When selling a property, chances are the main photo for the home will be the outside. Most multiple listing services require either the front of the house or the view from the house as the first listing photo, so, you better make sure that your landscaping and curb appeal is on point. Most buyers will decide within the first five seconds of looking at the home whether or not they’re interested, which is why your landscaping and curb appeal should never be neglected. Here are some serious landscaping and curb appeal hacks that will totally change the way people look at your home. [Read more…]
6 Kitchen Upgrades Without the Remodel
Whether you are planning on selling your property or just looking for a fresh look without a major remodel, doing small things that help update the look and feel of your kitchen is one of the best ways to improve the home. We’re seeing a lot of new construction around the Tri-Valley area and buyers are looking for updated, renovated, or upgraded materials. If you’re looking to put a little bit of elbow grease and possibly a little money into your kitchen, you can do some upgrades without breaking the budget with a full remodel. Here are six kitchen upgrades that you can do without a full remodel. [Read more…]
When Should I Upgrade to a Bigger Home?
Buying a home in the Tri-Valley area? Maybe it’s time for an upgrade? But there are a lot of questions to be answered. Here are some of the most common from people moving to a bigger home. [Read more…]
10 Tips to Make Your Move Really Easy
Nobody likes to pack up the entire house and move but most of us do it at least once or twice in our life. If you’re looking at moving or relocating to the Tri-Valley area or maybe you’re moving out of the area, you may be researching some of the best tips and tricks to make your move so much easier. Here are 10 easy tips that you may never have thought of before they can make your relocation that much easier.
#1. Box of essentials.
Many people pack the wrong way. You want to make sure that the items you want to get to quickly are at the back of the truck or the easiest to obtain. This could mean your coffee maker, important documents or records. But you also want a box of essentials to go along with you, especially if you are relocating a long distance. These essentials could be blankets and pillows, toiletries, a first aid kit, any medications, phone and tablet chargers, toilet paper and paper towels, paper plates and utensils, pet food and bowls, credit cards, passports, Social Security card and credit cards.
#2. Hook up TV and the Internet as soon as possible.
Many utilities only require a phone call to get things switched over to your new location so you want to make sure that your Internet and TV are some of the first things to be hooked up so that you can start getting your email, have access to the Internet and some entertainment if necessary.
#3. Bring something for the kids.
Kids can find moving to be extremely boring so you want to make sure you have items for kids such as coloring books, crayons, games, tablets or other items that can keep them entertained, especially if you have a long way to go.
#4. Nextdoor.
The online company Nextdoor is a great way to network with your new neighborhood. You can ask questions about the neighborhood, find babysitters and handymen and a little bit about your particular neighborhood before moving in.
#5. Don’t forget to leave important items with your last house.
This could be all the keys that you have, your garage door opener that you may have stuck in your visor and forget that you have it, any other items that the new homeowner will need to operate their new home.
#6. Changing the locks.
You never know who may have a house key to your new house out there so it’s always a good idea to change the locks before you move in.
#7. Call a cleaning service before hand.
If you’re moving a long distance, call a cleaning company and have your real estate agent let that cleaning person in for a thorough cleaning before you even arrive.
#8. Pack the essentials last.
Just like we had an essential box for the trip, make sure that your coffee maker, any documents, taxes, phone numbers and close are easily accessible as soon as you get to your new house.
#9. Ask about movers insurance.
If you are hiring a moving company to move your items, ask about their insurance policy and get at least three quotes from different moving companies and if they do in-home assessments so your estimate is as accurate as possible. You also want to make note that moving expenses can be tax-deductible.
#10. Research schools and kennels ahead of time.
Before moving you want to see what school your children will be in so you are prepared to get them in school right away if you’re moving during the school year. You may also want to make note of doggie daycare is in the area, kennels, doctors, dentists and other places that you may frequent.
These are just some simple items that a lot of people forget to do. If you’re relocating to the Tri-Valley area of California contact my office today for more tips and tricks to moving and finding the right house for your needs and budget.
Keys to Getting a Home Sold
Here we go! Now is the time to sell your home. Whatever the reason be it job change, relocation, marital status, children or downsizing, you have to sell and of course like everyone, you don’t want to stay on the market for any longer than you have to.
This can be a very stressful time in your life especially if you’ve already found another home that you need to purchase. This buying and selling simultaneously could be one of the most stressful things you have to deal with as a homeowner or it doesn’t have to be if you use the right real estate agent. Surprisingly, using the right agent that keeps you informed, sets you up for selling success and markets correctly, can actually make the home selling process easy and enjoyable.
It starts with choosing the right listing agent.
When listing your home you can usually find an agent that will list your property for whatever price you want. The problem with this is that you’ll usually sit on the market far longer than you have to, infuriating you and your agent until you fire them and look for somebody that really knows what they’re doing. This is where I want to start with you. Don’t waste your time listening to a “yes man” agent. If you’re serious about selling let me do the research about what your home is currently worth, how long I think it will take to sell and some marketing strategies we can take in order to get the home in front of the right buyer.
Can you list your home yourself?
Of course! That is if you want to put in the time, energy and money to marketed, sell it, negotiated, differentiate offers and hope you didn’t make a mistake. Remember, only licensed real estate agents can list on the local MLS where 95% of real estate buyers go first. If you choose to list a home yourself you may actually be losing money.
Read more: Should you get a home inspection before listing?
Here’s why:
Those that list the home themselves typically start at a higher price than a local agent would. When they don’t get any hits or offers on the property they will start to lower the price. The problem with this strategy is that by this point, the home has been on the market far too long and buyers will tend to stay away from the there’s something wrong with the home. In the end, sellers typically drop the price so far just to get it sold this is actually lost money selling lower than have they simply use a real estate agent in the first place. Often times they’ve lost more money than if they had paid real estate commissions.
This is why it pays to go with a qualified, experienced and seasoned agent first. I do the research, find out the best price to list the property and give you an unbiased, honest opinion on what needs to happen to the home in order to appeal to the right buyers. If you’re looking to get more out of your home you’ll need to compete with the closest similar property. This means offering more for less money.
For negotiating strategies, expert staging advice, marketing tips and excellent advertising, don’t waste your time with an amateur real estate broker. Call me today for a free listing presentation of what your home could be worth and how quickly we could get it sold.