Saturday, July 12, 2014
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FOLLOW the Dotted Line.
Back to School Issue...AUGUST 1
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MISTAKES THAT DECREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME Written by Phoebe Chongchua
When you’re getting ready to sell your home, you don’t want to make any mistakes that can decrease the value of your home. However, sometimes sellers unintentionally do. That’s because what a buyer sees as a mistake is not always the same as what a seller considers a mistake. But when you’re selling your home, you’re hoping for a meeting of the minds. Let’s uncover some of the mistakes that sellers make that inadvertently potentially decrease the value of their home. Following trends.This is a tricky one because we all can get caught up in liking designs that are trendy, but if you follow a trend that quickly dies, you’ll find that you won’t be impressing buyers. If this trend is difficult to change, it could decrease the value when you put your home on the market. That’s because buyers will think about how much money they have to put into the home to fix the trendy mistake. So, certainly make your home your style, but if you have plans to sell it in the future, think about how renovations may impact the sale of your home. Not maintaining appliances. Yes, you most certainly can sell a home “as is” meaning in the condition that the buyers initially see it. But having lots of issues and repairs needed will decrease the home’s value. Cleaning up appliances that will convey with the home is important. If they’re completely messed up, it’s worth replacing them. It should go without saying that not maintaining the entire home is a huge way to decrease its value. Not keeping it cool. If you want buyers to hurry in and out of your home, overheat them and you’re sure to have them running for the door. Make sure on hot
Saturday, July 12, 2014 days that the home is aired out so that stale air can escape. Stifling, hot, muggy homes are not fun to tour. Turn the AC on to a comfortable temperature to ensure your potential buyers take their time to really see your home. If you don’t have AC and it’s blazing hot, using ceiling fans and open windows. Also, having some nice cold water or lemonade available will likely encourage buyers to stay a little longer at an open house. Not sweating the small stuff. Okay, you don’t have to “sweat it”, but you do have to care enough to tend to even the smallest of issues such as fixing a faulty light switch or replacing burned-out bulbs. Buyers go through homes and turn on lights, flick switches, open closets, cabinets, drawers, and even look in medicine cabinets. Keep small things like these in good working order. It’s easy to do and it can help lead to an overall better opinion of your home. Going wild with color. You may like lively colors but, generally speaking, buyers like paint that is neutral. That’s because it’s like a blank canvas which, upon moving in, they can paint it the way they like it. Extra bright or non-traditional colors can scare them off. So opt for something other than funky purple walls and shag green carpet. Remember, that avoiding some of these mistakes can help prevent buyers from thinking your home should be worth less than you do.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
20 QUICK FIXES YOU CAN DO IN FIVE MINUTES OR LESS Written by Jaymi Naciri
Think cleaning up or fixing up your place is an allday - or all-weekend - effort? Well, you might be right depending on how long it’s been since you spruced it up. But if you’ve let a few things get away from you and are feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, take a beat, and a breath. By cutting the overall effort into smaller pieces, you can make a serious effort seem, well, effortless.Whether your house needs a top-to-bottom cleaning or you are just looking for a clever way to attack the little things that bother you, this list of “20 Quick Fixes You Can Do In Five Minutes or Less” can help turn you around. 1. Call an “Electricity Drill.” Everyone in the family is assigned rooms to check for lights, TVs, and unattended computers left on. 2. Sweep your front steps and shake out your welcome mat. Unless you don’t want to be welcoming, in which case you can let it get as crusty as you want. 3. Clean out a junk drawer. Do one a day and you’ll have a cleaner, more organized kitchen in no time. If it’s a job that’ll take more than a few minutes per drawer, break it up into steps: 1) toss the trash; 2) file the papers; 3) split up the rest by family member and make them do the dirty work.
4. Take a look at your filters. Dirty and disgusting? Put “Trip to Home Depot” on your “To do” list. And actually do it. 5. Cut up some lemons and grind them up in your garbage disposal. It’ll give your kitchen a fresh smell. 6. Do a quick fridge clean out. Take quick inventory of any dairy that’s past By cutting the its “good by” date and toss spoiled produce. And overall effort don’t forget to check the door for mayo that’s been into smaller there since the turn of the pieces, you can century. 7. Take a duster to your make a serious ceiling fans. They’re nasty. 8. Play “Pick It Up” with effort seem, your kids. Set the timer on well, effortless. your oven or phone for 60 seconds and race them to see who can pick up and put away more things. 9. Spritz your mirrors. They probably need it. 10. Spritz your windows. They definitely need it.
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11. Comb your rug - a tight weave throw rug doesn’t always respond well to a vacuum cleaner. Get down on the floor with a wire dog brush. It’ll fluff up the fibers and make it look brand new. 12. Wipe down your flat screen. If you don’t have the appropriate tool, the dust-free wipe you use for your eyeglasses will work just fine. 13. Check your light bulbs. Have one (or more) that’s out? Swap it out and brighten up the place. 14. Now put light bulbs on your grocery list. Add batteries and anything else you always need when you don’t have. 15. Run a baby wipe over your baseboards. It’s a surprisingly good trick for making them look newly painted. 16. Spray your kitchen counters and your cooktop, paying extra attention to any caked-on areas. If you’re watching TV, go back and have a seat while the cleaner does its thing. Get up and wipe them down during the next set of commercials. 17. Do the same thing in your shower. And your toilet. 18. Survey your kitchen. If there are small appliances you haven’t used for a month, put them up to create more workspace. 19. Run a broom into dark corners of bedrooms and hallways. You might be surprised by the cobwebs hiding up there. 20. Make your pooch a fur appointment. A good grooming will reduce that rampant dog hair problem.