HomesBuddy.com Your Community Information Cindy Hartman, REALTOR®, e-PRO ®, AHS™
Cell: (240) 346-9097
Office: (561) 401-9169 Broker Office: (561) 427-6100 Cindy@HomesBuddy.com
cindyhartman@kw.com 
Don't Forget to Send for your 3 e-Books - "450 IDEAS to SELL YOUR HOME FASTER" "Moving With Your Pets" "Moving With Your Children" Let me know if I can be assistance in your move...and please give my name and contact information to your friends, coworkers and family members if they have need of real estate services or information... I'll take great care of them for you! Preparing Your Home For Sale... |
First impressions make a significant impact on a buyer's decision-making process!
Once your home goes on the market, it becomes a product. Home Styling or Staging simply allows you to highlight the best of your home and de-emphasize its flaws. It's not about decorating, but actually turning your home into a model, to appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. The goal is to make people feel like they could live there, and the best way to do this is to "neutralize" the surroundings. |
Try out these helpful styling tips taken from Setting the Stage - REALTOR® Magazine Online. They've compiled the best tips from stagers and real estate pros—things you can do for little or no expense—to put a home in prime showing shape. - Clear out closets and clutter—sellers can give away or pack up toys, linens, and small kitchen appliances to store offsite. Buyers are also forgiving of storage boxes neatly tucked away in a garage or basement.
- Focus most on the most visible areas—the foyer, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and family room.
- De-personalize the home by removing photos, mementos, and dated items.
- Use plants in colorful pots or inexpensive wicker baskets to fill in empty spaces.
- Look to home catalogs for little details on beautifying the home. For instance, group books, pictures, and objets d’art appealingly on bookcases.
- Try angling one or two pieces of furniture slightly and move furniture 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall to create more interesting room spaces.
- Put away large collections— porcelains, plates, and so on.
- Remove valuables, prescription medicine, collectibles, and breakables.
- Trim trees, prune shrubs, and make sure the lawn is mowed and watered regularly.
- In summer, turn on the sprinklers for five minutes, 30 minutes before the open house. It makes the lawn and driveway sparkle.
- Refrain from cooking anything that leaves a distinctive odor, such as fish, garlic, or cabbage.
- Hire a professional service to clean the home, including the carpets and the windows.
- Set the dining room table with attractive linens, dishes, and stemware.
- Arrange fresh or silk flowers throughout the home.
- Light a fire in the fireplace in fall and winter.
- A mirror in a pretty frame can make a small room feel more open.
- Use as much natural light as possible. Add extra lamps in dark rooms or corners.
- Make functional repairs—fix dripping faucets, sticking doors, and broken fences.
- Bring in another pair of eyes—even if it’s not a professional stylist. The person may see problems you and have missed.
450 Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster  SEVERE WEATHER : Have a Plan! The time to prepare for severe weather is when there isn't a clould in the sky. Take a few minutes and put together a family survival plan. It will help keep your loved ones and your home safe. What you can do right now: - Familiarize yourself with the kinds of severe weather that can occur in your area.
- Create a Storm Readiness Kit.
- Gather your family and talk about where to go for safety.
- Choose one emergency contact person.
- Prepare your home.
- Evaluate your homeowners insurance.
- Determine what you would do with your pets in an emergency.
- Know how to turn off your water, electricity and gas.
- Visit www.redcross.org or www.fema.gov for a wealth of detailed information and recommendations for how to prepare for severe weather and other emergencies.
________________________________________ Tips on Reading an Inspection Report When interviewing a home inspector, ask the inspector what type of report format he or she provides. There are many styles of reports used by property inspectors, including the checklist, computer generated using inspection programs, and the narrative style. Some reports are delivered on site and some may take as long as 4 - 6 days for delivery. All reporting systems have pros and cons. The most important issue with an inspection report is the descriptions given for each item or component. A report that indicates the condition as "Good", "Fair" or "Poor" without a detailed explanation is vague and can be easily misinterpreted. An example of a vague condition would be: Kitchen Sink: Condition - Good, Fair, or Poor. None of these descriptions gives the homeowner an idea what is wrong. Does the sink have a cosmetic problem? Does the home have a plumbing problem? A good report should supply you with descriptive information on the condition of the site and home. An example of a descriptive condition is: Kitchen sink: Condition - Minor wear, heavy wear, damaged, rust stains, or chips in enamel finish. Recommend sealing sink at counter top. As you can see, this narrative description includes a recommendation for repair. Narrative reports without recommendations for repairing deficient items may be difficult to comprehend, should your knowledge of construction be limited. Take the time and become familiar with your report. Should the report have a legend, key, symbols or icons, read and understand them thoroughly. The more information provided about the site and home, the easier to understand the overall condition. At the end of the inspection your inspector may provide a summary with a question and answer period. Use this opportunity to ask questions regarding terms or conditions that you may not be familiar with. A good inspector should be able to explain the answers to your questions. If for some reason a question cannot be answered at the time of the inspection, the inspector should research the question and obtain the answer for you. For instance, if the inspector's report states that the concrete foundation has common cracks, be sure to ask, "Why are they common?" The answer you should receive will be along these lines: common cracks are usually due to normal concrete curing and or shrinkage. The inspector's knowledge and experience is how the size and characteristics of the cracking is determined. We recommend that you accompany your inspector through the entire inspection if possible. This helps you to understand the condition of the home and the details of the report. Read the report completely and understand the condition of the home you are about to purchase. After all, it is most likely one of the largest investments you will ever make. ***************** Now is the Time to Buy! Motivated Sellers and Inventory Now is an ideal time to buy, in most markets prices won’t go any lower and there is an abundance of inventory. A modest recovery for existing-home sales was seen in 2009 and is expected to continue through 2010. There are many options out there for many buyers and many sellers who are willing to negotiate and work towards a win-win situation that works for both parties. The Market is Getting Stronger and Every Market is Different ************* |