For Homeowners
The Power Of Staging Your Home/ Ugly MLS Photos
July 20th, 2010 Categories: For Homeowners, Sellers, Worst MLS Photos, opinion
If you are a regular to my site you have noticed the category dedicated to ugly MLS photos. It has always been my opinion that people hire real estate agents believing they are investing in a quality of service that they themselves do not have the time, experience, and know how to invest in selling their own homes. They therefore deserve the highest level of service which specifically includes the agents marketing plan.
Whether or not that agents marketing plan includes professional photography, it must include the basic level of advice of how to prepare a home for sale. This preparation is an art that has become known as Staging. If you have watched HGTV in the last 4 years you have seen at least one show built around some form of a staging service to assist sellers in selling their home.
Statistics show that homes that are staged spend 83% less time on the market than homes that are not. They also tend to receive higher offers than homes that do not show as well.
Let me show you a few homes I found on the MLS that could have used some staging services…
A Few Tips… Open the shades, De-clutter, Take the bed to the bedroom!
Staging Tip… Get the Cars and Trash Cans Out Of The Photo!
Here are a couple photos of a home I just listed that shows well….
Remember, the way you live in your home is NOT the way you sell your home. Staging your home to sell can save or make you thousands of dollars in the end.
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Beware Of What Your Home Warranty Doesn’t Cover
January 6th, 2010 Categories: For Homeowners
I am typically a fan of having a home warranty. My home is around 11 years old and things are beginning to need repair. Therefore, paying around $425 a year for a warranty to be covered is worth it for the most part.
This past Sunday (it is now Wednesday), I noticed a pool of water in my laundry room. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from so we immediately called our home warranty company to send out a tech. Within a few hours someone was there to let us know that our hot water heater needed a funeral and that they would be back on Tuesday to fix it.
After having no hot water for 2.5 days, the tech showed up letting us know that we also needed a permit and an expansion tank to satisfy Loudoun County regulations. Since the hot water heater replacement was being covered by the home warranty my ONLY charges would be him moving a pipe, adding an expansion tank, permit fee’s, and haul away fee’s equaling almost $700 out of pocket!
It turned out that this company couldn’t do the work, so the warranty company called someone else to re-diagnose the issue, giving me more time off of work and more cold water. Fun. These guys had additional charges adding up to over $600 outside of the warranty. They were not too happy when I called the county to find out that what they were sharing was bogus!
Since I currently did not have an expansion tank, I didn’t need one. I also didn’t need flex piping. I was going to pay their $150 fee for a haul away when I can find someone on craigslist to do it for $50.
The moral of the story is to verify what your county truly requires when a contractor says you “must” have something done. It just saved me $600.
photo credit- flickr johncarljohnson
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Prince William To Loudoun Power Line Map
November 18th, 2009 Categories: For Homeowners, Real Estate News
Truth… Huge power lines near your home will not increase it’s value. Maybe this is the reason that homeowners get so angry when power companies decide to blaze a trail through their neighborhood.
As many of you know, there is large transmission line project that includes 3 states and that will involve Loudoun and Prince William Counties. Some know it as the “Meadowbrook to Loudoun Transmission Line Project.” The project is currently underway and should be completed by 2011. This project was contested by many but has been upheld by the VA Supreme Court.
Click To See Project Map
Read More About Project Here
All information is deemed reliable but should be verified for accuracy. Map was taken from the Dominion Power Website.
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What Items Add Value To A Home?
September 21st, 2009 Categories: For Homeowners
When it comes to adding value to your home there are 2 people you must impress… The buyer and the appraiser.
The buyer of your home will decide if your is valuable based upon a different checklist than an appraiser. Most buyers care about aesthetics, where appraisers care about the features that aren’t easy to change.
Features that impress most buyers…
- Buyers assume that the systems in your home work so the fact that your roof is 3 years new doesn’t always add value in their eyes. The same may be true regarding your HVAC, Water Heater, Pipes.
- Buyers love the items that shine… Adding new flooring, countertops, a deck, and paint can be a tremendous addition to the average purchaser.
Features that impress appraisers…
- Appraisers don’t care about your fresh paint… However, they may give you points for having granite counters, hardwood flooring, and a deck. But don’t be offended if they don’t mention that your home shows better than others.
- Appraisers love finished square footage, great lots, and acreage (if you have it).
If you are looking to stand out and add value to your home, it is important to know your competition. You don’t want to over upgrade if it will not increase your value. A good Realtor can help here since they should know your competition.
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Don’t Lie… You Won’t Fix It
May 4th, 2009 Categories: For Homeowners, opinion
“Know Thyself.” If you are not a repair man.. don’t pretend to be.
The current housing inventory is low. When purchasers feel that they only have a few options they have two choices. One… wait for the perfect home. Two… Compromise on what the perfect home is. Many times compromise is easy if the price is right. This explains the unction that many have to purchase foreclosures at a low price with the mindset of fixing them up.
There is one problem for certain buyers. They buy homes that need so much repair and never get around to making them. Many lemons with a dream end up being a nightmare. I also see this happen when people purchase new homes… They realize that the builder is overcharging them for items they could ad themselves, such as a deck. However, once they get in to the home, they have no extra money left over to add the deck they wanted and it never gets built.
It is a good idea to to learn how to be handy. It is also good to know when you are not. My recommendation: I see MANY people wait until they are selling their home to add features they always wanted to help it sell. If you can afford it… do it while you are still living there so that you can enjoy the upgrades!
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