Archive for the ‘home remodeling’ Category
Please Update Your Bathroom Lighting
If The 80’s called, they want their lights back!!
If you haven’t replaced the lighting in your bathroom since the 1980’s or 1990’s, you really should. Nothing turns off buyer’s as quickly as an outdated bathroom. And, while a total remodel may not be appropriate, changing out the light fixtures is cheap and easy to do yourself.
Turn off the power before you take the old fixture down. The job shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes and your bathroom will make a much better impression on buyers.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Homebuyers are out looking in mass, these days. They have only 90 days left before the $8000 Buyer Credit Expires. Make sure your home is on the MLS or Realtor.com and it shows well. Your chances of getting an offer now, are better than they have been in years.
Cash for Old Refrigerators and Appliances
The government stimulus package includes $300 million in rebates for your old appliances. If you need to upgrade, now is the time. Click HERE to read about what qualifies, with tips, pro’s and con’s.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent.com. We have helped home seller’s save thousand of dollars when they need to sell. And, we can help you, too. Visit the site or call 1-800-381-9496 for details!!
Save Energy Bills with an Insulating Coat of Paint
Smart home sellers know that a fresh coat of paint increases the saleability of any home, but did you also know that it can cut your utility bill, too?
A new paint additive, Insuladd, cuts heating and cooling costs, reduces mold and mildew and can be used with any interior or exterior paint.
To read more about the product and its remarkable qualities, CLICK HERE.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We help home sellers reach millions of buyers every day. See how we can help you sell your home, while saving thousands of dollars in commissions.
Remodeling and Updating Pick Up Due to Dead Housing Market
Lowes and Home Depot report that homeowner’s, who can’t sell their homes, are beginning to update and remodel them.
The uptrend in home improvement favors projects that any do-it-yourself homeowner can do such as painting and landspaping. The exception to the diy trend is installing new windows, as sales are up even though the improvement is usually done by a hired professional.
Although consumers are beginning to purchase items such as door and cabinet hardware, blinds and window treatments, screens, key and lock sets etc. both stores report that sales of high end products are still in the doldrums, as the US suffers through the worst recession seen in decades.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We have helped thousands of people successfully sell their homes and save thousands of dollars in commissions and fee’s. Who is Helping You???
Accessibility. A Great Niche for Home Sellers
In real estate, properties that satisfy market niches are harder to come by, which usually makes them easier to sell and market than other homes. Take the issue of assessibility for example. Does your home have a universal layout that is easily adaptable for the elderly or people with mobility or other disabilities?
If your property has no entry barriers, wide hallways or wide open interior space, you may want to learn how to market your property through networks that locate housing for disabled and handicapped Americans.
To Learn More, visit these websites:
- Slide Show for Accessible Design
- Universal Design Ideas for Accessibility
- Concepts and Ideas for Universal Housing Ammenities
- Comprehensive Resources for Accessible Housing.
Many MLS’s also provide special fields that are designated for accessibility features of property. If you think your property qualifies as an accessible home or can be easily modified for accessibility, please contact your listing broker and ask them to update you MLS property information. There are home buyers searching specifically for accessible property, so make sure they see your home.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. Please contact us to place your property on the MLS, Realtor.com and dozens of real estate websites for a one-time fee of $399.
Cosmetic versus Structural Home Repairs
If you are considering an investment in real estate, now is a perfect time. Warren Buffett predicts a rampant rise in inflation, which means higher rents and higher home prices over the next 5 years. Throw in historic price declines, fixed rate mortgages at 4.5 percent and an $8000 tax credit and the timing has never been better for investors.
If your long term investment plans include snapping up some deals, you need to know the difference in properties that that structural problems versus those that need cosmetic repairs.
Structural damage refers to problems with foundation cracks, fire damage, mold, dry rot, water penetration and sagging floors. Homes with this type of damage are risky investments because the costs to repair will be hard to predict until tear down is done and work begins. Repairing structural issues also mean that city inspector’s will be involved with the rehab, which can add lenghty delays and costs to the project.
Why6 Advice: With all the inventory on the market, investors should avoid homes with structural problems. In addition to the unknown costs and timeframes that are involved, homes with past structural problems will always be more difficult to resell.
Cosmetic Repairs include minor things like updating. Typical cosmetic repairs cover things like door knobs, putting in new windows or shutters, landscaping, repainting. This type of rehab updates or alters the look of the home in an attempt to broaden the appeal. Cosmetic changes are not required and the do not involve city authorities.
Why6 Advice: Investor’s should search for outdated or neglected property that can be improved with low cost, do it yourself type repairs that don’t require specialized workers. These are the types of properties that investors will not get stuck with as they wait for inflation to take rents and prices higher.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We have an MLS and Realtor.com program for ‘by owners’, investors and home builders that exposes your property to millions of homebuyers and thousands of Realtors each month. Call 1-800-381-9496 or visit our website for details.
Tips to Sell Faster and for More Money #3- Decorating Allowances
In the third part of our Series “Tips for Selling Your Home Faster and For More Money”, we address the topic of decorating allowances.
Question: Do Buyer’s Prefer Decorating Allowances or Do They Buy the Homes that already have the Work Done?
Answer: Home Buyers overwhelming chose property that is in move-in condition, versus, outdated homes that offer decorating, carpet or paint allowances.
Reason: First, an unappealing home is an immediate turnoff. It is very difficult for most people to picture how a home would look, if offensive eyesore’s were removed. So, if the property isn’t exceptionally cheap, the potential deal will end before it begins. Secondly, buyers always question why the homeowner wasn’t willing to do the work, what else may be wrong that they can’t see and why they should put forth the effort, anyway. Thirdly, there are thousands of distressed properties to chose from. No one would be interested in purchasing a nasty headache, even if they could picture themselves living there, unless the home was priced thousands of dollars under the market? 
Seller Must Do’s: a) If you have carpet over hardwood flooring, immediately remove it and refinish the floors. b)Repaint. Paint is inexpensive and offers more bang for the buck than any other improvement a seller can make. Choose neutral colors (tour builder models or new homes for idea’s). Soft yellows or golds are warm and inviting. Peaceful, soft greens and blues are great for bedrooms because they are restful to the eye.
Same shot, after repainting with a neutral color.
If you selling the purple entry home with a paint allowance or selling the same home with a neutral entry and no allowance, ask yourself which home you would honestly be interested in seeing more of? What is your first impression? Which home would you pay more for?? This is exactly what your potential buyer thinks, too.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Please check back with us and we reveal some more Tips for Selling Your Home Faster and For More Money. Or, click our RSS feed and you will be automatically notified when a new posting has been published.
Tips to Sell a Home Fast & For Top Dollar #2- Updates to Avoid
Today we continue with our daily short tips for selling any home quicker and for more money.
Tip #2 for Selling Your Home Quickly and For Top Dollar $$$$$$
5 Renovations or Updates you should AVOID!!
If you are selling your home, sometimes updating or renovating can increase your asking price or entice buyer’s to jump for a quick sale. Other choices can be a waste of time and money. Renovations to avoid include,
-
Never put high end appliances in a modestly priced home.
-
Avoid the use of high end finishout material such as hand-painted tile, granite counters or high end sinks and fixtures in the baths and kitchens of average priced homes.
-
Don’t add Central Air Conditioning unless all the homes in your area have it.
-
Forget replacing windows, unless they are damaged, broken, fogged or they don’t open and close properly.
-
Never add central vacuum systems for resale purposes.
While there are home improvements that can help you sell faster and for more money, these five upgrades are time waster’s and money losers.
Check back in next Monday, April 6th for some inexpensive update idea’s that will help you accomplish your goals and make you money.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We have helped thousands of owners and builders market and sell their homes for only $399. Who is Helping You??
2 Home Staging Tricks for Under $25
The spring home selling season is upon us and we have a couple of great tricks to help home seller’s stage and declutter their home, without spending a lot of money.
Bed risers are an easy fix to update a bedroom 
and provide much needed storage space. With the addition of a simple skirt to cover the legs, you can achieve the look of a new, fancy platform bed for under $25, and you have a place to hide your linens or personal items.
Removing unused interior doors and shutters is another great trick for increasing light and space, while improving the traffic flow in your home. If you have interior doors that you never use, it is unlikely that anyone else will need them either. To get them out of your space, grab a screwdriver and take them off their hinges. Then, putty in the holes and touch up the paint. Removing unused doors is simple to do and best of all it is FREE.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Our network brokers will list your home on the MLS, Realtor.com and a dozen other real estate websites for only $399. Why Pay 6 Percent???? For questions or information please call toll-free at 1-800-381-9496 .
Cheap Kitchen Update Increases Saleability
Dear Why 6 Percent Broker,
I would really value your opinion about the appearance of my kitchen. Our home has been on the market for 6 months. Our MLS listing has generated several showings, but no one has made an offer. I think the biggest turn off in our house is the kitchen and I would like to know what you think about it. I emailed this photo, so you can see it for yourself. I really need your opinion about updating the kitchen, without spending a lot of money. Would you mind giving us a few suggestions that would help our home sell?
Thank you, C Dalton
Dear Ms Dalton,
You are right in your assumption that the kitchen is the heart of every home. You are also correct about the fact that an outdated kitchen can stop a potential sale. Even if your home is priced under the market, homes that are in “move in” condition, simply appeal to a much wider audience.
The good news is that your kitchen looks spacious and its “L” shape is functional and popular. This means you can update your kitchen and increase the appeal, without spending a lot of money. Here are a few suggestions that won’t bust your budget and will likely increase your saleablility.
- Remove the Wallpaper and Repaint the Walls: First of all, a coat of fresh paint always provides more bang for the buck than anything else a homeowner can do. Your yellow kitchen walls are bright and sunny, but people tend to like yellow or hate it. I think you should repaint the walls with a nice neutral color and use a satin finish paint. You don’t want the kitchen to be shiny (gloss) or too flat and hard to wipe clean(flat paint). You can possibly get away with painting over the wallpaper versus removing it. If the paper is really stuck to the wall, you can buy a Primer at Sherwin Williams that was made for this purpose.
- Replace the Countertops: Your countertops age the room and make neutralizing your kitchen very difficult. New Formica or laminate countertops offer a fresh new look, without spending much money. You can also consider tile countertops without busting your budget. Tiling costs about the same as a laminate and provides more function (cut or place hot pans on it) with a custom look. Depending upon the price range of your house, you can even consider using granite tiles for a really expensive look. Installing granite tiles gives you the look of granite slab at a fraction of the cost.
- Remove the Scroll Moulding over the Cabinets: It may be a small thing, but this type of moulding is busy on the eye and is outdated. It also appeals to very few buyers. I suggest that you remove the moulding entirely. If you need a moulding to hide gaps between the cabinets and furdowns, use a simple quarter round or crown moulding instead. Paint the new moulding white to match the cabinets.
- Update the Cabinet and Drawer Hardware: New door and cabinet pulls sold at DIY centers like Home Depot or Lowes go along way in updating a kitchen. In addition to a wide selection, the prices are very reasonable for a kitchen your size. If you can’t decide on a style, visit a few builder model homes and choose a type similar to the ones they select. To make installation easy, choose handles or pulls that line up with the holes that are already drilled in your cabinets. If the new holes don’t align with the old ones, you will have to fill the holes and touch up the paint.
- Declutter: Buyers like kitchens that appear spacious, without clutter, and offer plenty of countertop space. You should remove the papertowel dispenser that is hanging below the cabinet and hide it inside the sink cabinet. Remove all the small appliances, spices, bags of potatoes and cooking instruments that line your countertops and hide them out of view. Kitchen’s should also be spotlessly clean. The sink should sparkle and all the dishes should be stored in their proper place. Clean out your cabinets, drawers and pantry. Move any items that aren’t used daily into storage boxes. The idea here is to create as much usable storage space as you can. If a buyer see crammed drawers and cabinets, they will assume that your kitchen doesn’t have enough storage space for their needs, either.
- Vent-a-Hood and Oven: The vent-a-hood and oven should blend in with the cabinets. Buy some spray paint for metal applications. Tape off the area and ID plates, then spray the appliances white to match the cabinets.
Thank you for writing to Why6Percent.com. Hopefully, the suggestions are in line with your thinking and your budget. I am confident that you are on the right track about the kitchen freshen up. Buyers will certainly appreciate the improvements and the bonus is that you will enjoy them, too. Good luck on your sale and please keep us posted.
To view Homes for sale or place a Free Property Listing Click Here.