Category Archives: selling

Simple Ways to Add Value to Your Home

Posted on by

Spring is officially here and with that, thousands of homeowners across the country will be putting their homes up for sale in the coming weeks. With the economy improving, buyers are motivated and more active than they have been in quite a long time. So if you’re thinking about putting your home up for sale this season or thinking about doing so in the future, you can do one of two things:

  1. Roll the dice and list your home as is and hope for the best
  2. Take matters into your own hands and make a few relatively inexpensive quick fixes to make your home shine above the rest

We happen to like option 2 best.

Recently, George to the Rescue’s George Oliphant met with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agent Ronnie Aiosa to talk about some small projects you can take on to add some real value to your home.

Here are a few of their quick tips:

KITCHEN – Undoubtedly the heart of the home and something that potential buyers pay special attention to.

  • Countertops: Upgrading your formica or other outdated coutnertops with granite is a relatively quick way to completely change the feel and aesthetic in your kitchen.
  • Paint: For just a few hundred bucks at most, you can pay a professional to apply a fresh coat of paint to your room. It’ll change the complexion immediately, making it appear brighter and much cleaner.
  • Cabinets: Buying all new cabinets can drain one’s resources, but for a few bucks you can add some pop and a more modern look by investing in new cabinet knobs.

LIVING ROOM – Where the family comes together to enjoy movies and television and quality time.

  • Declutter: You may have pieces of furnture here that are comfortable or serve a practical purpose, but you need to take a look at every piece in this room and ask yourself whether it might be worth putting it in storage. The last thing buyers want to feel as soon as they walk in is overwhelmed by clutter. Freeing up space will make the living room look bigger, homier and cleaner
  • Dress to Impress: Think of each showing as a performance. What can you do to make your home show well and make potential buyers feel at home? If you’ve got a fireplace, clean that ash out and throw some fresh logs on and light that fire. The crackling wood and warmth will sure warm any visitors heart.
  • Walls: You should also remember to be selective with what you display on your walls; pictures are nice but you don’t want to take up a whole wall with pictures of your family. Dress to impress!

BATHROOM - Buyers are looking for clean and functional spaces

  • Flooring: If you’ve got bad tiles, it’s certainly worth exploring replacing them. If your flooring is in pretty good shape, for a few bucks you can regrout the entire bathroom. You’d be amazed at the difference you’d see.
  • Paint (again): This goes for basically any room in your home. A fresh coat of paint will make your bathroom look bright, clean and inviting.
  • The Little Things: Remember, it’s the little things that count. Dust off those Venetian blinds, throw a scented candle on and give that shower/tub a great scrub; make it shine!

There’s a stat floating around that says buyers know within 30 seconds of walking into a home whether they could see themselves living there. If you want to place your home in the best possible position to capture buyers’ hearts and minds, you can undertake a few simple projects to get the job done. Even if you’re not ready to sell yet, getting a jump start now will save you headaches down the road, add value today and make your home look and feel better now.

There are a slew of other inexpensive projects you can hire someone to do or even take on yourself! Share some of your ideas in the comments section here!

Painting for a Home Sale

Posted on by

Making the proper impression is a major factor in attracting prospective home buyers and keeping their interest. One of the best ways to do that when selling a home is to repaint key areas of the home. The entire thing does not necessarily need a new paint job, unless the current one is significantly flawed.

Important areas

According to Paint Quality Institute expert Debbie Zimmer, determining where to apply fresh paint is as much a psychological question as anything else. As a result, the front door can be a key spot. Before prospective buyers come inside, this will form part of their first impression of the property. If it looks shabby, that perception may color their opinions of the rest of the home, even if it is in better condition. Aside from being pleasant in its own right, an attractive front door conveys the impression that the sellers have taken care of the home, a good first impression to make.

The area just inside the door is also important. This is the first part of the home’s interior that prospective buyers will get a clear view of, and can profoundly affect their opinion of the home and their ability to picture themselves living there. Zimmer notes it may be particularly important to look over any rooms where children and pets have spent significant amounts of time. The Washington Post notes that new paint can appeal more strongly to buyers who wish to avoid working on a home themselves, whereas colors they do not care for may cause them to begin thinking about the time or money they would need to spend repainting.

Coloring

To make it easier for potential future residents to imagine themselves living in the home, Zimmer recommends selecting white, off-white or another quiet color, since these appeal to most people. Home sellers should carefully consider whether to do any repainting themselves, keeping in mind that rushed or visibly unprofessional work may need to be fixed.

One real estate agent told The Washington Post repainting has an added advantage.  It can make a home look much better in photographs, an important consideration in an era where buyers commonly examine a number of houses online before determining which to visit.
photo credit: Chiot’s Run via photopin cc

How to Limit Spending When Getting A Home Ready To Sell

Posted on by
savingssign How to Limit Spending When Getting A Home Ready To Sell

There are several ways to keep costs low during the selling process

It is common for homeowners to think that selling a home is an expensive endeavor, which may in turn cause them to hold off on putting their home on the market. From repairs to staging the process can seem overwhelming. However, with the advice of a real estate agent, sellers often find there are several ways to keep costs low and come out on top during the selling process.

Work with a seasoned professional

Those who are unfamiliar with the selling process may try to take on everything themselves, which can lead to errors regarding documents, home staging, repairs and inspections. While many individuals initially opt for the “go-it-alone” approach to save money, working with seasoned professionals can help avoid costly errors. Real estate agents can provide sound advice on staging a home, accepting offers and enhancing listings to attract more buyers.

A home inspector is another asset consumers should take advantage of to save money. Buyers will likely hire their own inspector to examine a home, and if they find significant problems, they may ask sellers to lower their asking price or walk away altogether. However, sellers who discover issues beforehand and have them repaired may be in a better position to price their homes and mitigate potential problems.

Keep improvements to a minimum

Minor updates to a home can be helpful in attracting buyers. However, going overboard on updates to sell a home may not give sellers the kind of return they are expecting. For example, adding on an office addition or turning the basement into a den may make a home more appealing, but buyers may be unlikely to pay a great deal extra for it, according to the National Association of Realtors. Instead, sellers may benefit more from small touch-ups, such as repainting the home, adding new fixtures and hiring a landscaper to improve a property’s curb appeal.

Not sure where to start with your exterior? Realtor.com posted great suggestions that included:

  • Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
  • Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.
  • Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling.
  • Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
  • Clean and align gutters.
  • Inspect and clean the chimney.
  • Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
  • Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
  • In Northern winters, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
  • During spring and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
  • Re-seal an asphalt driveway.
  • Keep your garage door closed.
  • Store RVs or old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
  • Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

In some cases, individuals who have outdated kitchens and appliances may want to undertake a larger project, such as replacing floors or countertops. Sellers who decide to take on these renovations should stick to materials used in similar homes in the neighborhood. For example, buyers may be more inclined to purchase a home if the newly-remodeled kitchen countertops are made of granite, like the neighboring homes, rather than tile.

Lawn & Garden Month: Clean Up That Yard! [Gift Card Giveaway]

Posted on by
Delmar, NY home

This Delmar, NY home, listed on coldwellbanker.com, has beautiful curb appeal.

With all of the lawn and garden tips we’ve highlighted this month, we’re sure you could give Martha Stewart a run for her money! We couldn’t think of a  better way to celebrate the end of Lawn and Garden month than  hosting a gift card giveaway for all our new and experienced green thumbs.

Simply leave us your  tip in the comments section below, on how you would use lawn and gardening to give a home beautiful curb appeal. Leaving your tip will automatically enter you for a chance to win a $100 gift card! The winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, May 4th, 2012. Be sure to leave your tip by May 2nd, 2012 in order to be considered.

 

Official Rules

 

Need to get those creative juices flowing? Jessica Edwards, a Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, talks about the importance of keeping a tidy yard and provides fantastic tips to help ensure your home has eye-catching curb appeal.

Remember…To sell your house you have got to clean up that yard!