Flat Fee MLS Blog

During slow housing markets in the past, many seller’s have made money and gained equity by remodeling or renovating their homes, while they waited out the downturn.

Things have changed in 2008.  Homeowner’s in this market should carefully run the numbers and focus only on a rate of return, before deciding to put more money into their homes. 

Today’s steep price declines and the record number of vacant foreclosed property mean that it may take years to recoop further investment in your home.  

If you are considering a renovation, check out the Cost versus Value Report, just published by Remodeling magazine.   You can read about the average costs to complete a variety of jobs and the expected payoff, after the work is completed.

Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com.  Have a great weekend and happy home selling!!

Listing a home with obvious, even if small, problems are one of the biggest mistakes sellers make. Buyers prefer problem-free houses and as a seller, your top priority must be to overcome any obstacles between you and the sale. Fixing stuff that’s broken and selling a home that appears to have been well maintained will often overcome any real or imagined problems a buyer will have. Conversely, not fixing problems sends a loud message that you don’t care enough about your home. And, don’t forget, the home inspector will not miss problems, even if the buyer didn’t see them.In today’s slow housing market, seller’s should fix anything that a home buyer would expect to be working on the day of the sale, including:

1. Odors and Smells: Obviously, a big turn off for buyer’s in any market, and often poses health concerns. Stinky houses don’t sell. Find the source of of your problem and remove it.

 2. Appliances: All appliances advertised as a part of the sale should be clean and in working order, before your first showing.

3. Plumbing: If it leaks, drips or runs, fix it or replace it.

4. Windows/Doors: Repair or replace cracked panes or fogging windows.  If windows are painted shut, fix them. Put WD 40 on any squeaks and creaks. Replace torn or missing screens.

5. Cabinets:  Doors should open and close smoothly and quietly. Buy some sitck on pads at the hardward store to make your cabinets sound more solid, when the door is closed.  Knobs or pulls should be tightened or replaced with updated hardware.  Remember that Buyers will be opening every drawer, make sure they glide smoothly. Wipe all surfaces clean.  Remove and replace old, dirty shelf paper and liners.

6. Paint:  Is the biggest improvement you can make for the money.  If paint is dingy, chipped or cracked, repaint.  If your rooms or hallways look dark or uninviting, repaint in white or off white.

7. Wallpaper: If it’s peeling up in places along the seams or corners, use wallpaper glue and press it to the wall. Be sure to remove all bubbles. If your wallpaper is old, dated or unappealing, remove it and paint the walls white or off white.

8. Carpet:  If the carpet is in good condition, clean it.  If it is pulled up in places, tack it back down.  If it is old, dated, or worse, it stinks, replace it with a nice neutral color.   If replacing the carpet, also replace the padding. Use a thick padding to make the carpet feel more luxurious.  If pet smells or odors are on the tack strips, replace those at the same time.  If you have hardword floors covered by old carpeting, remove the carpet and show off those floors.

9. Lighting: Replace all burned-out light bulbs with the brightest wattage the fixture allows.   If your fixtures are dated or don’t work properly, replace them.

10. Exterior:  Clean and touch up the front entry and sidewalk.   Add a splash of color with some inexpensive plants or a pumpkin at this time of year.  Remove or trim over grown tree’s and shrubs, especially those that block the front of the house or sidewalk.   Weed landscape beds, mow and edge the lawn.   Repair missing or damaged fencing. Replace missing shingles. Clean out gutters and downspouts. If puddles or a wet basement is a problem, correct the drainage.

As you walk around your home, remember that savvy buyers will check every nook and cranny.  How well things work and look says a lot about how you’ve taken care of the property.   Make a good impression and it will go a long way toward getting your home sold quickly —and for more money.

Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent.  Please feel free to submit any questions or comments in the space below.

                           If you don’t think that hot water is a hot  topic, think again. The average electric water heater serving a family of four uses 6,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, releasing eight tons of CO2, according to the University of Wisconsin’s Solar Energy Laboratory. That’s more than a typical automobile! Gas-fired heaters release about two tons of CO2 a year.

Investing in a solar water heater is a simple and affordable way to save money on your utilities while helping to protect the environment. Solar water heaters are very reliable and can work in any climate. There are several different types, including those with pumps and those that work passively. You will need a storage tank and some type of solar collector. Some homeowners use the devices exclusively or sometimes with a gas or electric tankless water heater as a backup, while others pair them with other systems as pre-heaters.

You don’t have to go off the grid and the good news is that home solar water heating systems cost an affordable $1,500 to $3,500 and pay for themselves in four to eight years. If you are selling your home  ” fsbo ” or advertising on the MLS, why not schedule one into your next renovation?

Shop for a solar water heater online at: solarhome.org and solarroofs.com

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              Spring is the time that most homeowners get to work and it’s also the time that shady contractors come of out the woodwork to prey on innocent homeowners. “Some are actual scam artists, while others are just incompetent or unethical,” say Ellis Levinson, a consumer reporter and the author of the book “Hiring Contractors Without Going Through Hell.” 

The good news is that you can protect yourself against these scams. In fact, many scams are easy to detect if you take the time to become an educated, savvy consumer. You need to  compare prices, call references and research the project in advance.

Here are some tips on how to smell a suspicious deal:

1. ‘I just happen to be working in your neighborhood’-reputable contractors work through referrals, not going door to door to attract customers.

2. ‘I have materials left over’-Good contractors order just enough suplies to meet the needs of each job, as often the price for supplies is included in the contract.

3. ‘I need cash upfront’-Don’t ever pay in full for a project before any work has been done. Never. Never. Never! Usually one-third is the industry average.

4. ‘I have a special offer that’s good for today only’-If a contractor is offering a “special deal,” ask him to legitimize what he is offering. You can ask for documentation of this bargain…a flyer, for example, that the contractor has mailed or delivered in the past.

5. ‘I can help you finance the project’-this could indicate a home-improvement loan scam, as the contractor may be getting kickbacks from the lender that he knows. Never finance through you contractor without shopping around and comparing loan terms.

6. ‘I want to use your home as a model’-the scam centers on the idea of using your home as a vehicle, or “show home,” to advertise their services for a hefty discount. Established contractors should have completed enough previous projects that they won’t need your job as a demo.

Still more scams-though any part of your home could be a target, many scams tend to center around driveways, roofs, chimneys and furnaces.

Beware, and remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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        Look for the new label from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called WaterSense, it addresses the need to be water smart as well as dollar smart. This program’s mission is to protect the future of the water supply by promoting water-efficient products and services.

You will find the label on a variety of plumbing equipment scheduled to roll out this year and next. WaterSense partners for high-efficiency plumbing equipment include some of the biggest manufacturers in the business- Kohler, Delta Faucet, Hansgrohe, American Standard and Crane. Kohler and its  sister brand, Sterling, already have eight toilets that have earned the WaterSense label, meaning that they use at least 20% less water than standard toilets.

According to the EPA, the average American home uses more water for flushing the toilet than running the shower. A family of four could save 16,000 gallons of water a year by replacing a traditional toilet with a high-efficiency model. This is a big savings in dollars as well as droplets.

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Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important in consumers decision making process and bamboo flooring is a perfect choice for the environmentally conscious consumer according to expert Mark Western.

Bamboo is actually a grass. A harvested bamboo plantation can regenerate without replanting within 3 years whereas traditonal hardwood plantations can take up to 75 years to regenerate. Bamboo has been known to grow as much a 1 metre in 24 hours. It is often grown in areas which have been previously damaged by soil erosion, overgrazing and commercial agriculture and its extensive root system helps restore the stability of these areas and removes nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals from the soil. Bamboo is a sustainable resource.

Bamboo offers multiple benefits:

1. With bamboo flooring you can creat a stylish and homey environment-bamboo provides warmth like wood.

2. Bamboo works well with any decor- bamboo   offers several design options because it has a very rich visual texture and a unique pattern. It is naturally blonde in color but some varieties are stained to provide different color choices.  Example: Bamboo can undergo a smoking process to give it an amber hue.

3. Bamboo can be treated to prevent damage-most bamboo flooring is pre-finished and ready for installation. Maintenance is usually the same as pre-finished wood products, so be sure to follow manufacturer instructions.

4. Bamboo flooring offers unparalleled strength, durability and moisture resistance when compared to traditional hardwood floorings. It is ideal for kitchen areas where normal timber flooring is not recommended and does not wear as quickly as any other timber flooring.

For more information on alternative floorings check out Lumber Liquidators at www.lumberliquidators.com

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              More than ever before, going green is about how we live our daily life and make small improvements that have a big impact on the earth. Going green in the home is no exception.

Here’s some simple tips to make your home more eco-friendly:

1. Start by making your kitchen greener by upgrading to energy efficient ENERGY STAR appliances. These will provide savings of up to 30% in greenhouse gas emissions and will save energy costs.

2. Go green with style-install a kitchen faucet that has sustainable features and turn it off when you step away from the sink. The Muirfield with ChoiceFlo filtering kitchen faucet is a great eco-friendly addition. It provides both filtered and tap water from one spout. The  activated carbon block filter reduces many impurities, such as lead and chlorine. This also allows you to eliminate the environmental strain associated with bottled water packaging and delivery. Muirfield with ChoiceFlo is available at Lowe’s stores nationwide.

3. Incorporate more green fixtures in your bath. After  toilets and washing machines, showers are next in line as residential water hogs.  Low flow showerheads  offer a 30%  water savings from the industry standard showerheads.

You don’t have to go to extremes to be green,  just make some small changes and you can make a big impact today.

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     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

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               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.

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