Are you ready to move out of the downtown area into quieter neighborhoods, bigger living areas and safer streets with less congestion? If the glitz and glamour that once brought you to the city now interrupts your nightly slumber, perhaps it's time you move to the suburbs. But that means you'll have to put your condo, and city lifestyle, up for sale. Are you ready?



When looking to sell your condo, remember what brought you to the city in the first place. Although you may now long for spacious lawns and nights uninterrupted by traffic noises, the lack of landscape upkeep and a city that is awake 24-hours once drew you to the condo your presently own. Make a list of all the city conveniences you have enjoyed over the years: your favorite lunch spots within walking distance, night time entertainment options, relation to transportation services such as MARTA, the neighborhood gym and that pool hall that only locals know about. Leave your list of helpful area tips for potential buyers and make sure your real estate agent knows to give it to interested parties.

Also, make a list of utility and home service vendors that may be helpful for new owners. Make sure to include those services included in your homeowner's association dues, such as water and sewage, trash pick-up, pest control and other amenities.

Make sure your living quarters are decorated nicely but not cluttered. Invest in inexpensive window dressings, such as curtains, if you do not have them; and place fresh flowers on the kitchen and coffee tables. Make sure clean towels are folded and hung in the bathrooms and appropriately in the kitchen. Tidy stray magazines and books and hide personal papers and belongings.

It is important that your condo looks lived in yet organized. Potential buyers have difficulty envisioning furniture in bare rooms, so try to keep your condo furnished. If you are a person who likes a lot of furniture, and overstuffed at that, think about moving some of the furniture out or putting it in storage. Remember that potential buyers need to easily move around your rooms and to be able to envision their furniture in the space. An overstuffed condo can be worse than a bare one since it makes the living quarters seem small and cramped to potential buyers.