Preparing To Sell

I'm often asked what upgrades should be done to a home, prior to selling. My answer is always different depending on the situation of the Seller. I'll address some simple ideas --- but first consider this:

Maintain and improve your home each quarter for the duration of your ownership. Do something positive to your home every season. You don't have to spend a fortune. Paint, landscape, shutters, sink, etc ....

It'll be much easier tidying up your home when you decide to sell than it would be to paint every room, renovate the kitchen, put down new carpet, etc ....

Besides, you will have been able to enjoy the positive changes made to your home. The fact is, you probably won't recoup the amount of money put into most upgrades --- so why not get some life out of them before you move on?

For starters, here are two simple suggestions to do this winter:

Replace your front door: Don't go cheap, go for quality. You'll see it every day and when you go to sell it's the first and last thing Buyers will see. Before you sell, spruce it up with a good cleaning or paint/stain. This is one item where you may see a positive return on value.
Garage Door: It looks pretty shabby doesn't it? Check out some of the new styles that will complement the character of your home.

Always ask a local Realtor you trust what they think about any upgrades. Call or email me ---- I enjoy helping people make positive changes.

Land, Views, and Garages

In today's hectic world, a number of people are looking for some room to breath and relax. This might mean a house on a couple of acres. It might mean mountain views. It might mean a giant detached garage w/ it's own furnace. Sometimes, with a little luck, you can find all of those things in one location .

Warm Up -- Add Value --- Get Money

Save some big bucks on your heating bill and get $300 credit from the federal government if you install a wood burning fireplace insert by the end of 2011. Read all about it here . You may not be ready to sell now, but when you do --- it's a good idea to have a leg up on your competition. Most people prefer to have an alternative heat source. Many of us found that out over the weekend during the "Halloween Snow Storm".

Housing Shortage or Thought Scarcity?: A Common Sense Proposal

Photo by Roberto Nickson from Pexels With low inventory, BOTH buyers and renters are having a challenging time getting into a home. A solution, one would think, is creating more available homes. A gut reaction would be to build big developments, with large homes or maybe a condo complex. But what if you could build a home on your current property and rent it out? I see small towns around me push back, and a common reason is "parking" . Meanwhile, a quick drive down their streets will show plenty of parking. And get this, the people that would shop in the now almost empty stores in their town wouldn't need to drive there - they would walk. Another pushback I hear is that a new structure will create too much non-permeable space . It's always an interesting thing to hear from a sector that listens and smiles - but does nothing - when I talk about clean water bills, riparian buffers, and other common sense solutions to a healthy local environment. The more I learn a...

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