If you plan on selling your Lake Lanier home soon and would like to learn about its current market value beforehand, there are a number of resources available to receive the best estimate according to the Lake Lanier real estate market, the precise location, amenities, and other factors. This guide also contains a handful of tips to improve the value and appeal of your home, so be sure to pocket them as you prepare your home for sale or appraisal.

To get started, use a home valuation tool. There are several home value calculators available online that can provide you with an estimate of your home’s current value. If you’re interested in figuring out how valuable your Lake Lanier home has, check out Dani Burns’ home valuation tool.

Luxury real estate agents based out of the Lake Lanier region always keep themselves apprised of the current local market, including what buyers look for and what features increase the value of a home. Consult a real estate agent with proven experience in home sales and valuations for their objective opinion. Listen to their advice — they pride themselves on assisting their clients with successful home sales and will never lead you astray.

Dani Burns is a Realtor who has lived in the area for nearly two decades and has years of experience in real estate in the area. She’s the perfect resource to help you figure out how much your home is worth.

Another way to gauge your home’s value is by looking at comparable properties currently on the market. What are their listed sale prices? How long have they been on the market so far? How do their values compare to yours? What aspects does your home share with others? Luxury home listings tend to include photos, and descriptions of the home’s most attractive features — these highlights are features that home buyers primarily look for.

For a complete report on your home’s value, hire a home appraiser to perform a thorough assessment of your home. A home appraisal is essentially an objective professional opinion that determines your home’s value based on an in-person inspection, recent sales of comparable properties, ongoing market trends, and specific details of the home, including its condition, floor plan, size, number of rooms, and amenities. Home appraisals generally cost anywhere between $300 to $450.

Here are additional tips to prepare your home for appraisal and increase its overall appeal.

 

Clean every inch of your home — even the spots you don’t expect people to notice — until it looks as good as new. Pay extra attention to the bathrooms and kitchen, as these are the rooms that often affect a buyer’s decision to buy. Clean behind cabinets, toilets, between furniture, under rugs, windowsills, and every other spot you can think of. Buyers will undoubtedly appreciate the effort you have put into keeping your home in good condition.

 

Decluttering the home is rather straightforward. Store, give away, or sell everything you don’t need, including excess furniture, clothing, toys, and pet paraphernalia. Clear out kitchen drawers and cabinets. Take down refrigerator magnets, photos, brochures, and anything else you may have pinned on the walls. Tidy up paperwork. Take out the trash. Your home should only have basic furniture and neutral decor in place once you are done.

 

To depersonalize is to neutralize the home. Buyers don’t want to be reminded that another family is living there, and objects that are too personal might unsettle them. You are strangers, after all. Decluttering usually takes care of the depersonalizing process, but devote some time to making sure your home is free of family photos, diplomas, personal collections, posters, sports paraphernalia, souvenirs, and anything else that is too closely associated with you and your family.

 

If any of the walls are bright and flashy, repaint them with a neutral color like taupe or an off-white. Dark tones like wine and navy are acceptable too, but avoid unorthodox colors like orange, lime green, hot pink, and other colors you wouldn’t usually see in a home. Decoration should be neutral too. Opt for simple paintings if you need to put something on the walls.

 

As we live in our homes, we grow accustomed to the smell even as it changes. The food we eat, the fragrances we use, and even our pets affect the smell, but we don’t tend to notice. Guests and buyers, however, definitely notice. Conduct a smell test by inviting a friend over to tell you what they think. A great way to freshen the air is by opening the windows for a day or two and lighting a candle with a subtle, clean-smelling fragrance. It doesn’t need to be a strong scent. Clean linen and other “fresh” scents will do the job just fine.

 

Buyers love a home with ample natural light. Pull back the curtains and open up the blinds to invite all the light that you can into your home. Not only will it create a more welcoming atmosphere, but it will also show appraisers and buyers that your home has the potential to be a truly warm, comfortable place to live.

Above all else, consulting a luxury real estate agent is the best way to understand the market and how to sell your Lake Lanier luxury home accordingly. Reach out to Dani Burns, a top-rated broker and real estate agent with over 20 years of experience in the Lake Lanier and North Georgia Lakes region. Her expertise will prove invaluable in your efforts to sell your luxury home for the best possible value.