Thursday, April 30, 2009

Home Selling Tips – House Selling Tips for Open Houses

Home Selling Tips 1 - If you are trying to sell your house, there are some things that you can do to help make sure that your home makes the best appearance possible for your visitors. The very first and foremost task is to give your home a good, thorough cleaning. 

Home Selling Tips 2 - The sense of smell is very powerful, and it can have a direct effect on our emotions, both for good and bad. Identify foul odors in your home, and then get rid of them as soon as possible. 

Home Selling Tips 3 - If some of your rooms are small, remove any nonessential furniture to help them appear larger and more inviting. 

Home Selling Tips 4 - Giving your walls a fresh coat of paint is a very cheap and easy way to brighten up the appearance of almost any home quickly and easily. 

Home Selling Tips 5 - Other ways to liven up the appearance of your home and set a warm, inviting atmosphere is to bring in flowers and place them around in strategic locations. 

Home Selling Tips 6 - The use of music can be very beneficial too as long as it is kept quietly playing in the background. Classical or jazz music are good choices that appeal to a lot of people. 

Home Selling Tips 7 - Clean up the important rooms such as the front hallway where people first walk in, the kitchen, the master bedroom, and all the washrooms. Gleaming tiles, clear windows, and polished hardwood make a great impression. 

Home Selling Tips 8 - Make sure leaky faucets are fixed, squeaky spots on floors are taken care of, and walls should be freshly painted or super clean. 

Home Selling Tips 9 - Put away the family photos and take down the kids pictures from the fridge. You want buyers to feel like it is their home, not yours. 

Home Selling Tips 10 - Make sure your home smells inviting - a subtle fragrance from a pleasant air freshener will do wonders. Buyers notice all the little details, so you should too.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Home Staging Tips Or Summer Real Estate Staging Tips

Home Staging Tips 1 - In hot and competitive market of summer, buyers are expecting yards to be parading their - best in bloom - colors, and showing off all their assets. So, slap on that sunscreen and get in gear to optimize your homes final sale price. 

Home Staging Tips 2 - Stage the table with a nice linen or cotton table cloth: something airy and summery. Set up some colorful potted plants or flowers around the table to add some appealing color. 

Home Staging Tips 3 - Water features are enticing elements and if you can – spring - for a well placed fountain on your deck or in your garden. The sound of water generally evokes a calming emotion and can serve to drain out any unwanted neighborhood sounds. 

Home Staging Tips 4 - Adding lush green foliage is a great way to spruce up empty space that is currently unused. An easy way to add beautiful green, tropical flair to your landscaping is to add hanging ferns. 

Home Staging Tips 5 - you should make sure your deck is as appealing and comfortable as the inside of your home. Watch for cracks on structural timbers. Check the surface of the deck and remove any old nail heads or screws that are sticking out and replace them with galvanized decking screws

Home Staging Tips 6 - Less is more. Edit and refine your garden accents. We want buyers to concentrate on the home, not the ornaments. 

Home Staging Tips 7 - Rid the Rugs. Summer is all about cool and fresh. Roll up those rugs and let your bare floors set the stage for the season. If you need to have a rug down, try purchasing a grass, bamboo or weather resistant version for a seasonal setting. 

Home Staging Tips 8 - Baths can be refreshed with large apothecary jars filled with bath salts and scented shells.  Replace jewel toned towels with neutral or white shades. 

Home Staging Tips 9 – Add umbrellas for extra shade. Select umbrellas in cool colors; floral patterns look pretty but often have warm colors. Place your umbrellas in big pots or even in the dirt around your garden. 

Home Staging Tips 10 – Use white and blue iridescent accent lights. Look for bulbs that simulate natural daylight. Soften your rooms lighting at dusk with many light sources instead of a few bright lights.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

House Selling Tips – Lawn Care Tips

House Selling Tips 1 - One deep watering is much better than watering several times lightly. Lawns need about one inch of water each week. If the weather is very hot, apply an inch of water about every three days. 

House Selling Tips 2 - Fertilize less. Instead of stocking up on fertilizer, clear out yard debris and test the soil to find out the pH of the soil, missing nutrients, how much of each is needed, and when to apply them. 

House Selling Tips 3 - Thicken your turf. Choose grass suited to your climate, soil conditions and lifestyle. 

House Selling Tips 4 - Think beyond grass. Grass will not grow everywhere, so consider shade loving ground covers, ornamental grasses, and plants instead. 

House Selling Tips 5 - Do a weekly walk around. Check the lawn once a week for stressed plants and turf, bare spots, compacted soil, and signs of too much watering. 

House Selling Tips 6 - Good basic maintenance techniques will go a long way in keeping the lawns of your home and garden healthy, thriving and with few weeds. 

House Selling Tips 7 - Spring is the best time to fertilize lawns as this is when the grass is waking up and will need the extra nutrients from the fertilizer to assure healthy growth. The best garden lawn fertilizers will have a combination of nitrogen, phosphates and potash. 

House Selling Tips 8 - Many times it is a good idea to follow up the spring fertilizing of your lawn garden with another round of fertilization in the summer. 

House Selling Tips 9 - It is also a good idea to use a fertilizer mixture that contains weed killer to help keep the weeds to a minimum. A properly fed and thriving healthy lawn will allow you to enjoy beautiful lawns around your home and garden throughout the growing season. 

House Selling Tips 10 - No building is complete without some grass, a few plants and some shrubbery to help enhance the quality of the building. The added value of curb appeal can make the difference when selling a house or increasing the value of a home.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Home Selling Tips – Tips on Landscaping

Landscaping can be a smart investment; the first impressions of a buyer can often make or break a sale, and the exterior of your home is the first thing everyone sees. For a small investment of time and money, you can use landscaping to make your house stand out and be noticed. The following are some Home Selling Tips about of landscaping you should consider before putting your house on the market: 

Home Selling Tips 1 - Plan before you buy. Sketch your landscape design on paper before you start planting and building. Knowing exactly what you need and where you're going to put it helps avoid wasting money. 

Home Selling Tips 2 - Begin by coordinating the colors of your flowering foliage. Think about your selling season and plan for flowering plants that perform well during that time. Also give thought to the desired atmosphere and use plants to support that concept. 

Home Selling Tips 3 - If you have no dedicated walkway to the front door, add a simple pathway. A wandering pathway to the front door psychologically feels better than a straight-shot walkway. If you have a plain, straight concrete walkway, create undulating flower beds on either side to encourage a relaxed, friendly feeling. 

Home Selling Tips 4 - Adding a water feature also enhances the ambiance, because moving water relaxes the body and mind and refreshes the spirit. 

Home Selling Tips 5 - Cutting fresh edges where grass meets mulch makes the lawn look well kept. A move as simple as curving the edge of your flower beds could increase the value of your home by one percent. Also, if your foundation plants are overgrown, widening the beds by two feet will make the shrubs seem smaller. 

Home Selling Tips 6 - Choose a highly visible area for your planting; near the front of the house or next to a front path or stair is usually a good choice. Landscaping should match the style of the house. 

Home Selling Tips 7 - It is important that you start out with good soil and maintain the ideal growing conditions for your grass type. Generally, this starts with having your soil tested. Testing the soil will ensure that you are fertilizing correctly and help you understand which grass is best for your area. 

Home Selling Tips 8 - Fences provides privacy, but select a style, such as lattice, that lets air circulate while blocking the view. Dress it up with an apple tree or pyracantha trained in a decorative design on a wire grid. 

Home Selling Tips 9 - Brick paving and lion sculptures add to the semiformal look, which is made less rigid by splashes of annual flowers. 

Home Selling Tips 10 - Talk to the professional Home Stagers or other Landscaping Professionals. You may not need to hire a landscape architect or designer to develop your whole project, but somewhat little for an hour long consultation is well worth the money if it saves you from costly mistakes later.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Home Staging Tips – Staging the Kitchen

Home Staging Tips 1 - Pay extra attention to the sink, counters, stove, etc. Kitchen design is certainly important when selling a home, but cleanliness is also a must. 

Home Staging Tips 2 - Consider making upgrades to the kitchen if necessary. In the market of buyers, you should go beyond basic cleaning and actually upgrade some of the features of kitchen. Tour some model homes or view them online to get an idea of current trends. 

Home Staging Tips 3 - Turn the lights on and open the curtains to showcase the sparkle. Shed some light on the subject. If you have dark areas of your kitchen, you might even consider adding supplemental lighting, such as recessed lighting around the edges. 

Home Staging Tips 4 - Changing the paint color, counter tops and back splash can improve the look and feel of the kitchen. 

Home Staging Tips 5 - A coat of paint or re staining the cabinet might be all they need. Adding new hardware will also give them an updated look. 

Home Staging Tips 6 - One of the best ways to update a kitchen is with lighting. Kitchens need task lighting so think of under the cabinet lighting. You can even place an up light in a corner to through off more light. 

Home Staging Tips 7 - Remove everything from your kitchen counters that is not essential for every day cooking. These items should be stored in cupboards. Clean out the food storage areas and refrigerator to make sure nothing is expired, moldy or rotten. Clean out under the kitchen sink. 

Home Staging Tips 8 – Make your storage space smaller and more minimal. If you have lots of storage, you will fill it with stuff. 

Home Staging Tips 9 – When it comes to papers in the kitchen, just say no. Kitchens are for cooking and eating. Bills, newspapers and school papers belong in an office area or in a desk. 

Home Staging Tips 10 - Dressing the kitchen is our final step. Remember when it comes to the kitchen less is more. Keep the entire small appliance tucked away. Bring out only what you need and when you are finished using them put them away.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

House Selling Tips – Curb Appeal Tips to attract potential Home Buyers

House Selling Tips 1 - Achieving curb appeal for all four seasons begins with a plant selection plan that will provide something to catch the eye in each of the four seasons. The goal is to have flowering trees throughout spring and summer, fall foliage in autumn and good structure in winter. 

House Selling Tips 2 - When you are designing a landscape that will be going on the real estate market, you are designing for the tastes of someone else not your own. You need info about what buyers are currently looking for, as well as a grasp of curb appeal. 

House Selling Tips 3 - Curb appeal can be a challenge along the seacoast, where salty soils and salt laden winds present a landscaping problem. If you wish to dress up the approach to your beach home, use specimens such as the salt tolerant plants. 

House Selling Tips 4 - You need not have a perfectly green and crab grass free lawn, but plugging holes and filling in bare spots with seed can enhance visual appeal of your home. Keep your grass trimmed and orderly, rake up fall leaves, and do something about all of those dandelions. 

House Selling Tips 5 - Trim the vegetation around your home -- particularly those bushes that may conceal windows. Then be sure that your landscaping looks great all of the time, even if you have to hire a gardener while your home is listed. 

House Selling Tips 6 - Make sure the sidewalk and front walkways are swept clean and remove any weeds you see growing in the cracks. You should repair any bad cracks in the front walkway. 

House Selling Tips 7 - Make sure the lawn stays freshly mowed and all shrubs are neatly trimmed. Add a little sod to any bare spots in your lawn. 

House Selling Tips 8 - If the roof needs to be replaced, do it before you start showing your home to buyers. Replace any broken or missing shingles or tiles where needed. If the eaves and fascia boards look bad, just give them a fresh coat of paint. 

House Selling Tips 9 - Doorway is the focal point of your home. You can simply repaint the door and replace the hardware to give a new fresh look. If you have house numbers by your door, those can easily be replaced, if needed. 

House Selling Tips 10 - Annual flowers are an inexpensive way to add instant color to your exterior. Whether you choose hanging baskets, window boxes or planters on the deck or porch, area nurseries will have a wide variety available.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Home Selling Tips – How to sell your house in the market of buyers

Home Selling Tips 1 - If you have anything in need of repair, make sure this is attended to. Prospective buyers like to feel as if everything is intact and ready for them to just move in. If they see anything that is broken, you can be sure they will be wondering if there is anything else in need of repair, and how much it will all end up costing. It will be their bargaining chip for a price reduction. Be sure to ward this off by ensuring that your house is well maintained. 

Home Selling Tips 2 - The garden is one of the first things that the prospective buyer will see, and it can also be a real focal point of the house; but only if it is inviting. Make sure that you keep your garden looking at its best. Regular mowing, raking, edging, weeding and watering will preserve a neat and clean garden. By making your garden an attractive environment, you can effectively increase your overall home property value

Home Selling Tips 3 - For the exterior of your home, all items like fences, front lights, patio furniture, garden lighting should be attractive to the eye. It is these that add the aesthetic value to your home. More importantly, the front path that leads to your house should be well paved and safe with no loose stones. These small details are very important in giving the impression of your style and character, whether that is simple, smart, casual or elegant. 

Home Selling Tips 4 - Ensure that your garden is clean and that the surround is in good condition. If there are any repairs you could do, this would be advisable. You can hire a pool cleaner to ensure it is kept clean. You should also contact a professional pool company if you need any repairs. While this might cost some money, a well maintained pool means that you can ask a higher price for selling your home. 

Home Selling Tips 5 – It is amazing how a fresh coat of paint can transform even the dullest of rooms. Freshly painted walls look clean, inviting and well maintained. It is best to use a neutral color on your walls, to help the prospective buyer to see what they might wish to do with the room. Instead of darker colors, opt for a neutral white or beige. 

Home Selling Tips 6 – If you are re decorating your walls, remember that pale colored walls give the illusion of space, helping smaller rooms to look bigger. This illusion works vice versa: if you paint your walls in a dark color it will have the appearance that it is smaller. Use colors wisely to make the most of your rooms. 

Home Selling Tips 7 – You should look at the room using the eyes of a prospective buyer. Painting the room in a neutral color makes the most out of the room, and makes your house more attractive to a larger number of potential buyers. Look around your home to see if there are any design choices in your home that you should change to make your house more desirable to the wider market. 

Home Selling Tips 8 – The kitchen is a very important room. Check that your kitchen is stylish and clean. If the style of your kitchen is out of date, think of ways to refresh the look. Talk to your estate agent about what the best option for you would be. 

Home Selling Tips 9 – A bathroom should be a relaxing and clean environment. Therefore make sure that your bathroom is kept clean. 

Home Selling Tips 10 – The exterior of your house is also a very important aspect. Make sure that if you have a clean and polished look for the outside of your home. If the paintwork is tired, you may want to look into re painting your exterior. While it can be quite expensive, the cost will make up for it in added value to your home. If you cannot afford to paint your exterior walls, you can also paint the exterior trimmings. This will also freshen the look of your home.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Home Staging Tips – Tips to get top price for your House

Home Staging Tips 1 – Nothing beats a spacious and clean house. And until that is done, nothing else will have the same impact. So walk around your property and decide what can be given away, sold or put away in storage. Keep only the essentials. 

Home Staging Tips 2 - Walk around and pay attention to anything that is not in good working condition – chipped paint, cracks on walls or ceilings, doors which do not open or close properly, missing or broken handles, missing lights, running faucets, etc. Get it fixed. 

Home Staging Tips 3 - Painting is the cheapest way to enhance a room. In the least, paint main rooms such as, entrance, living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, in fresh, neutral colors, if needed. Home Stagers can help you with the choice of colors. 

Home Staging Tips 4 - You need to put away anything that reflects your personal life and taste in an obvious way and make it look like a real estate property to sell. Finally, if you have your favorite collections, put most of them away, keep only a few best items on display. 

Home Staging Tips 5 – Do not forget the outside. The visitors will notice the way the house looks from the curb and their perception of your property will start there. 

Home Staging Tips 6 – Place your furniture in each room so that you have very obvious focal points that show off the best selling features of your home. 

Home Staging Tips 7 - Spend money on new light fixtures in brushed nickel or stainless steel. There are many low cost lighting stores to select from. Leave on certain lights during the day. During showings, turn on all lights and lamps. 

Home Staging Tips 8 - In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only. 

Home Staging Tips 9 - Create an atmosphere in your home so that it appeals to a wide range of potential home buyers. Be sure to put your own likes and dislikes aside. 

 Home Staging Tips 10 - Open up the window treatments let the sun show off your clean, organized, and well staged home. 

Home Selling Tips – Tips to Selling House faster

Home Selling Tips 1 - Simple landscaping, repainting rooms, shampooing the carpet, or even just removing some of the clutters are ways to make your house look more presentable to the prospective buyers. Burn mild candles or fragrances, to give your house, an inviting smell. 

Home Selling Tips 2 - When you go to price your home, you want to make sure you set it at just the right price in order for you to get top dollar for selling house. If you price it too large, you could lose potential buyers, if you price it too small, you could end up shooting yourself in the foot. 

Home Selling Tips 3 - Your front door is the first thing buyers will see, so be sure it is fresh and clean. Make sure that your lawn and landscaped areas are well manicured. Be sure that your yard is free of refuse and leaves. 

Home Selling Tips 4 - During winter, make certain to remove all ice and snow on walkways and steps. Keep all indoor and outdoor areas, especially stairways, clear and uncluttered. 

Home Selling Tips 5 - Open drapes and curtains as much as possible to let in natural light. Make sure that the windows are clean so your home appears as bright and cheery as possible. Turn on all of your outside and inside lights when showing your home at night so as to make your buyer feel welcome. 

Home Selling Tips 6 - Make sure doors, windows, and cabinets do not stick or have loose knobs. By fixing these minor flaws, you can increase home value. Closets can be an important selling point. Make them look bigger by organizing them neatly to display that your home has ample closet space. 

Home Selling Tips 7 - In general, try to replace faded walls and worn woodwork with new wallpaper and fresh paint. It will increase the appeal and value of your home. Display the full value of your attic, basement, and other utility space including crawl spaces by removing all unnecessary articles and debris, and repainting if necessary. 

Home Selling Tips 8 - Bathrooms can sell homes. Check and repair any damaged or discolored caulking around the bath tubs and showers, and be sure that the towels and area rugs are bright and clean. Bedrooms should appear bright and cheerful. Remove all excess furniture, and be sure that bedspreads and curtains are freshly laundered and attractive. 

Home Selling Tips 9 – Turn off the stereo and television so the potential buyer and salesperson can discuss your home in a relaxed environment, free of distractions. Keep pets from disturbing potential buyers by restricting them to the backyard or an alternative location, while conducting an open house. 

Home Selling Tips 10 – Let your real estate sales person discuss the selling price, terms, possessions and other factors with the customer. Our salespeople have been trained and are experienced. Let them bring your negotiations to a satisfactory conclusion.

 
ss_blog_claim=c38e0a6c9566d97d2dd59824fe7206f4