Can you retake the front picture so your house is featured and not the two car garage?

Trey ceiling or tray ceiling? Or is that like grey and gray?

Bathrooms 1 partial - is that a half bath? 3/4 bath?

Just Listed- Won't Last Long - Oh boy - do a search on this forum and see how much fun is made of this phrase. Once the house is a month old, the listing looks ridiculous with these words.

There is a lot of inventory in the $250K - $300K range. Ten houses at $275K alone. Have you looked at your competition via Open Houses?

Why is the square footage "unspecified"? People like to have an idea of the square footage so they don't waste their time looking at a house that is too big or too small. It seems difficult to find an apples to apples comparison due to lack of sq. footage in your region. Even if it isn't customary, you could add it to craigslist and Iggys.

Here's a clickable link to the listing.

Here is a link that might be useful: anng3's listing

xamsx Thanks for the feedback! Got rid of Just Listed. There is only 1 house under 10 years old in our city/county with basement also on the market at the same price but its backyard faces another house. In GA listings are done without square footage. Our square footage is being increased by Fulton County in December. They missed a room which I found out when I looked at other houses in our subdivision.

I like the colour of the house, but if you want to change the shutter colours, I think an evergreen would look better than red.

I went to realtor.com and put what you said was the MLS # in to get nothing listed. I then did a search of your price to get the url (below)

I would also try a new front picture but wonder if you are able to due to the tree. I'd change the deck picture to the living room

The photo titled Garden Tub Sep. Shower is useless. I wouldn't want to see a picture of the vanity counter & mirror. - you have a garden tub, why not show that? The kitchen pic which is titled "Bright Eat-In Kitchen" is a bit on the dark side, and isn't showing that the kitchen is bright. I would reshoot it.

I don't think putting red shutters are going to help. Instead I might think to do something with the front plantings

Here is a link that might be useful: realtor.com link

The house has a nice, clean look to it.

Post a photo of the house on the decorating board regarding shutter and door colors. The Photoshop experts over there will amaze you.

I think the exterior is fine like it is, but if you were going for a change, I would paint the front door red and the shutters some shade of sage green. A three color house has more eye appeal.

The tree next to the garage door needs to be trimmed back a bit. The photo of the kitchen is dark and is just the opposite of what the photo title says. In the bathroom photo the lighting, faucet handles and counter top make the room look dated. I would have some containers of colorful flowers out on the deck. It looks naked.
The rest of the photos make the house look clean and uncluttered. Very nice. NancyLouise

Rereading... I forgot to mention you have a nice house

If your dh is talking about "red" in the "Cranberry hue", I think it would look great. Cranberry shutters and door is a popular color combination in my area with cream colored siding and it looks very nice.

As for the rest of the house, it looks very clean and decluttered but almost sterile. There is nothing that pops, all seems almost boring. I would suggest putting some colored curtain toppers on your sliding glass door and on your livingroom or family room windows (can't tell which room that is)

There is nothing that warms the house up, it looks like you're half living there and half not. Put something on the walls, put something on the windows, put some plants in the corners, on the deck on the front steps. It needs some life.

Good luck, with your sale, you have a good house to start with, you just need to give it a little pick me up.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.
xamsx- They ceiling is called Trey. Will check on FOH pictures.
laura1202 Thanks for the link.
There are 2 full and 1 half bath.
sparksels-Evergreen would look good too.
roselver-I added a 0 before the MLS number. The bathroom is large and hard to fit everything into 1 picture. I have a lighter picture of kitchen will try and post. The whole house gets a ton of sun which we have loved.
graywings-Great idea on posting to designer board.
nancylouise Great suggestions.
Linda 117- Will have to check out a Cranberry hue. Sounds
pretty.

xamsx- They ceiling is called Trey

I beg to differ. It is called tray, because it is shaped like an inverted tray.

For further clarification see link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tray ceiling definition

Your home shows beautifully, but.......IMO, the 'never had pets' remark is slightly derogatory, and could upset those with pets looking to buy.

Many people with pets, and *know* they 'come with odors', are accepting of a home that has 'animal scents', and appreciate the homeowner's love of animals, too. Like attracts like in some cases.

I say this only if a home doesn't smell as though it's a unine-drenched barn~YUCKY! ;o)

Terriks I beg to differ. It is called tray, because it is shaped like an inverted tray.

Ok, that means the OP has another error in their write up. If you noticed, I was asking a question as I thought "tray" but the OP listed "trey".

Oh now I see what happened, Terriks was quoting anng3, not me.

I hate this forum software. *insert head banging emoticon* We should be able to quote completely as a function of the boards.

coffered, tray and trey are all terms that are used to describe a ceiling that resembles an inverted tray. The terms are interchangeable and usage is regional. Some areas of the country call it tray, some trey and some coffered. It is best to use the term that is common in your area.

I think, even though I'm a 5-cat person myself, that I would be attracted to the phrase, "Never had pets." That's because I've seen my critters pick up the scent on things brought into my home (rugs, a second-hand chair, etc.) and if I knew that the sellers of the home never had animals, I'd know I wouldn't have to worry about any of my cats inflicting a surprise pee-spree in a corner to mark territory in a previously peed-upon corner (no matter how well it's been cleaned, animals still seem to scope out that smell!).

Just another POV! ;-)

"Trey" is a dog's name. See song: "Old Dog Trey".

Tray describes a ceiling effect that resembles an inverted tray.

Coffered is a ceiling divided into "coffers" or deep recesses.

"Picky" describes...me, I guess. LOL

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Did trim tree but will trim more and look at changing some pics.
I didn't know about Trey ceilings until I got to GA. Everyone here calls them Trey. I guess it's that regional thing.

I like your house a lot. I like the color scheme as is...do not paint red! I think the deck picture should go as an interior shot is more important and be replaced by a decent, bright sunny living room picture. I don't think saying never had pets is derogatory, as I have 2 cats and know the bad things they do such as kill mice in the house, bring dead rabbits into the shed, bring in fleas, scratch the carpet, snag the drapes, little holes in the screen, hairballs, missed the litter box by mistake etc. Dogs would have a different list of "things they do" which other dog owners would no doubt like to avoid.

Good luck in selling, your house looks very attractive.

anng3:
Gosh, wish there were such a nice home here in Portland OR for the same price! Is your area strictly a commuting area? It is lovely,
Sharlee

Hey Jen, I guess my 'kids' are different than most. I bought my home from an elderly gent who never had a pet in the place for the 12 years he owned.

I buy, put in new carpeting, and the game of 'find-who's-peeing-in-the-corner' begins~the same game was played on my new wood floors. When I moved in I had 3 cats, but have had as many as 6 while babysitting others pets. I've heard they will mark when there are too many. I must have acquired stock in Nature's Miracle as well as other products.

I'm now down to two and had new carpeting installed Monday. I'm debating on keeping them in the garage during the day, since i'll be trying to sell, and absolutely do NOT want any 'accidents'. I'll bring them up to bed with me at night w/litter pan. I never did catch who was/were the culprit/s, so need to play it safe. ;o)

Thanks for the pic feedback. Will continue working on them. Sharlee, I'm not sure what you mean by a commuting area. The home is in Alpharetta which is a metro Atlanta suburb about a 30 minute drive to Atlanta. Today was interesting. We are FSBO and our sign at the front of the subdivision was stolen and our sign in front of the house was turned over. Funny thing is yesterday someone from another part of the country told me when they sold FSBO their signs kept getting stolen.

Oh, goody, right up my alley.

First of all, you're not listed in the FMLS because you're not showing up at all on Jenny Pruitt. Trying to sell a house on your own in Alpharetta right now is not wise; you're competing with a ton of people who's house looks just like yours and new construction.

It's not like Morningside or Ansley Park or Buckhead or even Dunwoody where there's little to no new single family construction going on and there is some uniqueness to the houses.

Second, putting "top schools" in your listing doesn't cut it here in Atlanta. People who are house hunting KNOW the names of the good schools and if you're not Mountain Park or Crabapple, they'll keep looking. Schools in Georgia generally suck, and the top 25 schools in the state will command a 30% premium in house prices to be in their district.

If you've got one of the top 25 schools listed, then post it. If you're not sure how good your school really is, go to www.gppf.org and find it. Lots of people are surprised that their "top school" is really top 200. Yeah, not so much!

You've also got a problem because two of the houses listed are up for rent rather than up for sale.

The ones listed for sale are 40K cheaper than you are, and they look just like you.

Ok, looked up your school, it's Manning Oaks Elementary, listed at 214. Not that great. 25% poverty rate. When you click on your schools link you're taken to a general information area, not information specific to Manning Oaks.

I regret that I have to be this tough on you, but it's not a top school, you're not getting exposed to the vast majority of people on the mls/fmls, the house is not unique, and you're overpriced and have a lot of inventory not only up for sale on your street, but in your immediate area.

You need to rethink

Here is a link that might be useful: Houses for sale on your street

The Atlanta Journal Constitution did an article today about Alpharetta and the schools in it. Mannings Oaks ranked 98 out of 100 in the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests - in reading, English language arts and math in grades 1 through 8 and in science and social studies in grades 3 through 8. The results for reading, English language arts, math and science are displayed in GreatSchools.net profiles. The CRCT is a standards-based assessment, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Georgia. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard. Mannings Oaks was rated Above Average. It also has a before and after school programs and a Gifted and Talented program.
As far as our house being overpriced. Try to find another 4 bed/2.5 bath, basement house in Alpharetta North Fulton for under 300,000. In terms of our neighborhood there is only 1 home for sale and its a 3/2 on a slab. We are only 1 of two 4/2.5 homes with a full daylight basement, on aprivate wooded lot and on a Cul-de Sac.
We aren't on the FMLS but are on Realtor.com, MLS, AtlantaMLS, GMLS and Jenny Pruitt is an intown broker that doesn't sell homes in our area/price range.

If your schools were rated 98/100 today in the AJC, you're in big trouble. Unless a person already has children in your district and doesn't want to move them, schools will end up being a huge negative for you. Are there any good private schools in the area? That might help.

Anng3 have you looked at any competition in your area?
Have you been getting viewings?
Have you had any offers?

Yes, Manning Oaks would be considered above average for Georgia. Georgia, however, ranks 48th in the nation, so above average for Georgia is not so good in general. It simply isn't a 'top school'. It's an 'above average' school, and your website should reflect that.

I referenced the Jenny Pruitt website because that site has the best searchability for the entire metro area. You still really need to be on the FMLS. You are incorrect in your assesment that Jenny Pruitt is only an 'intown realtor'. There is an office on Mansell Rd, in the heart of Alpharetta, and another one over on John's Creek, just east of Alpharetta.

You are not the only house with your characteristics in your price range in the manning oaks school district:

FMLS#: 3439507
FMLS#: 3497408
FMLS#: 3364971

And that's JUST the fmls.

I know you say that there's only one home for sale in your neighborhood, but the search engines say otherwise. Two for sale, at 40k less than yours, and two for rent.

You do come up on Keller Williams' website, but it says your house is on a slab. the link is posted below. Again, the other three houses that come up in a search on your street are significantly cheaper. This is what any buyer who goes looking is going to see.

I know at this point you're probably not liking me very much, but after having sold five houses by my mid thirties I have learned a few things. One of the things I've learned is not what color your flippin' shutters are, for the love of god. It's location, price, condition.

I think you should try and sell your house like you're doing it now. Then in 60 days when nothing has happened, revisit this thread and make the changes. Figure out a way to get on the FMLS as well, although traditionally FSBO houses only work well with unique desireable properties, not cookie cutter houses.

Our first two houses were cookie cutter, and there's nothing unique about them to get a buyer to overcome the natural resistance to FSBO. Most people down here wont touch a FSBO house, because the owners don't know what the heck they were doing. Your overpricing is a classic example of the first time FSBO seller.

The signs were probably knocked over by the other people in your neighborhood who don't want to see more 'for sale' signs on their street because it makes it harder to sell-a buyer drives down the street and goes, wow, a lot for sale here AND rental houses, I think I'll move on.

Just a note about the inside of your house, the lighting in the master bath screams 'builder grade'. Every apartment complex in atlanta has them and once you've lived with them, you hate them and they scream CHEAP. Swap them out for something updated, along with the faucets. You need to set your house apart from the other gazillion builder grade recently built houses in Alpharetta.

Here is a link that might be useful: Houses on Keller Williams in your neighborhood

some further research; if you do a subdivision search of the subdivision your house is located in, winthrope chase on keller williams, the only house priced higher than yours is one with a finished basement and upgrades like granite countertops. Its mls is 3529598. There are 11 properties for sale/rent in your subdivision.

It's also vacant, which says to me that they couldn't sell it at that price when they were living there and have since left (since it's Alpharetta, probably tranferred to another tech jobO). They may have a corporate relo package, so may or may not have dropped the price already on it. If that one's not selling, it doesn't look good for yours, because they're your direct competition.

I think disneyrsh is right on.

O Golly Disneyrsh, you are too easy. As far as liking you, no I usually don't go for dark, angry, unethical people that spam and have hidden agendas. You referenced Jenny Pruitt because that's who you shill for. Here are just 4 of your other posts:

RE: Finding a place in (or near) Atlanta, GeorgiaPosted by disneyrsh (My Page) on Sun, May 7, 06 at 19:44 "For a good real estate web site to hunt on, go to www.jennypruitt.com, and do a school search."

RE: Where to buy a house in Alpharetta, GA?Posted by disneyrsh (My Page) on
Mon, Jan 23, 06 at 12:00 "Go to www.jennypruitt.com and do a search by schools once you've picked one from the gppf.org site."

Posted by disneyrsh (My Page) on
Wed, Jan 25, 06 at 12:01 Here is a link that might be useful: Houses for sale in Crabapple Elem. District which surprise goes to Jenny Pruitt.
http://www.jennypruitt.com/Listing/ListingSearchResults.aspx?Search=e5441739-cfd1-47f9-96a8-ba810ef79c4b&SearchType=schooldistrict&ListingType=1&ListingDistrictTypeID=3&FirstLetter=&Sort=1&RecommendedListingGroupName=&RecommendedListingGroupDate=&listingsearchid=&agentadmin=

RE: Atlanta Agents - What is Wrong With This House?
Posted by disneyrsh (My Page) on
Sat, May 5, 07 at 21:49 "If you want to live in Dunwoody, then look in the 30338 zip code on the www.jennypruitt.com website."

As far as the FMLS's you provided:

FMLS#: 3439507 Has a basement room can be either a bedroom/office/bonus area to make it a 4/2.
FMLS#: 3497408 ia a "European Style Cottage" that is over 10 years old.
FMLS# 3364971 is priced at 298,000 is not in a subdivision,is not a pool/playground neighborhood.

Keller Williams is another intown broker and does show our house with a basement.

Oh yeah, the more right I am, the madder people get when they don't want to hear the truth.

I'm an editor for a publication here in atlanta, never worked with/for Jenny Pruitt, never will.

They have the best local search engine. You can search by schools, subdivisions, etc and it's very handy. I believe that most, if not all, of those listings are by agents other than Jenny Pruitt. I like to steer newcomers to that site because it is easy to use.

Try again on the Keller Williams people; they also have offices in your area. I rechecked the Keller Williams site, your home is now showing with a full basement, which is good, one of my pet peeves is MLS listings that are incorrect.

You can grump all you want about those other listings; they're still your competition.

There are none that are so blind that will not see...

Why is it that people who tell you what you don't want to hear suddenly have a "hidden agenda". That cracks me up! If you really don't believe I'm an editor, I'll give you my real name and you can look me up in the Atlanta area publication.

Real estate is my hobby, I enjoy watching the house market. What I didn't enjoy was selling houses and suffering through every mistake possible to make.

I have absolutely been in your shoes, I'm just trying to save you from having to walk a very painful mile in them.

No good deed goes unpunished!

Thought I would post an update on this since it's unlikely that the owner will.

As far as I can tell it's still up for sale for the original listing price, although it no longer appears on Keller Williams, it is on zillow.com as FSBO.

The last update on their website was October 6. I wonder if they'll ever come back to this thread to re-check the advice. I think, maybe, since they haven't dropped the price at all that they're not that serious about selling...

Here is a link that might be useful: OP's house

Wow Disneyrsh you really should take it down a notch. You were really obnoxious. There are other ways of voicing your opinion other than slamming someone's home. You may not have meant it that way but it came over harsh and rude

I disagree, but you're welcome to your opinion.

The owner reacted badly when he heard information he wasn't open to. The angrier he got, the tougher I got. Home selling isn't pretty, especially in this market.

Your realtor is paid to blow smoke you know where, I just tell the truth, ugly and obnoxious as it is.

I don't understand why you felt like you needed to get tougher.

I got tougher when he referred to me as "dark" and "angry" and "unethical".

Which in my mind is 1. racist, 2. More reflective of the OP's closed mind, and 3. False.

Really, go back over the thread and read each post carefully.

I think you will understand why I was tough. I recognize that I did not help the OP, but believe that there may be somebody else out there going, yeah, I've really got my blinkers on, maybe I need to revisit why my home isn't selling and be a little more honest with myself.

It would have helped me when I was trying to sell my house. I needed more honest advice. The one bit I did get was somebody calling me on the phone and saying "your house is way overpriced" and then hanging up on me.

Turns out she was right, but I would have liked to know WHY she thought the way she did, because she was correct.

Hey Disney -

I took the dark to equate with anger/moody, not racist.

About the OP - I think that if you post asking for feedback - you need to take what you like and leave the rest. No need to defend your current position or feelings, no need to critique the feedback.

I agree with kailuamom - I didn't read racist from dark.

Maybe in most of the US, but here in the South, it's an insult one most definitely does NOT use.

It's inherently reinforcing negative stereotypes to equate dark with "bad".

And he still needs to drop the price on his house and stop touting his great schools.....

I took the dark to equate with anger/moody, not racist.
Wow, so did I, race never entered my mind.
Think of all the ways dark is used, nothing to do with race.