Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com
|
||
|
||
|
Real Estate Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
|
|
Curb Appeal
First, lets start with what it is. Curb appeal is quite simply the rate of attractiveness your home projects to viewers from the street. Why is this important? As the definition states, it is the ultimate first impression. You may have an immaculate, luxurious interior but without high curb appeal, few will bother to step inside to see it. This is even more important when selling on your own because you don't have a realtor to hype the interior as worth a viewing. Is it worth the trouble to invest, if you don't have good curb appeal? The payback value on exterior upgrades to your property range from 49% for landscaping improvements to 62% for exterior home improvements, such as painting. Next to the kitchen and bath, these are the highest payback ratios for home improvements and are well worth the initial investment. In the order of highest payback value, we have provided some tips to help you achieve higher curb appeal for your home: Exterior Painting Painting the exterior may appear daunting and not worth the effort, but research shows that it results in the greatest return on time and money for exterior improvements. As a guideline, when choosing color, a long and low house looks most appealing with colours that emphasize vertical elements such as doors and shutters, while taller more narrow homes should contrast its horizontal elements likes fascias and gutters. Window boxes are a nice touch as well. If painting is out of the questions, the bare minimum improvements should be to: Wash the full exterior to clear it from dirt and cobwebs. Renting a high pressure washer is best. Fix any loose, missing, or damaged shutters. Clean, paint, or replace mailbox, doorknobs, and street numbers. Windows Especially with a freshly painted or washed exterior, dirty windows will stand out like a sore thumb, and will date them past their true age. Tips for cleaning windows - Do not clean windows while they are in direct sunlight. Your cleaning solution will dry too fast. Using a 100% cotton cleaning cloth, dip the cloth in cleaning solution and wring out excess before wiping the window to loosen dirt. Using a squeegee, start each stroke in a dry spot, and squeegee in a pattern from top to bottom or side to side. If you are cleaning the outside and inside of the window, alternate the pattern on each side (i.e. top to bottom on the inside and side to side on the outside). This will make it easier to identify which side any streaks are on. Keep your squeegee blade dry by wiping it with a cleaning cloth between strokes. Nicks in the squeegee blade will cause streaks. Replace when needed. If you do not have a squeegee, newspaper will dry freshly washed windows, whereas papertowel or cotton will leave lint behind. Cool clear water is the choice of solution by most professional window washers. For very dirty windows, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of water. Landscaping Homeowners should plant colorful flowers along walkway leading to the door, prune existing trees, shrubs and bushes, and add fresh mulch. Clean out dead plants and weeds from flower beds and refresh with colorful plants and annuals. Taller plants at the corners of your house will help anchor it with the landscape. Shorter plants near your home's entry bring attention to your front door. However, this could have a negative impact if the front door is in need of repair (another reason to rethink the exterior improvements noted previously). Last but most definitely not least and probably most important, ensure your lawn is trimmed and green. If you have a lawn in need of attention, you may want to consult a landscaper for advice before trying to repair on your own. Overall Appeal Some further touches that will go along way to increasing the appeal of your home from curbside are: Outdoor lighting - Exterior lighting in your garden, walkway or entrance area add a warmth and welcome feeling that will make a viewer want to see more. Indoor lighting - While your house is on the market, leave lamps on in 1 or 2 front rooms. It brings the home to life and, again, provides the same warmth and welcome feeling as the exterior lighting. Exterior lighting alone will not provide the appearance of a well loved, lived in home, like the combination of exterior and interior lighting can. Furniture - As long as the chairs are well kept and not cluttered looking within the space, two chairs on a front porch provides a tremendous visual appeal from the street. Buyers view the exterior as an extension of the home and will want to view more. The best advice for creating great curb appeal, is to take a walk through your favourite neighbourhood. Analyze what works really well and what doesn't. Then determine why and incorporate those items to fit your own exterior. Most of all enjoy the outdoors and don't get too overwhelmed by the work at hand. © February, 2004 - Xstream Realty Incorporated Amie Walton is the president and founder of Xstream Realty Incorporated, a Virtual Agent online real estate service. She has retained her ASP designation in Home Staging and is managing both XstreamRealty.com and XstreamStaging.com as complementary businesses for assisting homeowners to sell their homes quickly and profitably.
MORE RESOURCES: Real Estate - Google News
Real estate is a team sport - Boston.com (blog)
Zephyr Real Estate Announces Top Producers for 2011 - MarketWatch (press release)
Real Estate: National foreclosure settlement delayed, Nevada AG concerned - Reno Gazette Journal
TEXT-S&P says European real estate should weather downside credit risks - Reuters
Select Your Real Estate Agent Carefully in Today's Market - MarketWatch (press release)
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Build Your Free House What if you could "place an order" for the construction your Dream House (made either for your family, or for monthly rental income) and have it built for you in only a few months, or maybe weeks?!What if you could get other people to do all the work.. Curb Appeal First impressions do make a difference when selling your home. Oftentimes, before making the phone call to schedule an appointment, a homebuyer will drive by your home to determine if they may be further interested. How Much is that House in the Window? With the recent release from the UK's biggest mortgage lender, the Halifax, of its latest house price report for May 2005, showing that prices fell by 0.6% last month, and prices falling just 0. Property Investing Secrets 8 Property Investing: A Buyer's Secret Weapon When Purchasing Real EstateMy friend, Roger, does property investing and is a licensed real estate agent. Recently he looked at a property in another state that was probably worth $225,000. How to Sell Your House by Lease Options Many people buy a house then have to move within a few years, due to divorce, relocation or financial difficulties. Without any equity though, it can be nearly impossible to find buyers and you still have realtor fees to contend with. Landscaping Adds Great Value to Real Estate And Helps You Sell Over the years several of our clients have had professional landscaping done and it's amazing to me how little landscaping, can be done for $5-10,000, by a professional Landscaper, and how little value it can add to your home.Small shrubs, trees, and plantings add almost nothing, or actually nothing at all, to your home value on the open market -- until they are several years older! There is another way!Some savvy investors look for good homes that are poorly landscaped and after spending a couple of thousand dollars or less put the property right back on the market for much more money and sell it. Are You Tired of Tenants, Toilets, and Trash? Wouldn't you rather go to Tahiti? Are you a landlord with rental property whose value has significantly appreciated? Are you ready to cash in those profits and take that trip to Tahiti?Before selling your property, check with your accountant whowill tell you that you will be paying $60,000 in CapitalGains Tax to Uncle Sam. Your accountant will also tell youthat adding another $20,000 to your income by that sale iscalled recaptured depreciation. Family Feud with an Auction Deadline - Adventures in Probate/ Estate Purchases One of our investor students told us of an interesting probate deal or "adventure" they're working on now and while it's a good story, it also illustrates lots of the ins and out of probate or estate issues and purchases.The Seller (we'll call him Scott) co-owned this house with his mom, and he co-signed on the loan with mom. Checklist for Buying a Home I had a client who called saying that his bath tub just fallen through the floor in his new home (new to him). Mold had eaten away the floor from the crawlspace up. Why You Need a Lender to Sell Your Home Home sellers who are prepared to help buyers find financing will sell their homes faster, and for a larger selling price. Think about your potential buyers: some of them will have already arranged for financing, but many don't know how to buy a house. Why Mobile Homes? There are mobile homes for sale, for much less than stick-built houses, in most areas of the country. Despite persistent predjudice against them, and sometimes the people living in them, mobile homes are the cheap housing choice of millions. For Sale By Owner Listings Selling your home on your own, without a Realtor, is becoming less and less popular. This is surprising, considering that home values have skyrocketed and commissions have risen along with them. Good Tenants - Learn Twelve Ways Landlords Keep Them Happy, Long-term Good Tenants Paying On TimeHow to Create a Win-Win Relationship for the Both of You!After you've found your tenants, how do you keep them? Establish a friendly, pleasant, business-like relationship with your tenants, so they'll want to renew again each year. By using one or a few ideas below, you will learn how to keep good tenants. Real Estate, Real Property and Leased Land; Definitions, Discussion and Explanations Delaware, and the rest of the original British Colonies, has some land that is leased rather than owned by the residents of that land. Much of it is not evident to the casual observer. Appraisal or Home Inspection? People sometimes confuse a home inspection and an appraisal when they are in the process of buying a home.Most mortgage applications involve an appraisal, which can be a physical inspection of the property plus a written analysis of similar homes that have recently sold in the area. Reprint Rights and How To Use Them To Generate A Steady Income I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have a step by step guide for sellers and tenant buyers. However, many of you are missing out on other income streams that these step by step guides can generate. Can I Sell My Private Mortgage Notes? In this country millions of homes are sold every year. In most cases buyers go to a bank or finance company to seek mortgage financing. Ten Steps for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Investor The secret to success in real estate investment is finding bargain properties that you can "flip" quickly for a profit. Here are a few ideas for becoming a successful investor:1) Obtain sound advice from investors who are already successful. Real Estate: The Consumers Will Have The Final Word! "The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance". How to Get Financing after Filing Bankruptcy If you're thinking about buying a home but have declared bankruptcy in the past, don't give up hope. There are still ways for you to be able to find a loan, even if your credit history is less than sterling.
|
|
Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?
List4Sale Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.List4Sale.biz 2011 |
|
