Flat Fee MLS Blog

     It’s a tough time to sell a house. But what if you really need to sell your home….right now? If you can’t wait until the market improves, the good news is you can gain a leg up on the other houses for sale in your price range by making smart and quick eco-renovations.

Here are ways to make your house stand out from the rest by going green:

1. The key is to make improvements to your home’s energy efficiency, and document how the monthly bills change over time. Highlight the savings to your potential buyers and provide comparisons to typical bills for similar-sized houses in your region (call your utility for details or visit the Dept. of Energy’s Energy Infomation Administrations at eia.doe.gov)

2. Replace as many lightbulbs as you can with CFLs (compact fluorescents). CFLs use a quarter of the electricity as regular bulbs, and lighting accounts for 20% of home energy use.

3. Upgrad any old or questionable appliances with new Energy Star-certified models. The EPA’s blue and white label indicates models must be 10% to 50% more effcient than standard offerings. A good idea-install a programmable thermostat and motions detectors.

4. Make sure cracks are tightly caulked and leaks are sealed. Just doing that can drop your annual heating bill by $100, according to Dept. of Energy figures. Consider if your insulation needs beefing up as insulation can be a selling point.

5. Make your home as healthy a space as possible, going healthy sells. There are many people with allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivities, etc. who consider top indoor air quality a necessity. Putting on a fresh coat of the new and now-widely available “low-VOC” paints can go a long way toward attracting buyers.

6. Old carpets can be a real turnoff, and can emit allergens and toxins. Expose the hardwood floors if you have that option, if you don’t have that option consider new, eco-friendly carpeting.

7. If your home is older, you’ll want to a check on the possible situation of lead paint and asbestos-issues much better left to qualified professionals. The best thing you can do when considering selling your home green is to call in experts to make recommendations, such as an energy audit.

Remember that you may qualify for federal, state or local tax credits by going green. www.dsireusa.org , www.energystar.gov

thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 13% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater or buy a new, more efficient water heater.

Here are some tips:

1. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.

2. Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.

3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120 degrees F provides comfortable hot water for most uses.

4. Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household.

5. Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

6. Insulate your natural gas or oil hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the water heater’s top, bottom, thermostat or burner compartment. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations; when in doubt, get professional help.

7. Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

8. If you are in the market for a new dishwasher or clothes washer, consider buying an efficient water-saving ENERGY STAR model to reduce hot water use.

9. Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Some new water heaters have built-in heat traps.

10. Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the  efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer’s advice.

Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it’s best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.

Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be up to 30% compared with a standard natural-gas storage tank water heater.

Thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com

    The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters and drawing fury from bloggers, especially, as  photos of emaciated animals circulate on the internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children’s bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing. The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society is urging home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter.

Shelters are trying to keep up, but the spike in abandoned pets comes at a time when fewer people are adopting animals. Home sales are plunging to their lowest level in decades, and new homewoners are often the most likely to seek a pet.

The mortgage crisis showed few signs of easing after a real estate tracking company announced that many homeowners started to fall behind on mortgage payments in the last three months, setting the stage for more foreclosures this year.

The problem is exacerbated because most people grappling with foreclosure are returning to rental housing or moving in with relatives-two situations where it can be difficult or impossible to bring pets.

The ASPCA offers this advice for people who are faced with foreclosure and the loss of their pets.

1. See if friends, family or neighbors can provide temporary foster care for your pet until you get back on your feet.

2. If you are moving into a rental property, make sure pets are allowed. (Get written permission in advance)

3. Contact your local animal shelter, humane society or rescue group before you move. If a shelter agrees to take your pet, provide medical records, behavior information and anything else that might help your pet find a new home.

Thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com

      Let’s face it, not all plants can stand up to dogs, bouncing balls, kids and all around foot traffic. But there are some plants made for the feet-whether two or four.

These creeping perennials are very low growing ground covers that, when stepped on, bounce right back, and they come in a wide variety of color. Some favorites include blue star creeper, stonecrop and creeping wire vine. Miniature rush resembles grass but holds up to foot traffic. The choices are endless.

Before you rush out to buy your creeping perennials, you need to make an assessment of where you’ll plant them. For sunny locations, select something like thyme or stonecrop. If the soil is wet, choose plants like viola and Lysimachia. And also, how much foot traffic will the plants really get? The rule of thumb is this: The more delicate the leaf structure, the less traffic they’ll be able to withstand.

If your pathway is stone, soften the look of the edges by choosing plants that will give it some old world charm and make it look like it has been there forever. If the area is in full sun and drains well, Potentilla, an aggressive speader, will fill in the cracks quickly.

Space between stepping stones and pavers will vary on type of path. Plant a full plant in wider spaces for faster “fill-in”. In small spaces, use a utility knife to cut your plant into quarters. If the space is very tight, try slicing long slender pieces to tuck in. If your existing path needs more space, chisel out some of the original path to creat more of a gap for your plants.

A good place to visit these plants that are “Good For Your Sole” is www.STEPABLES.com.

The true test comes with help from the dog. If the plants can  withstand him, they can withstand anything.

 Thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com

               Beautify your bath!  Let’s face it, of all the rooms in your house, the bathroom is the workhorse. There is lots of wear and tear, so you want to keep it functioning well and make good looking upgrades along the way.

Here are some tips to help you achieve this look:

1. Focus on your faucet. Bathrooms are not utilitarian anymore. People like to feel relaxed, like they are in a spa. Drop sinks are old news, people want the under-mount sinks.

2. Go granite or marble with your countertops. If you are toying with the granite idea, your bathroom counter is most likely smaller than your kitchen counter and less expensive. This is a great place to start your first granite project.

3. Nix the overhead lighting in favor of wall mounts to add warmth and value to your bathroom. Make sure that around your mirror you have even lighting with no side shadows.

4. Heated floors attract buyers like bees to honey.

5. Upgrade your bath area. With an 85% return, install a shower with body sprays and stone surround tile. If you are not selling right away, you will feel like you are in a Zen garden every time you step into your bathroom.

6. Keep it clean. Dirt and grime can become embedded in bathroom surfaces very quickly. Freshen it up with new grout.

Remember, even a minor remodel will yield a major return on investment.

Thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com

Your property’s photos “pix appeal” or attractiveness in photos posted in online listings is as equally important as “curb appeal” is from the street. Over eighty percent of home buyers used the Internet last year to search for a home, and nearly 25% reported that they first found the property they purchased on the Internet, according to a National Association of Realtors survey.

Without pictures buyers are much less likely to go see a house. In most cases-85% of the time-online photos are the first  view of a home. Photographs are powerful bait. Good ones can lure buyers; poor ones can turn them away.

Follow these tips to create flattering photos of your property:

1. Lighten up-shoot exterior shots in the middle of the day when the sun is shining and the sky is blue is your best bet. Interior shots are best with all the lights on and using a flash. The flash adds color correction and eliminates the shadows, making the room look brighter.

2. More is better-Buyers want to see more than just the front of the house. They want to see all the rooms and the backyard. Include your home’s best features, such as a home theatre/media room or an exercise room. For condos include shots of your unit’s interior, as well as photos of amenities such as a pool, tennis court or gym. If you have spectacular views, by all means, include them.

3. Get clear shots-remove clutter before photographing it. Remove all distractions, fridge magnets, children’s toys, dirty dishes and clear all counters. Spend some time moving things around. Outside shots-remove garbage cans and take the car out of the driveway. Try not to include utility poles, wires and other homes in the scene.

4.Go Pro- If you are selling without a real estate agent or aren’t handy with a camera, hiring a professional photographer may be the way to go. Examine samples of their photos before you make your choice. You can use Microsoft Live Search Maps at no cost to show buyers a bird’s eye view of your community.

5. Give it your best shot-Quality counts when taking photos, a camera with wide angle lens is ideal, but point and shoot digital cameras can also do the job.

For a clear photo, place digital cameras on a tripod or something solid so the camera doesn’t shake when the shutter goes off. Set the camera on its highest resolution. Never use less than 72 dots per inch for online photos.

6. Edit-If you didn’t get a good shot, you can fix it with basic photo editing software. Crop out ceilings or unnecessary background and adjust the brightness and contrast or edit in a sunny day.

There are a number of free Web sites that can make editing a snap. Some to try are www.Snipshot.com, www.picnik.com and www.Pixenate.com.

Remember, clear out the clutter and then snap the shutter!

Thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com