Florida Homes and Condos for Sale

Knowing Where To Put The Chalk Mark

There's a story that once upon a time there was a giant turbine that was out of balance.  Try as they might, the company experts couldn't get it back into balance so a specialist from outside the company was called in.  The specialist arrives, examines the turbine for a few minutes, walks over to the turbine, pulls a piece of chalk out of his pocket, puts a mark on the turbine and says "Add a one pound weight here". 

The specialist presents his bill for $10,000.  The company representative almost blows a gasket "$10,000???!!!  Are you kidding me??  You were only here for FIVE minutes!!  I need to understand this $10,000 fee!"

Then the specialist itemizes the bill:

• $1 for chalk 
  
• $9,999 for knowing where to use the chalk

Now to many people we probably seem like the specialist that walks in and places that chalk mark.  At a glance it might seem to some people that we "don't do much" and people that don't understand the intricacies of our business might think all we do is open doors for buyers and stick signs in the yard for sellers.

But honestly, what we do is MUCH more complicated than merely opening doors and driving a sign in the yard.  Our job requires considerable experience to be successful in helping you realize your real estate goals.  The pros and cons of a property, how & where to market, the language to write in a contract, all skills established transaction after transaction.  

Putting our experience to work for you is how we place our chalk marks.  What you see on the surface might seem simple, but knowing the pitfalls to each transaction is where we prove our expertise.  Providing you the guidance to escape the hazards and providing you a smooth transaction is how we prove our worth.

So which color chalk would you like us to use for you?

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

The Liz Spear Team
Elizabeth & William Spear
RE/MAX Elite:  Ask for us by name if you visit the office!
Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OH
Office direct: 513-248-3660  Liz direct:  513-265-3004
Bill direct: 513-520-5305 Fax: 866-302-8418     

MailTo: Liz@LizSpear.com  Our Website: Warren County Ohio Homes

 

 

 

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May is National Home Improvement Month so why not use this time to  tackle  those repairs,  general maintenance and home updates you’ve been thinking about.   Selling your home is hard enough without having to take the time and money to handle all of those projects at one time.

Here are 6 areas where you can make a difference in your lifestyle now and in your home’s perceived value when you place that “For Sale” sign in your yard.

1.  Take a hard look at the exterior of your house.

* Check your roof and gutters.  Gutters may need cleaning or repaired.  Check roofs for loose shingles or leaks.
*  Your entry says “Welcome to your guests.”  Replace worn doormats.  Update the hardware and light fixtures if they are worn or outdated.
*  Make sure all of your windows are in working order and are clean!  It might be a good time to replace them with more energy efficient or hurricane windows.
*  Tame your landscaping!  Cut back overgrown trees and bushes.   Replace dead flowers and plants.  Add some color with flowers.
* Paint your house!
* Turn your backyard or deck into your own oasis with fresh plants, lighting, and new patio furniture.

2.   Flooring- if carpeting is worn replace it, but before you do consider a different type of flooring such as hardwood or tile.  We have an excellent flooring expert, Debbie Gartner, through ActiveRain who’s written on the different types of flooring available to suit your lifestyle and pocketbook.

3. Light fixtures and hardware- updating your lights and cabinet hardware can be one of the easiest and least expensive updates you can do.   At the same time, those heavy brass entry lights and builder basic bathroom mirror lights just scream “outdated.”

4. Interior walls - It is amazing what just changing the color of the paint can do to give a home a fresh and updated look.   And while some will tell you that wallpaper is out... others have said it is making a return.  In any event, if the wallpaper you have was in your house when you bought it, then it’s time to make a change.

5.  Kitchens- this is probably where the family spends much of their time and one of the first rooms a Buyer will look at.  Why wait until you’re going to sell your house before you get the kitchen you want.

* New appliances- these can go a long way to give a kitchen an uplift.  And     many of the newer models are even more energy efficient and cook friendly.

*Countertops- granite is still popular but there are other materials such as engineered stone, tile, stainless steel and many more.

*Cabinets- Often it’s as simple as a change of hardware and a paint job but you can investigate replacing just the doors.

*Lighting- there never seems to be enough.  There are some pendant lighting kits that can be used where you currently have recessed lighting.  

6.  Furniture -placement and condition.  It is certainly not necessary to go out and buy all new furniture but it’s a good time to access what you have (and don’t have) and put together a plan.  It could be as easy as recovering the dining room chairs or repurposing a piece of furniture that you’ve had in a back room.

 
If your favorite sofa has lived through pets, kids and everyday living, have it recovered or consider purchasing a new one.

Seek out the services of an Interior Redesign professional who can provide a consultation that will give you the blueprint you need.  

Why not live in the home you want NOW?   Your house doesn’t have to be on the market for you to live in your dream home.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

I am a huge fan of Real Estate Agent and Mogul Barbara Corcoran. Barbara is a Real Estate Contributor on NBC's Today show and the wonderful addition to ABC's Shark Tank. Per Barbara:

"BUYERS DECIDE WITHIN 8 SECONDS WHETHER THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR HOME."

I'm not surprised by this at all. It's the first impression when walking in and hearing "Wow, this is cute" or "Ugh, what is that smell?" pretty much sums of the next few minutes of the tour of that home.

I always tell my buyers that they will know when they walk in if this is their home or not. If they aren't feeling it within the first 10 seconds, let's move on. They never believe me... AT FIRST. But usually by the 4th house they agree that they know pretty much immediately if they are interested or not when walking in the door.

So buyers pretty much know. Sellers - remember that! That first impression (or at least the first 8 seconds) can decide whether the buyer is interested in your home!

LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs.

One of the biggest misnomers when it comes to preparing your home for the market is that staging is a lot like decorating. The truth of the matter is that while there are some things that are similar, there are some huge differences between the two.

Let's first review the similarities between decorating and staging:

• Both require furniture and accessories
• You shop for both (stagings and decorating) at the same stores.
• Both aim for the home to look nice

Here are the differences:

• When decorating, you're striving to achieve a look that YOU like. When staging, it's NOT about you. Instead, it's all about the potential buyer.
• When staging, it's all about selling the "real estate" the home has to offer. For example, the extra chair in the living room, which may look great in a decorated home, may just be eating up too much space if the home is placed on the market.
• Decorating is very personal. Staging is the exact opposite. In our Atlanta home stagings, we minimize the personal touches (e.g., family photos, mementos, etc.).

As you can see, the difference between decorating and home staging is huge. Here at AtlantaHomeStaging.net, we understand the differences and apply them when staging a vacant home. We focus on highlighting the features, maximizing the amount of visual real estate the home has to offer, and target the demographic of the buyer.

Here's a collage of some of our Atlanta home staging after pictures:

 Originally posted at AtlantaHomeStaging.net

 

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

 

 

 

 

Home Staging Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com  

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Kitchen Transformations
• Short on Space? Keep it Simple
• Tips on Selling Your Home From a Professional Stager
• Curtains. Should they stay or go?
• How to dress up your coffee table and end tables when selling
• Quick tips for table settings
• How will buyers remember your home?
• Atlanta Home Staging Consultations - Check out what the homeowner did
• Atlanta Loft Gets Home Staged
• How to ensure your home appeals to a broad base of prospective buyers

 

 

 

 

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

If you have been around the block a few times, you have no doubt learned that just because you purchase something new, does not mean it may not be flawed. We live in a society that sells incredibly complicated wares. Phones, computers, and cars are just a few examples that come readily to mind. The more complex an item, the more likely that there will be a defect or a problem. All that considered, its a testament to the quality of many companies that their products perform as well as they do out of the box...

most of the time.

Houses today are very complex structures. They are put together over many months by numerous people who come and go from the job site. Most new home's come with very few problems, but are in no way flawless. It has been my experience that new home buyers more often than not choose to not get a home inspection. Some of the reasons I have heard for not getting a home inspection on new construction are;

The house is new, which in my opinion is by far the most naive reason of all.

The town has inspected it, again babes in the woods.

The builder gives a one year warranty.

Recently while inspecting a newly constructed, high end home, I found a defect that in my opinion should not be found in any new home. There are just some parts of new construction that should and I'm certain do get well scrutinized by the local inspectors, but everyone makes mistakes.

This home being large, has two electric panels. The main panel is in the basement and a second sub panel is located in an upstairs office room. Mis-wired sub panels are one of the more common defects I find in used homes. Often a weekend warrior or general contractor takes on the job of electrician for a remodeling or addition project to save money.

This however is a new house and one would assume it has been wired by a licensed electrician and or apprentices working under the licensed guy. The work should have been checked at the very minimum twice, once by the electrician and once by the town inspector.

And yet I found the wiring in the panel to have been connected incorrectly rendering this part of the house's electric system potentially unsafe. In addition to the bad wiring, one of the AFCI breakers failed to reset after testing and will need to be replaced.

New construction is very exciting for home buyers, but emotions can sometimes interfere with common sense and past life experience. New should never be assumed to mean flawless.

 

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

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Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.