This blog is dedicated to individuals whether your a person looking to buy or sell a property, an investor looking to grow your property portfolio, a service company individual or a real estate executive like me....hopefully you will find it interesting informative and useful.
Feel free to respond comment and add at any time. Welcome!!!
Funny story...
A man was sitting at a bar enjoying an after-work beer when a gorgeous sexy young woman entered. She was so striking the man could not take his eyes away from her.
The young woman noticed his attentive stare and walked directly up to him.
Before he could offer his apologies for being so rude at staring at her, the young woman said to him, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $100 on one condition."
A little shocked the man asked what the condition was. The young woman replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."
The man considered her proposition for a moment, took out his wallet from his pocket & slowly counted out five $20 bills, which he pressed into the young woman's hand.
He leaned across and looked into her eyes, slowly, meaningfully said, "Paint my house."
SCOUSER....
The housing and real estate markets have always interested me and I have over the years enjoyed working in real estate as I do to this day.
As you are reading this if you don't know, I was born in England in Liverpool just pre-Beatles.
I can still remember my sister being put in charge of me as a minder, only to drag me of to concerts at the Liverpool Empire to watch bands play my parents obviously not being aware of this.
I wondered why all those girls where screaming, stood on the seats screaming in the hall.
There was I sat quiet wondering what the hell was going on....I soon changed and became like every other "scouser" from Liverpool a great fan and follower of the Beatles. www.alanhorneproperties.com
LISTING YOUR HOME... create Value and give it More Appeal
Top tips...
CURB APPEAL..
Your home is the window on your world and the footage on the street, its your shop window for potential buyers to do a drive by...and it can turn buyers right of it looks like a hoarders or looks shabby tatty, if you want top dollar, make it appeal.
Plant a few annuals or place some hanging baskets or pots, keeping that grass cut when your listed and showing getting those weeds taken care of, that few dollars can add far more to a selling price as well make the home welcoming a must have that keeps a buyer interested. Remove clutter, put the bin out of site if you can, mend any loose or damaged down spouts, nothing worse a buyer getting soaked and seeing a river running of a roof or down a wall.
EXTERIOR...
I would say that some times decorating is not necessary as long as its in good condition not flaking or peeling etc...sometimes a house needs a lift a change to modernize it, some cladding in wood can be brown and heavy especially if there are no main areas to balance out the heavy colours.
You as an owner have to weigh up the cost... a good experienced real estate agent can advise and help you as to if the decorating is worthwhile or even needed versus the price achievable.
But it can transform and give new blood and appeal to a home, one less thing for a buyer to have to do, done well.
WINDOWS...
I visit so many homes that sellers are proud of and they are nice homes, it might have a fantastic view to the garden from the dining room or bedroom....I find that the glass unit has failed, so you can only see the condensation in between the glass which over time has become dirty, so you cant see anything...a real turn of for the buyer as they think the house has problems!!! If you have insurance or maybe a guarantee on the windows still...get it replaced. Even if no cover on the windows replace it again its worth doing, its an improvement that shows you taken care of your home.
KITCHEN, OUTDATED...
Kitchens can make or break how buyers will perceive your home. They want to walk in and fall in love with your kitchen. Moms see it as the nerve centre of the home, the family place the centre of activity to cook and prepare a place to call hers...from cookies to dinner parties, from high chairs to rockers. That kitchen should be clean bright and not outdated that it is not functional anymore.
A renovation will update the space to a buyers liking, but can be very expensive. BUT! you will for sure reap 90% of the return on the cost of investment.
Another way is to lift the look of the kitchen, this can be done in many simple ways, new mixer to the sink, new sockets, the doors of the units can be painted a colour or grained by a tradesmen, even colour washed two colours if done properly it can be spectacular. Put in new worktops, change the door handles, give it a theme it does not cost a fortune.
Don't do heavy wild shades make it soft subtle colours easy on the eye. Make space in the kitchen remove stuff from the worktops, get rid of your world collection of fridge magnets or the 4500 jars or tea pot collection. Make it warm homey....cottage and you can almost smell the baking of cookies as you walk in.
THAT BATHROOM
NOTE-A bathrooms that is 1940s will affect the sale of a house if it is old leaky stained chipped cracked falling apart. Buyers look at bathrooms as a main area like the kitchen. When looking at it they are saying can i see us using this bathroom.
If you have the cash to renovate the bathroom from top to bottom, you will get or should get on average 80% of your money back when you sell.
If you can not or don't want too then make small changes to update it.
Add new fixtures like a new vanity unit, or fix the doors and re paint it making it decorative with stencils that match curtains etc put in new lighting or fix that cracked floor with new tiles. Make sure the grout is clean and free of mould. Keep your clutter out of the bathroom, those personnel items away out of site.
No matter what you do to this space, a buyer should walk in to your bathroom seeing it and smelling that it is clean, plus well-decorated.
Simple change based on your budget will increase the buyers feeling of belonging and seeing themselves in your home.
Again a good Agent can advise.....
AREA DECORATION
What you like and love a buyer may hate...you must set a stage so a buyer can see themselves in the rooms, and if they walk in to a home with, red walls, shag carpeting and wood paneling, they will have a hard time envisioning themselves living there.
They will see the cost of replacing carpeting, and tearing down the paneling. All of these factors could cause a buyer to offer less than the asking price.
Before you sell, do yourself a favor and paint your home a more neutral color that has a broad appeal.
ANIMALS PETS
Pets I adore and love they are wonderful additions to a home, but for the buyer may bring unwanted issues and make it hard for you when trying to sell.
Damaged carpets or walls or even scratched worn away woodwork that may need repairing before you list the home. A good carpet cleaning will lessen the smell of pet odors, buyers would rather not move into a home that has lingering evidence of pets, especially if they have allergies.
So, farm Fido out while the home is on the market to ensure the best offer you can get or manage it with your real estate agent, take their advice how to handle showings and market ability.
ODOURS
Just remember odours like pets cooking foods smoking all add to the odour of the home, a buyer can be put of by just not being able to stay to view a house so try to keep odours to a minimum.
FANNIE MAE SURVEY JANUARY 2013 - Consumers maintain positive view to housing.
Survey found -
41% of consumers felt prices would increase over 2013. Up 30% this time last year as a comparison.
They believe prices will rise across NJ 2.4% over the next 12mths. As prices rise for sellers this confirms its a good time to sell.
Renters continue to move to buying 65% of respondents stated they will buy this year.
Consumers stated in their view, rental prices will increase by 3.7% in the next 12months.
61% stated they where seeing no change in household income.
No comments:
Post a Comment