When it comes time to buy a home, you don’t want to work with just any real estate professional. Instead, you want to work with someone who takes an interest in who you are and what your housing needs are. Let’s take a look at some key characteristics of a real estate professional who is worth working with during your next home search.
This Person Should Be Personable
Ideally, the person who is working with you to find your dream home should be approachable and friendly. There will be times when you have to get in touch with this person early in the morning, late at night or on weekends. If he or she is not interested in working with you at all hours, it may be best to look for someone else.
This Person Should Be A Fierce Advocate
Your real estate agent is supposed to be someone who represents your needs and interests during the home buying process. Therefore, he or she needs to be a fierce advocate who is willing to stand up to the seller or seller agent on matters that are important to you. This could be the difference between getting a better deal on a home or feeling forced to close the deal on the seller’s terms.
This Person Should Be Part Of A Larger Firm
Real estate agents who work for established firms generally get jobs because of their skills and track record of success. They generally have large email lists full of available homes for sale before they are available to the public. Knowing that a listing is available before anyone else allows you to see the home and put in an offer before a bidding war can begin.
This Person Should Know the Area
A real estate agent should be able to narrow down your search based on the criteria on your wish list. If you want good schools for the kids, your agent should know which neighborhoods to look in. If you want a house for less than $100,000, your agent should know which parts of town are more suited to your needs.
You should never buy a home without the assistance of a qualified real estate agent, like the professionals at Re/Max of Boulder, Inc. Doing so could result in spending more money on a home that may or may not meet your needs. In addition to helping find a home, your agent may also know where to turn for financing or who to hire for a quality home inspection.
Real estate professionals know the importance of “curb appeal” for residential properties. They know that when a home looks attractive and inviting, they’re more likely to attract serious buyers. You can make your home a showplace by adding simple landscaping that adds value to your home and makes it look welcoming and well maintained. Here are a few suggestions that increase curb appeal and help make your home more desirable when you’re ready to sell it:
1 – Ornamental Trees For Your Entryway
Stand at the sidewalk outside your house and take a careful look at the entryway. Consider how an ornamental tree at your entryway would help to balance the visual aspect of your home and create a more tailored look to your property. A slim evergreen can provide more vertical design for the front of your home. If you need more horizontal balance for a tall home, try a rounded, flowering ornamental tree. Dwarf spruce, cypress, crepe myrtle, dogwood and Japanese maple are often used at entryways.
2 – Update Plants On Your Property
One of the easiest ways to improve your home’s curb appeal is to add flowering plants with colorful blooms. You can plant a variety of flowers in curved beds, either in a single color or bold, contrasting colors, such as red and white. Flowering plants can also be hung in baskets on porches to give the entryway an old-fashioned, homey atmosphere. Pansies, marigolds, zinnias, begonias and petunias are good plants for this use. Foundation plants are those that are planted close to the foundation of your home to cover the cement and add more elements to the visual design. These plants are often evergreen types that are easy to maintain and provide both color and texture to your home’s exterior. Boxwood, holly, yew, hydrangea or azalea are commonly used for this purpose.
3 – Add Some Fencing
Another way to enhance the curb appeal of your property is to add a fence that separates the property from sidewalk traffic or close neighbors. You can choose from a variety of materials, colors and style to suit your home’s design. Vinyl fencing, such as the type found at Family Fence Company, allows you to add this important feature to your home at an affordable price.
Homeowners can update the front of their homes in a number of ways that make it look either more tailored or casually welcoming. Many of these measures are generally easy to do, but they make a big impact on your home’s exterior appearance.
When it comes time to sell your home, leave yourself plenty of room to make a few improvements that will spruce up your house and property. While completely remodeling and updating will be attractive to buyers, it may not be worth the return on investment. If you aren’t sure what to upgrade, your realtor can give you some guidance for your particular property. Here are a few things you can do that won’t take a long time or cost you a fortune.
Put Some Care into your Landscaping
Curb appeal is very important when selling a home. The outside of your house is the first thing that potential buyers we. You want their first impression to be a good one. If you aren’t a DIY gardener, it may be well worth the money to hire a local landscaping company or nursery to clean up your lawn, gardens, and hardscapes. Weeding and planting fresh flowers or greenery will be a great asset.
Paint
Freshly painted walls and ceilings will brighten up your home. Go for lighter tones to achieve this. Chances are good that the new owners will want to customize the house with their own palette of colors. Give them a blank canvas to work with and imagine. It is worth hiring a painter to get this done quickly. Leave enough time so that the house doesn’t smell like paint when your realtor is showing your property.
While you are at it, wipe down the faces of all your cabinets in the kitchen and the bathrooms. Otherwise, they will look dingy next to a fresh coat of paint.
Expose Hardwood and Clean Tile
Do you have wall to wall carpet covering hardwood floors? If so, consider removing any carpet that is worn to show off the floors. You may have to hire a flooring company to lightly sand, seal, and buff the floors, unless they are in good condition. Hardwood flooring is something many buyers look for.
If you are in a beachside community and have more tile flooring than hardwood, this is a good time to have those tile floors professionally cleaned and resealed. If the grout in the joints is cracked or worn away, consider having the tile re-grouted or repaired. Many buyers are not looking to tear up tile flooring, as it is a big and messy job. If yours is nice tile, make it standout.
There are a lot of ways to add value and curb appeal to your home, but it’s important to pick the ones that will get people in the door. If you aren’t sure where to start, professionals like those at North Captiva realty Inc. can give you some ideas of what is popular in your area.
It can be hard to think of spring while in the depths of winter. However, this has been one of the warmer winters in recent years, depending on where you live. However, the colder it gets, the closer we are to spring! Spring is a classic time to clean and update your home because everyone is sick of being cooped up all winter and you can finally get outside and play. If you’re interested in making your home more environmentally friendly, then this spring is the perfect time to do it.
Give Your Windows a Perk
Bringing natural light in is always a welcome relief from winter, but it can also put a hurting on your climate control. Replacing the windows in one room, each year, lets you update them slowly so you don’t have to shell out the money all at once. Double paned windows allow for the best insulation, but they are more expensive at a minimum of $500 each. In order to get the full benefit, all windows would have to be replaced. A cheaper option is to upgrade the insulation around your windows, but that requires regular upkeep.
Paint Your Roof
Greece is well-known for their stark, white homes. There’s actually a very good reason for that. The white helps to keep the home cooler, which is a necessity around the equator. You can achieve the same thing by painting your roof either white or another light color. However, it’s likely that you would have to repaint it frequently, about once a year. If that idea doesn’t agree with you, it’s also a good place for a garden or solar panels!
Update Your Insulation
A properly insulated home is your best defense again wasting extra energy to remain comfortable. Take a look at your home, and see what’s lacking. Insulation in the attic and basement is often neglected, even though it’s vital to keep your home’s heating and cooling costs under control. Putting in new insulation isn’t even that expensive. If you shop around and are willing to put in the work, it’s even something you might be able to DIY, if you get some advice.
Replace Old and Damaged Goods
Old drafty doors need to go. If unchecked, they can be a constant drain on your energy usage. This actually applies to a lot more than just your front and back doors, as well. Garage doors are rarely replaced when they need to be. Damaged siding or roof tiles also need to be replaced before they cause more damage. Doing a thorough, yearly inspection of your home’s exterior can give you the chance to fix problems before they become serious. Plus, a new garage door can do a world of good for improving your curb appeal. That update can pay for its self, as do many other green updates.
Pack Your Home with Green
House plants are good for a variety of reasons. They tend to be good for your spirits, they help keep the air clean, they provide a visual reminder of warmer weather and they can help your home be a bit eco-friendlier. In addition to filtering out a wide variety of potentially damaging chemicals from the air, they also pack your home with humidity. Heating and air conditioning both tend to suck that right out of the house!
Update Your Floors
Most classic flooring isn’t exactly environmentally friendly. A little updating can make a big difference in it. This is a slightly more expensive option, but floors take a lot of wear and tear. They all need to be replaced at some point. Bamboo is a beautiful, sustainable option but it’s also pricy. It’s hard enough to last a lifetime, cutting down on the environmental impact of another replacement.
However, if it’s not in your price range, or you don’t like the look, then cork is another green option. It’s much cheaper, incredibly simple to harvest, it lasts a very long time and it has an unusual texture. It’s great for kids and keeps the floor warm during the winter.
Take it Outside
Since these are tips for spring, it only makes sense to remember the landscape. Native plants are wonderful, and provide a simple way to keep your lawn healthy with minimal work. You can also look into drip irrigation, composting, rainwater harvesting, and growing your own garden. Leave as many plants and trees as you can, especially if they provide protection to your home. Bushes provide an extra layer of insulation, and lots of plants allow for the wildlife to have food and cover. With humans encroaching on their land everywhere, they need it!
If you plan to spend a hefty chunk or just a bit, there are a ton of options to make your home greener. Pick a small one to start, and progress on to larger endeavors. With all the savings you’ll get from updating your home, you’ll be able to make bigger changes!
Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts.
Your driveway is more than just an entrance to your property; it’s part of your home’s curb appeal. If your driveway is in less than pristine condition or mundane in appearance, there are steps you can take to make it the most impressive driveway in the neighborhood.
Repair Unsightly Cracks
Cracks in a driveway are detrimental to your home’s curb appeal. Home improvement stores and online sites can guide you through the process of repairing cracks in a driveway. One of the first steps you’ll need to take is to determine the size of the cracks in your driveway and what is causing them. This can be done through testing with special tools, such as those that Certified Material Testing Products provides. The type of product you’ll need to make the repair and the physical steps required to complete the project vary according to the size of the cracks in the concrete.
Staining Your Driveway
You can elevate the aesthetic value of your driveway by staining it in a color that complements your home’s exterior. You might want to stain it to match the walkway leading to your front door. An attractive driveway can make your home more appealing to potential buyers. It can also increase the value of your home. To create a driveway that is unique among the driveways of nearby houses, you may want to stencil a design on your driveway or add a stained border in a contrasting color. Be conservative with the decorative aspects so that your driveway looks sophisticated.
Driveway Covers
Driveway covers serve a practical purpose such as protecting your car from the outdoor elements. A driveway cover can also be a contributing factor to the curb appeal of your home. When selecting a driveway cover, keep the material and design cohesive with your home’s exterior style. A driveway cover can be an eye-catching architectural feature in your landscape.
Enhancing the Driveway
Adding a driveway to your property gives you the perfect opportunity to elevate the curb appeal of your home with plants and flowers. If you have a circle or semi-circle driveway, the interior space of the driveway is an ideal place to create an impressive flower garden. A straight driveway can be made more visually exciting when trees are planted along its edge. Flowering trees make your driveway a spectacular attraction during peak blooming time.
With a little attention to detail, your driveway can be the most impressive in the neighborhood. A well-maintained driveway is an impressive landscape feature.
If you’re planning to put your home on the market, you most definitely want the curb appeal to generate a favorable impression. If you’re simply looking for a way to make your home more attractive, improving its curb appeal is an ideal place to start. There are some specific areas that can be considered definite eyesores. Improving those aspects is a good place to begin your beautification project.
Clean Up and Spruce Up
Overgrown trees and shrubs and dead plants left in a neglected flower bed are definite eyesores. Do some trimming and replanting and you’ll make a noticeable difference with the landscaping. Little details matter when you’re trying to improve your curb appeal. Straighten your crooked house numbers or mailbox. Paint or buy new ones if the ones you have are faded or damaged.
Driveways Get Noticed
Cracks in a driveway are an eye-catching feature that you’d rather people not notice. Cracks in a driveway can be a tripping hazard for you and for visitors to your home. Driveways that are sinking and cracking are also detrimental to your curb appeal. Lakeridge Paving Company or a similar business in your particular area that specializes in residential driveway repair or installation can make your driveway a safe and attractive part of your home’s curb appeal.
Doors
Doors with peeling paint, dents or those that are outdated in design can be an eyesore. According to the information provided by Realty Times, replacing your garage door and entry door will increase the value of your home. With the multitude of exterior door designs available, you can replace outdated doors with doors that complement the exterior of your home and doors that attract attention because of their beauty.
Lighting
Sometimes, it’s what you don’t see that can be a negative aspect of your home’s curb appeal. A home that has insufficient exterior illumination, broken or non-working exterior lighting or outdated lighting fixtures can look forlorn in the evening hours. Exterior lighting can be a safety feature and a decorative aspect of your home at night. During the daylight hours, the style of lighting can enhance the curb appeal of your home.
The curb appeal of your home is often the basis for a potential buyer’s first impression and a feature that heavily influences the opinions that guests form of your home. By eliminating the eyesores, you can immediately create a more impressive curb appeal and quite possibly increase the value of your home.
Guest Post By:
Anica Oaks
Freelance writer and web enthusiast
Read some of my published work on my Google+ page.
We all know that material things are not the main value that turns a house into a home. At some point however, for any reason, we might decide to move, and selling a property is always a nerve-wracking experience. Due to constant trend changes and price fluctuations, you never really know how much of a return on investment you can expect. There are, however, certain home improvements that never go out of style, and which are guaranteed to boost your property’s value considerably, including the following features:
Light up your property
Investing in quality lighting is one of the most affordable improvements you can make, and offers a tremendous return on investment as a result. Simply put, light creates a pleasant atmosphere, which means that badly illuminated places will always come off as being unappealing to most buyers. For that reason, take steps to install artificial light sources wherever necessary. Dimmer switches are especially popular nowadays because they offer control over light intensity, and allow users to carefully craft the mood they desire.
Set up a backyard and garden
Staying in contact with nature is essential for one’s well-being, and what better way to do so than by setting up a garden in your backyard? You don’t even have to go out of your way to buy expensive plants, as just a few shrubs and flowers will likely do the trick when it comes to improving your quality of life and your property’s value at the same time. Just make sure you have a stable water supply nearby so you can provide your plants with the sustenance they need.
Update your property to save energy
Saving energy should not be done with the sole reason of cutting down the household expenses. Reducing household emissions is something that should be our responsibility as well. There are many ways to approach to make green home improvement changes, from solar panels and insulation to environmentally friendly home appliances. Such home upgrades will ensure future sustainability of the property, and lower the dependence on externally provided energy.
Convert unused space into livable rooms
By far one of the best features for boosting a property’s value lies in creating additional living space. While adding a new room is often too expensive to take into consideration, most properties have barely used attics and/or basements which can rather easily be turned into livable quarters with just a little bit of work. Even something as small as a closet can be turned into a compact office, so always seek to take advantage of every inch of space your property has to offer.
Invest in green solutions
We are living in an age that’s preoccupied more than ever with the idea of environmental friendliness. Therefore, anything you can do to boost your property’s “green” profile will likely translate into big gains in value. Simple things like placing light tubes to let natural light in, or installing solar panels on your roof can lead to substantial savings on bills.
These five home improvement features that can add to the value of your property are just some of the changes you can do. Of course, small things like keeping every room clean, fixing a leaky roof and getting rid of any mold as soon as it forms can also make a real difference. So do your best to remain vigilant, and don’t allow your property to slip into disarray!
Thinking of selling your home? If you are, you will be hoping that it has increased in value giving you a pleasing profit.
Renovating and updating a property is more or less guaranteed to create an increase in property value, providing of course you do all the right things, in the right way. For example, always employing professional tradespeople to complete renovations and keeping work in keeping with the age of the property and so on.
There are also new technologies that many incorporate into their homes which significantly boosts value. We think of underfloor heating as a new technology, and yet it has been around many centuries. The Romans, for example, heated bath houses with underfloor fires and there are Roman ruins that suggest they also used hot water in sub-floor chambers.
However, in the 21st century, we still view underfloor heating as a decadent luxury and this is one of the reasons why it could boost the value of your property.
It spells luxury
Underfloor heating warms the floor above it, leaving it pleasantly warm to the touch. Most people would expect to find it in a bathroom, but to have a property that uses underfloor heating as its main source of warmth is simply fantastic.
Easy to install, maintain and run
The problem with new technologies is that the early prototypes can be slightly confusing to get to grips with. This means a cumbersome set of instructions and tasks to complete in order for it to work.
Underfloor heating, however, uses equipment that we are already familiar with. For example, underfloor electric mats simply plug in. Water underfloor systems use a combi-boiler to heat and pump the water through the system, although there are either systems available.
Compatible with alternative sources of energy
We are all aware of how we need to use energy wisely, and use less of it. Maximising every kilo watt of energy to heat the home will save you money on your energy bills but both underfloor heating systems are compatible with ‘free’ sources of power.
Electric underfloor heating systems can work off energy created by solar panels and/or wind turbines. Wet underfloor systems can work well with ground source heat pumps and so if you want to be really green – and save oodles of cash and add value to your property – then underfloor heating, powered by alternative energy is a great move.
Increases your property energy efficiency rating
Every property that is bought or let in England, Wales and Scotland have to have an Energy Performance certificate (EPC). This certificate rates the energy efficiency of a property from G which is the lowest rating, to the top rating of A or, better still, a carbon neutral property.
When you install underfloor heating, no matter whether dry or wet systems, you will be advised to ensure that your property is as well-insulated as it can be. This can be anything from upgrading the loft insulation to it meets current standards, to efficient double glazed doors and windows and cavity or solid wall insulation.
The heat produced by underfloor heating is not as intense or concentrated in one spot as that given off by radiators or even a blazing open fire. Thus you need to hold on to as much of this heat as possible.
With a better EPC rating and a property that is effectively insulated, you will increase both value and desirability of your property. In a nutshell, your property will be cheaper to heat than the only for sale in the same price bracket but with a lower energy efficiency rating.
Great flooring too
Underfloor heating works at its best when the top layer of flooring is an efficient conductor of heat. This conductivity is not apparent in all materials but hard flooring surfaces tend to conduct heat better than carpet or rugs.
Thus, many potential buyers prefer the polished concrete floor or the laminate, slate or wood flooring because it is clean. It is hardy and robust too, and can mean that there are no nasty dust mites lurking in the corners.
Quality from start to finish
However, like some other areas of home improvements, there can be a temptation to save money by buying an unbranded underfloor heating system, using materials of a poorer quality and ‘having a go at installing it yourself’.
Whilst this can work if you take your time and have all the right tools, it may mean that all aspects of installation of the system is correct. Underfloor heating is preferred by many people because it is reliable and needs little, if any, maintenance.
Do not skimp on professional systems nor installation if you are really serious about adding value to your property.
What renovations are you making to your property? How much value do you think these changes will add?
Underfloor Heating Supplies have a range of underfloor heating systems right for every property and every budget. Making sure you get the right system that allows for maximum comfort is essential when considering underfloor heating.
When trying to sell your house, there are hundreds of things you should be concerned about. But most of these things are easily solved, and you’re left with important questions that interest all potential home buyers. In order to get the top dollar for your house, you have to take care of some of the most important features of your home. Listed below are 5 of the most important features every new homeowner checks before purchasing the house.
Cleanliness
Nothing will turn the buyers away from your house like dirt. If you are already selling the house, make sure it is clean and shining for the next couple of days or weeks, until you find the right buyer. This goes for the kitchen, the entrance area, the living room and the bathroom. Assuming that the bedrooms are clean and tidy, we advise that you focus on removing stains and grime from your kitchen and bathroom. The condition of the house has to be flawless, and that includes having a clean sink and a shiny bathroom at all times.
Bad Odors
If your home has a strange odor from food, your pets or your cigarettes, it is about time you do something about it. No one will buy a stinky house. Buyers don’t want to detect the smell of your recent food or your pet, so make sure you clean everything thoroughly. Use products and chemicals to help you completely remove the smell from the house, leaving it with a neutral smell. Add a pleasant aroma at the doorway in order to make your potential buyers feel like home.
A separate Laundry room
Most of the people shopping for a house look for a laundry room. Having a spacious room in which you can do your laundry every day is crucial. If you still don’t have one within your home, consider adding it. If your home is out of space, take it to the basement or create an external room outside the house. Laundry room matters, so don’t neglect it.
Take care of the cooling system
One thing every potential house buyer wants to see is a stable way of heating or cooling your home. Most of the time, this is achieved through air conditioning system, but there are some cases where buyers actually looked for antique or modern ceiling fans. These are rare nowadays, but increase the value of your home in case you have them installed. Also, modern versions are very effective and fit perfectly into every home décor. So before you show your home to your new potential buyers, make sure you have the cooling section covered in detail.
Get modern and energy-saving appliances
No one is attracted to all those kitchen appliances which spend more energy than they actually need. Throwing or selling those and replacing them with the new and modern ones will do the trick. Your new potential buyers will be thrilled by the fact that they won’t have to replace the entire kitchen set, and you will get a higher price on your house.
Repaint everything and remove all personal belongings
The house has to be in absolute perfect order. Before you open it for potential buyers, make sure you are finished repainting the house, as well as removing all of your personal belongings. You don’t want your buyers to imagine you still living there; you want them to imagine themselves living there. You can achieve this by removing all of your personal belongings from the house.
These 6 features are important for every house buyer, so ensuring that you fulfill them will bring you top dollar. Also, you might end up selling the house faster than you thought possible.
About author:
Tracey Clayton is a full time mom of three girls. She feels she knows a thing or two about raising happy, healthy and confident kids, and offers helpful advice in hers parenting articles. She’s also passionate about traveling, fashion and healthy living. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.”
If you are one of those people who are concerned about the environment and the effects of humans on the state of the planet, then green home improvements are most probably something you are already seriously considering. Perhaps you even started introducing such solutions to your home.
However, even if you are still somewhat skeptical about how much of an effect humans as a species have on the environment, you should definitely consider green home improvements for a very simple reason.
This reason, of course, is that such improvements can significantly increase the value of your home should you decide or sell it in the future. Even if not, green home improvements can help you save money. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Different Types of Green Home Improvements
Before we get into the whole increased home value thing and the ways in which you can finance these green home improvements, we should say a thing or two about the different choices that you have in front of you.
On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you have solutions such as big ceiling fans which consume only a fraction of the electricity needed to power an A/C system and which are surprisingly effective at cooling down a room. In many countries in the Mediterranean, like Malta for example, most homes do not even have A/C and they employ ceiling fans for all their cooling needs.
Another way to cut down on the amount of energy you spend on your A/C is by installing a programmable thermostat which will allow you to keep your home at the perfect temperature without the need to blast it full on once you come back to a hot or cold home.
There are also plenty of bathroom green improvements that will save you both water and electricity. Conserving water is just as important as reducing the waste of electricity, especially in certain parts of the world. California is probably the most obvious example in the U.S., as a state that is facing a serious water shortage in the very foreseeable future.
Of course, you can always go for the more elaborate and comprehensive green home improvements, such as installing a solar panel system or redoing the insulation on your entire home.
Money Concerns
Different green home improvements will require investments on a different scale. For example, getting a ceiling fan is not going to cost you more than a fine dinner for four at a fancy restaurant. On the other hand, installing solar panels can be quite costly.
One thing to remember here is that, for the most part, green home improvements will save you money on the long run, while also increasing the value of your home, should you wish to sell it. There is a great article on how green improvements increase property value on the Boston Globe website.
Finally, there are also certain ways in which you can make your investment in your green improvements more affordable. One such way is PACE financing.
PACE Financing 101
PACE stands for property assessed clean energy and this type of financing involves the homeowners who wish to install green improvements to their property, the state and local governments which implement PACE programs to help their citizens go green, as well as companies that provide the actual financial means to put these programs through.
This is best explained on a case. We will use Ygrene, one of the country’s few PACE financing companies as an example. Let’s say that you wish to put up a solar panel system on your home, but the initial investment is too pricy. You reach out to Ygrene (or some other company available in your area) and they pay for the whole system. You immediately start saving money on your energy bills and you only start paying them back after a certain amount of time has passed.
Once you start repaying, this becomes part of your property tax and you pay it that way. One thing to point out is that interest rates are tax-deductible, meaning that you are only paying for the principal. If you decide to sell the home, the repayments stay with the home, meaning that you do not keep paying for the improvements you no longer use.
All in all, it makes for a much better way to finance your green home improvements, especially since these programs are usually overseen by state or local governments which prevents shady stuff that often comes with novel financing methods.
Closing Word
The time was never better to start installing green home improvements to your home, especially with financing options like PACE. These improvements will reduce your bills, increase the value of your property and, what may turn out to be the most important factor, these improvements will also help conserve the environment.
AUTHOR: James Burbank has spent too many years in the trade show industry. He usually blogs about business, but from time to time, he likes to do an article on one of his main passions – green living. Check him out on Twitter – @JBurbank2019.
