Ready to get a head start on the spring selling season? Listing your home in the wintertime is a great way to take advantage of a less competitive market and more committed buyers. You won’t have to worry about landscaping, and you might sell your home in days if the right buyer finds you at the right moment.
Showcase your space with these five tips for winter home sellers:
Out with the old, in with the new! If you’re ready for a new year and a new you, putting your holiday decorations away once the festivities are over, cleaning thoroughly, and getting organized can get your new year’s resolutions off to a great start. Making sure everything has a place to be put away is the first step to a clean and organized home.
If your children have left for college or maybe to start families of their own, your home might be suddenly quieter and better organized than it’s been in years. Now that you can finally hear yourself think, you may have realized that you have more space in that big house than you know what to do with. If you’ve found yourself with an empty nest, downsizing might be the perfect solution for your new lifestyle needs.
Here are five things to consider when thinking about downsizing:
When it comes to the size of home on your wish list, don’t apologize for wanting a spacious home with a lot of bedrooms and bathrooms. According to a recent report by wsj.com, a lot of new construction homebuyers want larger homes even though some feel fascinated by the “tiny home movement.” While first-time homebuyers tend to buy the older, smaller homes in an affordable price range, move-up buyers long for at least 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms to accommodate a growing family. Commerce Department data cited by the Wall Street Journal also indicates a growing number of consumers rather own a home with a 3-car garage.
Making room for mom and dad
While some homebuyers want larger homes to make room for babies, there is also a multi-generational household trend. Many homebuyers in their 40s and 50s desire new construction homes with dual master bathrooms and extra living space for their aging parents. Because there are several generations living under one roof, it’s essential to have several bathrooms and a 3-car garage rather than the standard 2-car garage. If you live on a golf course, the extra garage room is likely used for golf carts.
Enjoying the indoor-outdoor flow
Another trend in new construction is to increase the living space with more outdoor areas. Especially in the warm-weather states, builders tend to build homes with patios. Whether you want an outdoor kitchen or just an area for gathering outside, capitalize on the building trend as a consumer. You can choose a floor plan that includes French doors that open from an eat-in kitchen and kitchen area to a covered patio. If you don’t have it in your budget to include a swimming pool now, check to make sure the community allows individual pools or other outdoor features that could interest you in the future.
Empty nest retirees who desire new homes which are smaller, and more in tune with their new lifestyles, tend to pick Active Adult Communities, shares a March 6, 2015, New York Times online article titled, Retirement in a Community, but Which One? Here, Margaret A. Wylde, CEO of the ProMatura Group--a market research firm--explained, "Of those ages 55 to 65, 4.5 % move each year...(and) 20% of people in this group looking for a home want to live in a 55-plus community." A Maryland couple interviewed for this article expressed what many retirees feel--They wanted "something smaller on less land."
Susanne Matthiesen, director of aging services at CART International, an agency that accredits services for empty nesters, also advised, "Ask yourself what you want to do from today forward." Then, prioritizing wants and needs becomes more clear.
This New York Times article goes on to suggest empty nesters ask themselves the following questions as they choose their ideal retirement communities:
No matter how empty nesters might answer these questions, Ms. Wylde and Ms. Matthiesen offer the following suggestions for those who've tentatively picked out an active adult community:
Contact us for information about our Move Smart Solutions "right size" program, in which we help you move down in home value--but not in comfort and efficiency--by listing and selling your current home at significantly reduced commission rates.
If you are living in a starter home watching home improvement shows, you are likely dreaming of a step-up home with modern porcelain tile floors, quartz countertops and an overall luxurious living space. Spring and summer are good times to sell a home, but the fact that so many millennials want to own is creating even more demand. A recent article by Consumer Affairs revealed that homeowners did better than renters during the recession. If you held your home through the Great Recession, you likely came out ahead with greater net worth than that of renters. Researchers at Washington University at St. Louis reported renters had to deal with higher rents that prevented them from investing. Having dealt with the high cost of rent, many people in their 20s and 30s are looking for starter homes, while others are ready to become move-up buyers.
Giving your home a designer look
While touring new construction homes for your next home, you can get ideas for ways to improve your home to sell. Most young buyers wish they could buy a new construction home, but often can’t afford one. If you own an entry-level home, you can make inexpensive improvements so you don’t over-improve to the point that potential buyers can’t afford your house. Some ideas include replacing white countertops with laminate counters in designs that resemble granite, changing out old ceramic tile with new modern colors. Also, change out old gold door knobs with stainless steel or brushed nickel levers.
Making it move-in ready
According to a piece by Consumer Affairs on millennials embracing homeownership, most millennials plan to stay in the home they buy for at least 10 years. Because many young people have friends or family burned by foreclosures and shorts sales in bad condition, it’s important to make the repairs and improvements before listing your home for sale. Also, many millennials became accustomed to the renter’s lifestyle, which includes property management. The key is to make a home move-in ready without going over budget.
If your new construction project has you as giddy as a school girl, or as excited as you were to meet your first-born, you're not alone. It's finally time to own the home you've been pinning about, ripping pages out of magazines for, and dreaming of for years. However, there are a few simple factors to know about, and expect, that will make the construction process a lot easier.
Please contact us if your family is ready to move up, in need of more space, looking for a professional estimate on your home's current value, or interested in the amazing options available to you in the housing market. And learn how moving up and into new construction can be a truly rewarding experience.
A lot of people grew up in mid-century modern homes from the 1950s or ‘60s. Some new home builders today build homes inspired by simplicity, clean lines and angled roofs. New-Century modern homes provide homebuyers with a lot more square footage since many original vintage homes have only 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of living space. It’s a great time to sell your mid-century modern or other older home and become a move-up home buyer. Interest rates are still extremely low. According to a recent article by freshhome, there are easy ways to bring the mid-century modern flair to your home. When staging your home to sell, consider buying modern furniture you can use now and take for your newly built home.
To get the look of new-century modern, you can use engineered hardwood floors or porcelain tiles engineered to look like real wood grain. However, when selling a vintage home, you should let real wood take the center stage. Some of the popular wood used in mid-century homes, according to freshome, include walnut, oak, teak and rosewood.
Modern pendant lights are trendy in a new-century modern home that you can have built by a reputable new home builder. When staging your starter home to sell consider using vintage pendant lights and fixtures with an artistic edge such as stunning globe lights in bold colors.
To create an authentic mid-century modern feel in your home for sale, include a built-in bar for mixed drinks. If you don’t want to spend the money, consider a bar cart. When decorating a new home, a modern twist on the 1950s bar is a coffee bar for making homemade gourmet coffee.
Mirrors were a popular way to accessorize and make a mid-century modern home appear larger. Use mirrors as part of your staging, especially if you can show a landscape in the distance. Other important décor items inspired by the 1950s and ‘60s include shag area rugs.
Buying a newly constructed home is great, but first you have to sell your old home, and stories about homes on the market for months or years with ever-increasing price reductions can make this idea pretty scary. Figuring out how to sell a home in today’s market is daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The following 4 steps can speed up the sale of your old home and get you into that new construction sooner.
Step 1 is the most important step of all; price your home strategically. To do this find a real estate agent who can compare your home’s size, features and condition against recently sold homes in the same market, and determine how to price it at the best value in its price range. What is strategic pricing? Check out this article from the Houston Chronicle. Overpricing a home will cost you potential buyers, and result in lowered list prices and more time on the market, until ultimately selling for less than it probably should.
Step 2 is to make a great impression, and this is one step most people already know about, although making a great impression on the greatest number of people may require some tough decisions. Much that makes your home a home can also get in the way of selling it to someone new. Toss or store non-generic items like decorative flags and lawn ornaments, art, toy, or other collections you proudly display, magazines and newspapers, toiletries, clutter, and any evidence of pets. Your goal is to create a living space other people can picture themselves living in. When in doubt, ask your real estate agent for advice.
Step 3 is to invest time and money on small projects, like re-grouting tile, repainting, refinishing the basement, or getting a new front door. This step is easier after you complete step 2, because removing personal items (like the five shampoo bottles on the edge of the tub) can reveal potential projects (like removing the mold on the grout between the tub and the wall). Don’t get carried away during this step though, because you may not get the returns you expect from big renovations. Check out this link on Today.com for 8 tips to sell your home this spring.
Step 4 is remembering that people buy homes, not houses, and this means they want to establish an emotional attachment. While step 2 set the stage for your potential buyers to begin to see themselves in your home, step 4 is helping buyers see themselves in your neighborhood and community via social media. What is the school system like? What restaurants, grocery stores and shopping malls are nearby? The Chicago Tribune article entitled Quirky Twitter account helps sell Mount Prospect house tells a story about one man’s innovative marketing idea using Twitter. Your real estate agent may already be leveraging social media, as the article recommends. Contact us to find out more about selling your home.
Paying home owner association (HOA) fees in addition to a mortgage and property taxes may, at first, seem less than desirable. You may be even wary of HOA because you have heard they can be restrictive, determining the colors you are allowed to paint your home, the condition of your lawn, etc. The benefits of having an HOA, however, can be considered an investment.
Property Value
HOA’s may seem to restrict your creativity or personal style, not allowing you to paint your home bright pink and orange. But what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. By having guidelines and rules all residents in your neighborhood must abide by, what the HOA is really doing is ensuring your property value doesn’t decrease because of unappealing overgrown yards or piles of trash in your next door neighbor’s yard. HOA’s put certain rules in place to safeguard your property value.
Amenities
With newer communities, it is becoming more common to have shared amenities such as pools, parks, and sport fields. HOA fees go toward the upkeep and maintenance of these facilities. Not only does this help increase the property value, but also saves the residents time and money by giving them the opportunity to enjoy such amenities within walking distance.
Move-Up America is celebrating 20 years! Established in 1995 by John and Jay Horton and Clay Woodard Move-Up America has served over 8,500 satisfied customers and saved over $45,000,000 in commissions in 12 different markets and 9 different states. Move-Up America has prided itself on providing excellent customer service and maintaining a level of professionalism in order to ensure that their clients get their dream home for the absolute best price.
When established in 1995, Move-Up America brought a radical, new idea to the real estate business. Move-Up America began working directly with home builders and the very best agents from the nation’s top brokerage firms to help clients sell their home and purchase a new home with ease while saving customers on average $9,000 in the process.
During Move-Up America’s celebration they have decided to give the gifts to their customers and sales counselors alike. For its customers Move-Up America has published a free eBook, Selling Your First Home, which details all the vital information that is needed when selling and buying a home simultaneously along with handy printable checklists. This free ebook may be downloaded here.
To show appreciation to the many wonderful sales counselors that have been an integral part of Move-Up America’s success over the last 20 years, Move-Up America is footing the cost for online advertisements. Move-Up America has spent an extensive amount of time researching how to make the most effective ads for themselves and understanding how to specifically target relevant audiences through online demographic research.
Move-Up America would now like to share that knowledge with its sales counselors by placing digital ads that can specifically target potential homebuyers living within a 10 mile radius of the sales counselors’ neighborhood. These ads will allow counselors to advertise the attributes and highlights of the neighborhoods where they are selling to a highly targeted audience. For more information on online marketing with Move-Up America please contact, John Horton here.
The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) administers and enforces federal laws and establishes policies that make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice.
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