What are the Must-Have Home Features in Your New Home?

When it comes to choosing a new home you already have list of must haves from double sinks in the master to a wrap-around porch or even a certain number of bedrooms.  There are many things to choose from and consider and some are even deal breakers.  However, some of your must haves may not be possible when it comes to your budget or even what’s available in the area so you do have to lean a bit towards reality.  No home will have everything that is on your list and you do have to think of the long-term benefits.

While certain items may not matter to you, they may weigh heavily in determining the home’s resale value.  According to a report by Kiplinger, there are seven features that will help sell a home faster: a laundry room, exterior lighting, energy efficient appliance and windows, a patio, hardwood floors, garage storage space, and an eat-in kitchen.

For most homes these are more rooted as practicality and a classic case of what we need vs want.  You may want to consider adding the following to your list:

• Number of bedrooms and/or potential to turn a room into a bedroom
• Is the master bedroom big enough
• Are there enough bathrooms and are they in good shape
• Is the yard big enough and is there enough privacy
• Is the kitchen the right size and is it up-to-date
• Is there enough closet space in every bedroom
• Is the school district good
• Is the home close enough to your work
• Is it a new construction home or are you going to have a lot of updating to do 

All of these are just suggestions of what you should consider when you are buying a home but some can be extremely important when it comes to resale.

What do You Need to do to Finish Your Basement?

Finishing your basement is a great way to utilize space and add value/square footage to your home.  No matter how big or small your basement may be there are multiple steps that should be taken into consideration to transform your new space.  From formulating a floor plan to making final decoration touches, you need to plan carefully before diving into the product. 

Make a Plan- The first item you need to plan and think about is what you would like your basement to include.  Whether you are creating multiple rooms or have one big open area, you still want to make sure you have plenty of light.  Having a well-lit basement makes the area feel like less of a cave and more like a home.  If you basement does not have enough light, consider adding a window or two. To get started with your plans, you must discuss your needs with an architect.  Once your floor plan is established and your city permits are pulled/received you are ready to get started.

Hire Additional Specialists- Once the floor plan is established and approved, you will need to hire a carpenter to begin construction.  Your carpenter will follow the plans your architect put together but will leave the walls open temporarily for any specialized additions including electricity, gas, or plumbing.  If these items will be included in your basement remodel, you will need to hire a specialist to complete these items.  The specialist will also need to pull a permit for the job before moving forward.  A city inspector may need to review the work to ensure everything is up to code.  Once the inspector approves the job, your drywall will go up.

Choosing Flooring- Choosing your flooring for your basement can factor into the finishing process.  Installing carpet over a cement floor can be difficult and make lead to loosening from the foundation.  A more sturdy solution to floor is gluing tile or laminate wood to the unfinished floor.  You may add in area rugs to help break up the tile or laminate.

Paint and Decorate- Choosing paint and finishings can be a difficult decision to go with the plan you have chosen.  If you find it too difficult consider hiring a professional painter and interior designer to help you with the decision.

How to Prepare Your Home to Sell in 10 Easy Steps

Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar, but how can you achieve that?  It takes careful planning and knowing how to professionally spruce up your home that will send buyer scurrying for their checkbooks.  Here’s how to prep your home and turn it into an irresistible marketable home:

What are the 7 Steps to Selling a Home?

Deciding to sell your home to move to a different one can be exciting and scary at the same time.  There are many steps that go into selling your home and can be overwhelming at time but as your agent I am here to help you through the process!

Find Out How Much Your Home is Worth- The biggest mistake you can make is pricing your home too high.  The price of your home must be in line with sold homes identified in a comparative market analysis report.  Consider whether your market is hot, cold, or neutral and price according to the market temperature.

Get Your Home Ready to Sell- Prepare your home for sale by cleaning, decluttering and improving curb appeal.  Hire a professional stager to stage your home or ask me for help staging your home.  Make any necessary repairs your need to before putting it on the market.  Protect your privacy while your home is on the market.  If you are selling a home where pets live, make alternate plans for your pets.

Marketing and Showing Your Home- Your home will be identified by the sizzling selling points and displayed on different websites.  When your home is ready to show, a lockbox will be placed on your door and appointments will be made to show your home.  A open house will also get scheduled and you will be notified.

Receive Purchase Offers and Negotiate- When a potential buyer shows interest in your home they will submit a written offer.  If the offer is low you can negotiate by issuing a counter offer.  You may want to consider making a counter offer contingent on buying a home if the market conditions warrant it.  Don’t be afraid to make a full-price counter offer if you are priced competitively.

Open Escrow and Order Title- Once the offer is accepted your home will go into escrow and an order will be placed for a title policy.  A date will also be selected for your home to be closed based on when the buyers loan will be funded.  The buyer will also send an earnest deposit.

Home Inspection and List of Repairs- A home inspection will be conducted.  During the home inspection the inspector will complete a checklist and will complete a report that will be provided to you and the buyer.  The buyer will then negotiate what repairs they want done and submit them.  If you as the seller do not agree to repair items the buyer is asking, it could cancel the sale.  You may also credit the cost that will be applied towards the buyers closing costs.

 Sign Title and Escrow Documents- Before the closing date, you will sign all appropriate documents at the title company to transfer the information into the buyers name.  Once these documents are signed and payment is received from the buyer, your home purchase will be complete.

What are the 10 Steps to Buying a Home?

Buying a home requires a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect one that fits your family’s needs.  With these 10 steps, it will make it more manageable and help your decisions become a reality.

Start your Research Early- Start researching new homes in the area you would like to live as soon as you can.  Make a note of the homes you would like to see and determine how long they have been on the market.  Also, note any change in asking price.

Determine How Much House You can Afford- Generally lenders recommend that your home costs no more than three to five times your annual income if you plan to put down 20% and have a moderate amount of debt. 

Get Prequalified and Preapproved for Credit for Your Mortgage- Before you can start looking at homes, you need to determine how much you can actually afford and what you feel comfortable spending.  To get qualified you just need to provide some financial information to your mortgage banker such as your income and the amount of savings and investments you have. Once you have provided this information to your lender, they will inform you with how much they can lend you.  This will tell you the price range of homes you should be looking at.  Later you can get preapproved for credit which includes more financial documents.

Find the Right Real Estate Agent- Real estate agents provide you with helpful information on homes and neighborhoods that isn’t easily accessible to the public.  Our knowledge of the home buying process, negotiating skills and familiarity with the area you want to live in can be extremely valuable.

Shop for Your Home and Make an Offer- Start by touring homes in your price range, take notes at each house you tour to compare later.  It will be hard to remember each house in detail if you do not take notes or pictures.  When you are touring homes, make sure you check out little details such as: testing the plumbing, trying the electrical system, open/close the window.  Evaluate the neighborhood and make a note of such things: are the homes well maintained, how much traffic is in the area, is there enough street parking for your gusts, and is it conveniently located near your places of interest.  It’s also important to take your time and find the right home.  Once you find the right home, work with your agent to negotiate a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes in the neighborhood.  When the price is agreed upon the home will go into escrow which is the period of time it takes to complete all of the remaining steps.

Get a Home Inspection- Home purchase offers are contingent on a home inspection of the property to check for signs of structural damage or things that need to be fixed.  Your real estate agent will help you arrange to have one conducted within a few days of your offer being accepted.  Once the inspection is completed the seller and the buyer will receive a report on the findings.  You then decide if you want to ask the seller to fix anything on the property before closing the sale.  Before the sale closes, you will have a walk-through of the house which gives you the chance to confirm that all agreed-upon repairs have been made.

Work with a Mortgage Banker to Select Your Loan- Lenders have a wide range of competitively priced loan programs and a reputation for exceptional customer service.  You will have many questions when you are purchasing a home, and have an experience, responsive mortgage bankers assist you can make it much easier. Every buyer has their own priorities when choosing a mortgage.  Some are interested in the monthly payments to be as low as possible while others are interested in making sure their monthly payments never increase.  Your lender will help you choose which is best for you.

Have the Home Appraised- Lenders will arrange for an appraiser to provide an independent estimate of the value of the house you are buying.  The appraiser is a member of a third party company and is not directly associated with the lender.  The appraisal will let all parties know that you are paying a fair price for the home.

Coordinate the Paperwork- There is a lot of paperwork involved in buying a house.  Your lender will arrange for a title company to handle all of the paperwork and make sure that the seller is the rightful owner of the house you are buying

Close the Sale-At closing, you will sign all of the paperwork required to complete the purchase including all of your loan documents.  It typically takes a couple of days for your loan to be funded after the paperwork is returned to the lender.  Once the check is delivered to the seller you are ready to move in!

What Home Improvements Will Pay Off Big?

Many projects do add value to your home and improve your family’s quality of life.  By doing these projects now, before you move, your family can really enjoy them.  Here are a few ways to increase the value of your home.

Remodeling the Kitchen- The kitchen is usually considered the heart of the home because it is the general gathering place when you are entertaining.  By updating your kitchen, you can recoup 60-120% of your investment as long as you don’t go overboard.

Bathroom Addition- If your home only has one bathroom, consider adding an additional one.  Adding an additional bathroom, you can recoup 80-130% of whatever you spend.

Reinventing a Room- Adding more square footage to your home with a new room can be an incredibly expensive project but you can recoup 50-83% of what you spent.  However, if you reinvent an existing space in your home you can save money.  Consider finishing your basement or turning your attic space into a bedroom.

Add Energy Efficient Windows- Old drafty single pane windows are a major turn off when your home is on the market.  Energy Star can save you up to $500 a year in heating and cooling costs.  You can also expect to recoup 60-90% of your costs.

Deck Addition-Adding a deck to your home increases the value of your home.  Outdoor living spaces have become more desirable, especially when people stay home for vacation.  If you decide to add a deck addition you can recoup about 65-90% of your investment.

How to Fix Squeaky Floors?

If you’ve ever heard a floorboard squeak and creak when people walk across it even if they try to be quiet, you know how annoying it can be.  A squeaky floor is not a big deal and will not harm your home if it is not fixed.  Fixing it will only give you a sense of relief and quiet.

Fixing the squeak is a two-person job.  One person must walk around the floor to create the squeak again while the other person is under the house pinpointing where the sound is coming from.  If the floor is above unfinished or crawl space, the easiest fix is to smear some carpenter’s glue on a thin wood shim and gently tap it between the joists and subfloor or between two floorboards.  Try not to pound so hard that you raise or buckle the floor.

If you can’t easily access the noisy floor, you will have to work from above.  Drive ring-shark flooring name or cement-covered flooring nails into the steams between rubbing parts or if separating floor from subfloor is causing the creak, drive two nails at opposite 45-degree angles into joists.  The joists can be easily located with a stud finder.  Once you have found the holes, fill them with wood filler.