Before you consider a move in life, you'll want to be prepared for all the hidden costs that may surface as you go along. There are some obvious costs that may not alarm you, but be forewarned that hidden costs can certainly accumulate- it'll all depend on your ability to look ahead and exercise your best planning skills.
Remember that if you decide to go for a package deal on packing and moving supplies, there could still end up being last minute rentals for things you just did not foresee. These costs add up. Also, if you decide to take time off work to pack your own goods, load and drive the truck, you may want to first consider whether or not it make more financial sense to hire someone. After all, missing a days work could mean missing a days wage alongside benefits like, vacation time. In many cases it's more worth your while to suck it up and hire somebody. Another cost that you might not be wise to, is a tip for your movers. It's an appreciated gesture, so you'll want to have cash on hand.
Whomever you hire or ask to help with your move, you'll want to ensure that they are careful with your items and with your house. It does happen that in transit, accidents happen and things break. If you're moving items out of a house you are selling, you'll want your team to be extra careful not to harm the house during the move. These are avoidable costs, so long as everyone on site is doing their best to be careful and respectful of the items they are moving, and the building they're moving them from.
If you're hiring a truck yourself consider the charge for truck insurance, as your auto insurance will not cover rented moving trucks. Take note that your rented truck insurance, will only cover damage that happens to the truck and will not cover the contents in the vehicle. If this is a concern to you, and you have some precious items, you may want to consider hiring a driver, that way you can have your contents covered through them.
If your stuff is traveling large distances, you'll need to factor in the cost of gas for the miles you are covering. When writing up your moving budget, make sure you over-budget for things like hotels, cell phone calls back home, and any extras you can think of. Make sure you rent from a reputable moving company and that the truck you're renting is in decent condition.
The best advice is to consider any and every possible cost and to factor these into your moving budget. With any budget it's always best to be a little over budget, rather than way under budget.
Be sure to visit Gary and his Nashville Real Estate website, use his Nashville MLS search feature to browse properties currently available in the surrounding areas.
Do you have a blank slate of a yard, that needs landscaping ideas? Are you overwhelmed by the seemingly limitless possibilities that this tabla rasa is imposing on you? Have no fear, any big chunk of bare land has certain elements that'll help you define and refine your decisions along the way. Depending on where you live, factors such as shade, existing plants, desert conditions and sea spray can effect your site planning. Looking at the entire situation or context of your site helps you decide what elements to include and what kind of interplay they'll have with each other.
Before muddling your brain with myriad ideas that may be be subject to weekly or even minute to minute changes, have a professional walk through the following criteria on your property. These elements will help define the parameters of your landscaping plan.
- What is the site's location and the size of your space ?
- What is the shape of your yard and its unique contours (changes in elevation, hills and dips)?
- What are the drainage patterns on your property?
- What does zoning permit on your property? Are there things you won't be able to be because of existing ordnances?
- Where are the utilities, such as the gas line? You just might be able to hook up an outdoor kitchen!
- Map out the significant existing features including stumps, sheds and trees
- Where are the views from and into your yard?
- What are the climate/micro climates within your space?
- What are the neighborhood patterns (is your corner lot a cut-through?)
Before you begin painting the palette of your blank slate, you'll want to make a proportionately-drawn sketch on graph paper or on a computer landscaping program, where you can insert all this important preliminary information. From here you can begin to imagine all the spaces you'd like to have and see if they for into the parameters you've discovered exist on your "blank slate" of a lot.
Now as you begin to design your dream here are some further tips to consider.
1. Think year round interest when selecting shrubs and such. Ideally you'll want a blend of different shrubs that have different flowering times, so that year-round you'll have a balance of color in your yard.
2. Don't overlook evergreens as they'll provide continuity in your landscape with their year round green foliage.
3. Uses annual to supplement perennial color.
4. Think about where you can incorporate hardscape elements into your design plan. Walls and fences are great to serve in both form and function. Functionally they create privacy and provide a home for climbing plants. In terms of form they are a great way to visually frame certain areas in your yard and to add a different visual dynamic in height. texture and color.
5. Especially as you begin to develop your yard, you'll want to think of a low maintenance approach. The last think you want is to have created a masterpiece, that turns out to be a monster in terms of the time and energy it demands. One golden rule for the green thumb is to select drought proof plants, in as many cases as possible. Summer heats can be a real kill joy to your spring blooming aspirations, so it's better to air on the side of caution and start with some manageable landscaping choices.
Be sure to visit Gary and his Nashville Real Estate website, use his Nashville MLS search feature to browse properties currently available in the surrounding areas.
The Governors Club in Brentwood Tennessee, which is just minutes from downtown Nashville, is one of the few gated and manned communities in the Nashville area. Then when you add the championship golf course designed by Arnold Palmer with a country club and 19th hole then there is no competition when it comes to looking for an executive or estate luxury home.
Over the past 18 months I have entered a new market and level of real estate that when I first started selling homes in March of 2001 I could only dream of.
In February of 2007 the number of million dollar inquiries increased dramatically to the point where I was working with three clients all looking in the $2 Million plus price range. This is a price point that most realtors would like to work in because obviously the commission is better than the average home but more so because its just a much more interesting job when you are dealing with homes at this level.
I remember driving past the gated subdivision of LaurelBroooke in Franklin Tennessee a few years ago and being very curious as to how agents met clients that bought in that price range and if I would ever have clients that would even think of searching for a home in the $1 million range and up. Well as of 2008 I have had two clients buy property in LaurelBrooke and as a result I have developed a great relationship with the people at The Southern Land Company and I have been invited to part of the Realtor Advisory Board. This has given me the opportunity to meet the marketing department and the people behind the new developments as well meet the listing agents for the developments in a different environment. Westhaven in Franklin Tennessee is another subdivision I have sold property in and the Ashton Real Estate Group has had a number of sales there. As a result of the advisory group meeting I also become much more aware of the new mixed use development at McEwen Place in Franklin Tennessee.This will have commercial retail, rental and privately owned condos that are in heavy demand for the Franklin area. Infact I learnt that there has been no new rental property built in the Franklin area for 10 years!
The more that I am involved in these type of activities the greater the benefit to my clients as I developing an awareness of new projects coming online but also meeting other realtors who are very successful in selling homes at the price point and becoming aware of these agents will help when trying to show one of their listings. Haveing just sold two lots for new construction in LaurelBrooke to a client who is building at $4-5 Million home added a new level of credibilty to the Ashton Real Estate Group in that now we have a well known and public track record for dealing with clients at this level.
Having the high internet profile has also enabled me to start to develop a smal listing inventory of homes over $800,000. I currently have 3 homes in the gated golf course community at The Governors Club in Brentwood Tennessee. This is recognised as the premier golfing community in the southern part of Nashville and is one of only a handful of manned gated communities. UPDATE: As of 3/31/08 I now have 2 listings :)
Estate Homes
I'm not sure what the exact definition of an estate home is but its seems once you get around the $4 Million mark the listing agents start describing the homes as estate homes. I actually spent all of this past week end with some clients that werer from out of state and were moving to the Nashville area because of a yet to be born Grandchild :) The economic downturn forgets the powerful impact of the family! Anyway, my buyers were in the enviable position of looking for homes up to around $5 Million or building in that price range and in the meantime looking at homes in the $2-2.5 M range. As a result I got a great over view and the ability to compare the level of finish and designs of the homes in these price ranges.
I have to say that some homes just exuded quality and a level of design that really did merit the more than $4M price tag. Importing stone from Italy as well as hand blown glass tiles, custom made trim that would only be found in a particular home, state of the art smart home features and home theaters all added to the value. Add to that the fantastic location of some of the homes and it was easy to see why these estate homes had achieved the price tag of $4-5M. However, some homes looked like they plans had been merely expanded to make the rooms of a $1M home bigger and ther overall dimensions strecthed to justify the price tage. Apppliances were on some cases high end for a home in the $1M and under range but certainly not for the estate home level. Clients at this level are very eductaed and discerning and they know quality when they see it and they are willing to pay for it. Usuallybuyers in this price range have been through the building process a number of times and have thought long and hard about how they want their $4M home to look and flow so they have an eye for detail that many builders don't appear to appreciate.
In the end, buyers at this level are more than likely to find the perfect lot and build the estate home to their own plans and specifications working with an architect and team that can guide them through the process and point out features that would be important in terms of resale etc.
I'm hoping that my involement with clients at this level continues and I'll receive more and more referrals from satisfied clients and that I'll continue to learn from the established agents in Nashville and from my clients :)
Probably the most important part of selling a house is in the pricing. It doesn't matter how well a home is staged or marketed, if the price is too high, it's not going to sell. Compounding this problem is the length of time it remains on the market. After about 20 days, it's not a fresh listing and the interest begins to decline. The longer it sits, and then people start wondering if there is something wrong with the property.
There is a science to pricing a house to sell and surprisingly, different agents approach the task in a number of ways. These are some of the basic components of pricing a home, which generally come into play. However, some agents simply know their market and they have a gut feeling about whether a price is within range or not, and many times they are right on the money.
Start With a Comparative Analysis
Pull local listings from the last six months that align with your home's features, age, property and house size. Compare the selling prices and the differences in the various properties. For example is the home located next to a busy road, does it sit under hydro lines, or is it well-maintained? A similar size of home is a factor, but is not always the main consideration when determining a selling price. A smaller, well-maintained home with road appeal may sell at a higher price than a poorly maintained, older home on a bigger property.
Next, compare the asking prices with similar homes that have sold to see how well they were priced. Also check to see the average number of days on the market.
View Expired Listings
Look up any expired or pulled listings to see if there was a common reason that they did not sell. It may have something to do with the location, or an undesirable development that is planned in the area. It may have even had something to do with the broker and their particular marketing techniques.
Know your Competition
Tour some of the comparable listings for sale in your area to determine any edge they may have over your home. Compare the appearance, features and overall sense that you get when you enter the home. If you can't make the necessary changes in your home to compete, you may want to adjust your price.
Market Conditions
The ultimate price is going to be determined by the condition of the market. In a seller's market you may be able to ask a slightly higher price than in a buyer's market. Here you want to avoid turning away prospective customers because of an unrealistic asking price. In a seller's market, where inventory is increasingly scarce, you may be able to get away with adding an additional 10 percent above the last comparable sale.
In a more balanced market, your price may be set only a percent or two above the last comparable sale, depending on how long ago it was. Keep in mind, if you price lower, you increase your chances of receiving multiple bids where the final selling price may end up at market or higher than market value.
Probably the most important part of selling a house is in the pricing. It doesn't matter how well a home is staged or marketed, if the price is too high, it's not going to sell. Compounding this problem is the length of time it remains on the market. After about 20 days, it's not a fresh listing and the interest begins to decline. The longer it sits, and then people start wondering if there is something wrong with the property.
There is a science to pricing a house to sell and surprisingly, different agents approach the task in a number of ways. These are some of the basic components of pricing a home, which generally come into play. However, some agents simply know their market and they have a gut feeling about whether a price is within range or not, and many times they are right on the money.
Start With a Comparative Analysis
Pull local listings from the last six months that align with your home's features, age, property and house size. Compare the selling prices and the differences in the various properties. For example is the home located next to a busy road, does it sit under hydro lines, or is it well-maintained? A similar size of home is a factor, but is not always the main consideration when determining a selling price. A smaller, well-maintained home with road appeal may sell at a higher price than a poorly maintained, older home on a bigger property.
Next, compare the asking prices with similar homes that have sold to see how well they were priced. Also check to see the average number of days on the market.
View Expired Listings
Look up any expired or pulled listings to see if there was a common reason that they did not sell. It may have something to do with the location, or an undesirable development that is planned in the area. It may have even had something to do with the broker and their particular marketing techniques.
Know your Competition
Tour some of the comparable listings for sale in your area to determine any edge they may have over your home. Compare the appearance, features and overall sense that you get when you enter the home. If you can't make the necessary changes in your home to compete, you may want to adjust your price.
Market Conditions
The ultimate price is going to be determined by the condition of the market. In a seller's market you may be able to ask a slightly higher price than in a buyer's market. Here you want to avoid turning away prospective customers because of an unrealistic asking price. In a seller's market, where inventory is increasingly scarce, you may be able to get away with adding an additional 10 percent above the last comparable sale.
In a more balanced market, your price may be set only a percent or two above the last comparable sale, depending on how long ago it was. Keep in mind, if you price lower, you increase your chances of receiving multiple bids where the final selling price may end up at market or higher than market value.
Fireplace mantels provide an ideal focal point in a room, but in many homes this results in a missed opportunity. Instead, the mantel becomes a dusty shelf covered with family photos and knickknacks. Sometimes when a certain area of the house has looked the same for a long time, we get used to it. We don't stop to think of what it could be.
The best way to begin a new creation is with a blank canvas. Clean everything off the mantle and dust off the cobwebs. Here are some tips for deciding what gets displayed and how.
Try leaning pieces of art and/or mirrors on the mantle as opposed to hanging them. Put the largest piece up first, slightly off center, and overlap the other pieces gradually. This gives the effect that you added them randomly through the years.
If you want to hang above a mantle, create a wallpaper effect by hanging a number of nearly identical pieces in a grid like fashion. They should start just above the shelf and go almost up to the ceiling.
Black and white photographs in the same style or by the same artist give a bold and dramatic effect.
If you’re hanging a simple painting or mirror above a fireplace, always include a sculpture or a 2-dimensional piece of art on the shelf to add interest.
Display collections by grouping them with other similar colors or themes. For example, a collection of bottles or a display of all white vases varying in shapes and sizes. Combining too many mediums will create a cluttered effect; as would a large collection of small ornaments.
Try an absence of decor for a totally different approach. Paint the wall behind the fireplace a bold color, and let that become your focal paint. Place a simple vase or a cluster of tea lights on the mantel.
The classic use of candles for decorating a mantel never goes out of style. Make it interesting by creating a variety of heights and sizes; for example, try balancing a tall vase on one end with a small candle grouping on the other. A tiered arrangement also provides visual interest, lit or unlit. A simple version is to display glass blocks, stacking them at varying heights and directions, and then place simple votive candles on the blocks.
Eye catching floral displays whether silk or real, with a showy vase create a stunning focal point on a mantel.
Try combining different textures or styles for a varied look. Decorating a modern fireplace with antique accents can be very dramatic.
If you find yourself stumped, try using the “Three Plus One” decorating trick. Choose three objects that share a common theme or color. For a rec room you may choose a framed sports print and some beer steins. For a beach home, you may consider some coral, seashells or a model ship. Whatever you choose, it should fit the theme of the room and reflect your interests. Line them up in an interesting way, perhaps bringing one forward or overlapping them slightly. Leave a bit of space after the last object so that you have some space at the end of the mantel. Next, select one larger object, generally at least double the size of your three objects, placing it at the other end of the shelf. It should have something in common with the other items; a common theme or color.
When it comes to decorating, don't get discouraged; you may not know exactly what the finished product will look like, but the important thing is trying lots of different approaches, and then suddenly you'll find the look that fits.
This article was submitted by the writing team at Nashvillesmls.com, providing instant access to all Nashville real estate. Contact the Ashton real estate group for all area listings, including Brentwood TN real estate.
While Tampa winter days might seem chilly to those that live here, in truth we are extremely blessed to live in one of the warmest climates in the United States. And because Florida gets most of its rain in the summer, the winter months could well be the prime ones for enjoying time on your deck.
Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air can be vital to our health and sense of well being. Thanks to a variety of innovative deck heating systems, the outdoors can be a cozier place. What better way to enjoy the end of a day spent doing fall yard-work or walking in the neighborhood, than curling up beside your deck heater and grilling something nice on the barbeque?
For homeowners, creating a truly usable deck space increases the value of your home, almost creating a whole other room in your home, but with far less effort than an actual interior renovation. So what are some of the options for making outdoor living comfortable?
A covered deck has the advantage of never getting wet, and of keeping some heat in. For some, a roof over their deck might take away that open-sky feeling they love, but for others, it is just what they want to keep it cozy. It's a matter of personal choice. Translucent plastic corrugated roof panels might provide the best of both worlds, and are relatively easy to install for a person with carpentry skills.
To keep the deck cozy, consider one of the many options for deck heating. There are several sizes of the lamp-post style of gas heater. Table-top heaters will give you about a 10-foot circumference of heat, while the taller heaters can give off about 20 feet of heat. These can be quite stylish, with an old fashioned design and made of sleek metal. These tend to come with safety features that shut them off completely if they get tilted, so there is no worry of it catching your wooden deck or wicker patio furniture on fire.
Infrared heaters are another option for deck and patio heating. Some are free-standing and some can mount to a wall. While they are a little less stylish than the lamp-post variety, they are surprisingly energy efficient and don't have any burning gas fumes.
If your outdoor space is cement, you may be able to have an outdoor, wood burning fireplace. There area variety of ceramic outdoor stoves. If you are considering this, check local bylaws to find out if wood fires are legal in your area.
With the variety of options available in deck heating and weatherproofing, you should be able to find an affordable and attractive way to make your deck or patio comfortable all year long.
This article provided by the writing team of TampaMLS.com. If you're looking for Tampa, Fl real estate, and want to search our Tampa MLS listings, or other areas nearby, visit TampaMLS.com.
There's a reason popular websites are often so easy to navigate. It's because the people who build them spend as much time thinking about why they're popular as they do promoting the website. For real estate professionals, this can be a valuable lesson, much the same as knowing your market when you look for leads. If you're a real estate agent with a website, you can use a wide variety of free analytics and statistics tools to track online visitors and make your site better. Combined with search engine optimization and traditional marketing techniques, these tools can help make you a lot more successful.
But before you download every piece of site tracking software out there, it's important to consider exactly what you need for your site. Too much information, or the wrong kind, can still be a bad thing here, and divert your attention away from the most important numbers. For example, blog site traffic might be much more keyword driven than traffic to a well-known service site with a lot of click able imagery - both sites will benefit from different tracking methods.
Using free tools can also make you more adept at reading server logs and stats from your websites hosting provider, which are more reliable, but often less user friendly.
The most popular in-depth analysis tool out there is Google Analytics, which allows you track multiple websites through the same control panel. This plug-in can provide detailed information on a wide variety of traffic metrics, from the "bounce rate" of each page, to more traditional keyword information.
GetClicky is another tool you can use to find in-depth information across your site. Unlike Google Analytics, it keeps stats in real time, rather than an update every 24 hours, so you can see how your site's performing up to the minute.
More specialized tools that don't provide comprehensive information include CrazyEgg, 103Bees, Mint, and Feedburner. For Wordpress users, there are also a variety of stats plugins built specifically for the blogging platform, including Open Web Analytics, and Wp-Stats - some Wordpress plugins even have additional plugins to integrate tools like Google Analytics.
Statistics tools are usually free because they allow the developer to see what's happening on your site, and compile marketing data. So use these tools if you can, but don't forget to take any unused tools off your site so you aren't sending valuable information without getting something in return.
Gary Ashton is an experienced Nashville real estate professional. Visit his website for area information, a free home search, and resources for Nashville real estate buyers and sellers.
So much depends on a good property for sale listing. It's usually the first thing people see when they find out about your home, and it provides more information about your investment than almost every other source. A first-rate listing can generate competing offers for your home, and help it sell for a high price, quickly. But a mistake here can cost thousands of dollars, and cause you to spend more time than you planned on the market. Following are a few tips for listing your home effectively, and ensuring that you get the most for your real estate investment.
Whether you're selling a palatial waterfront mansion or a small condo, there are a few elements your listing should always have. Number one is an effective price. Ideally, your price will attract buyers who might not have otherwise considered the listing, and encourage them to see your property's potential. Too many agents and sellers rush this step, and list a price that drives buyers away. A good policy is to aim a little lower than many buyers might be expecting - if your property is seen as a "deal" buyers will compete with each other for it, and drive up the sale price. This means researching the recent sold and listed prices of homes in your area, and having a good idea of where the market might end up in three months.
A clear, easy to follow description of the property. You don't have to make up new words or a marketing slogan for the property - simply state in the first sentence what kind of property it is, along with one or two of its most sale able attributes. From there you can summarize the property's location, and list its main features and amenities. It's usually best to tell people where the home is before describing it in detail, because location is generally the biggest factor in the decision process. Some sellers have had success with a brief history of the home's market performance, but this type of thing is usually better suited to a blog (if you can get people to visit your home's blog, you're definitely on the right track) or to introductory discussions with prospective buyers.
Good listings should also always include high-resolution photos of your home. These should be done after the home is ready for sale, with as few of your decorations and personal affects as possible in the photo. The photos should also be focussed on things buyers want to see - not necessarily what you want to show. For example, buyers are typically interested in the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, and street-view exterior - if you have a spacious laundry room that really adds to quality of life at your home, that's fine, but save it for listings details or the home tour.
If you're Internet savvy, you can use a variety of other tools to augment your listing, such as popular listings sites like Trulia and Zillow, classified sites like craigslist and Google Base, and vFlyers.
A little extra work on your listing can pay off big when the buyers come calling, so take your time, make sure your property looks as good as it can, then go get your reward on the market.
Gary Ashton can help you list your home for the Nashville real estate market. Visit his website for area information, a free home search, and resources for Nashville real estate buyers and sellers.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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