@nhb22, @R Jones, @tonya_wimberly, @charlene, @brooklyn Godwin, @indie49 Hi Everyone I hope that me tagging a few people from this thread it finds you;) We are starting the building process for the Elberton Way in North Alabama and are looking to see if we could view your home if possible. We have so many questions and would love to see in person if possible. Even if we can just see the exterior we would be appreciative. All that to say if you are in area or several hours out. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are first time home builders and feel slightly overwhelmed. I would also like to ask if anyone built on a slab and also vaulted the living room? We are having some issues with HVAC stating it would be too complicated and would like your input if you built on a slab. Hope to hear from you soon! Thank you.

My take: Why no closet doors? That's an expense I'd have to make right after buying the house. Why traditional stained wood trim in some rooms, and a modern look in others? Why are they hiding the sink? Is there something wrong with it? They've removed the upper cabinets. Now everything is on the counters or walls. Looks cluttered. Another expense for me--adding upper cabinets. Advertised as a 3-4 bedroom house, but only one tiny, awkward eating area crammed into the kitchen. Where will the family eat dinner? Where will I host the extended family on holidays? Bathroom is a very traditional style. Kitchen and living room are not. How will I make that work? Will I need to remodel shortly after buying? More expense! Shiny wall of cabinets in living room. Mostly, I'm in favor of the Big Wall 'O Storage, as built-in storage can be space-saving. But the shiny finish on these cabinets gives me pause. So totally not my style, yet a centerpiece in the living room. How expensive will it be to refinish the cabinets to something I can live with? A large part of this is that it is right in the middle of the living room. That same cabinetry in the basement family room wouldn't bother me so much. It would still not be to my taste, but I could deal with it better in a casual family room than in the main living space in the house, the space I invite family and friends into, if that makes any sense. No one of these things would prevent me from looking at the house. But put them all together, and I'm looking at a lot more money than just the price of the house to make that house *my* home. In order for me to look at the house, it would have to have some other massively redeeming feature--location, low price, fantastic school district--something that would outweigh the cost and time and energy needed to alter the house to make it work for me.

What can you do as the homeowner? I'm not a realtor, but I have bought and sold a lot of houses. While you are paying a boatload of money to sell the house, you need to take an active role in getting it done. Get the realtor to go through the house and make a list of items that need attention. If they have already done it and you have done everything on the list, get one of their fellow agents to repeat the process. Something is missing. It's hard to tell someone to their face that their front door is dirty. Get a list in writing and start working. The work you did to date was good, but you aren't finished. Check the internet. Go on line to Realtor.com, the agent's real estate broker office website and Zillow.com and look at your listing very carefully. Check for errors. Make sure the listing description is attractive, accurate and positive. Have the agent update the listing if you find an error. I've done that myself. It can make a big difference to someone in the market. Get your realtor to provide you with a copy of what other agents are seeing on their master MLS page. This is the point where most information is derived. Check it for errors and go over it with the realtor to make sure it provides accurate information and positive marketing language without any errors. Make sure your listing pictures are great. They can only be great if a professional photographer, plus lighting and staging are used. This is the HGTV generation and they need to be spoon fed. I happened to be home one day and opened the door to a realtor and potential buyer. They walked in and the buyer said to me in my foyer, "This looks just like the pictures on the internet. I love it." She was hooked and bought the house for more than listing. It proved to me the power of a good internet marketing program. Make sure that when the listing page loads, your front exterior loads first. If you see the living room load first on a listing, right or wrong, it's code that the exterior is a horror and the agent is trying to hide something. It's right up there with the words, cute and cozy. The buyer doesn't need to see every room in a house photo tour, just the big ones, living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath. Make sure the toilet seat is down. I'd fire a realtor that posted a picture with the toilet seat up. It's a pet peeve of mine. A lot of these are items that your realtor should have done for you. But, you have to follow up and make sure they are doing their job. Details matter. You can't just sit back and wait. Your work has only just begun.

I'll try to put this gently: you probably got a good deal when you bought this house, because of the yard issue. So, unfortunately, that issue is still there and, despite what other homes might be selling for in the neighborhood, you will have to adjust your price because of this drawback. Someone will be willing to sacrifice a good yard for the right price, just as you (likely) did. Also, it's a big house and most people who are looking at a better-than-average house want a better-than-average yard to go with it. I agree about the pond--it completely overwhelms the space behind the house. I can't believe a builder wedged that whole row of big houses up against that wall.