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March 24, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

6 Do-It-Yourself Updates That Can Increase Home’s Value By More Than $10,000

Simple, affordable do-it-yourself projects such as cleaning and decluttering and just adding lighting can help increase a home’s resale value, according to HomeGain’s annual home improvement and staging survey.

HomeGain, an online real estate marketing resource, surveyed nearly 600 real estate professionals in creating a list of the top do-it-yourself home improvement projects that offer the biggest return for your buck.

Overall, the home improvement projects that boasted the highest price returns were updates to the kitchen and bathroom–an estimated $3,435 price increase for resale. Painting the outside of the home ($2,222 price increase) also offered one of the highest returns, according to HomeGain’s Home Sale Maximizer study.

Here are six do-it-yourself projects–all under $1,000–that made HomeGain’s list, as well as the estimated increase to the home’s price at resale for each project.

1. Cleaning and decluttering: Remove any personal items, unclutter countertops, organize closets and shelves, and make the home sparkling clean.

Cost: $290

Estimated return: $1,990

2. Light and bright: Clean all windows inside and out, replace old curtains, update lighting fixtures, and remove anything that blocks light from the windows.

Cost: $375 cost

Estimated return: $1,550

3. Staging: Rearrange furniture, bring in new accessories and furnishings to enhance rooms, including artwork and playing soft music in the background.

Cost: $550 cost

Estimated return: $2,194

4. Landscaping: Punch up the home’s curb appeal in the front and backyards by adding bark mulch, bushes and flowers, and ensuring current plants and grass are well-cared for and manicured.

Cost: $540

Estimated return: $1,932

5. Repair electrical or plumbing: Repair any leaks under the bathroom or kitchen sinks, remove any mildew stains, and ensure all plumbing is in good working condition. Update the home’s electrical with new wiring for modern appliances, fix any lights or outlets that don’t work, and replace old plug points with new safety fixtures.

Cost: $535

Estimated return: $1,505

6. Replace or shampoo dirty carpets: Steam-clean carpets, replace any worn carpets, and repair any floor creaks.

Cost: $647

Estimated return: $1,739

So when you are thinking about buying or selling a home in St. Charles or St. Louis County, call me and "I'll get you moving!". 

 

Originally posted on February 7, 2011 by Melissa Tracey; REALTOR® Magazine

Filed Under: Uncategorized

March 22, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Sizing Up Homes in a Different Way: New Homes Get Rated on Energy Use

More new homes now will come with energy labels that estimate monthly energy bills, allowing buyers a different way of shopping for homes. The energy labels have been compared to the miles-per-gallon ratings available for cars, which give insight into a car’s fuel efficiency. Likewise, more builders now will give new-home buyers greater insight into how much the home will cost them in utilities–so they have a better gauge to judge the upkeep costs of a home.

Environmental efficiency has become an increasingly important factor in home buying decisions due to rising energy costs. Energy efficient appliances and energy efficient lighting were “very” or “somewhat” important to a majority of home buyers, and heating and cooling costs were at least “somewhat” important to 88 percent of buyers, according to the 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of REALTORS®.

KB Homes plans to debut its EPG (Energy Performance Guide) on its homes by the end of this month.

“For most people, buying a home is the largest and most important purchase they will ever make, and until now there has been no standard way to communicate a home’s estimated monthly energy costs,” says Jeffrey Mezger, president and chief executive officer of KB Home. “We believe providing the estimated monthly energy costs will not only empower our home buyers, but also change the way people shop for a home. Home buyers can now better understand the estimated energy costs for the home.”

PulteGroup Inc. and Residential Energy Services Network also have teamed up to roll out energy efficiency labels on PulteGroup homes this year. The homes will be tested using the RESNET Home Energy Rating System Index, a measure of energy performance that is recognized by government agencies.

“Providing clear, visible energy ratings for homes makes sense for today’s energy-conscious consumers who want to save on their utility bills and reduce their carbon footprint,” says Steve Baden, executive director, RESNET. “Marketing the energy efficiency of homes is a winning proposition for home buyers, builders, and the environment.”

While these labels apply to new homes, the USA Today recently reported that the U.S. Department of Energy is developing a home energy score for existing homes, which it plans to launch nationally this fall.

So when you are thinking about buying or selling a home in St. Charles or St. Louis County, call me and "I'll get you moving!". 

 

 

Originally posted on February 28, 2011 by Melissa Tracey; REALTOR® Magazine

Filed Under: Buying a Home, Home Energy Score

March 21, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Bathroom Updates: 4 Trends to Watch

St. Charles and St. Louis home owners, or those of you who are planning on buying a home in St. Charles or St. Louis, I came across this article about Bathroom updates to watch for!  Enjoy!

Granite is slowly beginning to lose some of its popularity in favor of other bathroom vanities, and green–the color, that is–is catching on, as these trends–along with others–gain steam in bathrooms this year, according to a National Kitchen & Bath Association survey of 100 designers. The survey offers insights into the hottest trends in bathrooms for 2011.

Here are four trends to watch in bathroom home design.

Quartz-Courtertop-in-Bathroom

Dupont Zodiaq quart surface in Bianco Carrara; Photo credit: Shadowlight Group

1. Quartz countertops more in demand. While granite still reigns in bathroom vanity tops, it’s popularity is slowly sinking as quartz continues to steal some of the market share, according to NKBA. While 83 percent of designers still opt for granite, that number has gradually been narrowing in recent years as quartz increases in demand (54 percent of NKBA designers opted for quartz). A year ago, 85 percent of NKBA designers used granite, compared to 48 percent for quartz. Meanwhile, solid marble vanities have also been on the decline (from 46 percent to 37 percent), while cultured marble has increased slightly in use among NKBA designers from 12 percent to 19 percent.

Green-Colors-in-Bathroom

Photo credit: Delta Faucet Co.

2. Bathrooms go “green”–literally. Green color palettes for the bathroom are on the rise. Twenty-four percent of NKBA designers say they are using green colors to spice up bathrooms–up a year ago from 14 percent. However, the three most most common color choices in the bathroom remain: Whites and off-whites, beiges, and browns.

NKBA_vessel-sinks

Kohler’s Conical Bell Vessels sink; Photo credit: Kohler Co.

3. Sink preferences mount. Under mount sinks continue to dominate newly remodeled bathrooms, but vessel sinks are increasingly becoming a more popular choice. Integrated sink tops are also on the rise, as well as pedestal sinks.

 

NKBA_satin-nickel

Photo credit: Kohler Co.

4. Satin finishes shine. In following recent kitchen trends, satin nickel faucets in bathrooms are rising in popularity, while brushed nickel faucets are falling out of favor. Other popular faucet finishes in the bathroom include bronze and oil-rubbed bronze, polished chrome, and polished nickel. Meanwhile, stainless steel finishes are becoming less popular in the bathroom.

So when you are thinking about buying or selling a home in St. Charles or St. Louis County, please call me and “I’ll get you moving!”.

Originally posted March 7, 2011 by Melissa Tracey

 

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Filed Under: Uncategorized

March 10, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

10 Steps to Home Ownership

Here's an article from one of my trusted mortgage loan officers that I work with, Dan Main, put together.  It breaks the process down into 10 Steps to Home Ownership to include:

  • Getting ready
  • Finding a Realtor
  • The Mortgage Application
  • Looking at Homes
  • Choosing a Home
  • Securing Funding
  • Making an Offer
  • Securing Homeowner's Insurance
  • Closing
  • Moving In

Understanding the process can help you make decisions at any phase of the home buying process!  So when you are thinking about buying a home in St. Charles or St. Louis County, please keep these in mind.

 

Buying a home is an exciting time and a wonderful opportunity.  Working with a real estate expert can make it a much easier and less scary endeavor, and can likely help to save you money and headaches down the road. 

If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, call me and "I'll get you moving!".

Filed Under: Buying a Home, Home Ownership

March 9, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

5 Tax Tips, Tricks and Traps for Homeowners

Since we are in the middle of tax season, I thought it would be good to review some important tax considerations for homeowners.  One of the great reasons for owning a home are the tax deductions!  Homeowners who itemize their taxes are able to deduct 100% of their mortgage interest and property taxes from their income tax returns.

Some of the best tax tips for homeowners are:

1. Itemize your tax return so you can claim your deductions.

2. Plan ahead for that home office deduction

3. Tax relief for loan modifications, short sales and foreclosures through 2012

4. Consider Income tax consequences of a refinance or Property tax appeal

5. Remember the closing costs!

You can see the complete article on the these tax tips for homeowners here.

 

Buying a home is an exciting time and a wonderful opportunity.  Working with a real estate expert can make it a much easier and less scary endeavor, and can likely help to save you money and headaches down the road. 

If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, call me and "I'll get you moving!".

Filed Under: Tax Tips

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