You may think your home is the only thing that has to impress when you put it on the market for sale. The reality is, you, the seller, also have to make a good impression. While someone may fall in love with your home, they may choose to pass on it if they don’t like the way you present yourself. To help you be on your best behavior when you sell your home, follow the tips below.
1. Be Scarce
One of the biggest turn-offs for buyers is a seller who hovers over their shoulders as they tour a house. If you are present when potential buyers visit your home, they may not feel free to ask certain questions, and you may say something that could jeopardize a sale.
The best thing you can do is let your agent show your home on your behalf while you relax someplace else.
2. Give Up Your Parking Space
A good seller wants a potential buyer to be able to picture themselves living in the home. You can help further this image by allowing buyers to pull up in the driveway and park as if they own it. When you leave the house for a showing, be sure to take your vehicle with you, or, if you’re not driving, move your car to the street to allow buyers the V.I.P parking spot.
3. Take Your Pets With You When You Leave For A Showing
The buyers who come to your home for viewing might be animal lovers, too, but you should always take your pets with you when you leave. First of all, you won’t know if the buyer actually likes pets, but even if they do, you don’t want your cute little fur baby to steal the show and draw attention from the home.
If you have pets, do your best to make it appear (and smell) as if your home is pet-free.
4. Place Important Documents In Plain View
Because you’ll be leaving when potential buyers come to view your home, you’ll want to place important documents such as the home inspection report, home warranty, and appraisal on a table for easy viewing. This will let buyers know you’re a responsible owner and seller who has nothing to hide.
You can also include recent utility bills to give them an idea of monthly expenses and proof of any major repairs or renovations you’ve made recently.
5. Don’t Pressure The Buyers For Feedback
You may be excited to hear a buyer’s feedback right after a showing, but a good seller gives the buyer time to process what they’ve seen and make a decision. Remember, this is likely the biggest purchase they’ve ever made, so let them have a few days to think it over before expecting feedback or an offer.
Your home isn’t the only thing that needs to impress buyers when you put it on the market for sale. You have to be a good seller, too. Following the tips outlined above will help you become the kind of seller homebuyers like to deal with
Whether you’re selling your home or buying one, you should know what things to look for in terms of value. For instance, did you know that where a home is located can impact its worth?
If you’re going to be selling your home anytime soon, it pays to pay attention to a few universal factors that might influence its value. Here is a list of things to consider.
1. Location
Being located in a quiet neighborhood or near popular amenities such as restaurants and grocery stores can make a home worth more. Not every buyer needs a home to meet every location requirement, but if you can say your home is situated in or near things people deem important, it will retain its value better.
On this same note, if your home is located near schools, daycare, or even a school bus stop, it will be more attractive to buyers with children or who plan to have children, making it worth more, especially if it checks other boxes for them, too.
2. A Beautiful View
Can you look out your window and see a beautiful skyline? If so, your home may be worth more. Being able to look out a window and see something lovely calms the nerves, and buyers appreciate that. On the other hand, if you look out your window and all you see is your neighbor’s house, a flashing neon sign, or some other unattractive view, it could bring down the value of your home, too.
3. Curb Appeal
If your home looks nice from the outside, it will retain its value better. If you mow your lawn, landscape your yard attractively, and maintain the exterior of your home, it shows you’ve kept the property in good shape.
Curb appeal works both ways, however. If you don’t maintain your yard or the exterior of your home, the overall value will be less.
4. Major Systems
No one likes to move into a home and immediately have to shell out money to fix any heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical issues. Selling a home with issues like these is usually the result of neglected maintenance and will subtract from the home’s value.
If you know your home has issues with any of its major systems, be sure to fix them before putting it on the market for sale to get the most out of its value.
5. Storage
A home with lots of storage is usually worth more than one that doesn’t have enough. If your home has plenty of closets, cabinets, and drawers, as well as basement, attic, and/or garage storage, buyers will be willing to pay more for the convenience.
Many factors influence the value of a home, with the 5 listed above being just a start. Be sure to keep these things in mind as you set an asking price for your home as it could be worth more (or less) than you think.
Rural homes have a reputation for being large, airy, and downright homey. The lifestyle is often depicted as laid-back and freeing where quiet reigns king and things move at a slower pace. For some people, country living is ideal. For others, however, it’s boring. Rural living isn’t for everyone, so whether you’re thinking of purchasing a rural home for investment or living, here are a few pros and cons to consider.
Fewer People Means Fewer Public Services
One of the reasons people love living in a rural area is the fact that there are fewer people. Your closest neighbor may be a mile or more away. While this affords plenty of privacy and quiet, it also means there are fewer public services available nearby.
If you’ve lived in urban areas all your life and are now considering moving to a rural home, you must realize you’ll need time to adjust to this lesser level of public service nearby.
Fewer Business Opportunities
If you’re planning to live in a rural home, you’ll likely have to make a longer commute to work since there are fewer business opportunities close by. On the other hand, if you’re planning to use the rural home as an investment property, it’s important to have clear expectations when it comes to renting or selling it as it’s likely to sit vacant and/or for sale longer for the same reason.
Fewer Restrictions
Urban properties often come with a plethora of restrictions in terms of property development. Rural properties, on the other hand, often have fewer restrictions, giving the owner more leeway when it comes to land development. Furthermore, when it comes to listing rural homes for sale, the listing regulations are less strict than those for urban properties in cities like Los Angeles or New York.
More Opportunity For Land Development
Strategically purchasing multiple rural properties gives investors more opportunities for extending land development, increasing their profitability as a long-term investment. Should the investor decide not to pursue development, the rural property(ies) typically garners a profit when sold.
Cheaper Purchase Prices
Rural properties are typically cheaper to buy than their urban counterparts. As an investor, you can expect to pay about half what you would pay for an urban home of the same size. This makes it extremely easy to buy more than one property at a time and still stay within your budget.
Less Competition In The Market
Recently, there has been an increase in rural properties for sale with a lack of interest from investors, which means there is less competition in the market for purchasing these properties. This factor also drives the prices lower for these properties, making them prime investment opportunities.
It takes the right type of person to reap the benefits of investing in or living in a rural home. If you’re thinking of buying a home in the country for either reason, the pros and cons listed above may help you decide whether or not the purchase is right for you.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many of us are staying at home more. This means finding new ways to entertain ourselves indoors and out. If you’ve never thought of your outdoor space as entertaining before, now’s the perfect time to transform it into an oasis of sorts to get some fresh air and a change of pace.
Here are several upgrades that can transform your outdoor spaces into areas you’ll want to spend time in.
1. Hang A Hammock
Who doesn’t like lying in a hammock on a warm, breezy day? If you have two trees within hammock-hanging distance of each other, or, even if you don’t (you can install your own poles for hanging), you can hang a hammock or some other swinging-type seating to enjoy the great outdoors in.
2. Hang Lanterns Or String Lights In Your Yard
Just as lighting plays a big role in the ambiance inside your home, it can also lend a warm, relaxing vibe to your outdoor spaces, too. Try hanging decorative lanterns or stinging pretty lights across your yard or along a fence for a rustic look that begs you to enjoy it once the sun sets.
3. Play Around With Seating
Gone are the days when patio furniture had to match. These days, you have a multitude of options when it comes to outdoor seating. If you like collecting individual pieces and creating your own seating arrangement, go for it to create an outdoor seating area that portrays your personal style.
4. Accent With Textiles
Make your outdoor space fun and exciting by adding accents in bright colors and textures. From area rugs and throw pillows to slipcovers and more, you can make an extension of your indoor living area.
Just be sure to choose fabrics that are designed to withstand the elements, so you don’t have to worry about storing any of your accents when the weather turns foul.
5. Consider Your Outdoor Activities
How will you use your outdoor space? Not only should it be comfortable and inviting, but it should also be functional. By adding a fireplace, you create a warm atmosphere that enables you to use the space during colder months. You can also add an outdoor kitchen, which will enable you to cook and dine outside on those beautiful summer evenings.
Hopefully, the upgrades above will help you create an outdoor space that you love to spend time in.
You can make a food pantry out of anything. From a walk-in closet to a single drawer in your kitchen, a pantry holds a plethora of non-perishable foods, paper products, small appliances, and more.
The problem with most pantries, regardless of size and location, is that they can get very cluttered and disorganized very quickly. With so many things inside, it’s no wonder. However, if you’ve always dreamed of having a well-organized pantry that’s not only pleasant to look at but also easy to find things in, try the tips outlined below.
1. Clean It Out
The key to achieving a successful pantry setup is to figure out what you have to work with. You can do this by cleaning the space out. Start at the ceiling and remove any cobwebs hanging in the corners and work your way down. Wipe shelving, and if you’re feeling ambitious, give them a fresh coat of paint. Finish by sweeping and mopping the floor. If you aren’t feeling particularly ambitious, simply clean the space and apply contact paper to the shelves.
2. Take Stock Of What You Have
Once you’ve cleaned out your pantry, it’s time to take stock of what you have and what you need. Throw out expired food items and start a box for donations to your local food pantry of items you won’t be using.
This is also the perfect time to rearrange the items in your pantry for convenience. For example, move seldom-used items to the back or to a lower shelf to make room for the things you use most within easy reach.
3. Make It Easy To See What You Have
You can make things easier to find and create a beautiful display at the same time by switching out the mess of open boxes and bags for pretty, clear containers. For instance, baking ingredients like flour and sugar look great in clear mason jars while rice, beans, and other dry goods make for a pleasant display in tightly sealed plastic containers with lids.
4. Purchase Storage Solutions
Once you’ve decided how you’ll organize your pantry, it’s time to purchase the storage solutions you’ll need. Your list may include things like mason jars, plastic containers, baskets, wire racks, spice racks, racks for plastic wrap and aluminum foil, etc.
5. Put Your Pantry Back Together
Now that you’ve purged what you don’t need and have acquired the storage solutions that will work best for you, it’s time to put everything back together. Be sure to group like items together – sugar and flour with other baking ingredients, for example – and face canned goods forward for easy viewing. Keep arranging and rearranging until you have the pantry you’ve always dreamed of.
A pantry is one of those areas in a home that’s used daily and often becomes a disorganized mess. To make it easier to find what you’re looking for and what you need to replace, follow the tips above to organize your pantry once and for all.
Keeping a clean house is an endless chore that most people don’t look forward to. From scrubbing toilets and dusting light fixtures to vacuuming and mopping the floors, the amount of work can be overwhelming.
To help make keeping your house clean easier and less stressful, we’ve come up with several cleaning ideas for you to tackle. These ideas are designed to help you work smarter, not harder, so without further ado, here they are.
1. Clean Your Equipment
Believe it or not, your cleaning equipment could use a thorough cleaning, too. Begin by swishing your broom’s bristles in a tub filled with hot, soapy water. Throw in any scrub brushes and let them soak.
If you use microfiber cloths, toss them in a washing machine on the gentle cycle, then transfer them to a low-heat dryer. Lastly, soak sponges in a solution of 1-tsp. bleach to a gallon of water for five minutes before rinsing and allowing to air dry. Having clean equipment to work with makes your job so much easier and you’ll know your house is truly clean when you’re done.
2. Dust The Light Fixtures
If your living room is looking gloomier than usual, it might be because the light fixtures need dusting. Turn the light off and wait for the fixture to cool. Take it down from the ceiling, if possible, and use a microfiber cloth to remove dust and debris. If the dust is especially stubborn, use a damp rag to remove it. Wipe all surfaces of the fixture and let it air dry before reinstalling.
3. Clean Bookshelves
Bookshelves and their associated books and knick-knacks are dust magnets. Many people forgo cleaning their bookshelves often because it’s such a tedious chore. If your bookshelves could use some TLC, turn on some tunes or your favorite podcast and get to work.
Remove everything from the shelves and place it aside. Use a feather duster or a dry microfiber cloth to remove surface dust. You can go a step further to protect the wood by using a quality dusting spray next. Buff the shelves to a shine, and then wipe down all the books and knick-knacks as you return them to their home on the shelves.
4. Refresh Framed Pictures
Give your home a completely clean look by cleaning the framed pictures on the wall. Start by taking each picture down from the wall and placing it on the table. Spray window cleaner on a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the glass and frame of each picture. Let the pictures dry, then hang them back on the wall.
5. Wipe The Walls And Trim
Unless your child expresses himself on the wall, wiping down the walls probably isn’t something you think of doing often. Taking the time to get rid of cobwebs and dust on the walls, though, can make your space look and feel brighter.
Grab a broom or feather duster and clear the walls of any visible dust. Pay special attention to the corners where cobwebs like to form. Lastly, use a feather duster or microfiber cloth to wipe down the trim, and you’re done!
Clutter is a fact of life. It happens to the best of us, creeping up and becoming an issue often before we even realize it. We all have stuff and that stuff takes up a lot of space. If you’re tired of looking at it, though, the following creative storage hacks can help you get organized or at least appear to be.
1. Tidy Those Bookshelves
If you have bookshelves in your home, it’s the ideal place to store things you don’t want others to see. Take a moment to organize the contents and then install a pull-down window shade to cover the section that contains the stuff you’d like to hide. The result is elegant – almost like it’s supposed to be that way.
2. Store Chargers And Other Cables
If you’re like most people, you have a drawer or basket full of tangled cables. Attempting to pull just one from the mass is nothing less than a 15-minute act of frustration.
To remedy this headache, coil each cord into its own empty toilet paper roll and then toss the rolls into a basket or drawer for safekeeping.
3. Hide Clutter In The Playroom
Kids’ playrooms are hard to keep organized. There’s so much stuff…
If it seems like there isn’t enough room for everything in the playroom, try hiding what you can behind a good old-fashioned shower curtain. Install a shower curtain rod above a shelving unit and slide a coordinating shower curtain across the clutter to instantly hide it and make the room appear tidy.
4. Utilize The Space Underneath
You can declutter a room quite easily if you utilize the space underneath the furniture. For instance, under the coffee table or the bed are great places to put things. Just add a skirted tablecloth over the top and you have instant storage nobody will notice.
5. Storage In The Laundry Room
Hiding clutter in a small laundry room is challenging. The trick is to use coordinating baskets and/or bins to organize everything from dog food to trash bags. Give yourself extra space by installing shelves on the wall to hold the baskets so they aren’t taking up space on the floor.
6. Organize That Pantry
Is your pantry a crazy, disorganized mess of cans and boxes? Do you have no idea what’s expired and what’s not? Put that chaos to rest by creating a roll-out storage shelf that utilizes the space between the fridge and the wall. This handy DIY project lets you see at a glance what you have so you know what to add to your shopping list and what’s going to expire soon.
7. Under The Bed
Under the bed is prime real estate for storage. All you need to do is purchase a couple of under the bed storage bins and you’re all set. To upgrade this decluttering hack, install some wheels on the bottoms of the bins for super-easy retrieval.
Clutter happens in almost every home. Whether the stuff is necessary or not so much, clutter can be exhausting to deal with. To get rid of clutter – or make it appear like you have – try the clever storage hacks listed above.
Negotiating a real estate deal is usually a daunting task for both seller and buyer. While both hope for a favorable outcome, one or both may end up sacrificing some of the things they hoped for to reach a satisfactory understanding that they can both live with. Not everyone is born with a knack for negotiating, but it is an art form that can be learned. Here are several negotiating tips to help you get the best real estate bargains.
Watch the Market Closely
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you should watch the market closely for going trends and conditions that could be favorable to your situation. Knowing what’s popular at the time, in addition to the supply and demand in the area you’re buying or selling, are great negotiating tools.
Having said this, it’s important to note here that even if the market isn’t favorable at the time you’re selling, you could still have the upper hand in negotiations. For instance, if you are selling a nice house in a popular neighborhood where few houses are up for sale, you have leeway to negotiate a higher asking price because the supply of properties for sale in the area does not meet demand.
Know Who Holds All the Cards When
As the real estate deal progresses, the person with the most negotiating power changes. For example, at the beginning of negotiations, the buyer holds all the cards. As the deal moves forward, however, the buyer loses some of the power, until ultimately, the seller has all the power because he chooses the buyer with the offer and terms that best suit his needs.
Get the Best Deals
In a real estate deal, both the buyer and seller look for ways to save the most money. For the buyer, negotiating a good deal means getting the lowest transaction costs possible through concessions offered by the seller. For the seller, a good deal means selling the property without having to give any concessions at all.
The Financial Side of Things
Secure financing is important to both the buyer and the seller. Without pre-approved financing in place, a buyer may not qualify for financing. For the seller, it may be hard to close a deal if the buyer isn’t pre-approved. Having secured financing in place ensures both parties can proceed with the transaction.
Know the Going Interest Rates
Low interest rates are beneficial to both buyers and sellers. Buyers are looking for the lowest interest rates possible, as well as the lowest down payment, too. For a seller, lower interest rates encourage buyers, which increases demand for properties. The higher the demand for a property, the more negotiating power a seller has.
Don’t Underestimate the Other Party
While expertise and experience surely give a leg up in any transaction, it’s important to never underestimate the other party. Even with the most financial backing and best representation, an underdog could come along and negotiate a better deal no one ever saw coming.
How to Act When Negotiating
When negotiating a real estate bargain, keep the following behavioral aspects in mind.
Negotiate face-to-face – Meeting face-to-face and speaking directly with the other party allows you to react appropriately and build a rapport with them.
Be assertive – Let the other party know it won’t be easy to con you by asking knowledgeable questions and stating informed facts about market trends.
Be polite – Mind your manners and speak politely when negotiating. Be prepared to walk away if the deal doesn’t suit you or you feel pressured, as it’s your right to do so.
Be flexible – You may go into a deal with a certain plan but be prepared to alter that plan to seal the deal. It would be a shame to miss an opportunity because you’re unwilling to budge a little bit on the financial side of things.
Your home’s pipes have a very important job. They carry fresh water in and carry waste out. Here’s how to deal with slow-moving or clogged drains and pipes and keep them in tip-top shape.
Be Careful What You Put Down the Drains
One of the biggest culprits of slow-moving and clogged drains and pipes is not being careful of what goes down them. Grease is probably the most problematic substance people allow to go down the drain. While it’s easy to assume the liquid goes through the pipes as water does, the reality is it actually solidifies quickly and collects in specific spots along the way. As it builds up, it causes problems.
Luckily, grease is the easiest drain problem to deal with since you have total control of whether it goes down the drain or not. Rather than pour grease down the drain as you’re cooking, collect it instead in an old coffee can that you throw away once it’s full.
Run Hot Water
One of the easiest ways to help your drains stay clear is to get in the habit of running hot water down them after each use. While oils and other substances can settle, hot water keeps things moving along nicely. All you have to do to ensure your drains stay clear is turn the hot water on and let it run in the sink for a moment or two.
Use Baking Soda and Vinegar
If you have a slow-moving drain or there’s a foul odor coming from the pipes, use vinegar and baking soda to clear it up. Simply pour a quarter-cup of baking soda in the drain and follow it up with a cup of white vinegar.
The combination creates a volatile reaction that foams inside the pipes to clear the offending clog or buildup. Let the combo do its job for 15 minutes and then run hot water down the drain for a few seconds. This natural drain cleaner can be used regularly to keep your pipes clean and fresh.
Your home’s pipes are very important. When they don’t work as they should, it’s very inconvenient and unhealthy. Use the tips mentioned above to keep your drains and pipes in tip-top shape.
There are a lot of things to do when moving to a new residence. One important thing is changing your address. It can be challenging remembering everyone you should notify, so here is the easiest way to get the job done.
Who Needs to know?
The list of people who should know that you’ve moved can be rather lengthy so be sure to make a list. Find your holiday greeting card list to be sure you’ve included family and friends. Next, include all your doctors, dentist, optometrist, etc. Your child’s school and any regular services such as lawn care or cleaning services should go next. Lastly, jot down magazines, newspapers, and even the IRS.
When to Notify Everyone
The postal service suggests putting in a change of address no later than two weeks before you move. The ideal time to do this, however, is about three months before you move. Since the postal service will continue to forward your mail for 12 months, this gives you plenty of time to notify everyone on your list.
How to Notify Everyone
How you notify the people on your list is up to you. If it’s close friends or family, you can simply pick up the phone to relay your new contact info. Many creditors have a place on their monthly statements for you to enter your new address and phone number. Alternately, there are post cards available at the post office for you to fill out and send in the mail to notify others of your impending move.
What You Need
When you contact people you have accounts with, be sure you have your new address and phone number handy, as well as account numbers, an email address, and any other information that may help them identify you and your account.
What to do After You Move
If you receive any forwarded pieces of mail, contact the sender to verify they have your new address on file. It could be that the change simply hasn’t had time to process in their system or that they didn’t receive your new contact information. Keep an eye open for your forwarded mail in about 7 to 10 days after you move in.
Moving is a chaotic event with lots of things to do. Use the tips above to easily change your address with the people who need it most.
If you own your home, you’ve probably already heard that paying extra towards your mortgage loan principal every month or making an extra payment or two every year has some pretty great benefits. This is a reality that many homeowners should take advantage of, and the four advantages of making extra payments to pay your mortgage below are why.
Advantages Of Paying Down Your Mortgage
1. You’ll Pay Less Interest Over The Life Of The Loan
Everyone knows interest is calculated by the amount and the length of a loan. That being said, the less time you take paying a loan off, the less interest you end up paying. Even though it’s a well-known fact, not everyone realizes the astronomical savings this amounts to when it comes to a mortgage loan.
Here’s an example. If you have a $100,000, 30-year mortgage with a 4.5 percent interest rate, and you pay an extra $100 every month, you will save $26,377.36 in interest over the life of the loan.
This fact alone is enough of a reason to pay down a mortgage, but here’s another.
2. You’ll Pay Off The Loan And Build Equity Faster
Obviously, if you pay more each month, you’ll pay the loan off faster. Using the example above, you would shave 8 ½ years off the length of your loan, which helps you quickly build equity you can use later on.
3. You Have More Options
When you pay extra toward your mortgage, it opens doors that would otherwise be closed to you. For instance, you would be able to take out a home equity line of credit that gives you fast cash for just about anything you need.
As a general rule, you can’t get a home equity line of credit on an investment property, but you still have flexibility when it comes to who you rent to once the property is paid off. You could let someone stay rent-free if you wish because you don’t have to worry about making mortgage payments anymore.
4. You Can Refinance Easily For A Lower Interest Rate
This advantage is most useful once the property is paid off, but even before that happens, paying extra sets you up for easy refinancing at lower interest rates to save yourself even more money.
Disadvantages Of Paying Down Your Mortgage
Now that you understand the advantages of making extra payments to pay your mortgage, it’s important you also understand the downside to making those extra payments. Every mortgage is unique, so you’ll have to weigh your options before deciding whether to put extra cash toward paying yours off early.
1. You May Sacrifice Liquidity
Sometimes it’s smart to hold onto your cash. There are instances where paying extra towards your mortgage principal does nothing to increase your cash flow. Here’s an example.
You are a real estate investor with multiple rental properties. You have $10,000 in your investment checking account, and all your properties have paying tenants. You have a total of $600,000 debt, but your lowest loan is just $30,000. Do you put that $10,000 toward paying down that lowest loan? Maybe not.
If that loan is a fixed-rate loan, paying down 1/3 of it won’t lower your payments, which does nothing to increase your cash flow. Yes, it decreases the length of the loan, but as an investor, you’re in it to make money, so it makes no sense to use that money to pay down the loan.
2. You Don’t Qualify For Tax Breaks
When you pay interest on a mortgage, you can write that amount off on your taxes. The less interest you pay, the less of a tax break you get.
3. You Miss Investment Opportunities
Putting your extra cash toward paying down a mortgage takes capital away from future investment opportunities. If you are trying to build a real estate investment company, you need any extra cash for new investment properties.
As you can see, there are several great advantages to making extra payments to pay your mortgage. On the flip side, there are a few reasons you may not want to, too. Assess your situation and decide if it makes sense to use your extra cash to pay down your mortgage.
Have you ever heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child?” You can apply the same concept to buying and selling a property. It’s a group effort, especially if you’re an investor owning multiple properties. There’s a lot of responsibility when dealing in the real estate market, so it pays to form lasting relationships with people who know what they’re doing. Here are several real estate professionals all homeowners need at least once.
1. Real Estate Agent
The real estate agent is often the first person a buyer or seller sees. This real estate professional’s job is to negotiate the best terms for whomever he or she is working. The real estate agent also helps their clients through the legal requirements of the buying or selling process.
For investors with multiple properties for rent, real estate agents can help you set prices and find qualified renters. In some cases, a real estate agent will also screen potential tenants, field phone calls, and show your properties.
2. Home Appraiser
The home appraiser works for the lender. This real estate expert takes into account several factors including a comparison of the home with similar ones in the area that have recently sold, the cost of the home, and the income potential of the home before presenting the lender with a price for the property. Other factors an appraiser looks at is the size of the home, its condition, and the condition of the surrounding neighborhood.
3. Home Inspector
A home inspector looks at every nook and cranny of a property and gives a detailed report of his or her findings for the buyer. Any offer to purchase should be contingent on the inspector’s report. A home inspector looks at major aspects of a home such as its electrical wiring, plumbing, heating/cooling, as well as the roof, walls, floors, windows, and doors.
4. Insurance Agent
Every mortgage requires the borrower to have homeowners insurance in place. The policy protects the owner from loss in the event of things like natural disaster, accidents, and lawsuits. Not all homeowner’s insurance policies are created equal, so it’s important you have a knowledgeable insurance agent on your side. This person can ensure you have sufficient coverage for both common and not-so-common mishaps. If you’re a landlord, an insurance agent can make sure your policy covers things like problematic tenants as well.
5. Loan Officer
A loan officer works for the lender, but it’s his or her job to help you qualify for a loan. This real estate professional gathers personal information from you such as your income, your employment status, and other qualifying information to determine whether you have the ability to pay back a loan. If you have less-than-perfect credit, the loan officer tells you what you need to do to fix it in order to qualify for a loan in the future. A loan officer also helps you get pre-qualified for a loan, which presents you as a serious buyer in the eyes of sellers and real estate agents.
6. Mortgage Lender
The mortgage lender uses the recommendation of the loan officer in deciding whether to grant you a mortgage loan or not. Based on the loan officer’s opinion that you can, and will, pay the loan back, the mortgage lender provides qualifying buyers with the money they need to purchase property. A mortgage lender can be a bank, a savings and loan institution, a credit union, or some other financial institution that lends money.
Whether you’re buying or selling a single home, or you’re an investor buying and/or selling multiple properties, the real estate professionals above are vital to being successful. Gather a team of these experts that you can count on every single time.
Paying bills isn’t a favorite chore for anyone, but it’s a fact of life that can’t be ignored. Not paying bills on time can lead to substantial financial penalties in some cases, so it’s important to have an organized system that enables you to pay everything on time without hassle. Use the seven tips and tricks to organize your home bills below to make this chore as easy and efficient as possible.
1. A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place.
You’ve probably heard this saying before, but its meaning is especially true where bill paying is concerned. How can you make sure all your bills are paid on time if you don’t know where they are?
Dedicate a specific area for placing your bills as they arrive in the mailbox. Ideally, this will be the same place you actually sit down to pay the bills and balance your checkbook so you don’t have to transport anything from one spot to another. If you always place the bills in the same spot, you’ll always know where to find them when it’s time to pay them.
2. Schedule Time to pay Bills
Whether you pay bills every week, bi-weekly, or once a month, schedule a dedicated time to do so. When you set aside a specific time/date to pay your bills, you can plan accordingly so that nothing else interferes and your focus is on the task at hand. Do your best to stick to your schedule so you can get the job done and not have to worry about whether a bill is past-due or not.
3. Open Each and Every Bill
Many people think if they don’t open a bill, they won’t have to face the potential bad news inside. But what if the news is good? Maybe you over-paid a doctor bill, and they’re sending you a refund check. Not opening every piece of mail that comes to your mailbox or email could mean you miss something important. Having piles of unopened bills (even if you’re behind on them and have several copies of each) does not depict an organized bill-paying system.
4. Sort your Bills by Date
Sort all your bills by their due date. This way, you’re more apt to pay the ones due the soonest first. As soon as you get a bill in the mail, open it up and place it in the appropriate slot according to the date it is due. When it’s time to sit down and make out bills, you’ll know at a glance, which ones have to go out first.
5. Don’t Forget about Online Bills
Many people prefer to pay some or all of their bills online. In fact, some people even have certain bill payments automatically withdrawn from their bank accounts so they don’t have to worry about them. While technology definitely makes things easier when it comes to bill paying, you must be even more vigilant with bill management if you pay your bills online. During your weekly/monthly bill pay sessions, it’s important to:
Ensure you have enough money in your account to pay your online bills
Check for emails with important information concerning your online bills, and
Write down any confirmation numbers you receive when you pay your bills online in case there’s any discrepancies with the payments.
6. Organize your Bills after Paying Them
You might be tempted to throw away paid bills, but it’s important you hang on to them in case you need to reference them again in the future. File the paid bills and receipts away in a filing cabinet, keeping like bills together and in order.
7. Clear out Old Bills
Once a year, go through your file cabinet and get rid of all the old bills from the year before. This helps keep the accumulation of papers to a minimum and makes room for the next year’s paid bills. Be sure to shred anything that contains personal information before disposing of it.
The goal of homeownership is to build equity. Equity is the percentage of your home that you own – the more you pay off the principal, the more you own. Let’s explore the many ways you can build equity in your home.
1. Let the Property Appreciate
Depending on the market, your home could appreciate quickly or slowly. For example, if you bought a home in 2016 for $185,000 with a down payment of $12,050, you would have started out with about 7-percent equity. Since market values rose steadily over the next two years, the equity in your home would have also risen to a whopping 23 percent by 2018.
2. Make a Big Down Payment
While making a bigger down payment definitely enables you to build equity faster, it’s wise to exercise caution with this method. Saving for a larger down payment may cause you to have to wait to purchase a home, which can cause you to miss out on market appreciation. It’s best to find a good balance between down payment, monthly commitments, and savings.
3. Put Windfalls of Money Toward Your Mortgage
When you come into lump sums of money, put them toward your mortgage to bring down the principal faster. When you make these lump sum payments, ask your lender if they are willing to recalculate your monthly payments based on the lower balance due.
4. Pay Your Mortgage Bi-Weekly
Divide your mortgage payment in half and pay it every two weeks instead of once a month. If you follow this payment schedule for a full year, you will end up paying 13 monthly mortgage payments instead of 12. This will cut 5 or 6 years off the length of your mortgage, building equity in your home faster and saving you tons of money in interest.
5. Take Out a Shorter Mortgage Term
Most people opt for the traditional 30-year mortgage, which makes paying the monthly payments much easier. You can build equity much faster, however, by opting for a 15-year mortgage term instead.
There are two potential problems with a 15-year mortgage term, however. The first is that it may make it more difficult to make the monthly payments since they will be twice as high, and the second issue is that it’s much harder to qualify for a shorter mortgage term.
6. Make Improvements and Upgrades to Your Home
Increasing your home’s value through improvements and upgrades will build equity. Keep in mind, however, that simply adding a coat of paint won’t be enough. Big renovations like a new kitchen or adding extra rooms or additional bathrooms will up the value of your home and build equity in it swiftly. Just be sure the improvements you make will be worth it once they’re complete.
As a homeowner, you should be working toward building equity in your home. From allowing the property to appreciate on its own to making home improvements and more, you can build wealth by building equity in your home.
A great room, different than a traditional living room, is a large open space designed to be used every day by the entire family for a multitude of uses. From watching TV to reading and lounging, this room is as versatile as it is functional.
With that said, no great room is truly great without a little TLC. Below, we divulge a few suggestions that are sure to make your great room… well… great!
Light And Bright Is Key
To make your great room look and feel large and open, keeping it light and bright is key. If you’re building an open floor plan into your home, be sure the great room has plenty of windows to allow as much natural light to flood the space as possible.
Of course, you’ll want to add the appropriate window coverings to filter and block the light as needed for things like TV viewing or to keep that hot afternoon sun at bay.
Make The Tv Part Of The Decor
No great room is complete without a TV, and of course, it’ll need to be strategically placed for proper Netflix watching on the weekends. With that said, consider mounting the TV on the wall as if it were a piece of artwork. Build its placement into the surrounding wall décor so it looks to be a part of the décor and not something out of place.
If your great room includes a fireplace, consider hanging a low-profile large-screen TV above it for an impressive and interesting display.
Multi-purpose Furnishings
A great room is designed to be multi-functional with many activities taking place there at any given time. In one area, someone may be watching TV, while across the room, someone else may be doing homework at the dining table.
Keep this in mind as you choose furniture for your great room. The upholstered dining chairs you love may not be a practical fit if the dining table will be used for messy activities like crafting, so think about this and choose furniture that fits your and your family’s needs best.
Your home’s great room can be anything you want it to be. That’s the beauty of the space. Follow the tips above to make it the greatest room possible.
Homeowner’s insurance is something most people agree is a necessity. Having said that, many homeowners fail to read and understand their policy and often have no real idea what is covered and what is not. Having adequate homeowner’s insurance does more than protect your home in the event of physical damage or theft. It gives you peace of mind. Should something unfortunate happen, the last thing you want to worry about is money. Use these five homeowner insurance tips to help you get a policy that suits your needs and your wallet perfectly.
1. Make it a point to know what your policy covers.
If you don’t know what your homeowner’s insurance policy covers, make it a point to find out. Don’t wait until something bad happens and then hope it’s covered. Basic policies cover things like fire and storm damage, vandalism and theft. It also provides liability coverage in the event that someone gets hurt while visiting your property. Should you get temporarily misplaced from your home for some reason, your homeowner’s insurance policy pays shelter costs so you don’t have to pay outrageous hotel bills until you can get back home.
Homeowner’s insurance policies also cover things outside your home, too. For instance, if an airline loses your laptop, or something is stolen from your vehicle, your homeowner’s insurance will likely cover these items.
2. Understand what the policy doesn’t cover.
While your homeowner’s insurance policy covers a lot of things, it does not cover some rather important things at the same time. Not understanding what your policy doesn’t cover can cause great financial loss should anything such as earth movement (earthquake, landslide, sinkhole), war, power failure, government action, nuclear damage, faulty repair or bad workmanship, flooding*, or bad zoning occur and your policy doesn’t provide adequate protection.
*Flooding and water damage can be questionable. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies cover water damage caused by water falling from above. For instance, a leaky or burst water pipe or rainfall damage is covered, whereas ground flooding or sewer backup is not. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, you must purchase supplemental coverage in order to be covered in the event your home is damaged by flooding.
3. Shop around.
When deciding on a homeowner’s insurance policy, it pays to not only shp for the best price, but also for the best service. Of course you want to pay as little as possible for your policy, but dealing with an agent who is empathetic and friendly makes a bad situation a little less terrible. Be sure to check reviews online of the company and agent you plan to do business with, or ask friends and/or family members for recommendations.
4. Keep records of everything.
Many a claim against a homeowner’s insurance policy gets denied because the holder fails to provide adequate documentation. In the event of damage or loss, you must document everything that takes place. Write down dates, times and names of people you talk to who have anything to do with the process. Keep every receipt, estimate contract and appraisal in a safe, secure location. If you don’t have a safe to keep paper documents, consider using a digital service such as Dropbox.
5. Don’t wait to file a claim.
Many homeowner’s insurance policies have time limitations in which to file claims, especially when waiting could potentially make damage worse. For example, if you notice water damage from a leaky pipe, make a claim right away so it can be fixed. If you wait too long, a small bit of water damage will get worse, resulting in mold and mildew. Your insurance company could decide you waited too long and refuse to pay for the repairs.
Most people browse online when looking for a new home to buy. If the photos of your home posted online aren’t of good quality or they don’t depict your home in a positive light, buyers won’t give it a second glance. To help you make your home look its best, use the staging tips below and watch it sell fast.
The Furniture
How your home is furnished makes a big difference in how buyers perceive it. If your furniture is old and drab, that’s how they will see the home. The good news is you don’t have to rush out and purchase all new furniture just to sell your home. Instead, there are firms you can hire to bring in modern furnishings to make your home look bright, fresh, and clean.
The Floors
It’s important the floors in your home look as clean and shiny as possible. If your floors are worn in spots, you can cover it with rugs. If the flooring is badly worn or stained, it might make more sense to replace it. You can buy cheap flooring that might not necessarily be to your liking, but if it helps your home sell, it’s worth it.
Wall Décor
Take some time to update your wall décor. Bright, bold artwork looks best, but you don’t need to spend a great deal of money to acquire it. Simply visit your local thrift store and pick out a few artsy pieces to hang on the walls while your house is on the market.
Clutter
It is vital that you get rid of anything that might be viewed as clutter. All those knick-knacks you’re so fond of are just clutter to the next person. If your closets are jammed full of stuff, clean them out and place everything you don’t need in storage until the home sells. If your rooms are full of wall-to-wall furniture, remove all but the most important pieces to allow buyers to see the potential for the space.
The Outside of Your Home
Curb appeal is most important as it’s the first impression a buyer gets when he arrives at your home. Tidy up the yard, cut the grass, trim the bushes, and paint the front door to put the outside of your home in the best shape possible. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
If you are selling your home, how it appears to others in person and online in photos makes the difference between it selling fast or it sitting on the market for weeks or even months. Take the time to stage your home right so it sells as quickly as possible.
Each color has the ability to generate either positive or negative feelings. It’s important then, to choose a color that not only enhances the appearance of your home but also evokes positive emotions.
Many homeowners feel that painting the walls a neutral color is the answer. While it does enable the buyer to easily envision his belongings in your home, neutral colors can be boring, especially when the buyer has already seen several houses all painted in shades of neutral. Primary and secondary colors also make great wall colors, too.
What Do Primary Colors Say?
Reds
Although the color red is a strong color with a reputation for boosting self-confidence, it can be overwhelming for homebuyers. Often used in restaurants to stimulate appetite, red used in a home can be over-stimulating and agitating.
Pink, on the other hand, is a nice choice since it is soothing and promotes understanding. However, as pink is considered a feminine color, it could be off-putting to male buyers.
Blues
Almost every shade of blue instills a positive impression. Dark blues are thoughtful and promote concentration, while lighter blues bring about tranquility. Aqua blues are also a good choice since they also help with deep thinking.
Yellows
Yellow is a great color because it boosts brain function, stimulates intelligence, and enhances focus. Brighter shades, however, may distract and overwhelm homebuyers, especially if they are used on large walls.
How Do Homebuyers Perceive Secondary Colors?
Oranges
Orange is a positive color as its cheerful nature is associated with celebration and youth. It instills confidence and creativity. Although orange is a great color choice, it can be a distraction if used too much throughout the home.
Purples
Add an elite vibe to your home by painting the walls purple. Darker shades are often associated with royalty or celebrities, while softer shades such as lavender foster humanity and encourages connectivity.
Greens
Shades of green tend to evoke feelings of wealth. Whether it’s wealth of well-being or money, darker shades of green give the impression of stability, good health, and rejuvenation. Shy away from bright greens, however, as too much isn’t always a good thing.
As a final note, it’s always a good idea to paint your home’s walls when selling to get rid of any scratches and nicks that make them look shabby. A fresh coat of paint, no matter the color, always gives a fresh, new life to old walls and, barring any off-the-wall color choices, promotes a positive first impression for prospective buyers.
Selling a home is a many-faceted process that can be confusing at the best of times. It’s common for homeowners to make mistakes because they aren’t sure of or aren’t aware of important steps that could end up costing them a lot of money in the deal.
If you’re selling your home, pay close attention to the four mistakes to avoid below so you don’t end up with the short end of the stick.
1. Asking The Wrong Price For Your House
It can be difficult knowing what price to set for your home. Several factors go into the price including the appraisal, the current market, and more. To ensure you’re setting a fair price for your home, it’s important to do a little homework to find out what similar homes in the area are selling for. This information, along with your home’s appraisal will help you set an asking price that will attract potential buyers and get you the most money for your home.
2. Not Taking Advantage Of Social Media Marketing
If you think a simple sign in your front yard is enough to sell your home, you’re sadly mistaken. You never know who is moving to your area from somewhere else in the world, so your marketing scheme needs to span wider than just your local market.
Use social media to post your house for sale. Be sure to include high-quality photos that illustrate your home at its best. Outdoor pictures should feature a well-kempt yard and landscaping, while the indoor shots need to highlight the best things about the house.
For example, if your home has a lot of natural lighting, daytime pictures are a must. Avoid posting photos of untidy or cluttered spaces. To that end, it’s best to de-clutter and clean before even putting your house on the market.
3. Not Making Much-Needed Repairs
Nothing turns buyers off more than walking into a house in need of obvious repair. Unless a buyer is looking for a fixer-upper (most aren’t), it’s best to make sure all maintenance and repairs are done before ever showing the house.
Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls if they are peeling or stained. Clean out the gutters and have the roof repaired, if need be. Anything you can do to improve the appearance of the home will greatly improve your chances of selling it faster and for a much higher price.
4. Not Being Hospitable To Potential Buyers
The more hospitable you are to potential buyers, the more likely they will be to strike a deal on your home. It’s called common courtesy, and everyone that enters your home deserves it.
Welcome homebuyers to your home and provide cold drinks and snacks. Avoid following them as they walk through your home as it makes most people uncomfortable. Give them plenty of time to look at the house on their own, and when they are finished, be sure to thank them for looking.
Selling a house can be exhausting work and many homeowners make mistakes that could cost them dearly. Follow the tips above to avoid making some of the more common mistakes when selling your own home.
To help you find a buyer for your home quickly, use the four tips on how to sell your home fast listed here.
1. Be Reasonable about the Price from the Beginning
Whether it’s to make a profit or the outstanding balance is more than the property is worth, many sellers think starting high and then lowering the asking price later if it doesn’t sell is a smart thing to do. The reality is, this tactic can result in the house sitting on the market for longer because buyers and agents just don’t think you’re serious about selling. If you have time to wait, by all means, start high and see what happens. However, if you need to sell your house now, set a reasonable price from the beginning, and there’s a good chance you’ll sell within the first 30 days.
2. Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal
First impressions are everything, and prospective buyers form a strong opinion about your home the moment they pull into the driveway. Take the time to update landscaping and take care of any repairs to the outside of the home that will make it look better. What buyers see on the outside sets their expectations for what they will see on the inside.
3. Give Your Home A Modern Makeover
Your home may be lovely and well-kept, but if its décor is outdated, it will deter buyers. You can update your home’s interior cheaply and easily by updating fixtures and giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. Your goal is to make your home stand up against the market’s current conditions and what’s in style at the moment.
4. Give Buyers A Chance To Imagine
When a prospective buyer walks into your home, you want them to be able to picture themselves in it. In order for this to happen, you have to remove as much of yourself from it as possible. Take down family photos and remove any religious items. Give it a good deep cleaning (carpets, windows, etc.) or hire a cleaning company to do it for you. Lastly, get rid of as much of the clutter as possible to make rooms look and feel bigger. This may require you to rent a storage unit to keep your belongings in while your home is on the market.
Bonus: Be Courteous and Accommodating
People looking to buy a home aren’t all on the same schedule. If you aren’t accommodating, you could be missing out on the perfect buyer for your home. Be prepared to show your house in the early morning or later in the evening, and always leave when someone is looking at your home so they can openly discuss their feelings about it without feeling like intruders.
Many homeowners put their homes on the market with the hopes that the property will sell quickly. For many, this doesn’t happen. To help you find a buyer for your home quickly, use the four tips on how to sell your home fast listed above.
A well-kept contemporary home showcases a sophisticated lifestyle, refined tastes, and high social standing. Even if your home isn’t modern and high-end, you can give it an air of contemporary design by following a few décor tips many professional interior decorators use. Adding these touches to your house will perk up its boring ambiance and make it a more comfortable and inviting space to come home to.
1. Arranging And Decorating The Living Room
Since the living room is usually where family and guests hang out, it should convey a welcoming atmosphere. If the TV is the focus of your living room, be sure to surround it with plenty of elegant, comfortable furniture. Use end tables and/or a coffee table to provide plenty of space for drinks, making sure each table is proportionate to the furniture it sits beside.
2. Choosing Wall Colors
Wall colors inside your home should invoke positive feelings. Avoid choosing colors based on how they look in the store, but rather how the swatches look in your own home. It’s always good to remember that lighter colors should be used over the majority of a room, while darker colors should be used to accent one wall or special areas of interest.
3. Adding Curtains For Emphasis
Curtains aren’t just for covering the windows. When chosen correctly, they can really jazz up the appearance in any room. Choose matching curtains or drapes for subtle décor or opt instead for coordinating colors or patterns for a dramatic effect that draws the eye and wows the viewer.
4. Flooring
Today’s home improvement stores carry so many flooring options it can be hard to choose. While this may sound overwhelming, it can be fun browsing the options to find a suitable floor for your home. The only rule of thumb here is to choose something that enhances the beauty of the room’s décor while being easy to care for in the long-term.
5. Adding Plants And Flowers
Green plants have a calming effect on the senses, making the room feel more comfortable and relaxing. You can add an array of green plants to your home to enhance its appeal and increase its comfort quotient.
Alternately, flowers also add to the appeal in any room. While fresh flowers are nice, artificial ones last longer. The only thing you must remember is to clean them periodically, so they stay looking good.
6. Hang Contemporary Art
Whether you’re an art lover or not, hanging pieces of contemporary art is a great way to add a contemporary flair to any room. If you’re an artist yourself, don’t be afraid to hang some of your own framed work on the walls, too.
7. Decorate Your Ceiling Fans
While ceiling fans add some sense of style to the rooms in your home, they can be somewhat boring. Up the ante, by decorating the blades of your ceiling fans to coordinate with the rooms they hang in.
Using fabric and some Mod Podge or a matching color of paint, cover the blades, allow them to dry, and enjoy the oohs and aahs you get when guests stop by.
You don’t have to have a lot of money to make it look like you live in a modern house. Using one or all of the tips above, you can add a contemporary touch to any room in your home and make your home look more appealing to family and guests.
Sure, slippers were invented for a reason, but once you’ve lived in a home with heated floors, you’ll throw every single pair you own in the trash.
Heated floors are more than just a luxury. They are energy-efficient and help lower your heating bills in the winter. While the initial expense might sound like a lot, heated floors pay for themselves via your energy savings in a very short time.
2. Dimmer Switches
Installing dimmer switches in your home is probably the cheapest upgrade on this list. However, don’t underestimate the impact it will have. You’ll be surprised at how much changing the lighting in a room can change the ambiance instantly. If you hate how harsh your overhead lighting is, try installing a dimmer switch and see how warm and cozy the room becomes.
3. A Mudroom
Having a functional mudroom is something that many people overlook. This room is especially helpful when it’s situated between the house and the garage. A mudroom is meant to get a little messy, so whether someone is coming home from the gym, coming in from the garden, or shoveling snow, the mudroom catches all the dirt and mess before it enters your home.
4. A Finished Basement
If the basement in your home is unfinished, it may seem like the only thing it’s good for is storage. Give the space a little TLC, however, and it’ll change the way you live in your home forever.
A finished basement gives everyone extra space to live the way they want. If you add separate rooms down there, it’ll open up even more possibilities for its use.
5. Upper-Level Laundry
Sure, having a dedicated laundry room is nice, but having one on the second floor right outside the bedrooms? Priceless!
Doing laundry is so much easier since there’s no need to lug heavy loads of laundry up and down the stairs.
6. Double Sinks in the Bathroom
Once you’ve experienced the convenience of a double sink, you’ll never be able to go back to a single again. Having a double sink in the bathroom makes sharing the space with a partner or roommate tolerable, especially when it comes to coordinating spit and rinse cycles while brushing. If you have the space, installing a double sink in your master bath is definitely worth considering.
Many smart homeowners make upgrades to their homes. Unfortunately, not all upgrades are worth the time or expense you put in. Avoid luxury upgrades that require a lot of maintenance (like the hot tub) and instead, focus on projects like the ones mentioned above that are totally worth the consideration.
Painted floors are hardly a new concept, but in today’s modern home design, they can lend warmth, charm, and a rustic touch that fits any budget. If you’re the DIY type and are considering painting your floors, here are a few things to think about before you begin.
1. Do You Have Time And Money To Prepare The Floor Professionally?
When you hear of a painted floor that didn’t last, likely, it wasn’t prepared properly in the beginning. Preparing the floor correctly is the key to getting a painted floor to last a long time. If you don’t know how to prepare the floor correctly, hiring a professional to do it will greatly improve the chances that your floor will last. Even if your budget doesn’t allow for an entire professionally completed project, consider hiring a professional for the preparation part to ensure a good result.
2. Do You Have A Historical Home?
If you own a historical home with original flooring, keeping it as-is is often preferred. That said, historical homes often have additions with newer flooring that can be painted to enhance modernization or keep with the historical décor.
3. The Room’s Natural Light
If you have a small, dark room that gets little natural light, painting the floor a bright shade (white or off-white) will help bounce light around, so it feels bigger.
4. How Thin Are Your Wood Floors?
If the original wood floors in your home have already been refinished several times, it could be that they are too thin to refinish again. In this case, rather than the expense and hassle of replacing them, painting offers a way to breathe new life into old floors without breaking your budget.
5. Your Modern Home Lacks Charm
New constructions can lack charm and history, so painting the floors can give yours the character it lacks. Consider a design that works with your home’s architectural style, but don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through your painted floors.
6. Are Your Floors Damaged Beyond Repair?
If your floors are damaged beyond repair or they are structurally unsound, painting them only covers up the problem without addressing the real issues. If they are warped or uneven, paint won’t be able to cover them. If your floors are beyond repair, it’s best to bite the bullet and get them fixed, so they look great and you know they can support you and your belongings the way they should.
7. Will You Want To Go Back To The Original Floor?
Painting is pretty permanent, so if there’s a chance you’ll want to go back to your original finish, it’s a good idea to skip this project. If you do paint your floors and ever want to “undo” it, keep in mind that it’ll be another major undertaking to do so, and there’s no guarantee the floor will be the same as it once was.
Millennials are the biggest generational group of homebuyers. If you want to be competitive and appeal to this group when selling your home, you must be sure to include features they are looking for. Below, we discuss several home renovations you may want to consider if you hope to appeal to this generation of buyers.
A Dedicated Workspace
Working from home is something many companies embrace. As such, a large portion of the population now works from home, at least on a part-time basis. For millennials, a home must contain a dedicated workspace complete with plenty of outlets and room for shelving.
If your home contains a spare room, adding a few tweaks here and there to make the space feel like a home office is recommended. If no spare room is available, a nook or something similar in a kitchen that has good lighting works, too. The space doesn’t have to be large, just something an up-and-coming remote worker can picture themselves using daily.
A Smart Home
Millennials are all about the digital age, and as a result, they crave smart technology. From smart thermostats and keyless locks to smart doorbells and more, millennials appreciate the convenience and added security these smart options bring to a home.
If you’re hoping your home appeals to the millennial generation, be ready to discuss your smart home features as well as the wi-fi carriers and signal strengths in your neighborhood.
Charging Ports
The younger generation has their smartphones with them all the time. As such, these devices need regular charging to keep up. Switching out some of the regular outlets in your home with USB outlets will be a huge plus with the millennial generation.
Adding USB charging ports in bedrooms, living spaces, and in the kitchen is a great way to market to the millennial generation.
Neutral Color Palette
A neutral color scheme is very popular among millennials. If you want to appeal to this group of buyers, consider giving the rooms in your home a fresh coat of paint in a palette of gray variations, white, and soft neutrals throughout. If your kitchen has cabinets in vibrant or dark hues, think about painting them a lighter, neutral color and switch out the hardware for a look most millennials will appreciate.
Outdoor Living Space
If you want to hook younger buyers, having an outdoor living space where they can spend time entertaining family and friends is a must. Whether your yard is big or small, millennials will be able to see themselves hanging out in it around a fire pit in comfortable seating under some urban-chic lighting. Even if you’ve never used your yard like this before, it pays to stage a space like this in your backyard while selling your home.
Since millennials make up a large portion of homebuyers, it makes sense to market to them as much as possible when selling your home. Add a few of these upgrades and/or renovations to your home to appeal to this generational group.
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