If you’re preparing to sell your house, you might have had the thought that now is not the ideal time to host potential buyers. However, even if buyers can’t physically see the inside, they can still admire the outside. An upgrade to your home’s exterior will incite curiosity as to what lies within.

This is what’s called “curb appeal.”

Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t still spend time outdoors and working on your home’s exterior is a great way to pass the time constructively. You’ll be nailing two birds with one stone: making your exterior ready for sale, and getting yourself some fresh air too.

Judging a Book by its Cover

First impressions matter, even when it comes to homes. This is why curb appeal is so crucial if you’re getting ready to list. Let’s face it. If a prospective buyer doesn’t like the look of your home from the outside, they’ll be far less likely to want to see what’s behind the door.

Curb appeal can, in this sense, make or break your efforts to sell your property.

What we include when we talk about curb appeal is everything you can see from the street –the exterior of the home, the driveway, front yard, sidewalk, and the lawn. A house that looks great on the outside can attract potential buyers like bees to honey.

So, how can you jazz up the outside of your home while social distancing? We’re glad you asked! There are lots of easy ways to beautify your house. See our list below and download this guide to have on hand while you’re making improvements.

What’s In a Number?

The numbers on your house aren’t necessarily just for function. Dress up your facade with a brand new sign, or if you’re happy with the one you already have, just spritz it up a bit. Take those numbers down, clean them off, and give them a good polish to get them shining like new. If you decide to go for something entirely different, think about the look of your house. You want your numbers to complement the style of your home. Stick to something minimal and modern if you have a contemporary home, or homey and rustic if you have a ranch-style house.

Pressure Wash Everything

Sometimes, all you really need is a good scrub. If the wood on your porch or steps is looking a bit grubby, why not get to work with a power washer? Same goes for your dingy concrete and paving stones, or your faded vinyl siding. You can get a good-quality pressure washer from Walmart for around $200, although the prices vary widely depending on size and amount of pressure. Pressure washing can give you amazing results without having to spring for expensive replacements or refurbishments.

Green with Envy

A bit of color and greenery can go a long way towards enhancing your home’s exterior. If you have lawn space and front beds, keeping your front yard tidy and well-maintained will make your property look inviting and well-cared-for. If you don’t have a lawn, flora is still your friend. Hanging baskets and planters are perfect for houses with limited square footage. Window boxes will frame and brighten your window space and invite eyes to look inside. A little herb garden off the kitchen, perhaps?

If your garden is blooming, but you still want that extra oomph, add a few inches of dark topsoil or mulch. It will provide some nice contrast to the blooms, and make your vegetation look healthy, rich, and vibrant. If you start early enough, you can even grow your flowers and herbs from seeds inside your house, then replant them outside when they sprout. Either way, these garden activities are sure to make you feel good, look great, and get you out into the sunshine.

Paint Party

You can spice up any part of your house with a fresh coat of paint, but the star attraction of almost any home is a newly-painted front door. Find your perfect color and get to work giving your exterior a fresh paint job. You can also give your window and door trim a facelift with a new coat of paint. Fresh, bright colors will attract the eyes of potential buyers, so you want to make sure to highlight your home’s best assets.

Building Project

What better way to get outside while improving your home than with a DIY project? If you’re a beginner, start with something simple like a window box or planter. If you’re more advanced, try an outdoor table or bench. If you have the equipment already, just buy some lumber, exterior screws, and nails from Home Depot. Finish it off with a swipe of paint, and you’re ready to go.  Save money, feel good about your contribution, and maybe even learn a new skill.

Light Up Your Life

Shed some light on the situation with some additional light sources. You can replace the fixtures on your front porch or add new entry lights altogether. Try placing solar-powered stake lights along the edge of your garden bed or walking path. Think outside the box with a few well-placed battery powered lanterns or candles. Hang up strings of fairy lights along the front porch or in your shrubs. Whatever kind of lighting you choose, it’s bound to make a statement.

Decorative Touches

Finish off your exterior look with some fun new porch decor. Think comfy seating with patterned cushions, a hanging porch swing, a new welcome mat, a mailbox, or creative outdoor storage solutions. You want your selections to appear welcoming and friendly, and it should reflect an atmosphere that is lived-in but stylish.

Ramp up your home sale preparations by giving your exterior a bit of TLC. Stay safe by ordering your materials online, then spend some time in the great outdoors while you freshen up your house.

Seller Resources:

Any time is a wonderful time to reorganize your closets. Unused items could be clogging up your closet space and adding unnecessary anxiety to your day. Follow these easy tips to clean out and reorganize your closets using smart storage solutions!

1. Devise a plan, gather storage bins and take inventory of the space.
2. Empty your entire closet if space permits, or work section by section.
3. Sort into the following piles: “Keep,” “Store,” “Donate,” “Sell,” and “Trash.” A good rule of thumb is to donate items you haven’t worn in a year or more.
4. Consider your storage materials. Wire racks make great tools for closet organization because they allow for adding baskets, clothing rods and other components. View some closet racks here.
5. Organize the space logically by putting everyday items in an easily accessible place and putting less frequently used things on higher shelving. You may also want to organize clothing by color, occasion or season.
6. Make sure to use all empty wall space. Empty sections of walls or the backs of doors are great for hanging items such as ties, scarves, belts and bags. Baskets and hooks will help organize smaller items as well.
7. If you are working with a smaller space, store out-of-season clothes and shoes in boxes or bins under the bed.

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When selling your house, there are a few key things you can prioritize to have the greatest impact for a faster sale:

1. Make Buyers Feel at Home

Declutter your home! Pack away all personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. Make buyers feel like they belong in the house. According to the 2019 Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors, “83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”

Not only will your house spend less time on the market, but the same report mentioned that, “One-quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between 1 – 5%, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.”

2. Keep It Organized

Since you took the time to declutter, keep it organized. Before buyers arrive, pick up toys, make the bed, and put away clean dishes. According to the same report, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms to stage in order to attract more buyers. Put out a scented candle or some cookies fresh from the oven. Buyers will remember the smell of your home.

3. Price It Right

More inventory coming into the market guarantees there will be some competition. You want to make sure your home is noticed. A key to selling your house is ensuring it is Priced to Sell Immediately (PTSI). This means you’ll be driving more traffic to your property, and ultimately creating more interest in your home.

4. Give Buyers Full Access

One of the top four elements when selling your home is access. If your home is available anytime, that opens up more opportunity to find a buyer right away. Some buyers, especially those relocating, don’t have much time available. If they cannot get into the house, they will move on to the next one.

If you want to sell your home in the least amount of time at the best price with as little hassle as possible, a local real estate professional is a useful guide. Let’s connect today to determine what you need to do to sell your home as quickly as possible.

Seller Resources:

Four Things You Must Never do when Purchasing a Home:

1. Quit your job or become self-employed. Lenders need two years’ worth of employment history to give you a pre-approval for your home loan. 
2. Create more debt or make any purchases that affect your debt-to-income ratio. This means don’t buy a new car, use your credit card excessively, or sign up for a new timeshare or any other loan that could harm your home purchase. Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio to determine how much you can afford. The more debt you have, the less purchasing power you’ll have. 
3. Spend money you have set aside for closing costs before closing on the home. Closing costs typically account for about 2% of the overall purchase price. Make sure you have this money set aside. If you don’t, let your broker know. 
4. Make any large deposits into your bank account before speaking with a lender. Any large deposits will need to be explained. 

If you have any more questions about this or any other real estate topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you. 

Buyer Resources:

Some Highlights:

1. If you’re planning on selling your house in 2020, these are the top renovations that will give you the highest Return on your Investment.
2. Regardless of how long you’re planning on staying in your current home, it’s smart to be aware of which home renovations add the most value.
3. The exterior of a house is the first thing buyers see when searching for a home. Upgrading your roof or siding will ensure your home leaves a great first impression!

Seller Resources:

Saving for a down payment is a key step in the homebuying process, and it’s not the only piece you need to include in your budget. Another factor that’s important to plan for is the closing costs required to obtain a mortgage.

What Are Closing Costs?

According to Trulia, “When you close on a home, a number of fees are due. They typically range from 2% to 5% of the total cost of the home, and can include title insurance, origination fees, underwriting fees, document preparation fees, and more.”

For those who buy a $250,000 home, for example, that amount could be between $5,000 and $12,500 in closing fees. Keep in mind, if you’re in the market for a home above this price range, your costs could be significantly greater. As mentioned before, closing costs are typically between 2% and 5% of your purchase price. 

Trulia gives more great advice, saying, “There will be lots of paperwork in front of you on closing day, and not enough time to read them all. Work closely with your real estate agent, lender, and attorney, if you have one, to get all the documents you need ahead of time.

The most important thing to read is the closing disclosure, which shows your loan terms, final closing costs, and any outstanding fees. You’ll get this form about three days before closing since, once you (the borrower) sign it, there’s a three-day waiting period before you can sign the mortgage loan docs. If you have any questions about the numbers or what any of the mortgage terms mean, this is the time to ask—your real estate agent is a great resource for getting you all the answers you need.”

Let’s get together to discuss the homebuying process, to be sure your plan includes budgeting for what you need to purchase your dream home – without any surprises!

Buyer Resources:

Have you considered adding raised bed gardens to your yard? Raised bed gardens come with many benefits, including weed control, good soil options and higher production. While raised bed gardens can be purchased online or at your local hardware store or nursery, you can also build them yourself as a weekend project. Click here for instructions on building your own raised bed garden.

Whether you are buying or building, consider the following suggestions before you begin raised bed gardening:

1. Choose a great location – It is important for the location of your raised bed to be flat and also receive enough sun. Think about the plants you want to grow in your garden to determine the amount of sun that it needs.
2. Choose the right soil – It is recommended that soil in raised bed gardens be made of 60% topsoil, 30% compost and 10% potting soil. Talk with someone at your local garden center about recommendations for creating this mixture.
3. Plan irrigation – Soaker hose and drip irrigation are the two recommended systems for raised bed gardening. By planning your irrigation system ahead of time and installing before planting, you can save the effort of watering with a hose later on.
4. Apply mulch after planting – Adding mulch of some sort after planting your garden will help to control weeds and keep the garden soil moist.

Client Resources:

Today we’re discussing five tips for finding your perfect home. No matter if you’ve owned six homes or none, these tips will help you figure out what is best for you:

1. Talk to a Local Lender

Figure out what your budget is. 

2. Come up with a Plan

Do you want to be in the new house for only two years or do you want one in which to raise a family? Figure out what you need in a home.

3. What is Your Lifestyle?

Do you commute to work? Is this a good location for you? Are you looking for a specific school district?

4. Decide on Your Top-Five Must-Haves

For example, do you need a garage, or a yard for pets?

5. Choose a Realtor

Help your agent understand what your needs are, so everyone has the correct expectations. 

If you have any questions about finding the perfect home or real estate in general, feel free to reach out to us by phone or email. We would love to help you.

Buyer Resources:

It may seem hard to imagine that the home you’re in today – whether it’s your starter home or just one you’ve fallen in love with along the way – might not be your forever home.

The good news is, it’s okay to admit if your house no longer fits your needs.

According to the latest Home Price Insights from CoreLogic, prices have appreciated 3.5% year-over-year. At the same time, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports inventory has dropped 4.3% from one year ago. These two statistics are directly related to one another. As inventory has decreased and demand has increased, prices have been driven up.

This is great news if you own a home and are thinking about selling. The equity in your house has likely risen as prices have increased. Even better is the fact that there’s a large pool of buyers out there searching for the American dream, and your home may be high on their wish list.

If you think you’ve outgrown your home, let’s get together to discuss local market conditions and determine if now is the best time for you to sell.

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