Archive for the ‘staging your home’ Category
Uncle Sam Pays the Tab for New Windows
Does a cold draft blow around your head while you relax in your easy chair? Does the sound of actual street noise drown out the sound of the NASCAR race on TV? If you answered “Yes” to either question…it might be time to replace those old, drafty, ugly, noisy, single paned, aluminum frame windows with some good looking, energy efficient ones.
Why Replacing Your Windows Pays Off…
- New windows improve the curb appeal and increase the value of any home.
- Buyers pay up for new windows. Numerous studies show that home sellers recoop 90+ percent of the costs for window replacement at the time of sale.
- Homeowners realize the energy savings immediately, while increasing comfort.
- Energy efficient windows are a Green home selling feature.
- New models of windows are easy to clean and maintain.
- Improve your view. New glass is so clear it’s just like looking through… nothing at all.
- Maybe Best of All…Uncle Sam Pays for It. The government will pay 30 percent of the cost (up to $1500) to replace the windows in your home through December 31, 2010. And, don’t forget to check out the additional rebates and savings on windows that are being offered in most states, cities and townships.
Tip for a Tight Budget
- Just replace some of the windows. Choose the ones on the front of the home, because they improve the curb appeal. Or, replace the windows that get hammered by the most weather, be it sun, rain, snow or wind.
- Or, Roll the Dice…and, maximize the tax credit by replacing half of the windows in 2010. Then, gamble on an extension of the credit into 2011 and replace the other half.
- Uncle Sam picks up a Third of your bill and smile (:
Practical Advice About Window Replacement
- Use a company that carries a wide range of window brands. Make sure they use their own employee’s (not subcontractors) to do the installation.
- Profit from the Housing Crash. Be a hard negotiator and get at least 3 quotes. You can save Big on labor and materials because the housing market is slow.
- Replacing windows is a big, messy job. Cover up anything important such as electronics and furniture. Sawing and Ripping out windows is dirty business, no matter how good the installer.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We have a program for home sellers that offers the MLS, Realtor.com and advertisement on dozens of real estate listing posts for one cheap price…and the seller keeps the commission. Call 1-800-381-9496 or visit http://www.why6percent.com today for the details. You will be happy that you did!!!
Staging Tip to Make Your Bathroom Appear Bigger
We have a totally free, staging tip that everyone can do to make their bathroom appear more spacious and inviting.
Open your shower curtain a little bit… It draws the eye onward and makes the space appear larger.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com The home buying season is heating up across the country. If you don’t have your home listed on MLS, Realtor.com and all the major real estate property websites…you are missing buyers. It’s that simple. Contact us to list on the MLS for $399 and you keep the commission.
Interior Trim and Moldings Dress Up a Home
When selling your home for top dollar, it’s crucial that you present your home in its best light. One easy, do-it- yourself way to create interest, while improving flow and uniformity is with the use of baseboard and ceiling trim.
(Chops up the space)
Tip: Avoid chopping up the flow of your home by painting or staining all moldings and baseboard the same color throughout the home.
Tip: Add moldings over windows or doors to provide architectural interest or to draw attention to views.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We offer for sale by owners a marketing package that includes the MLS and Realtor.com advertising. Visit the site for details today!
Easy Way to Remove Carpet Stains
If your home is on the market, you know how important staging and first impressions are to your sales success. If your carpet is stained, and you can’t replace it, then use these proven professional tips to remove the stain.
- For most carpet stains: Mix Equal Parts of white vinegar and water. Spray mixture onto the stain and blot up with a sponge.
- For Tough Stubborn Stains: Mix Equal Parts of Borax, white vinegar and salt. Rub paste into the carpet fibers and let set overnight. Vaccum the next morning, and presto, your stain will be gone.
These carpet stain cleaning recipes are green, cheap and they work. One thing that never works…placing a throw rug over a stain in a carpeted room. Everyone knows that rugs over carpeting mean bad stain. And, believe me buyer’s always lift up the rug to verify! Then, they wonder what else you’re hiding….
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We offer MLS and Realtor.com marketing exposure for owners, builders and investors. Reach 10 millions home shoppers each month and save thousands in commissions and fee’s. Why Pay 6 Percent??? Buy the MLS for only $399.
6 Reasons to Sell Your Home During the Holidays
I’m thinking Turkey. The leaves have fallen, lawn mowers are stored and furnaces are in use. It’s at this time of year that many of our customer’s ask… “Should We Take Our Home Off the Market During the Holidays?”
The answer is definitely ”NO”. There are a lot of reasons to keep your home listed right through the New Year. And, there’s an especially, timely reason this holiday season!!
- The First Time Buyers Tax Credit has been extended until April 30, 2010 AND it’s been expanded. Step Up Home Buyers, who make a lot of money, can also receive $6500 in Tax Credits until April. Big tax incentives mean that smart buyers will be house shopping vs mall shopping this holiday season.
- Interest Rates are at Record Lows. 30 year fixed rate mortgages are below 5 percent. But, with the dollar weak and falling, low rates may not be around for long. Serious home buyers are aware of the difference that even a small interest rate increase would make in their house payment. The combo of Tax Credits and Low Interest Rates create strong urgency among buyer’s. Smart seller’s spruce up their homes and play into the pressure.
- Holiday Shoppers are Serious Buyers. Trust me. Everyone of us loves the holidays. The people who are looking for homes in November, December and January are SERIOUS Buyers. Do you really want to pull your house off the market when the most serious people are shopping??
- Less Competition. Many sellers don’t read our blog. They foolishly pull their homes from the market during the holidays, and this year will be no exception. Less competition could make the difference between For Sale and Sold, this Christmas.
- Houses are Pretty during the Holidays. Staging your home is easy during the holidays. The mood is festive. Holiday colors are warm and inviting. Candles, centerpieces and decorations touch the heart and convey a peaceful lifestyle. Light the candles, make a roaring fire, bake some goodies and turn on some relaxing holiday music. Buyer’s love to see a home decorated and looking special. Don’t let this once a year opportunity pass you by.
- Curb Appeal. If your landscape and lawn isn’t that great, breathe a sigh of relief that no one else’s is this time of year, either. Add seasonal color, a wreath, perhaps some decorations. Just keep it subtle and classy. No mowing, no weeding and trimming, and best of all snow covers all…
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com Our MLS and Realtor.com advertising packages reach 10 million serious home shoppers each month. If your home isn’t listed on the dozens of websites in our program, then you’re home isn’t really on the market. Get serious about selling and call us at 1-800-381-9496 today.
A Big Thank You to All our Veterans and Active Military Personnel!!! Please accept our $50 Gift and start marketing your property Today!!
Staging Tip: Showcase Rooms for Intended Purpose
As you prepare your home for the market, remember that it is no longer your home. It is a product that is for sale. First, Declutter, Depersonalize and Decorate (3 D’s for Staging any property)…then, rearrange your home so that every room is staged for its intended sole purpose.
Try to ignore the strawberries hanging from the fan (although this is clearly an item of specific taste), this seller clearly isn’t getting the point. What is this room? Is it an office, dining room or breakfast nook? If you can’t figure it out, neither will the buyer. The seller of this home should pack up the clutter and the home office, then showcase this room as the spacious dining room area it is.
Oh boy. I get clastrophobic just looking at this room. Vaccum cleaner sitting out, stuff crammed in every available cranny, desk, computer, library and dining room all rolled into one. Not. Any normal buyer would turn and run, not walk, out the door. The only thing I know is that obviously this seller isn’t serious and the product has no storage. This seller should get real and get to packing. This is a formal dining room with a real fireplace. If this homeowner can’t make this room look natural and inviting for entertaining, then hire a pro or take it off the market. No one is buying this house at any price.
This room is a living room, not a playground. I don’t think the seller’s could have made this large family room any less appealing, if they tried. Even though this seller may love to watch the children play in their playhouse while they watch TV, chances are this isn’t impressing any home buyers. Seller, please pack the playhouse or move it outdoors where it belongs. Warm this living room up with a rug, some window treatments and move the furniture off the wall into a conversation grouping.
Conclusiong: If your home has been on the market for 60 days or more and you haven’t received any serious buyer’s interest, stand back and look at your product from the buyer’s point of view. If your rooms aren’t being shown for the purpose they were intended, correct it today. If not, you can’t blame the market for your home not selling.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Please visit the website for helpful information and marketing tools to help you sell in this market.
Tip for Home Sellers. Declutter
One of our customers ask for help in determining why their home has not sold. After doing some research, I was a bit perplexed. In going down the “must do” checklist for selling a home, it seemed that they had done everything correctly. The asking price was in the middle range for the neighborhood; They wisely used the internet to market the property. The home was featured on the MLS, InfoTube.net, Realtor.com and other major search engines for real estate; They were readily available for showings and returned emails and calls quickly. Nothing jumped out as being the reason other homes had sold, while theirs sat on the market…until I saw the pictures of the property. 
My first impression was that the seller forgot the about the Three D’s of staging a home to sell. This home had so much ”stuff” inside, that prospective buyers couldn’t see the room or picture themselves living there.
The 3 D’s: Declutter, Depersonalize and Decorate.
Declutter: This living area is a great size, but buyer’s wouldn’t know it. We recommended that the seller remove the area rug; the loveseat; all plants, stands and shelves from the bay window area; blue chair; at least one wall hutch; and the sofa table in the dining area. Rearrange the furniture that remains to maximize floor space and invite traffic flow toward the windows.
Depersonalize: Pack away all the toys, collectables and personal photographs.
Decorate: (1) Bay windows are a big selling feature, so make them stand out. Add a simple, solid color, sheer drapery treatment to draw the buyers eye; Pull the blinds all the way to the top of the window to let all the light in. (2) Beige walls, beige floor, beige ceiling, beige sofa’s…yawn… A warm neutral paint color on the walls would add interest and life to the room. Choose a thatched straw or color that is in the print hanging over the sofa. Pick up some fun throw pillows, candles, etc. to add spice and pop to the decor. (3) Consider losing the dated dining room fixture and pink table lamp. The ceiling is too low for a big hanging fixture and it breaks up the openness of the room. Try a ceiling mounted fixture or the simple, popular pendant lights
to add interest and flare to the room. (4) The dining room furniture is stylish. Remove the table cloth and place settings. Add a vase of fresh flowers or a grouping of candles instead.
Take a look at the Before and After picture below from a different home. See that by following the 3 D principle, the homeowner made a huge impact without spending a lot of money. For example, see the difference that removing the drapes and rugs made. Zero expense. Zero Effort. Big Result.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We are here to help you sell your home. If you aren’t advertising on the internet and the MLS, you are missing thousands of buyers. Call us or visit the site today to promote your property with one click of your mouse.
Virtually Stage Vacant Home to Sell
Marketing a vacant home can be difficult challenge, because empty rooms are hard to size up and they don’t stand out in a buyer’s mind. This leaves every vacant home looking like the one next door, with the only difference in a buyer’s mind being, which home has the lowest price.This problem may have been solved by Krisztina Bell, a smart Atlanta Realtor, who invented and patented a software program that will “virtually” stage any vacant property for around $250. Her company has been heralded by the Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronical and other publications as the answer to giving the effect of a professionally staged home at a fraction of the cost.
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent.com, your MLS and Realtor.com listing connection for by owners, investors and builders.
Avoid Trendy Home Updates or Remodels
If you plan to update or remodel your home, and you want to get the most Bang for Your Buck, you should avoid the temptation to be real trendy or exceptionally taste specific.
Although, some of the new “I Want That’s” are very Cool, it can be difficult to predict the difference between an evolving style (recently, stainless appliances and stone counters) and short term fad’s like leasure suits, wallpapering or orange shag carpeting. In order to get the most resale value for your improvements, stick to the classics that offer universal type appeal. Chose time tested products and trusted brands. Enduring value is something that appeals to everyone.
Tip: Chosing the latest and greatest thing you saw in Architectural Digest is not only risky for resale, its more expensive, too. For the greatest return on your money, buy smartly, and spend the money you save on updating those dated porch lights.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. If you are interested in advertising your property on the MLS, Realtor.com, Google, MSN, Yahoo and other other major real estate sites, CLICK HERE for pricing and details.
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.