Special offer

Homes Are Alot Like People...

By
Real Estate Agent with Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 228209

 

Homes Are Alot Like People...

 

...TLC, a healthy diet and even a little surgery may be required!  As a former nurse, I have come to learn the commonalities that Charlotte real estate shares with patients--they really do have a lot in common.  No anesthesia is required for the treatments necessary to remedy the home aging process though!   As homeowners, however, we may need a little anesthesia when we receive the maintenance bills if we don’t stay on top of our home's aging process right from the beginning.

Needs a facelift

 

1. Homes get wrinkles, too.  Yes, believe it or not, I’ve seen Charlotte homes for sale with sagging plaster, drooping windows and hanging doors.  Brand new “For Sale” signs sit out front, their clean, white sparkle starkly contrasting with the wrinkles.  It’s not attractive; the homes may be only ten years old (30 in house years!), but they look much older.  Be kind to your home – use a little cosmetic surgery when necessary.

 

 

Surgical Instruments

 

2. There ARE cosmetic surgeons available for homes.  Only, in home-speak, they’re called “contractors.”   If you notice that your home has wrinkles and you want to sell it, see what replacements you can afford to have the contractor handle for you before putting your home on the market.  Windows?   They’re reasonably affordable on most budgets and can make a huge difference in how the house looks.  Hanging doors?  Not as affordable as windows, but still doable.  With $10,000 or less, you can give your home a major facelift.

 

 

Tired

 

3. Homes do get tired too.  Have you looked around your house lately?  This is one of the first things you want to do before putting it on the Charlotte real estate market.  Is your home tired and worn out?  Even relatively young homes can show signs of energy-deficiency. Cabinets start sagging.   Doors groan and sigh when you open them.  Windows refuse to stay open all the way and slowly slide back down in the tracks.  Give your home an energy boost.  Even a little WD-40 can make a huge difference, especially on groaning doors.  If we’re talking about groaning garage doors, a $5. can of silicone spray can do wonders (and should be used about once a year to keep them youthful). 

 

 

Bald  roof?

 

 

4. Homes can go bald and get age spots.  It’s true, they can.  What used to be a bright red roof has faded and peeled in places, giving the home an “aged” look.  The real kicker is, to keep it bright and pretty, you have to maintain it, dye it or replace it.  Keep the overhanging oak trees trimmed back to avoid the age-spotting sap from necessitating early hair plugging!  Take care of your home’s head!

 



Got a facelift!

 

5. Homes need TLC too.  To stay happy and healthy, homes need tender loving care too. With a steady diet of maintenance, touchups and cosmetic surgery, your house will be happy and you will be able to find a good buyer too!

If you’re selling your home, make sure it stands proud above the rest—youthful, despite its age!

 

 

Search Charlotte Homes for Sale

Comments (98)

Carrie Sampron
Home Smart Realty Group - Highlands Ranch, CO
ABR SFR & Kathy Sampron (303) 931-3629 Highlands R

Debe: I love the way you presented the info! Great job. Carrie

Jul 14, 2010 06:25 AM
Carolyn Roland- In Delaware and S. Chester County PA
Independent architectural histor'n - Wilmington, DE
Carolyn Roland, GRI, CRS

Dealing with historic homes, I find that they are the grande dames of housing for sure. Some even have bats in the belfry. Gotta sweep them outta my hair!

Jul 14, 2010 11:01 AM
Angela Bond
Keller Williams Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Real Estate | 310 666 5052

So when my friend said my front porch was looking a little tired lately, was she talking about me or my house :)

Jul 14, 2010 11:38 AM
Gail Nyman
Re/Max United Real Estate - Dunkirk, MD
Every House Has A Story

You are so right! Homes have feeling too. You know what is going on in them from the moment you walk in. We will want to make sure it's positive. Nice way to present the "tired home" principal to a seller too! Thanks!

Jul 14, 2010 01:24 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Debe, Being a former RN, I can relate to this well deserved featured post! My definition of TLC +tons of liquid cash. Some of us and our listings are in need of a bit of TLC.

You can relate the creaking of the floors and stairs to the sounds coming from other's knees!

You are a delight!
Margaret

Jul 14, 2010 02:23 PM
Marian Lake Walker
Staged 2Gain - Inverness, FL
Home Stager Florida, Home Staging Central Florida

Many sellers "get" this message as they are putting their homes on the market. Better they'd gotten it as a closing gift when they purchased the home! 

Thanks for putting it so well Debe.

Jul 15, 2010 12:37 AM
Mary Douglas
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado - Red Feather Lakes, CO
REALTOR, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Hi Debe, I love this analogy!  I was commenting the other day on a very expensive clay tile roof, I should have thought of it as a lovely head of hair! LOL Congratulations on this feature, we all need to care for our homes so that they keep their youthful appearance as long as possible.

My home needs some sunscreen!

Jul 15, 2010 03:42 AM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Nice flow to th post. it reminded me when I first started reading comics and how much fun they were. Thank you DEBE........

Jul 15, 2010 08:56 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Hello Debe and some great work putting this post together, would you like to write some posts to my photographs some time?

VB ;-)

Jul 15, 2010 04:52 PM
Catherine Marrone
Integrity Residential Brokerage LLC - West Newbury, MA
West Newbury MA real estate, Essex County

Very cute!

Jul 16, 2010 02:42 AM
LaNita Cates
REMAX of Joliet - Joliet, IL

Very cute post Debe! I wonder if older homeowners prefer older homes for this reason!:)

Jul 17, 2010 08:10 AM
Shirin Sarikhani
Seattle Staged To Sell www.seattlestagedtosell.com - Seattle, WA
RESA-Pro

Hi Debe. I just came across this blog. I am not sure how I missed it, since it's such a lovely blog. I tried to re-blog it, but I see that it has been re-bogged 15 times already. It's so true what you say in your blog and I love the way you say it. You just have a way with that keyboard. 

If sellers do all the above that you suggested and stage their home, their house will be completely ready for the market. 

Grasshopper

;-D

Jul 17, 2010 01:57 PM
Tom Waite
Thomas Waite Real Estate Broker - Cypress, CA
So Cal-Apartment Bldg Investments

Great Idea!

Makes a lot of sense.

Great blog! 

Jul 19, 2010 06:39 AM
Joan Inglis, Master Accredited Staging Professional
Carolina Spaces, LLC www.CarolinaSpaces.com - Charlotte, NC
Home Staging, Model Merchandising, Interior Design

Very cool post!  A great way to emphasize the importance of home maintenance.  Love it!

Joan Inglis, Master Accredited Staging Professional

www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com

Jul 21, 2010 05:11 PM
Nevin Williams
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation - Cary, NC
Senior Mortgage Advisor

. Homes can go bald and get age spots.  

 

HEY!!

Aug 09, 2010 08:31 AM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Hey!  If the shoe fits...jk!  My mother's father was bald as long as I knew him--I always thought he was THE most handsome man in the world.  Ray keeps complaining about his receeding hairline and I say, Bring it ON!  I love it!

I've always thought bald is beautiful--except when we're talking about the roof on a house!!  LOL

Aug 09, 2010 08:49 AM
Elizabeth Cooper-Golden
Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, (@ Homes Realty Group) - Huntsville, AL
Huntsville AL MLS

Debe, Ha ha ha....this was great!  What a great spin on a boring subject.  You made it enjoyable.  Way to go sis!

Aug 09, 2010 02:03 PM
Elizabeth Cooper-Golden
Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, (@ Homes Realty Group) - Huntsville, AL
Huntsville AL MLS

Debe, Ha ha ha....this was great!  What a great spin on a boring subject.  You made it enjoyable.  Way to go sis!

Aug 09, 2010 02:03 PM
Bobi Bigelow
Jim Green Realty - Fort Myers, FL
Advertising / Marketing Administrator

GREAT blog Debe! My favorite part was; "make sure it stands proud above the rest - youthful, despite its age!"

I bought an 1875 Victorian house with plans to flip it. After a few years of renovations I put the house on the market this past July. Since then I have heard wonderful compliments such as;  "it's the most prominent home in town" and when they find out the age or are shown the photo from the Historical Society of the house under construction it's nice to hear how beautiful it is and what great shape the house is in for a 125+ year old house. "It doesn't even look its age."

You made excellent points Debe, if people make it a priority to take care of their home like they should take care of their own health their home with take care of them.  

Aug 11, 2010 07:12 AM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Just plain fun imagery.  We learn a lot about upkeep in Southern California ; )

Aug 11, 2010 05:17 PM