Location, Location, LOCATION!!!

Location, Location, LOCATION!

When relocating, or simply moving from one end of town to the other, location is crucial. The area your potential new home is in, largely determines the value of the home. Are the neighborhood homes comparable in value? Do not buy the biggest house on the block if you are looking to invest wisely, go for the fixer-upper if you are looking for financial gain. The biggest house on the block will usually re-sell for the amount of the lower priced neighborhood homes, but the fixer-upper, (after being fixed up), will yield the higher price compared to your initial investment.

Did you meet the next-door neighbors? If they are nice, quiet, and friendly during the day, drive by a few times at night before you buy, and see if those same neighbors are not turning into unruly noisy party animals.

Check out the school district, as well as transportation, if you have children.

How convenient is the home to your work, grocery store, or hospital? Are there airports of train rails nearby? If so, keep the potential noise level in mind. If a price sounds to good to be true, it usually is. There is always a reason for a low selling price or an over eager seller. Turn into Sherlock Holmes and investigate!

Go by the home you planning of purchasing after a strong rain, or snow melt, to examine what the ground conditions around the home are like. A yard that looks great and problem free during dry periods can quickly turn into a small pond, or regular swamp, over night.

Is there an Orchard nearby? You might love the beauty of those trees, especially when in bloom, but keep in mind the likelihood of insecticides being sprayed. This could mean years of suffering for individuals who are more sensitive, or even allergic, to those chemicals and toxins.

For all these, and many more, reasons, it is vitally important to consult with a reliable, reputable, and honest real-estate agent. See my link on the importance of choosing a good agent.

Staging Your Home   -- part 3

Update, Up-trade, Up-sell!!!

Take a tour through your home and pretend to be a stranger in it. What do you see? Is there an Austin Power Shag Rug in your living room or bedroom? Do you see leftovers from the ‘Flower Power’ era of the 60s like lava lamps, macramé, or psychedelic paraphernalia? Unless all your potential buyers are Hippies, it is time to say good-bye to the past and embrace a new, less dated look.

What about the comforter on the bed? Is it time to exchange it with an updated spanking new looking one?

 How about the shower curtain, is your potential buyer starring in awe at the life size Elvis, duck, or Batman, when entering your bathroom? Again, tone it down, think of neutral, light and bright colors that would work for the femme fatale, the single guy, or the family of five alike.

Did your creativity entice you to sponge paint the hallway in flamingo pink, stencil the kitchen with geese, cows, or daisies, or paint a scene from Winnie the Pooh on the kid’s room wall? If so, give your walls a fresh coat of paint, but --- keep it neutral.

What is neutral? Good question, I am glad you asked. Neutral does not automatically mean white or beige, but it means that any décor, any taste, any type of life style can live with those colors. Blues, greens, and even pinks, as long as they are within the gray range, meaning the toned down version, are qualified as neutral colors. By the way, the hottest trend in decorating right now is gray. Gray with turquoise, gray with orange, gray with green, gray with purple, you get the idea. As long as the ‘loud’ colors are accents that is! What does this mean? It means to use oranges, turquoises, purples, etc. in small and removable amounts like throw pillows, blankets, and art, even in fresh flowers and candles. This way, any possible purchaser can mentally swap out your stuff for his, or hers. And after all, that is the goal, to find a new owner for your home. Thinking of your new dream home will make it easier to tear your heart away from the old home in order to help you to stage your home for other peoples tastes and reserve your individual savor for the next place.

GREEN ACCESSORIES with GRAY BACKDROP

ORANGE ACCENTS ON GRAY

PURPLE, GRAY, WHITE, & NATURALS

If you have any questions or concerns about getting your home market ready, feel free to pose those to Rocky or myself, we will be happy to assist and help you any way we can.

Staging your Home – part 2

One thing, that is often overlooked, but is extremely important, is fragrance! Does your home smell fresh and clean? Even though not everyone has a bloodhound nose like I have, nothing is turning potential buyers off faster than nasty odors. If Fido had an accident on the carpet, make sure you obtain the proper cleaner to neutralize the odor. If you love boiled eggs, cabbage, beans, etc., make sure these odors do not still linger in the air. Nothing beats the impact of fresh air, so, do open windows and air the place out on a regular basis. I know, sometimes that is easier said than done, especially when it comes to dealing with teenagers in your home. ;)

            Baking cookies, or fresh bread, while clients walk through your home will instill a pleasant ‘homey’ feeling in them. Having a pot of water with some cinnamon sticks and orange peels simmer on the stove will further freshen the air and provide an inviting atmosphere.

            Having fresh, not fake, plants throughout your home also helps to clean and purify the air, as well as provide a neutral, lush, and inviting backdrop for showing off your home in its best Sunday attire.

            A few scented candles here and there can add even more to the air quality, as well as provide beautiful ambiance. However, everything in moderation, too much scent can affect allergy sufferers negatively therefore BEWARE!

           

Home Staging For Maximum Profit and Quick sale!

Staging YOUR Home For Maximum Profit -- (Part 1)

When potential buyers come to your property, what do they see? Are they being greeted by diseased or dead plants, by scuffmarks on the front doors kick plate, peeling paint on the trim, or smudges from Fido’s nose on the glass? Do they have to stumble through bags and boxes of yard sale items you meant to deal with months ago? Are you finding yourself apologizing for the untidiness if unannounced visitors come to your home? If so, then it is time to eliminate ALL cause to warrant apologies. Clean, de-clutter, and if necessary paint, your front door, put a new doormat down, invest in a couple of planters with lush plants, (in a color that compliments your house, NOT clashes with it!), to frame your entrance, and maybe add new hardware, updated lighting, and/or a new house number sign. GET RID OF CLUTTER! It cannot be over emphasized that “less is more” when it comes to selling your home. Clean out shelves, closets, drawers, and cabinets. YES, buyers will open those to get an idea of how much storage space they will have. Take the exercise bike, Fido’s bed and toys, and the collection of knick- knacks, (no matter how valuable or beloved), and put them into storage. Not everyone shares your love for Hummel figurines! Potential buyer want to envision themselves living in your home, in order for them to do this, provide them with a clean, neutral canvas. Go through all your DVDs, CDs, Videos, Games, etc. and reduce, reduce, reduce.

The same is true for your furnishings, put grandma’s hand-me-downs into storage. The bulky recliner in your ‘Man Cave,’ the sewing machine and piles of craft items from mom’s corner, as well as excessive children toys, etc., pack these items up and put them into storage. With storage I mean, rent a storage unit, compared to the quicker sale of your home and getting more money for it, this small investment is well worth it, because what is true for your house is also true for your garage, basement, and attic. Storage is on the top of every buyers list, therefore all the before stated rules apply here too. Organize, clean, and de-junk your garage, basement, attic, and any other part of your property, including garden sheds, wood shops, etc.

If you are a passionate tinkerer who has a collection of cars, bikes, tractors, etc. sitting on your property that you are ‘fixing up,’ (yeah, you guessed it!), sell them or tow them to a different location.

            What about papers, magazines, counter tops, bathroom clutter? Empty counter tops. Move counter top appliances out of sight. In the bathroom, take all the make-up, shampoo bottles, blowdryer, curling iron, shavers, etc. and of the counter tops, as well as bath tub rim. Put out a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen, some fresh flowers around various areas of the house and a few scented candles in the bathroom.