home: Pretend You’re A Buyer - 05/30/16 10:07 PM
An effective technique to help you sell your property quickly and for the best price is to put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer. Don’t just visualize this. Actually do it!
Drive to your property and imagine that you’re seeing it for the first time. What’s your impression? Is the landscaping attractive? Are the walkways clear? Is the front door welcoming?
Now walk up to the front door, open it, and step inside. Does the foyer seem neat and uncluttered? Is there anything unsightly from that vantage point?
Take a walk through your home, starting in rooms that a potential buyer would … (1 comments)

home: The #1 Ingredient Needed To Sell Your Home Quickly - 05/06/16 11:47 PM
There’s a long list of ingredients needed to sell your home quickly. Obviously, you want to make your home as clean and uncluttered as possible. You should also make sure any outstanding repairs are done. And, of course, all the little things you can do to make your home “show” well are important, too.
But the number one ingredient needed to sell your home quickly is the right price tag. If you set the price of your home just right, buyers will come to see it, and there’s a good chance you’ll get some good offers. If you price your home too … (1 comments)

home: Dealing With A Home Inspection Issue - 04/27/16 09:00 PM
As you may know, it’s common to include a home inspection as a condition of an offer you make. It protects you from issues that you might not otherwise see during a viewing.
What do you do if the home inspector finds something wrong? The inspector might find a leak in the foundation, or windows that are old, drafty and need replacing.
Must you pass on a property that you otherwise like?
Not necessarily. Just because the home inspector discovered a deficiency doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t purchase the home. You should, however, bring the issue up with the seller.
Your REALTOR® will do that … (2 comments)

home: Home Shopping And The Four-Legged Stool - 04/25/16 03:35 AM
What kind of stool is most likely to keep you from toppling over when you sit on it? Of course, two-legged stools won’t even stand on their own. Three-legged stools are okay, but still unstable. Four-legged stools are rock solid.
What does that have to do with shopping for a new home?
Well, if you want to find the right home quickly and for the best price, you need to have four things in place – the four legs of the stool. They will help ensure the experience goes smoothly.
The first leg is your wish list. You need to have a clear picture … (1 comments)

home: 5 Secrets To Selecting Interior Lighting - 04/05/16 07:00 AM
Lighting is, perhaps, the most important element in decorating. The right lamp, chandelier or ceiling fixture can instantly make a room more attractive and inviting. The wrong lighting, unfortunately, can have the opposite effect.
Here are five secrets to making the right choice:
How much lighting is required in a room? To calculate, simply multiply the square footage by 1.5. Therefore, a 12′ x 16′ living room would require 288 watts of lighting (12 x 16 x 1.5 = 288). How big a chandelier do you need? Simply add the dimensions of the room together. So a 12′ x 16′ area could … (2 comments)

home: When the Home Inspector Finds Something Wrong - 03/24/16 12:53 AM
You shop for a home. You find one you like. You make an offer — conditional on a satisfactory home inspection.
Okay so far.
Then the inspector discovers a problem with the home that may require an expensive repair or renovation. Perhaps the frame in the front door is cracked; or there's a leak in the roof; or the furnace is due to be replaced.
What do you do?
You don't want to pass up an opportunity to purchase what could be your dream home. On the other hand, you don't want to have to deal with potentially costly repairs.
First, keep in mind that you … (1 comments)

home: Preparing Your House for Sale in Less Than a Week - 03/13/16 03:20 AM
It’s great when you have lots of time to prepare for something important. But life doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes you have to move quickly, and do the best you can with the time you have.
Say, for example, you had to get your house ready for sale, and you only had a week to do so. What could you do in those few days to make your home as attractive as possible to potential buyers? Here are some ideas:
Clean the house from top to bottom. Make it look “guest ready”. Get rid of as much clutter as possible. If … (1 comments)

home: 5 Things Home Buyers Don’t Want To See - 02/28/16 12:02 AM
When preparing a property for sale, homeowners often focus on the things that will impress buyers, such as clean and uncluttered spaces, well lit rooms, staged furniture designed to maximize appeal, and so forth.
But it’s equally important to pay attention to those things you don’t want buyers to see... those little turn-offs that, although seemingly minor, can distract buyers and cause them to lose interest in your property.
For example, you don’t want buyers to see these things:
Pets. Although many people love pets, some don’t. Others are allergic to them. Dogs, in particular, can take a keen interest in new visitors, jumping … (2 comments)

home: Getting A Handle On The Home Selling Process - 02/27/16 04:31 AM
You probably know there’s more to selling a home than putting up a FOR SALE sign. But if you don’t understand the process in detail, you might feel intimidated and stressed when it comes time to put your property on the market.
Fortunately, the home selling process isn’t that difficult to understand. There are basically six steps.
Step one is selecting the right REALTOR®. You need a knowledgeable, trusted expert who can guide you through the process, take care of all the details, and help sell your home quickly and for the best price.
Step two is preparation. You need to ensure your home … (1 comments)

home: Be Sensible When it Comes to Scents - 02/26/16 02:43 AM
Sniff, sniff. “What is that smell?”
 
That is definitely not the reaction you want a potential buyer to have when they view your house.
The problem with common household scents – from family pets, preferred cooking styles, smoking, or even hobbies such as model-making – is that we get accustomed to them. However, someone who enters the house for the first time will notice these aromas right away.
So, before a viewing appointment or open house, be sure household scents are under control. A good airing usually does the trick.
Reposted from http://www.marina.realtor/ixact-be-sensible-when-it-comes-to-scents/
… (2 comments)

home: The Benefits of a Pre-Sale Inspection - 02/19/16 09:55 PM
Your home probably has dozens of great features that are going to help it stand out and sell faster. Perhaps it has a cozy sunken living room? Or an equipped and smartly decorated kitchen that Rachel Ray would envy? Or a location in a desirable neighbourhood?
All these things will help.
But there’s another selling feature you should consider adding: a pre-sale inspection.
A professional home inspection is usually done on behalf of the buyer before the deal to purchase a property is finalized. In fact, you can expect any offers to purchase your home to be “conditional upon satisfactory home inspection.” However, there … (0 comments)

home: Is Your Home Market Ready? - 02/13/16 08:09 PM
Putting your home on the market may be the last thing you have on your mind.
But as you know, life happens. Things change. You might unexpectedly find yourself in the position of wanting or having to quickly sell your home.
It happens more often than you might think. In fact, according to studies into why people sell their homes, more than a third are due to relatively quick and unexpected changes. Something happens – a job relocation, a lifestyle change – and the homeowner finds him or herself making a move.
In these situations, the biggest source of stress is caused by the … (1 comments)

home: Open House Tips That Turn Viewers Into Buyers - 01/25/16 05:28 AM
What do you want from an open house? Obviously, you want to attract a lot of potential buyers — and have at least a few of them become seriously interested in your property.
So how do you make your open house as successful as possible?
You probably already know the basics: make sure your house is clean, bright and uncluttered.
However, there are some other open house success tips you may not know…
Get minor repairs done. A dripping faucet, a squeaky fence door, or a scuff on the wall may seem minor to you, but these problems can stand out like a sore thumb … (2 comments)

home: Three Lists To Make When Selling Your Home - 01/02/16 01:33 AM
When you put your property up for sale, you want to make sure that potential buyers get all the information they need on the features of your home and its surrounding area. If, for example, a buyer doesn’t realize there is a great school just a couple of blocks away, he might cross your property off his shortlist. An effective way to make sure something like that doesn’t happen is to create three lists.
#1: The “I’ll miss it” list.
Chances are, there are things about your home that you’re really going to miss when you move. It may be the spacious living … (5 comments)

home: Getting Your Home Hunting Ducks in a Row - 12/23/15 01:01 AM
Say you’re shopping for a new home. Your goal is to find the ideal property, in a neighbourhood that is just right for you, within a price range that you can afford.
What do you need — at minimum — to get started?
If you’re looking for ways to get your ducks in a row, here are some suggestions:
A property wish list. What does your ideal home look like? How many bedrooms does it need to have? Do you require a spacious recreational room? A large deck? A pool? A nice view? Get your wish list down on paper. A neighbourhood wish … (1 comments)

home: Staging the Outside of Your Home - 12/15/15 07:58 PM
You’re probably familiar with the term “home staging”. It involves cleaning, de-cluttering, reorganizing, and decorating specifically in order to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Furniture stores do something similar when they “stage” a bedroom suite in a showroom.
Most sellers focus their staging efforts on the inside of their homes. But the outside is important too. After all, a property’s exterior is the first thing potential buyers see. So you want to make sure that the first impression is a good one.
Here are some ideas on how to make sure that happens.
When preparing your home for sale, imagine you’re … (1 comments)

home: Reducing The Stress Of Moving Day - 12/06/15 07:45 PM
Moving day is traditionally such a hectic and emotionally charged experience that there are even reality TV shows about it.
Does it have to be that way? Is it possible to ensure that moving day goes smoothly?
Picking a good moving company, or making similar arrangements to transport your belongings, is the obvious place to start. But here are some other tips you might not have considered:
Put pets in a kennel for the day. Pets may get excited by all the activity and tend to get in the way, or may hide where you can’t find them.
Have healthy snacks available. Vegetables, fruit, nuts, … (0 comments)

home: Consider Buying a Home With Some “Undesirable” Features - 11/21/15 11:05 PM
When you’re looking for a home, chances are, you have a checklist of things you want. Two bathrooms… a finished basement… a great looking kitchen… an expansive deck…
But what happens when a home you see has a feature that doesn’t quite measure up? Perhaps the basement is poorly renovated. Or the kitchen is small. Or there’s only one bathroom. Should you say “No”?
Here’s something to consider: A home that has a few undesirable features will probably cost less. And, those savings may more than cover the costs of any needed upgrades or renovations.
So don’t pass up on a house simply because … (3 comments)

home: Protecting Your Home from Germs - 11/17/15 05:39 AM
According to studies, colds and flu bugs are passed from one person to another more often in the home than in any other location, including school and the workplace. Of food-based bacterial infections, 65% are picked up at home.
What can you do to reduce the risk?
Obviously, keeping rooms clean is important. But, according to The Lung Association, you are 200 times more likely to pick up a germ in the kitchen than in any other room, including the bathroom! So give the kitchen priority when cleaning.
Most people know to keep countertops, sinks and toilets clean and sanitized. But when was the … (0 comments)

home: Are Your Doors and Locks Safe? - 10/17/15 06:22 AM
Burglary is among the greatest concerns of most families and homeowners, yet home security is something many of us take for granted. Typically, it is only when we become aware of a disturbing incident – or suffer the personal trauma of being a victim – that we actually take steps towards making our homes more secure. The more common access areas, such as front, rear and garage doors are the preferred points of entry for a burglar. A proper security assessment will require a careful professional examination to identify the home’s unique critical areas.
 
 
Make An Entrance Examination
Every homeowner should take a close look at the obvious entry points … (2 comments)