Archive for the ‘upgrades’ Category
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.
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.
Are you having trouble selling your home? Do you Want to be on TV?
Do you need to sell your home now? Are you wondering why it is still on the market, when others have sold? Could you use some unbiased advise? And, Would you like to be on TV???
If so, take a minute to read this short article. (courtesy of InfoTube.net. )
Thank you for visiting Why 6 Percent. We can place your home on the MLS and Realtor.com, and you keep your “by owner” selling status. Visit the site or call 1-800-381-9496 today and reach 10 million home shoppers each month.
What is a Green Condo?
“Green” condo’s are becoming a hot commodity in the real estate market. The typically pricey units are located in large metro area’s and are designed to appeal to the young professional and members of the X and Y Generation.
Green condo’s, often called eco-friendly condo’s or lofts, include a wide variety of features and ammenities. Their designs usually include the use of alternative and recycled building materials, green roofs, solar energy, energy star appliances, water conservation and reclaimation.
Eco-friendly materials often used in green condo’s include bamboo flooring, No VOC paints, sustainable hardwoods, recycled glass, carpets made from recycled inner tubes, wallpaper made from recycled magazines, solar heating and cooling systems, on demand hot water heaters, water storage and recycling systems.
Green condo’s are usually located in area’s close to public transportation and within walking distance to shopping. In addition to being a good marketing ploy, green condo’s are now a luxury, hip niche in metro area real estate.
Thank you for visiting Why6percent.com, your By Owner MLS listing connection. Click Here to Search for Thousands of Fantastic Homes for Sale by Owner and Builder.
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.
What is a “Green” Mortgage?
The “green” mortgage was born in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order directing federally sponsored secondary market institutions to offer consumers incentives for energy-efficient homes.
Green mortgages, or energy-efficient mortgages, allow homeowners to use their commitment to the environment to leverage bigger loans. The concept is based on the premise that a more energy-efficient home will have lower utility bills. That savings can be considered income, allowing a homebuyer to qualify for a bigger loan.
You have to provide a Home Energy Rating System report in order to apply for a green mortgage. HERS reports indicate that your house meets all engergy-efficiency guidelines. The builder can provide proof for a new home.
If you are a homeowner looking to upgrade your home’s energy-efficiency, you can commission a trained Energy Rater to issue a HERS report suggesting efficiency improvements. The Energy Rater can estimate the cost of those improvements, as well as the savings. Cost for the report is usually a few hundred dollars.
thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com
Catching the Sun-Solar Power Breakthrough
According to the Rocky Mountain News, a new factory that will make affordable solar panels from ordinary window panes is set to open in Colorado this year.
The AVA Solar Inc. project uses a technological breakthrough by Colorado State University researchers, and promises to produce solar panels at a price that is comparable to other forms of energy…potentially catapulting solar energy into the mainstream once and for all according to energy expert Dan Shapley.
Reaping what the sun gives naturally everyday is smart and efficient. The fewer “conversions” energy goes through the more efficient it is. If the sun drives the growth of a plant, turning that plant into fuel adds a conversion, and energy is lost. Letting that plant cook underground for millions of years until it becomes coal or oil is yet another inefficiency.
Solar power has never been very appealing, that’s the problem with it and it just costs too much. But the AVA Solar plan-should it prove to be as good as it says it is-along with other innovations are transforming solar power into a mainstream commodity. The project is one of 10 Photovoltaic Module Incubator projects funded by the Dept. of Energy’s Solar America Initiative. The program has the goal of driving technological innovations that makes the cost of solar energy competitive with traditional forms of electric production, like burning coal, oil and natural gas, says Shapley.
If every house had affordable solar panels supplying a portion of its electricity, the demand for electricity from heavy-polluting sources like coal-fired power plants would drop, along with emissions driving global warming, causing acid rain and poisoning lakes and streams with toxic mercury.
And the jobs created at the factory–as many as 500–show that dreams of a “green collar economy” that has at its heart technological innovation and high-tech manufacturing are a very real and lucrative path toward the future.
Energy is a necessity and clean renewable energy is an obligation to our earth and our future. Solar energy is currently available, cost effective and clean. It’s time for us to adopt solar energy systems.
For competitive cost estimates and expert advice check out www.energy-guru.com
thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com
Hot News Inside Chilly “Ice Boxes”
Sears’ Kenmore appliance brand is rolling out some new fridges this month according to Ruth Katz. Just in time for Earth Day! Unveiled this past winter at the International Builders Show, Sears’ Kenmore state-of-the-art refrigerators are now featuring Microban antimicrobial technology, which allows the crisper drawers to remain fresh for longer periods in between cleanings; moreover, this innovatiove technology inhibits the growth of stain-and odor-causing bacteria.
Another plus -the Kenmore PUR Ultimate II water filter with two-stage filtration, which removes impurities from drinking water. This can produce a real savings on the purchase of bottled water, resulting in less plastic emanating from your house. Perhaps best of all, check out the Sears web site to see which Kenmore models not only meet-but exceed-Energy Star standards. The new Microban antimicrobial technology can be found in a variety of Kenmore refrigerators, in white, stainless steel, biscuit, satina and black. Prices range from $1,099 to $1,399.
Check out these new chilly “ice boxes,” as our Granny used to call them, in case you want to buy an Earth Day gift for your home. www.Sears.com
thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com
WaterSense Label Identifies Green Fixtures
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.
thanks for visiting http://www.why6percent.com/
Alternative Floors that Don’t Kill Trees
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
thanks for visiting www.why6percent.com