by Aaron Marshall | Oct 13, 2015 | Blog
When putting your home on the market, you want to do everything within your power to make your property irresistible. Staging your home’s interior is often doable, but to optimize the rest of your property, you might consider hiring a landscaper. High-Expense, High-Reward Landscaping isn’t a cheap business: on average, homeowners spend around $3,000 per project. If you’re operating on a budget, you might not have the spare cash to afford a total overhaul of your yard—the consultation alone is fairly expensive. On the other hand, chances are pretty high that your experience with landscaping is limited to mowing the lawn and occasionally weeding the garden. Unlike several aspects of preparing your home for an open house, you won’t automatically learn how to transform your yard into an aesthetically-pleasing paradise; unless you have an eye for it, you’re better off leaving your yard in the hands of a professional. Determining if Landscaping is Pertinent to Your Home It all comes down to a statistic: your average client decides whether or not they’re interested in your home within the first 30 seconds of perusing it. With that figure in mind, consider how much of a role your yard plays in the overall aesthetic quality of your home. If you have a large, sprawling front yard that serves as a proverbial red carpet, guiding the way to your front door, you should certainly look into making it presentable. If, however, your yard is small, manageable, and simple, consider a lighter contract than landscaping. Paying a yard maintenance company to come in and do a day’s worth of work in a couple...
by Aaron Marshall | Sep 15, 2015 | Blog
There’s a simple reason landlords are loathe to allow pets on their property: pets cause damage regardless of how well they’re trained or the status of their pedigree. Whether you have a lizard, a snake, or a furry, four-legged friend, it pays to be aware of these repercussions before you decide to put your house on the market. Bedding and Litter Any sort of pet waste left inside tends to leave a noticeable mark, regardless of your countermeasures; even odorless litter leaves a residual smell over time. To compound this effect, litter—and all the waste that accompanies it—works its way into the smallest of places, such as grooves in your hardwood floor or the space between trim and the wall. The sawdust, sand, or other detritus used for reptile bedding works in the same way as cat litter, so make sure you regularly clean and maintain these mediums of disposal—besides the obvious health risks associated with litter and bedding, the smell is incredibly difficult to remove. Damage Claws on hardwood, teeth on the siding—sooner or later, one of your pets is going to shred something. Before you even consider putting your house up for sale, it’s well worth the initial cost of repairing any damage they’ve caused. Though physical damage is unsightly, problems caused by accidents or poor training can be even more destructive. Urine and feces, if unchecked, can cause expensive odor damage to insulation. You can prevent this by keeping pets out of sensitive areas of the house, but it’s a possibility you should be aware of. Allergens The fact remains that an awful lot of people...
by Aaron Marshall | Aug 18, 2015 | Blog
Because of the recession, many children of the ’90s are of the mindset that purchasing a home and investing in real estate is far out of their budgets. They are often content to rent and try not to think about how they will never get any of the thousands of dollars they shell out every year back. However, contrary to popular thought, getting into a home isn’t as difficult as you may think. If you meet a series of requirements, first-time home buyers can take advantage of a number of incentives banks and the government give out to get people into homes. See whether you might be eligible for some of those programs below. Eligibility for Getting a Mortgage Banks want dependable people to take out mortgages so they can collect interest reliably. In order to do that, they make a number of assessments of your job and credit history. If you qualify for their programs, you may not have to make a down payment and can get a relatively low interest rate. Remember that these banks are competing for your business. You may be eligible for these programs if you have a good credit score an income that can support a mortgage payment a stable job you have worked at for some time successful loan repayment on your credit report These assessments will determine whether a bank will be willing to work with you, but if you are not eligible for the programs now, you know what you need to work toward. Determining Whether You Have Enough Income to Pay a Mortgage Oftentimes, people assume they don’t make...
by Aaron Marshall | Jul 14, 2015 | Blog
Throughout your search for your new home, you’ve no doubt found more than a few maintenance issues. Deciphering between small and large issues can prove daunting. If you need some advice on what to look for, here are some tips for you. Look Up Check out the roof. Make sure that shingles aren’t peeling, or worse yet, missing. Depending on the age of the roof, you may need to replace the whole thing. If that is the case, make sure to work that into your overall cost consideration. Look Down Particularly in homes with stucco, make sure that the lower few inches look okay. Even an untrained eye can easily identify damaged or bubbling stucco. Stucco is designed to last many years, but if you can see damage or bubbles, underlying issues likely exist. If the lower few inches of exterior stucco appear discolored, look into it. Check for water damage, mold, or even foundational issues. Stucco is designed to allow water to drain; however, if the foundation was poured too high, water can gather and even seep inside the home. If you notice low stucco issues, check the subflooring throughout the home for water damage just to be safe. Look Within Think insulation. Ask to view both the crawl space and attic. These areas offer a glimpse into the insulation of the entire home. Poor insulation creates additional heating and cooling expenses. Make sure you are able to verify the quality of insulation in use throughout the home. Depending upon the age of the home, you may also want to look at the insulation materials. Many older insulators...
by Aaron Marshall | May 5, 2015 | Blog
When the time comes to sell your home, the last thing you want to be is unsure. From determining the initial asking price to deciding what—if anything—ought to be updated, the process can be daunting. How can you be confident that you’re doing all you can to get the best price? By taking a few precautions and making some small investments, you can simultaneously reduce your stress and increase your chances of getting more for your home. Choose the Best Agent The best agent is not always the one with the most advertising. The best agent is one who is willing to work with you to make sure you get what you want out of selling your home. Even if it means shopping around, finding an agent or company that is willing to work with you will make a significant difference. When meeting with various agents, make sure you are clear in communicating your desires and expectations. Ask the agents to give their honest evaluations of those expectations, and be willing to brainstorm. Consider Hiring a Staging Company When selling a home, particularly one you’ve lived in for a long period of time, it can be difficult to view the décor as an outsider. Remember that potential buyers may not have the same style preferences, and they almost definitely will not share in your love for family heirlooms. By inviting a staging company to enter your home, you’re allowing an objective third party to help make it appealing to individuals who are ready to make serious offers. This may call for sacrifice on your part for a short time....
by Aaron Marshall | Apr 14, 2015 | Blog
Selling a home is no easy task, and without a large amount of time on your hands, it can be a nightmare to do on your own, especially if you don’t know much about the current real estate markets in your area. Real estate agents are there to make the selling process easier. While your immediate reaction to a suggestion about getting a real estate agent might be that you could surely handle it yourself, there are many reasons why paying for an agent will actually do you a lot of good. Having a Liaison to Meet with Buyers Showing a home and making appointments to meet with potential buyers can be a real pain, but a real estate agent can help mitigate the problems that might arise during that process. Because you will have informed them of your schedule, they can work with you and save you the hassle of organizing everything. Letting Someone Else Negotiate for You Negotiations are rarely easy, and if a buyer is being unruly or rude, you should not have to deal with him or her. Instead, you can convey your negotiation concerns with your real estate agent to ensure that you are getting the most for your property and are not settling for less than the property is worth. Making Sure that the Market Is Working in Your Favor A real estate agent can also help you with choosing when would be the best time to sell your house to get the most out of it. Depending on the season and the market trends, the real estate agent could save you thousands...
