Buying a home will be the biggest purchase of your entire life. It’s not a decision that anyone should or will take lightly. You want to buy a house that you can live in. Sometimes, it’s even best to think of your home purchase from the perspective of others. Ask yourself, “Would other people want to live here?” When it comes to your home, the financial buzzword is “equity.” As the buyer, you want to be able to build some equity into your home so that if you should choose to sell it, you’ll make a profit. Whether your home is only meant to live in for a few years until your family outgrows it, or you think it’s going to be a forever home, life happens and you don’t want to be stuck with a home that you must take a loss on. Keep these aspects of the home in mind when you are ready to buy: Size Most people search for 3 to 4 bedroom homes. Whether they are married and want to have children or just need extra space for another baby that is on the way, families typically look for places where they have room to grow. The number of bathrooms in a home is also key. Families don’t want to share one bathroom among 4-5 people. These factors are even more important than the actual space available in the home by square footage. On the flip side, you don’t want your home to be too big either. Larger homes aren’t as energy efficient and can cost more to maintain. Know that there is a “sweet spot” for your square footage. Usually this is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet of living space. Room To Expand Look at the home to see if there is room to expand. Perhaps you need another bathroom, but there’s some space to construct an additional half bath. This factor of expansion is key when it comes to a home or property. Look Past The Appearance Things like paint colors, floors, carpets and other aesthetics aren’t as important as the big things when it comes to buying a home. You can easily change these without much cost or effort on your part. While everyone loves a move-in-ready home, don’t let a little paint separate you from a home that you love! Curb Appeal Helps While it’s easy to fix some things like the color of a home or the shrubs, find your vision to give the home you’re about to purchase some curb appeal. If you can see past the imperfections and make your home your own from the outside in, your home will be attractive. There’s plenty of things you can add and fix from doors to landscaping to paint to a new mailbox. All of these can give your home some serious curb appeal. Sound Structure If the structure of the home is not in good condition, you’ll face many problems down the road. You want to avoid costly repairs by ensuring that you buy a home without serious structural damage or wear. The most important part of a home’s structure is that of the foundation. If a home has a cracked foundation, it’s going to cause some problems. Be sure that you hire a reputable inspector and attend the inspection so you know exactly what’s going on with the home you are about to purchase. You can prepare yourself for any problems or issues this way, and make a decision from there. A home that has a good structure to start will undoubtedly continue to help you build equity in your purchase.]]>
Why Maintain Your Home's Curb Appeal When Looking to Sell
Curb appeal may very well be one of the most important aspects of a home to spruce up when selling. Why is this, you ask? First impressions. Whether it be an open house or an individual showing, the outside of a house is the first thing a homebuyer physically sees. And it’s their first impression of your home. First impressions set the pace of a showing. If the landscaping is lacking or nonexistent and the homebuyer is not excited to be viewing your home then it could leave them with a less than favorable impression, all before they step foot inside. If the house is exuding with appeal the homebuyer will be excited and eager to see more. This is not to say that the homebuyer will purchase solely because of the curb appeal. The rest of the home should reflect what made that potential homeowner as excited as when they first pulled up and laid eyes on the house and accompanying land. Here are a few tips to maximize curb appeal: Paint: A fresh paint job lays the foundation of curb appeal. Painting or siding an entire home can be expensive, but painting the front door, porch and stairs can be fairly inexpensive and take only a day or two. Try adding a pop of color to the front door to really make your home stand out from the rest. Mulch: Is there anything better than freshly laid mulch? The smell alone can set the tone at a showing, but it’s the color that brings it home. Try choosing dark colored mulch with a light colored home to really make it stand out. Flowers & Bushes: Who doesn’t like flowers? You really can’t go wrong with any type of flower; they are all beautiful. However, it’s best to choose low maintenance flowers and bushes just incase the next homeowner isn’t looking for extensive yard work. The added color from the flowers and bushes only enhances the amazing curb appeal you will have when you’re done. Lawn & Yard: Maintaining a healthy lawn and clean yard is essential. Burnt or patches of missing grass make the yard look unkempt and not cared for. To ensure bright, green grass invest in a spring clean up of the yard (many landscaping companies offer this service), which includes raking, fertilizing, mowing, etc. Seeding may also be necessary in areas of missing grass. Continue to water and mow throughout the spring, summer and fall for maximum beauty. Lastly, messy yards that include items that pile up over time such as toys, wood, etc. should be tidied up. Curb appeal is not only important when selling a home but also maintaining the value of a home. A house is an investment so make sure to take care of it. Creating and maintaining curb appeal is just one way of caring for your home. Now get to it and good luck!]]>
Why Fall is a Great Time to Sell Your Home
When you think of a hot real estate market you probably think springtime, however, fall can also be a great time to buy or sell a home. Fall is the second busiest time of year for home sales. Here are some reasons to sell your home this fall: 1. Inventory is lower. Less inventory on the market means that you have a greater chance of making a sale. 2. Fall is great for home staging. It is easy to make your home seem cozy and inviting to a prospective buyer. 3. It is easier to keep the house clean. Children are back in school making it easier to keep the house neat and tidy. 4. Fall is a beautiful season. Make your yard look more inviting by placing a variety of cheerful mums and other fall plants in your flower beds. A fall wreath on your front door and an arrangement of pumpkins on the steps can make your home’s entry warm and welcoming to guests and prospective buyers. 5. Since the days are shorter you can show off your home with warm accent lighting. 6 . Warm fall scents, like cinnamon, apples, and pumpkin, whether in baking or in candles, can make your home feel more inviting. ]]>
How to Sell Your Home Quickly
The real estate market remains in constant flux. However, this does not necessarily mean you’ll need a significant amount of time to sell your residence. Regardless of the size and quality of your home, there are many quick, easy ways to set up your residence for a quick sale, including: 1. Price your home appropriately. As a home seller, your goal is to maximize the value of your residence. Doing so, unfortunately, can be a major challenge if you fail to set realistic expectations. Getting your home appraised before you add it to the real estate market ensures you’ll be able to determine the true value of your home. Furthermore, consider any recent home improvements you’ve completed, as these enhancements may help increase your residence’s value. Also, don’t forget to check out the prices of similar homes in your area. This enables you to get a better idea about the value of your residence relative to others that are available. Pricing your home often can be difficult, but those who perform plenty of research will be better equipped to set a fair price that generates interest from many prospective homebuyers. 2. Make your home easy to show. Those who only enable homebuyers to view their residences at certain times will limit their opportunities for a quick sale. Conversely, you should try to remain as flexible as possible after you add your home to the real estate market to maximize your home showings. Homebuyers likely have many great residences at their disposal. And if you turn down an opportunity to show your house to an interested homebuyer, this buyer may choose to look elsewhere for his or her dream residence. Comparatively, home sellers who maintain a clean house can make their residence easy to show at any time. In the event that a homebuyer wants to show up on short notice to view your residence, you’ll be ready to depart and ensure this interested party can check out your residence without delay. 3. Ensure your home is listed in plenty of places. Your real estate agent should try to do everything he or she can to make your home an attractive commodity. As such, hiring a real estate professional who will showcase your residence to as many prospective homebuyers as possible is essential if you want a quick sale. For example, your real estate agent should have no trouble adding your house to a wide range of real estate listing websites. Social networks like Facebook also make it simple for real estate professionals to showcase your home to a broad range of prospective homebuyers. With a superior real estate agent at your disposal, you’ll be able to spread the word that your home is for sale to a large group of homebuyers. Thus, you’ll be better equipped to boost your chances of a fast sale, and potentially, a major bidding war among interested parties as well. Selling a home is rarely simple, but with these tips, you can improve your chances of optimizing the value of your home and selling your residence quickly.]]>
Enhance Your Home's Curb Appeal
Are you familiar with “curb appeal”? If not, you could be missing out on the opportunity to generate interest in your home. Curb appeal refers to the attractiveness of your home in relation to a homebuyer’s first impression of your residence as he or she passes it. For instance, a home with a great exterior, pristine front lawn and other dazzling exterior features likely will appeal to homebuyers the moment they see it. On the other hand, a home that includes a front lawn loaded with high grass and weeds, an exterior that consists of chipped and faded paint and other negative qualities is unlikely to garner significant interest at first glance. For home sellers, you’ll want to do whatever you can to increase your home’s curb appeal. Luckily, we’re here to help you do just that – here are three tips you can use to boost your residence’s curb appeal: 1. Use plants to your advantage. Who says you need to have a green thumb to set up a garden in front of your home? Fortunately, many wonderful plants are available that can help you add a splash of color to your home’s exterior. And ultimately, these plants will enable you to bolster your residence’s curb appeal as well. Ready-made plant containers are available, or you can try to grow your own plants with seed kits. Either way, incorporating plants into your home’s exterior is sure to help your residence generate attention from a wide range of prospective homebuyers. 2. Replace old gutters and downspouts. Installing new gutters will help you enhance your home’s curb appeal as well as provide another feature that may help you differentiate your home from others on the real estate market. Gutters will deteriorate over time, but home sellers who install new snap-fit vinyl gutter systems can enjoy high-quality gutters that will look and perform well consistently. Remember, the benefits of replacing gutters and downspouts are two-fold, as they will allow you to improve your home’s curb appeal as well as give homebuyers yet another reason to consider your residence over others. 3. Add outdoor lighting. Curb appeal represents a 24-hour phenomenon, and those who want to ensure their residences look great at night should add outdoor lighting. Low-voltage landscaping lighting often is easy to install and can brighten up your residence’s exterior at night. Plus, this lighting can provide extra security – yet another feature that may help your residence stand out in a highly competitive real estate market. Lastly, don’t forget to consider the homebuyer’s perspective as you explore ways to enhance your residence’s curb appeal. And if there is a flaw that stands out as you look at your residence’s exterior, prospective homebuyers likely will see this problem too. As such, you should work to eliminate any issues that may damage your home’s appearance as quickly as possible. Dedicating plenty of time and resources to improve your home’s curb appeal is essential, and home sellers who understand the importance of curb appeal can work toward making home exterior improvements and generating significant interest in their residences.]]>
What Are Buyers Looking For?
There are some secrets when it comes to selling a house. There are some things you can do to help your home be more attractive to a buyer. Here are just a few things that often helps buyers sign on the dotted line: 1. A Welcoming Entryway A beautiful entrance is the first thing a buyer sees, remember you never get a second chance at a first impression. 2. Hardwood Floors Hardwood floors have longevity and never go out of style. Buyers don’t have to worry about replacing dirty carpets or worry about allergies from pets. 3. Closet Organizers Closet organizers make closets look bigger and buyers love storage. 4. Green Grass
Expensive Mistakes That Home Sellers Need to Know About
Selling your home can be an expensive process if you’re not careful. Fortunately, we’re here to help you maximize the value of your home and ensure that you’re able to avoid costly mistakes throughout the home selling process. Here’s a closer look at three costly mistakes that every home seller needs to know about, along with ways to avoid such issues altogether: 1. Selling Your Home Before You Are Qualified to Buy a New One Although you had no trouble buying your current home, the same won’t necessarily hold true when you look to purchase a new residence. For example, your financial circumstances may have changed between the time that you purchased your current home and now. This means that you may struggle to qualify for a home loan in the current economic climate. As such, you’ll want to get pre-approved by a lender before you sell your current house. You also should conduct plenty of research into areas where you may want to live in the future; that way, you’ll be better equipped to buy another house and relocate quickly if a homebuyer wants to purchase your current residence. 2. Guessing the Sale Price of Your Home It is unlikely that what you initially paid for your residence is what it’s worth now. As a result, you’ll want to understand the true value of your home before you add it to the real estate market to optimize the value of your residence. Getting a fair market appraisal will ensure that you can better understand what your home currently is worth. Furthermore, you should consider the upgrades that you’ve made across your home, as these improvements likely will boost your residence’s value. When it comes to the sale price of your home, why should you be forced to leave anything to chance? Instead, do your homework so you can determine the optimal sale price, i.e. a sale price that highlights your home’s true worth and will make your residence an attractive option for homebuyers. 3. Understanding the Stress Associated with the Home Selling Process A calm, cool and collected approach to selling your home often is ideal, particularly as the stresses commonly associated with the home selling process start to add up. For instance, a homebuyer may submit an offer and follow it up with a home inspection. But during the inspection, this homebuyer could find issues with your home that lead him or her to reconsider the initial offer and could put a potential home sale in jeopardy. Conversely, with the right real estate agent at your disposal, you’ll be able to minimize many of the stresses of the home selling process. This professional will possess the necessary skills and know-how to guide you during the home selling process, and ultimately, improve your chances of a fast, successful home sale. Costly home selling mistakes can put a dent in your wallet or pocketbook and cause your stress levels to rise. But home sellers who work with a dedicated real estate agent can benefit from the support of an experienced professional who can simplify the home selling process.]]>
Quick Tips to Getting Your Home on the Market
Whether you lived in your house for only a few years or spent many years in your home, getting your house ready to sell can be over whelming. Here are few tips on how to approach this task and hopefully bring in top dollar for your home.
- Depersonalize your home by removing photos and memorabilia. You want potential buyers to be able to picture themselves in your home and this is a lot easier when they don’t see pictures of your children or your favorite team decorating the walls.
- Make sure you price your house correctly from the start. The first few weeks a house is listed is usually when you will get the most traffic. Asking the right price from the beginning is key to moving your house quickly. When the price is high and then lowered later, this can result in a slower sale.
- Quick fixes are better than over upgrading. Doing a massive improvement on your home to get it ready to sell doesn’t always give you a return on your money. Instead, do some in-expensive upgrades, like painting the walls and the ceilings. Resurface kitchen cabinets if they are in bad shape. Maybe give your kitchen appliances a facelift with some new panels or new doors. Toilet seats and bathroom vanities can be very inexpensive to replace as well. Don’t forget the kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms that potential buyers really focus on.
- First impressions are real important, so put emphasis on your home’s curb appeal. Make sure your home’s exterior is not in need of paint. You should have fresh mulch and new sod. Freshen up your flower beds and have some nice hanging or potted plants in the entry way. Give the front door a new fresh coat of paint. Don’t forget, you never get another chance to make a good first impression.
- Storage is an important factor to a potential buyer. It is very important to make your home seem like it has ample storage. It’s probably a good idea to clean out closets. Make them appear half empty, as people will open closet doors and cabinets. This is a good time to clear out your clutter. Remember storage space sells.
Common Seller Mistakes
1. Basing the asking price on needs or emotion rather than market value. Many times sellers base their pricing on how much they paid for or invested in their home. This can be an expensive mistake. If your home is not priced competitively, buyers will reject it in favor of other larger homes for the same price. At the same time, the buyers who should be looking at your house will not see it because it is priced over their heads. The result is increased market time, and even when the price is eventually lowered, the buyers are wary because “nobody wants to buy real estate that nobody else wants”. The result is low priced offers and an unwillingness to negotiate. Every seller wants to realize as much money as possible from the sale, but a listing priced too high often eventually sells for less than market value. An accurate market evaluation is the first step in determining a competitive listing price. 2. Failing to “Showcase” the home. A property that is not clean or well-maintained is a red flag for the buyer. It is an indication that there may be hidden defects that will result in increased cost of ownership. Sellers who fail to make necessary repairs, which don’t “spruce up” the house inside and out, and fail to keep it clean and neat, chase away buyers as fast as REALTORS® can bring them. Buyers are poor judges of the cost of repairs, and always build in a large margin for error when offering on such a property. Sellers are always better off doing the work themselves ahead of time. 3. Over-improving the home prior to selling. Sellers often unwittingly spend thousands of dollars doing the wrong upgrades to their home prior to attempting to sell in the mistaken belief that they will recoup this cost. If you are upgrading your home for your personal enjoyment – fine. But if you are thinking of selling, you should be aware that only certain upgrades to real estate are cost effective. Always consult with your REALTOR® BEFORE committing to upgrading your home. 4. Choosing the wrong REALTOR® or choosing for the wrong reasons. Many homeowners list with the real estate agent who tells them the highest price. You need to choose an experienced agent with the best marketing plan to sell your home. In the real estate business, an agent with many successfully closed transactions usually costs the same as someone who is inexperienced. That experience could mean a higher price at the negotiating table, selling in less time, and with a minimum amount of hassles. 5. Using the “Hard Sell” during showings. Buying a home is an emotional decision. Buyers like to “try on” a house and see if it is comfortable for them. It is difficult for them to do if you follow them around pointing out every improvement that you made. Good REALTORS® let the buyers discover the home on their own, pointing out only features they are sure are important to them. Overselling loses many sales. If buyers think they are paying for features that are not particularly important to them personally, they will reject the home in favor of a less expensive home without the features. 6. Failing to take the first offer seriously. Often sellers believe that the first offer received will be one of many to come. There is a tendency to not take it seriously, and to hold out for a higher price. This is especially true if the offer comes in soon after the home is placed on the market. Experienced REALTORS® know that more often than not the first buyer ends up being the best buyer, and many, many sellers have had to accept far less money than the initial offer later in the selling process. Real estate is most sale-able early in the marketing period, and the amount buyers are willing to pay diminishes with the length of time a property has been on the market. Many sellers would give anything to find that prospective buyer who made the first, and ONLY, offer. 7. Not knowing your rights and obligations. The contract you sign to sell your property is a complex and legally binding document. An improperly written contract can allow the purchaser to void the sale, or cost you thousands of unnecessary dollars. Have an experienced REALTOR® who knows the “ins and outs” fully explain the contract you are about to sign. 8. Failure to effectively market the property. Good marketing opens the door that exposes real estate to the marketplace. It means distinguishing your home from hundreds of others on the market. It also means selling the benefits, as well as the features. The right REALTOR® will employ a wide variety of marketing activities, emphasizing the ones believed to work best for your home.]]>
Moving Can Be Stressful
60 Days Before You Move
- Sort and Purge-Go through every room, decide what needs to come with you and what can go. Make piles of things to throw away and things to donate.
- Plan a Yard Sale-Start planning a yard sale to reduce the amount of stuff you need to move. Some extra money for the move will also come in handy.
- Hire a Mover-Contact at least three moving companies. On-site estimates are better than over the phone or internet estimates. Get each estimate in writing, and make sure it has a USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) number on it.
- Create a Moving Binder-Store all of your move-related paperwork (checklists, contracts, receipts) in a binder. You may also want to inventory all of your items with photos or lists.
- Get Packing Supplies-Determine how many packing supplies you’ll need and designate a room where you can begin to store and organize.
- Take Measurements-If possible get room dimensions of your new home. Make sure large pieces of furniture will fit. Don’t forget to take measurements for appliances too.
- Confirm with Mover-Check with your mover the details of your move.
- Start Packing-Begin packing out-of-season clothes and unnecessary items.
- Label-Make sure to label boxes with what rooms the boxes will go in at your new home.
- Start/Stop Utilities-Make arrangements to connect and disconnect your cable, internet and utilities.
- Change your Address- Contact or visit your local Post Office to obtain a Change of Address form. You can also obtain this form online at http://www.usps.com.
- Make Notifications- Change your address to the following: registry of motor vehicles, banks, schools, friends & family, insurance companies, doctors and specialists, cell phone providers, credit card companies and magazine and newspapers.
- Contact Service Providers—Notify landscapers, cleaning services that you are moving, and look for new ones in your new hometown.
- Call Locksmith- Have your new home’s locks changed on moving day or before.
- Arrange Services- Have a cleaning company prepare the new home before you arrive and tidy the old home after you leave. Arrange for carpet cleaning too.
- Pack the bulk of your items.
- Start Cleaning-Begin cleaning any rooms in your house that have been emptied, such as closets, basements or attics.
- Pack Suitcases- Finish your general packing a few days before your moving date. Pack suitcases for everyone in the family with enough clothes to wear for a few days.
- Gather Keys- Organize all keys, alarm codes and garage door openers so that you can be prepared to hand them over to the new owner or real estate agent.
- Defrost the Freezer- Empty, clean and defrost the freezer at least 24 hours before moving day.
- Make Payment Plans- You will need to make sure you have made arrangements to pay the mover and have a tip (usually 10%-15%).
- List Contact Info- Write out a list for your movers of things they’ll need: phone numbers, exact moving address and maps.
- Take Inventory- Before the movers leave, sign the bill of lading/inventory list and keep a copy.
- Walk-Through- Do a walk-through of your new home with your real estate agent.
- Layout New Home- Tape names to doors to assist movers in placing furniture and boxes.
- Have Director- Arrange for someone to direct the movers at your new home.