The Seller's List of Easy Fix-Ups

Another Great Post By: www.SaraHibbard.com

The Seller’s List of Easy Fix-Ups

Historically, just as birds build nests, springtime tends to be the season where homeowners consider listing their home for sale.   If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, the condition of your home will have a huge impact on how fast it sells, and its eventual selling price.  Preparing your home for sale can pay you huge dividends.  Many fix ups cost very little and require only time and elbow grease.  Here are some tips to help your home show it’s very best and yield a huge benefit.

Indoors:

1.       Clean the entire home.  This means vacuum and shampoo carpets.  Vacuum and wash walls, remove cob- webs, clean window sills, blinds, and draperies.  Clean out and wash light fixtures.  Dust all wood surfaces and shelving.  Make 2-story foyers look inviting, spic and span.  Get detailed and do deep cleaning.

2.       Clean and remove clutter from all closets, cupboards and cabinets.

3.       Make your rooms look as spacious as possible.  This can be accomplished by removing unnecessary furniture and items that make your home look cluttered and crowded.

4.       Arrange furnishings so it is easy to walk through your home.

5.       Scale down the number of photos, pictures, portraits and posters hanging on walls.  Don’t forget to patch all nail and screw holes.

6.       Take Drapes and Comforters to the dry cleaners.

7.       Natural light is very important in showing off your home.  Keep your curtains, blinds and draperies open as a rule every day.  It’s important that buyers see your home as light and bright.  Find ways to screen any unappealing views.  

8.       Make your kitchen shine.  Remove all clutter from counter tops and cabinets.  Pack things up that you don’t need.  Remove coffee pots, toaster’s, blenders from counter tops.  Store appliances in pantry, basement or send to storage. 

9.       ALWAYS keep your kitchen sink clean and free of dirty dishes.

10.   Clean and organize your refrigerator inside and out.  Take all the little trinkets, kid’s drawings, magnets off the side of the refrigerator.  Clean off the top of the refrigerator.  Make sure you do simple things like placing an open box of Baking Soda inside the refrigerator and the freezer.  YUP.  Buyers will look in the refrigerator too.  They need to envision their dinner stored in the refrigerator.  If it doesn’t show well, this could cost you an offer.  I’ve seen it happen too often.    

11.   Clean your oven.  Clean around the burners.  Degrease it and keep it looking as good as new.

12.   Keep scented candles burning in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Pleasant fragrances will entice buyers to stay longer in your home. 

13.   Keep bathrooms scrubbed and tidy with fresh soap and neatly displayed towels.  Try to color coordinate your bathrooms and make them look inviting. 

14.   Keep all sinks in the home clean and repair any leaks or slow drains.

15.   Go through the entire home and paint and / or touch up spots that need attention.  Pay close attention to corners where there is high traffic wear and tear.  Touch up baseboards, trim, cabinets and cupboards.  Clean up scuff marks on hard wood floors, baseboards, and kickboards.

16.   Place plants or fresh flower arrangements in strategic parts of the home.   A splash of color from plants, flowers, pillows or small rugs can give your home some real flair and look very attractive to visitors.

17.   Use mirrors on walls if necessary to reflect light and make rooms look larger.

18.   Make sure that all door knobs and keyed entries are working properly.  Replace any worn knobs or handles. 

19.   Paint or replace any doors that show signs of wear, scuff marks, or holes.

20.   If you have a door that also has a cat door – replace the whole door.  

21.   After you have cleaned out closets, the kitchen, game room, bedrooms, basement, decide which items will be sold in a garage sale, distributed to Goodwill, or packed for the move.   Distribute these items accordingly, but get them out of the house.  

22.   Pack up items and store boxes in the garage, basement or rent a storage facility.  Begin transferring items now.  You have to move anyway, so start removing items now. 

Outdoors:   

23.   Clean up the yard.  Rake and remove leaves, weeds and other debris such as piles of wood, firewood, and landscaping debris. 

24.   Pressure wash the entire house. 

25.   Trim hedges.  Trim around mailboxes, planting beds, sidewalks, and driveways.

26.   Trim all hedges, bushes and shrubbery away from the house.  The buyer’s inspector will likely require that greenery is removed from touching the house.  Keep all garden beds weeded and mulched with either pine straw or wood chips.

27.   Keep all walkways clear, clean and in good repair.  This includes your driveways and any parking areas.

28.   Keep the front yard free of bicycles, skateboards, balls and other outdoor toys.

29.   Clean all exterior lighting fixtures.  Clean and polish front door kick-plates, brass door knockers.  Consider painting the front door and replacing the front door knobs and locks.

30.   Clean and paint the mailbox.  Clean your address numbers too.

31.   Keep all outdoor furniture clean and in good repair.

32.   Don’t leave ash trays or evidence of ash trays. 

33.   Clean your gutters, soffits and roof.  Keep gutters free of pine straw, leaves, sticks and other debris. 

34.   Repair any broken windows, screens, shutters, awnings or doors.

35.   Clean your garage area.  Remove clutter and organize the garage to appear spacious.  Your goal should be to have only cars in the garage.  Hang and store bikes, lawn mowers, trimmers/weed wackers, toys and sports equipment.    Buyers are often impressed by garage floors that have been painted and sealed.  Often something that simple creates a “WOW” factor!        

36.   Wash windows, screens.

By following these 36 fix up tips, you’ll increase the perceived value of your home and maximize interest.  If you follow these tips your home will undoubtedly stand out from the competition and yield a speedy sale.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia and works in the north Atlanta metro area.  Regardless of whether you are a buyer or seller, Sara looks forward to answering your many questions regarding the selling and buying process.  Sara is easily reached at 404-660-2481 OR via e-mail at sara@SaraHibbard.com.  Visit Sara anytime at www.SaraHibbard.com.  Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate Is On Your Mind!   

Thinking of Buying a Home With a Pool

Another Post By:  www.SaraHibbard.com

I must give the credit for this Blog to my colleague Tisha Gay.

As the spring season begins, buyers across the country are beginning to look around and swimming pools can be attractive. You may be tempted to buy a home with a swimming pool, but before you go off the deep end (pun absolutely intended), there are a few things to consider.
Swimming pools are both beautiful and lots of fun, but you should be ready for the amount of expenses and work it takes to maintain, as well as the increase to your liability. So should you buy a home with a pool or not?

As an outdoors trend, swimming pools have joined the ranks of backyard landscaping, fencing, walkways, decks, weather-proof kitchens, fireplaces, covered and open patios, arbors, ponds, and play areas. Pools are enjoyable, they promote fitness and they’re always a great place to entertain family and friends. Keep in mind though, only you can determine how much you’ll use it and enjoy it.

And although a pool is great fun, there are definitely some negative aspects to pool ownership. There are safety and compliance issues, such as having to put a (not-so-attractive) child-proof fence around the pool in some neighborhoods or counties where it’s required.

There’s required maintenance, which can be monthly and turned over to a pool service if you wish, but that’s yet another bill to pay. Pool water can be considered a living, breathing organism and needs to be constantly monitored for chlorine levels, leaves and to make sure your filters are working. Plus, a swimming pool uses lots of water and chemical treatments to keep it clean, attractive and safe, and it will increase your homeowner’s insurance. These are the costs of pool ownership, and you have to be ready for them.

Pools come in five styles, which I’ve ordered in least to most expensive:

• Above-ground pools are the cheapest construction option, as well as the easiest to build. They are available from a variety of manufacturers, but aren’t allowed in most subdivisions due to restrictive covenants.
• Fiberglass pools are made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic, which has been molded into a basin shape. Because of the material, they can only be up to a certain size. In-ground spas are generally fiberglass models.
• Vinyl-lined in-ground pools are a lot like above-ground pools, structurally. They look more like conventional in-ground designs, but liners need to be replaced every 10 years or so. This is much cheaper than the next two options and is quicker to install, but not as durable.
• Gunite pools are currently the most popular design in much of the United States, a highly durable sprayed mixture of cement and sand over a mesh grid. They can be built in any shape and size, and feature a variety of interior finishes.
• Poured-concrete pools are similar to Gunite pools, but they’re a lot harder to build. Instead of spraying concrete material around a rebar framework, concrete is actually poured into conventional wooden forms. Some pool builders feel that poured-concrete is the most durable option, but this is negligible with today’s materials.

So you’re looking at buying a home with a pool. If you’re wondering whether or not a pool is worth what you’re paying as an amenity of the home, consider the following:

• Are pools popular in your area? Is the pool going to be a good or bad thing when you go to sell the home?
• Does the pool complement the home and yard? Was it well-designed, or did it eliminate important space for a play yard?
• Is the pool being maintained as well as the home? Are there any visible cracks, broken tiles, or cloudy water that could possibly mean more expenses to you? How old is the pool and its mechanical components? How soon will they need to be replaced? Have the tile surrounds and concrete walkways need updating?
• Are there additional outdoor features that augment the pool area, such as a cabana, barbecue or outdoor kitchen?
• Something no one ever thinks of is where will people change their clothes and use the bathroom? Is there an outdoor room? Or will they be tracking wet footprints through the house?

Before buying, gather all of the maintenance and repair records the seller might have for the pool, and make sure to include the pool in the home inspection. Have your Realtor® put together comps for homes with and without pools, and obtain recent prices from local pool companies on similar pools to see if you are overpaying for the seller’s pool, especially if it needs updating. Many pool companies will be happy to help in order to possibly get the maintenance, repair, or redesign business from the new owner.

My advice is to be ready for pool ownership, and make sure that it’s what you want before buying. If it ends up being the right move, that’s great! I love my pool. It’s great for outdoor entertaining and is perfect for cooling off in the Georgia heat.

Thanks to Tisha Gay for this great blog! 

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia.  Sara is available to answer your many questions and assist you throughout the process of purchasing or selling your home.  Sara is easily reachable at 404-660-2481 or via e-mail at Sara@SaraHibbard.com.  Visit Sara's website at www.SaraHibbard.com.   Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate is on Your Mind! 

A Tank Away During Spring Break

Another Post By: www.SaraHibbard.com

It's hard to believe we have turned another page in the 2012 calendar and we're in APRIL. 

It seems that SPRING BREAK is in the air.  Lots of families are either leaving the state for vacation spots in other states while many are staying home but taking day trips to keep the family occupied. Meanwhile, still others consider ATLANTA and the state of GEORGIA their destination. 

Regardless, of your plans for the week, you might consider a day trip to the Georgia Aquarium.  The Chattahoochee National Forest is of course a beautiful destination this time of year, or perhaps Callaway Gardens or a trip to Savannah.  Whatever you're doing this week -- have fun and enjoy the beauty of Georgia.

Here are a few suggestions:

ATLANTA
Georgia Aquarium:  It's the worlds largest acquirium, with more than 10 million gallons of fresh and salt water.   Get up close and personal with the beluga whales, dolphins, whale sharks and many more.

CHATTAHOOCHEE NATIONAL FOREST
Brasstown Bald:  The highest point in Georgia at 4,784 feet, this mountain is famous for its observation deck and 360-degree views of unobstructed beauty. 

PINE MOUNTAIN
Callaway Gardens:  This stunning 13,000-acre gardens, resort and reserve is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  Butterfly gardens, ziplining, bird shows and other adventures make this the perfect family destination for the day or the week.

SAVANNAH
Historic Savannah: Georgia's oldest city is known for its architecture and Southern hospitality.  Almost two dozen squares make up the Historic District and the celebrated Forsyth Park fountain.
You'll have a ton of fun in Savannah.

THOMASVILLE
Pebble Hill Plantation:  Dating back to 1825, this stately architectural beauty rests on 3,000 acres that also house a log cabin school, stable and other buildings.  Beautiful antiques and art adorn the beautifully restored Georgian plantation.

CLOSER TO HOME
Kennesaw, Roswell, Stone Mountain, to name a few:  There's always Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park for hiking, history, picnics and more.  A stroll around Roswell Square or Marietta Square with each cities abundance of shops, antique stores, restaurants and more is always fun.  Don't forget the famous Bullock House in Roswell as a destination too.  Climbing Stone Mountain and taking part in the various planned activities, hiking the mountain, picnicking or ziplining will keep you pacified for hours too.  One things for sure, Georgia is chocked full of great destinations and things to see and do this spring break week.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia and loves giving tours of the Atlanta metro area and showing off the area to prospective "newbies".  Sara looks forward to assisting you too when the time is right for you to think about buying or selling real estate in Georgia.  You can contact Sara anytime with your many questions regarding the Atlanta metro real estate market in general or specific questions about a particular zip code or school district.  Sara is easily reachable at 404-660-2481 OR via e-mail at Sara@SaraHibbard.com.  Visit Sara's website located at www.SaraHibbard.com for more ideas about what to see and do during your spring break week or your next visit to the area.  Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate Is On Your Mind!