by Hope
My house is on the market. It’s currently listed FSBO with a notice that I will pay buyer’s agents 3%. I’ve identified the agent who will take over the listing at the end of February if it’s not under contract by the time I leave for Texas. The process of moving is not easy. And this is the first move I’ve done by myself in over 24 years.
It’s been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. The memories that were made here. Dreams that were dreamed. Heartbreaks that happened. And so much success was achieved here.
When I bought this house, I thought I would live here forever. It’s been a really hard dream to let go of. And yes, I know this is 100% my choice. I own it, and I believe this is the right move for a plethora of reasons.
The Floors
You will be happy to know that I came to the realization that refinishing the floors would not give me a good ROI, as you all suggested. And with me continuing to be sick (cough that won’t quit), it was just more than I could take on. So I have conceded that I may end up needing to give an concession on the floors with an offer. I will cross that bridge when it comes to it.
As of today, new baseboards are going on. My neighbor across the street is helping me for a very reasonable fee. I am so grateful.
The Interest
I’ve already had 5 interested parties. Some of them are pretty funny coincidences. But no offers to date. I mean, it has only been a couple of days. I have it listed on Facebook Marketplace and Zillow, both free to list. The realtor will pay for advertisement and listing it on MLS at the end of the month.
I’ve had 2 realtors reach out and get agreements signed about the percentage I’m paying should they show it and come with a buyer who closes.
I’m ready to go. I’m ready to be done with this phase. I’m emotionally drained. And ready to hit the road and see where the wind blows.
Sidenote: I know BAD hates my kitchen so here’s yet another picture for you to groan over. But the response of those who have actually seen the house (even without me here) has been overwhelmingly positive. It really is pretty in person and very practical and open. I really do love it. I will do something similar in my next home but not as bright of yellow for sure.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
Im going to try to help you out here. I found the listing on Marketplace. To get the most return you need to redo your photos immediately. Kitchen-there should not be any dishes in the sink or on the counter. There should not be an amazon box in the shelves. I would cluster all the matching baskets together in one shelving area and leave the other empty. Put the pans away that are on the stove (even in the oven if you don’t have a place for them. The yard-sweep the leaves off the cement pads. Coil up the hose and put it away. Wipe off the outdoor furniture and put some plants on the tables and near the stairs. Put cute matching throw cushions on all outdoor furniture. Put a nice new doormat by back door. Laundry room-put away all the clutter, nothing should be on washing machine and dryer. Close teh washing machine, clean it if those spots in pic are actually dirt. Get a few more of the matching baskets and but a bunch of the food in your laundry room in those baskets and put them in the kitchen shelving. Get matching baskets for all the loose items in the laundry to put them away. Bedroom with open closet-close the closet for photos, remove all the clutter off the bed and whatever is to the left. Make the beds with cute fluffy bedding. None of the personal clutter should be in the photos at all. Overall- clean the floors really well as well as all surfaces. Floors should not have have dirt and trash on them in the photos. Turn on all lights and open all shades for pictures to look bright and airy. These pictures show a fire sale, not someone who wants top dollar for their home. You don’t show the front, but the yard should be neat and clean. You should ahve a brand new door mat or entry rug on the porch. Nice pots of flowers if room on the porch. If there is a mailbox it should be new or nicely painted. Front door should be newly painted. Hope this helps, I used to work in this industry a bit and would never let someone post pictures like that. If your realtor okayed those, you need a new realtor. I understand you are trying not to spend money, but you are losing money posting those photos. And the suggestions above are simple, not labor intensive, and will result in much better looking photos.
Great, greatly appreciate this very practical advice. I’m implementing it little by little as each room is ready for pics.
And hopefully, the landscaper shows up today for the outside…with the snow and two weeks of rain, the yard was a mess. Once it gets cleaned up, I will take outside and pics of front and new ones of the back.
New pics coming…
You still need to disclose it. Especially with it mentioned here multiple times, if something floods and it was not disclosed you will lose that lawsuit.
i hope you are disclosing the fact that there is a sinkhole on the property. your knowledge of this problem is clearly shown on this blog and you could face a lawsuit later on.
That hole was filled in last summer and the culvert cleaned out. The flooding issue has been abated with those two fixes in place.
I just called it a sinkhole because of the erosion around the concrete pipe that runs down that side of my yard.
Do you have it listed on the MLS? Because that is how most people find homes and it will be exposed to a lot more people that way and you are likely to get a higher price that way.
Not yet. I did not want to spend the money to do that as a FSBO home since I knew I would list with an agent in just a few weeks when I leave for Texas again. Didn’t make sense financially to essentially spend that money twice.
Hi Hope. I’m glad you’ve got a plan in place. Are we able to see rough estimates of where your route is to start and travel/food/lodging expenses? How much are you asking for the house? That number will obviously be very important but it’s not here.
I know that people can use FSBO with success but given the ways you’ve been screwed over in legal processes before, is this the right choice? You may save money now but end up in trouble down the line. Although, I’m glad you’ve got an agent lined up.
When you say your neighbour is helping for a small fee, what does that mean? There’s a startling lack of numbers on a finance blog. But congrats on the new floor, I think that will go much better than trying to refinish them yourself. Sorry to hear you’re feeling rough.
Are there any other places to list that are free/small nominal fee? Facebook marketplace is not exactly the place that springs to mind for people buying a house.
On a different note, I know I’m in the minority but I actually quite like your kitchen. I think it looks bright and cozy. I wish you luck, as always.
First, thank you for your very kind and thoughtful comment. I sincerely appreciate it.
I will certainly share more about my adventure plans once I get there…there are lots of stops in between before that will happen. Starting with selling the house which has an unknown timeline and outcome. So living in limbo until that is settled.
I have engaged a lawyer, a trusted lawyer who has handled our family estate here in GA for decades now, so if I am able to sell without a realtor, he will handle everything. I meet with the agent this week to nail down details, and the listing will become hers when I leave for Texas at the end of next week.
My neighbor is a handyman. He put new baseboards and did some of the other work I needed done for $250.
I’ve the house listed on Zillow and Facebook. When the agent takes over, it will go to MLS, etc.
Everyone who has seen the house or the pictures has raved about my kitchen and my closet. It’s definitely a themed house with all the wood and very rustic country. But if you like that thing…well, lots of people here do.