes in the walls and any other small repairs. However, some properties require much more work before they are ready for the MLS. If you find yourself spending thousands to get it ready for the MLS, you have to ask yourself… are the repair costs really worth it?
Upgrades
To keep your Atlanta house competitive with others on the market, you will likely consider making some upgrades to the home. You don’t need to spend a fortune to make a big impact. New fixtures, carpeting, countertops or flooring can all completely change the feel of the room. To help your property to sell quickly, you will want to make sure you have something to make it stand out from the competition.
When someone buys a new home to live in, they are expecting the home to have modern finishes for the current year. Imagine that you have HGTV style finishes on your house. This may mean that you need to gut the kitchen and bathrooms to completely upgrade them. These upgrades will make your house more attractive to buyers so that you can sell your house fast for top dollar.
When we buy a house to flip it, we will need to make renovations to upgrade the house to HGTV style finishes so we account for this in our offer that we present you. To get a cash offer on your house, fill out the form below.
Also, if the buyer’s home inspector finds problems, such as a leaky roof or bad plumbing, you might have to pay to fix those, as well.
Big repairs can set you back financially, so be prepared for them before you decide to sell, especially if you expect a problem with your home passing inspection.
Cleaning
Not only do you need to clean your house, but you will likely need to pay someone to have it professionally cleaned. Listing your home is no joke. Dirt and clutter can be very off-putting to people viewing your home. Your home might be in wonderful condition, but if your kitchen walls are dirty, the floors need to be mopped or if it smells like pets, a potential buyer could easily walk away. Even if you do most of the cleaning yourself, it still pays to hire someone to do the windows and carpets.
Landscaping
Curb appeal is a huge factor when listing your Atlanta house. There shouldn’t be any clutter laying about, toys should be put away and the porch should be warm and inviting. If the front yard isn’t professionally landscaped, consider doing so. Plant some brightly colored flowers, add new fixtures such as a mailbox and house numbers and whenever possible, park all cars away from the house. When people come to view your house, seeing cars in the driveway will be a subconscious reminder they aren’t at home. You want them to feel the opposite. You want people to feel at home from the moment they pull into the driveway.
Staging
Buyers like to have a clear picture of what the house could look like after they move in. Hiring a professional to stage your home might pay off. Stagers do what’s necessary to enhance a home’s best features, downplay its worst features and help prospective buyers imagine themselves living there. They rearrange furniture and accessories, declutter and depersonalize the home. They may even repurpose a room in a way you never would have imagined.
The cost of a professional stager varies according to the size of the home, the extent of the work, the length of time the house is on the market and other factors. Expect to spend several hundred dollars, at a minimum, and possibly thousands if you need a professional stager.
Utilities
If you plan to move out before you sell your home, you’ll want to continue to pay for water and electricity. A home without air conditioning/heat and lighting can be very difficult to show to buyers.
Your current bills will give you an idea how much it will cost each month to leave on the utilities until a new buyer takes over.
Marketing, Listing, Photography and Other Miscellaneous Fees
Some agents will require you to pay these costs, while others include them in their commission. Many sellers will hire their own professional photographer to capture photographs of the property. Having a top-notch listing, with excellent photos will help you sell your Atlanta house more quickly.