By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Both real estate agents and home sellers see the value in simple home improvement projects, saying they believe small renovations can go a long way in helping a home sell faster and for more money, according to a recent Realtor.com survey.
Home sellers may not need as much convincing as previously thought on the reasons why you should spruce up your property before the for-sale sign goes up, according to a survey of 450 REALTORS® and more than 1,600 home owners.
But as sellers realize the importance of home improvement projects to improve a home sale, are they targeting the right projects to attract home buyers?
Apparently so, according to the survey.
Sellers and agents agree on the top three areas of a home that sellers should focus their most time and budget on with home improvement projects. Those are: Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Any number of things has the potential to devalue a property and turn off buyers. According to a recent article by Investopedia (“Sellers Beware: 8 Factors That Devalue a Good Home”), here are a few common factors that often devalues a property … Do you agree?
Nearby eyesores. Cell phone towers or power lines overlooking a home can make some buyers skittish about the property. Also, messy neighbors or unsightly abandoned nearby homes also might devalue your listing (e.g. According to research by the Center for Responsible Lending, foreclosures will affect 91.5 million nearby homes by 2012 and reduce property values of these homes by $20,300 per household.). Read: Battling the Neighborhood Eyesore
Renovations gone wrong. Investopedia refers to this as the “DIY nightmare” when home renovations are done poorly. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
Tomorrow is Tax Day. For procrastinators who are scrambling to meet the filing deadline — good luck. For those who have long since finished their taxes and are expecting a refund, now is a good time to consider the best use of those dollars.
HouseLogic, the National Association of REALTORS’® consumer Web site, has posted some great tips for investing tax refunds in a home. Their articles outline maintenance, upgrades, and investments at different price points – and how those projects will pay off in the long-run. Here are a few examples:
Projects under $500: Upgrade the bathroom with low-flow showerheads to improve efficiency and save on the water bill.
Projects under $1,000: Replace the front exterior door to cut down on energy costs and improve curb appeal. Continue reading »
By Charlene Storozuk
Selling your home is a stressful event, but doing so over the holiday season can kick the tension level up a notch. If your home is on the market over the holidays, you might be wondering if you should deck the halls or give it a pass for this year. That is, if in fact you celebrate the season.
When deciding whether to decorate or not, take the demographics of your neighbourhood into account. If the majority of home owners in your area do not celebrate the holidays, you may want to follow their lead and not decorate your home for the festive season either.
Here are some things to take into account if you are going to decorate:
- Less is definitely more. Combat clutter by keeping your holiday decor to a minimum and choosing classic, tasteful pieces.
Avoid displaying holiday collections. I happened to mention one year that I like nutcrackers. I didn’t even own one at the time, but now, 10 years later, I would have to guess that there are close to 80 of those little fellows standing guard in my home during the holidays. If I were selling, I’d want people to look at my home, not my collection.- Decorations should be in good condition. This is not the year to bring out Grandma’s tattered Santa Claus or Rudolph with the missing nose. Let them hibernate.
- Use an artificial tree for this year. You can place some pine boughs in a large bowl and dress it up with a few pine cones and holiday balls. You’ll still get that real Christmas tree scent without the mess.
- Never leave tree lights on when you are not home. If you have a showing booked, turn the lights on just before the appointment and be sure to come back right after to turn them off.
- Consider the safety of small children that may be coming through your home. Don’t leave out small decorations that could become a choking hazard.
- If Felix the cat has a bad habit of knocking your tree down on occasion, you might want to forego putting your tree up this year. Murphy’s Law says that Felix will do this just when potential buyers are on their way over for a showing.
One last thing: once the holidays are over, make sure you take down your decorations soon afterwards. As well, if the listing photos were taken while your home was decorated for the season, make sure that once mid January rolls around, new photos are taken. Buyers that see a Christmas tree in your living room while viewing your property online in March will be tipped off pretty quickly to the fact that your home has been on the market for a while.
Charlene Storozuk
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charlene Storozuk is the owner of Dezigner Digz, a professional home staging and interior decorating company based in Burlington, Ontario. Her work is featured in the book FabJob Guide To Become A Home Stager, 2009 edition. She serves as regional vice-president, Canada for the Real Estate Staging Association and is a past recipient of the North American Leadership Award for her work as founder and president of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth RESA Chapter.
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