Real Estate Information

The holidays may not be the ideal time to sell a home, but there are a few advantages. Buyers shopping for homes during this time of year tend to be more serious, and there may be fewer homes on the market so there’s less competition. If you need to sell your home during the holidays, Frontdoor.com offers several tips to attract buyers during this busy season.

Don’t go overboard on holiday decorations. Large decorations can make your home seem smaller and they can distract buyers. If you choose to decorate, opt for fewer and smaller items with a general winter theme.

Hire a reliable real estate agent. Ask family and friends to recommend a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) REALTOR® who will work hard for you and be available during the holidays.

Seek motivated buyers. Any person shopping for a home during the holidays must be highly motivated. Target buyers who need to move soon, such as people relocating for jobs, college students and university staff on break, and investors on tax deadlines.

Price the property to sell. No matter what time of year it is, a home that’s priced appropriately for the market will attract buyers.

Pay attention to curb appeal. Maintaining your home’s exterior is just as important in the winter as it is during any other season. Touch up the paint, clean the gutters and spruce up the yard. Also keep buyers’ safety in mind by keeping stairs and walkways clear of snow, ice or leaves.

Use high-quality photos and/or a video tour to market your home on the Web. Homebuyers are likely to start their home search on the Internet, so these tools can help buyers who may not have time to visit your home in person.

Make your home cozy and inviting. When showing your home, crank up the heat, play soft music and offer homemade holiday treats. It will encourage buyers to spend more time in the home, which gives them a chance to admire its best features.

    ‘Tis the season to deck the halls, but don’t forget to keep fire safety in mind. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, fires that occur during the holiday season claim the lives of more than 400 people, injure 1,650 people or more, and cause over $990 million in damage each year. Follow these tips to prevent holiday fires. 

    Select a fresh tree. Needles should be green and attached firmly to the branches, and they should not break if the tree is freshly cut. Don’t place the tree near a heat source, such as a heat vent or fireplace. Keep the tree stand filled with water to keep it moist, and don’t leave the tree up longer than two weeks. When it becomes dry, discard it immediately.

    Inspect holiday lights each year. Check for frayed wires and burned out bulbs before putting the lights on the tree. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Periodically check the wires to make sure they are not warm to the touch. Link no more than three light strands, don’t overload the electrical outlets, and don’t leave lights on unattended.

    Use nonflammable decorations. Keep decorations away from heat vents or fireplaces. Avoid putting wrapping paper in a fireplace, which can throw off dangerous sparks and cause a large fire. Artificial or metallic trees should be flame retardant.

    Avoid using lit candles. But if you do use them, make sure their holders are stable, and place them where they won’t be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning. Don’t go near a Christmas tree with an open flame (candle, match or lighter).

    Most important, install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them monthly.

There are no hard and fast rules on holiday tipping, experts say. How much to tip, or whether to tip at all, depends on several factors, including the quality and frequency of service, the relationship you have with the provider, how long they have worked for you, where you live (since amounts can be higher in large cities), and your budget.

    The Emily Post Institute offers the following guidelines for holiday tipping, but also advises consumers to let common sense and the holiday spirit be your guide. If financial circumstances limit what you can give, a handwritten note is always appropriate.

• Babysitter – One evening’s pay, plus a small gift from your child
• Barber/Hair stylist – Cost of one haircut or a gift
• Child’s teacher – Check the school’s policy. If allowed, give a small token gift of appreciation, not cash
• Day care providers – $25 to $70 each, plus a small gift from your child for providers who give direct care to your child(ren)
• Dog walker – One week’s pay or a gift
• Personal fitness trainer – Up to the cost of one session
• Housekeeper/maid service – Up to one week’s pay or a gift
• Doorman – $15 to $80
• Garage attendant – $10 to $30 each
• Letter carriers – Gift up to $20, no cash per U.S. Post Office regulations
• Massage therapist –  Up to one session’s fee or a gift
• Handyman service – $15 to $40

If you’ve got stuff, then you need storage. And when you’ve run out of closet space, shelves are a great way to get the storage you need and make use of the wall space you probably have plenty of. Choosing among the endless array of decorative and functional shelf options might seem like the hardest part. But hanging them can be tricky, too — it’s not as easy as drilling holes. These helpful hints should keep you from running into problems. 

    Tool smart. For almost any shelf-hanging project you will need a pencil, a level, a tape measure, a screwdriver, a drill and a stud finder. It’s also wise to have — and wear — protective safety glasses. 

    Weight watcher. Books weigh more than knickknacks. Be sure to keep this in mind as you purchase shelves; some kinds are sturdier than others. Also consider buying brackets to accommodate extra weight, if needed. 

    Anchors aweigh. Just putting a screw in the wall usually is not enough to properly mount a shelf. In most cases, you will need to use an anchor. There are different kinds of anchors for various wall materials; the kind you use for drywall  is different than the kind you use for concrete walls. Know what your walls are made of before you head to the store. 

    Space station. Make sure you allow enough space above each shelf so there’s no height restriction on what you place on the shelves. 

    Ball game. After you’ve completed hanging your shelf, test it out by placing a tennis ball or a golf ball right in the middle. It should stay perfectly still.

 Source: This Old House, DIY

Do you feel as though your entire home has been invaded by toys? If so, then it’s probably time to think about creating a dedicated playroom. But to create a space where your children can play without constant supervision, you need to think safety first.

    Start by doing a “crawl-through” of the room you plan to use, keeping an eye out for sharp edges, electrical cords and uncovered outlets. If you find these hazards, make a note to purchase rubber edges, outlet covers and cord-keeping devices. Push on the furniture, including bookcases, shelves, tables and chairs, to check for stability. Secure items that seem unsteady with straps that you can buy at your local hardware store or by bolting the items to the wall. If the playroom is on a second floor, place kitchen sets and drawing tables away from windows to minimize the risk of a fall. Make sure that the toys are accessible to kids; keep them off high shelves and in open-top fabric or plastic storage bins with lids that snap closed.

    If you’re starting a room from scratch, think about the materials you use to furnish the room. Cork is great for floors because it’s hypoallergenic and can withstand the moisture from the inevitable spills. Cotton fabrics are a good choice because they clean up easily and are better for children with allergies.

Source: Consumer Reports

Hiring a professional to conduct a home energy audit is a great way to determine how much energy your home consumes and what you can do to make it more efficient — but it also can be expensive. You can, however, easily conduct your own. Use the following guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy and keep a checklist of areas you inspect and problems you find.

    Air leaks. You might be able to save 5 percent to 30 percent a year on your energy bills by finding and fixing leaks. Start by checking for obvious leaks. Inspect windows and doors. If you can rattle them, chances are there’s an air leak. Caulking or weather stripping is an easy fix. Also check to see if air flows through less-obvious places such as baseboards and electrical outlets. Then head outside the house to inspect all areas where two different building materials meet: where siding and chimneys meet and where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet. Plug and caulk any holes you find and seal other cracks with appropriate materials.

    Insulation. Check the attic hatch to see if it is as heavily insulated as the attic, is weather-stripped and closes tightly. In the attic, determine whether openings for items such as pipes,  ductwork and chimneys are sealed. Seal any gaps with an expanding foam caulk or other permanent sealant. Also check to see if you have a vapor barrier under the attic insulation. If not, paint the interior ceilings with vapor barrier paint to reduce the amount of water vapor that could pass through the ceiling.

    Heating and cooling equipment. Check to see if it’s more than 15 years old. If so, you might want to consider switching to a newer model. Also check your ductwork for dirt streaks; these indicate an air leak and will need to be sealed with a duct mastic.

    Lighting. Check the wattage of your lightbulbs. You might be using a 100-watt bulb when you could be using a
60-watt. Consider switching to
compact fluorescent lamps for
lights that are on for hours at a time.

Source: www.energysavers.gov

In response to rising energy costs, some homeowners are using alternate sources to heat their homes. While wood-burning stoves, space heaters and fireplaces are popular options, especially in colder climates, they can be fire hazards. In preparation for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4 – 10, 2009, FireSafety.gov offers some tips to help homeowners use these heat alternatives safely.

    Wood stoves made of plate steel or cast iron are best. Use only seasoned wood for fuel, and avoid green wood, artificial logs or trash. Inspect and clean the pipes and chimneys annually, and check monthly for damage and obstructions. Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from the stove.

    Space heaters that feature the Underwriter Laboratory certification are recommended. Use a heater with a thermostat control mechanism that can switch off automatically if the heater falls over. Don’t dry clothes or store objects on top of the heater. Like wood stoves, keep combustibles at least three feet away. Always unplug the device when it is not in use.

    Clean fireplaces frequently to prevent creosote from building up in the chimney. Also inspect the chimneys for obstructions or cracks. Never burn trash, paper or green wood, which can cause heavy creosote buildup. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothes near open flames, and make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed.

    Finally, make sure smoke detectors are working properly, and replace batteries every six months.

Before putting your home up for sale, it pays to take a good look around. Is your home décor out of date? Will it appeal to prospective buyers, or send them running out the door?

Barbara Ballinger, architecture coach and columnist for the Style, Staged and Sold blog, says that while vintage features may appeal to some buyers, they could cost you a sale. Here are a few designs that could turn off potential buyers.

·         Excessively bold or dark paint or tile colors, such as deep plum or jet black

·         Walls painted with lacquered or high-gloss finish, faux- and sponge-painted walls, and wallpaper

·         Worn, cracked laminate countertops and backsplashes

·         Outdated bathrooms with small sinks, short toilets, squat bathtubs and tight shower spaces

·         Stained and worn wall-to-wall carpet or worn linoleum

·         Bedrooms decorated with a theme that is incorporated through the carpeting, walls, ceilings, light fixtures and furnishings

·         Too many mirrored walls, ceilings and doors in a single room

·         Ceilings with too many recessed lighting spots

While many homeowners say home security is a priority, they may not be taking the necessary precautions with their keys and locks. A recent survey by Kwikset, which manufactures locks and hardware for residential homes, finds that 47 percent of homeowners did not change or re-key their locks when they first moved in to their home, and nearly one-third have never changed or rekeyed their locks. More than half of homeowners surveyed also say they routinely loan house keys to friends or contractors, increasing the chance that the keys could fall into the wrong hands and be copied.

Home security experts at American Lock and Key offer several tips to help you secure access to your home.

·         Don’t hide keys in obvious places, such as under an exterior floor mat or a planter. Most burglars know the most common places to hide keys. If you must hide them, keep keys stored in a secured key box.

·         Keep keys separate from your address, so if they are ever lost or stolen, no one can identify where they belong.

·         Immediately change or re-key the locks when you move to a new home. A locksmith may charge $40 to $100 or more to re-key locks or, if you prefer to do it yourself, re-key kits are available at hardware stores for less than $20.

·         Keep garage doors secure, especially those that connect to the house from inside the garage and doors leading to the garage from outside. Use a padlock to secure the inside of the garage door.

·         Keep windows locked, especially on the home’s lower level where they can be an attractive target for criminals. 

Whether you are buying a home or selling one, a home inspection is an essential part of the process. It may identify the need for major repairs or uncover builder oversights, as well as highlight the importance of maintenance to keep the home in good shape. The inspection typically will take place after the contract or purchase agreement has been signed. Before you sign, be sure there is an inspection clause in the sales contract, making your final purchase obligation contingent on the findings of a professional home inspection. This clause should specify the terms and conditions to which the buyer and seller are obligated.

The American Society of Home Inspectors (www.ashi.org) publishes a Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics that outlines what you should expect to be included in your home inspection report. Generally, it will cover the conditions of the following:

·       heating system

·       central air conditioning system  (temperature permitting)

·       interior plumbing and electrical systems

·       roof, attic and visible insulation

·       walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors

·       foundation, basement and structural components

Fees for a home inspection vary geographically and depend  on factors such as the size of the house, its age and optional services such as septic, well or radon testing.

To find a qualified home inspector, ask your agent as well as friends or business acquaintances for recommendations.