seller advice: Preparing your Schaumburg Home for Sale - 6 worth the price fix ups! - 01/28/12 01:35 PM
6 Worth-the-Price Fix-Ups Simple and affordable do-it-yourself projects can greatly increase a home's resale value, according to HomeGain's annual home improvement and staging survey done in April 2011. The company surveyed nearly 600 real estate professionals to discover which DIY home improvement projects give sellers the biggest return for their buck. Here are six projects under $1,000 (amounts are estimated) that made the list. 1. Cleaning and decluttering. Remove any personal items, unclutter countertops, organize closets and shelves, and make the home sparkling clean. ◦ $290 Cost ◦ $1,990 Return 2. Brightening. Clean all windows inside and out, replace … (8 comments)
|
seller advice: Selling Homes - You only Have 90 Seconds to Make a Great First Impression - 07/19/11 09:09 PM
Selling your Schaumburg Area Home soon? With just a little time, effort and planning you can make the best first impression and optimize your chances of selling your home. This great advice shouldn't be overlooked.
Great post by Kristine Ginsberg of Elite Staging & Design in New Jersey.
Via Kristine Ginsberg (Morris County, NJ: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC):
Selling Homes - You only Have 90 Seconds to Make a Great First Impression
* According to NAR (National Association of Realtors), 90% of potential home buyers start their search on the Internet before ever stepping out with their Realtor. MLS photos are … (4 comments)
|
seller advice: Is Your House Ready For Its Photo Shoot? - 05/08/11 03:10 PM
I really don't understand it. As a Realtor I spend alot of my time just shaking my head. Why you ask? When I go into homes with plenty of notice (days sometimes) the kitchen still looks like this .......
Do you as a seller think that this is making a good first impression to that buyer? What possible excuse is there for a Kitchen that looks like this?
I'm waiting! (tick, tick, tick, 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand) But until you think of a good story, please read this great post by Chris Ann Cleland about your homes upcoming … (10 comments)
|
seller advice: Remodeling Reality - Not every dime you put into your house you are going to get out! - 02/09/11 08:54 AM
Not every dime you put into your house you are going to get out! There it's out in the open and I've said it honestly. But do you believe me? You should and here's why. I sell homes all day long and see what people get for their updates, upgrades, wants, and have-ta-haves. Some people think that adding for every nail, piece of putty and shingle to their original price equals your future sales price. This couldn't be further from the truth. This thinking is perpetuated by Lowes, Home Depot and a handful of others that are nothing more than in the business … (16 comments)
|
seller advice: Kitchen Decorating Idea or Disaster Waiting to Happen? - 01/18/11 05:07 PM
Kitchen Decorating Idea or Disaster Waiting to Happen?Recently going through the 'new things you should know about' from House Beautiful online. They had a article about 10 Ways to Make your Kitchen New Again. The horrible advice intrigued me and made for some afternoon comedic relief. Like add a lamp in your Kitchen. Yeah, ok. Right next to the Mr. Coffee?I wanted to share with you the only worthwhile 'new' idea that I saw in the article. Maybe this might not be bad to give a kitchen a new feel or give a taste of 50's flair. It's called Tile Tattoos … (13 comments)
|
seller advice: "Snap, Crackle, Pop!" - Great For Selling Cereal. How About For Selling A House With Pergo Floors?! - 01/02/11 12:24 PM
One of the truly annoying things about today's flooring choices when entering a sellers home. It's worse I think when the property is vacant and there are no furnishings to distract you. Makes the whole home seem inadequate to a buyer. Not to mention they begin to add up how much it would be to replace or repair the floors.
Great post from Rick Phillips.
Via Rick Phillips (Appraisals Guaranteed):
"Snap, Crackle, Pop!" - Great For Selling Cereal. How About For Selling A House With Pergo Floors?!
I recently accepted an appraisal assignment up in the mountains. The house was new, … (3 comments)
|
seller advice: Inexpensive Home Updates - 12/24/10 11:36 AM
Inexpensive Home Updates
Curb Appeal Regardless of whether or not you're planning on selling in the short term, improving your home's outer appearance will improve both the value and charm of your home. Re-painting the front door and trim will give the front of the house the feel of a newer home. A little minor landscaping work (trimming shrubs, cutting the lawn, replacing sod) over a long weekend can dramatically change your home's look. Add some potted flowers on the front steps or entryway. Consider investing in new doorknobs, house numbers and a mailbox as well.
Light Fixtures If you … (6 comments)
|
seller advice: Making the Most Out of a Small Bathroom - 12/20/10 02:05 PM
Making a the Most Out of Small Bathrooms It doesn't take a full remodel or removing walls to open up space in an otherwise small bathroom. Below are some cost-effective methods for making tiny bathrooms feel less closed in.
Pedestal Sinks Pedestal sinks are not only stylish - they also eliminate the boxy, space-eating traditional vanities that can close off small bathrooms. Switching from a traditional vanity to a pedestal sink will reduce some storage space in the room, so you may want to install small shelving above the sink or additional towel racks/hooks in the room.
Minimalist Storage When space … (1 comments)
|
seller advice: What types of Hardwood Flooring are best for pets! - 12/19/10 10:57 AM
Great post to read before purchasing hardwood floors or engineered floors. What will hold up best with pets?
Hardness? Color? Bamboo good?
Debbie Garner of Floor Coverings Intl. takes us thru the many selections and what would be the best choice for you based on your situation.
Via Debbie Gartner, Westchester Flooring (Floor Coverings International :Westchester NY & Fairfield CT):
I get this question often from my customers - which type of hardwood should I use for pet? It's a hard question to answer because truthfully all hardwood will dent and scratch over time - it's just a matter of how … (5 comments)
|
seller advice: Agents in Wonderland: Why Listening to Real Estate "Experts" is Like Following the Hare into the Hole -- and Ending Up in WONDERLAND - 11/25/10 09:54 AM
Real Estate Advice - We search the internet thru newspaper articles, blog posts, blips & blurbs to find the information that we seek to make informed decisions. I do it myself every day for many, many topics. What wouldn't I do? Take advice from someone that wasn't licensed in that profession. Why? Remember that old saying 'CYA'? I want to protect mine - everyday, all day long. I want to take advice, consult, get knowledge only from those that have THE RIGHT to distribute it by having a license, a degree, TRUE EXPERIENCE etc. in their profession.
I'm not going to ask my … (6 comments)
|
seller advice: SELLERS ADVICE - INSULTED BY THAT OFFER? - 08/28/10 10:39 AM
Offer too low? Sellers do you feel insulted? You shouldn't as this post mentions the buyer probably would not have taken the time to write up an offer if they really weren't intrested. This is great advice.
I just received an offer but I refuse to counter ............
Via Dan Jasmer (RE/MAX Excellence):
Have you ever been involved in selling a home where an offer was made and you refused to counter the buyers offer? Here is some advice for sellers to consider, especially in today’s economic environment.
If a buyer has taken the time to put an offer on paper and … (3 comments)
|
seller advice: Need a Make Under? Is your Home Overdressed? - 08/24/10 04:10 PM
There is a great thought behind this post besides 'remove the clutter Mr. Seller'. Most homes I see on the market truly need a 'Make Under' as mentioned here.
Excellent advice from Tessa Skeens in Texas.
Via Tessa Skeens - Hampton Redesign (Hampton ReDesign, Home Staging and Redesign in Fort Worth TX): Happened to be home when Oprah was on this afternoon. The topic was Makeunders. Women who needed less not more. But this also applies to homes. Nate Berkus did a room Makeunder and it inspired me!Every home that goes on sale needs a makeunder. The less of you, … (5 comments)
|
seller advice: Seven Home Staging Steps That Will Sell Your Home! - 08/18/10 08:39 AM
Sellers here's some great advice! Define the space! If you have been using your Dining Room area for a children's play center, buyers will not remember the 'function' of the room any other way. Your room's function is a 'Dining Room' - as a family eating/gathering area not a pink Barbie play area!
Define the space with the highest $$ use for the broadest range of buyers. This also applies for your Familyroom if used as a play area. A garage that has been transformed into a 'Man Cave'.
This is from Sharon Tara a stager from New Hampshire. Enjoy!
Via Sharon Tara … (5 comments)
|
seller advice: Cleaning your Deck - NEVER Pressure Wash! - 07/15/10 11:01 AM
Bet many people didn't know this but pressure washing your deck can cause more problems than what you had in the first place!
Good advice, please read.
Via Jay Markanich (Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC):
I tell my neighbors. I tell my clients. I tell everybody who will listen. NEVER pressure wash a deck! When the pressure-wash companies send their college kids to knock on my door to "wash" my deck, I tell them why they should not be doing that to decks! When I see their trucks*, they advertise cleaning decks, patios, siding, roofs - you name it! Don't … (5 comments)
|
seller advice: Pops, Creaks, Squeaks and Groans - was that your Staircase? - 06/07/10 02:17 PM
Creaky Wooden Staircase I hear?
Whether it's getting your home on the market with this easy repair or just fixing something that's been aggravating you to death, here's a few easy suggestions. There is nothing more annoying or demonstrates 'lack of maintenance' than 3 people (2 buyers and your light as a feather real estate agent) coming down the stairs of your home and there are pops, creaks, squeaks and groans. Great for an Alfred Hitchcock movie but doesn't scream 'the stairs have been well maintained' does it?
Wooden stairs creak as they age and begin to dry out. They can be … (9 comments)
|
seller advice: What Every Seller Needs To Know In Today's Real Estate Market - 05/14/10 06:07 PM
Some honest advice to sellers from Carra Riley in Arizona on what to think about before you have any kind of 'knee jerk' reaction to a buyers offer. You might end up kicking yourself in the pants months down the road.
Enjoy these suggestions when receiving an offer on your home! Oh yes, and don't shoot the messenger!
Via Carra Riley CRB, CRS, GRI (Author, Speaker, Consultant, Second Homes AZ LLC):
What Every Seller Needs To Know In Today's Real Estate Market
… (1 comments)
|
seller advice: Upgrades Don't Always Add Value - 04/16/10 02:58 PM
Not every dime you put into your house are you going to get out - there I've said it honestly. Some people think that for every nail, piece of putty and shingle they add to their purchase price and voila - your future sales price. This couldn't be further from the truth. This thinking is perpetuated by Lowes, Home Depot and a handful of others that are nothing more than in the business of selling you things.
In this market, conservative is the word. Granite counters are nice but can I get you an extra $10,000 at selling time? I … (4 comments)
|
seller advice: Sellers May Not Realize That...... - 04/16/10 08:05 AM
Sellers here's some good advice - there's a good amount of information that I've given for sellers preparing their house but there are some things that agents wish they could say to sellers in these instances! Dead animals adorning the walls (taxidermists), guns out to possibly show the sellers prowess. These things HAVE TO BE put away for your home to show in it's best light.
Throw in some humor like an agent from Texas, Greg Nino did and I'm sure I'll be making my point. Enjoy, and oh by the way, an above ground pool is nothing more than … (7 comments)
|
seller advice: Staging your home really helps it sell! - 02/09/10 09:19 AM
Advice to Sellers - Staging your home really helps it sell! Last week was really a 'visual' week in extremes. My one post entitled 'The glamorous job of a Realtor©' tried to show you the kinds of homes that we might see during the course of showing or on listing appointments. One of the things that I desperately try to point out to sellers is the competition that is currently on the market in our area. When I do a listing appointment I come armed with how many homes are in a particular price range, absorption rates for your city and a … (14 comments)
|
seller advice: Ways to Spruce up Your Home for Under $100 - 01/10/10 10:18 AM
Who said that giving your home a little 'face lift' had to cost alot of money? This is great advice on how to freshen up your house with a little bedding, paint, or a faucet or two!
Who says you only have to do these great things when you sell your home? How about do them NOW and then enjoy it!
This is from Kate Case a stager in the New York/New Jersey area. Enjoy her great suggestions!
Via Kate Case ~ Kate's Home Staging ~ RESA ~ ASHSR ~ NJ NAR Affiliate (Kates Home Staging and Redesign):
By spending $100 or … (6 comments)
|
;)
;)
;)
