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October 13, 2015 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Renovation Tips for Home Sales

Renovation Tips for Home Sales Real estate and properties in general can be improved and renovated for added benefit and value, which makes them more likely to be sold with success. The tips of this article will give you more information on ways you can improve your home and to make it work better for sales purposes:

  •  Insulation is one of the most important aspects of a home that need to be taken care of if you hope you have a potential future selling it on the market. You need to focus on ensuring your home has a good insulation you can count on. This will help when you need to make a sale, but it will also ensure whoever lives there will be able to enjoy the place without it needing more work.
  •  You can add a deck to your property if it allows such an approach, which will let your future buyers and tenants benefit from it as well as you would. You can create a nice flow between the outdoor and indoor areas you have, creating a nice balance between potential activities people living in the property can really enjoy.
  •  Refitting your kitchen is another good way of adding more value to your property, as it will let you bring about positive new changes into it that will last for many years. A more modern kitchen will go a really long way toward making the property more noteworthy for potential new buyers. You may need to get a moving company involved, especially if you need to move certain items out of your home and if they happen to be meant for another place. A moving company you know can also work when your potential new buyers need one to move in, so it would be a great way of working together.Renovation Tips for Home Sales2
  • Repaint and do your best to update the bathroom as well when you move on with the renovation, choosing colors that fit the rest of your home or wildly contrast with it, whichever one you like. The last thing you will need to have around your bathroom is to have it look old and battered, as this will be the best way to turn people away from your property. Make sure you keep things functional above them being top of the line and fashionable. Even if the bathroom looks fairly boring, if it happens to be working right and looking brand new, few people would actually have a problem with its looks, as long as they don’t cross the line into being too terrible with colors.
  • Something else you will need to deal with is working on the curb appeal of your home as well as other aspects. The outside is just as important as the inside, so you will need to be able to cover things well enough to make the sale easier instead of allowing your yard to look terrible. Fix up your garden and see whether you can repaint the outside of the building as well, transforming the entirety of it into something completely different with a few simple touches.

Article provided by Ella A. on behalf of: https://carpetcleaningbow.org.uk/

P.S. Homes are selling fast and for the highest prices in years!  It is never too late to put your home on the market or for buyers to call me to discuss the Summer &  Fall market.  Don’t miss out on your Dream Home, interest rates are still below 4%.  Call me today for details!

Filed Under: Guest Blogger, Home Improvement, Home Remodeling, Home Sales

October 15, 2013 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Small Home Improvements With Big Returns for Sellers

iStock_000003432475XSmall-300x199Buyers still want a move-in ready house, and they are willing to pay more for.  Sellers can increase their listing price and decrease the time on market with just a few simple home improvements.  But not all home improvement projects carry the same return.

“Home sellers have to look at repairs as a whole rather than a sum of parts”, says Michael Corbett, Trulia’s real estate expert.  As an example, kitchen rennovations by themseves are not likely to yield a full return on investment.

Every home seller can increase the interest in the home, as well as it’s price, by increasing the curb appeal.  A pristin landscape, a painted front door and clean windows can go a long way.  Painting the gargage floor, painting the interior and exterior of the home (paint selection is very important), and decluttering the home are all good things to consider.

You can read the full article for additional ideas – Small Home Improvements With Big Returns for Sellers

Fall is here but it’s still a great time to buy or sell a home!!  It is the time for sellers to put their homes on the market & for buyers to start your home search!  This season has been the busiest in 6 years & interest rates are hovering around 4.0%.  Both home prices & interest rates are on the rise though!  Contact me for details today!

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Home Selling

September 21, 2013 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Today’s dream home utilizes modern technology for increased functionality

High-Tech-Kitchen-300x187(BPT) – The number of improving housing markets expanded for a sixth consecutive month in January 2013 according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American. With this positive sign, it’s an interesting time for homeowners to consider investing in high-tech home upgrades that not only increase their home’s value and simplify everyday tasks, but also create a dream home ambience for the entire family to enjoy.

From lighting fixtures that turn on at your expected arrival to heated bathroom floors that warm up just before your alarm clock goes off, it can be surprising how one or two high-tech luxury upgrades can transform the functionality of your home.

According to Jack Thomasson, HGTV Dream Home House Planner, to get the biggest bang for your buck, the key is to start adding these updates where it matters the most.

“The kitchen is the perfect place to apply technology that connects our home to our lifestyle,” says Thomasson, “When applied properly, technology in the kitchen can have a greater impact than when applied in any other room of the house.”

For example, the simple addition of a new faucet with touch technology, like those found in the 2013 HGTV Dream Home, can add ease and efficiency to everyday tasks. By allowing- the water flow to be activated with a simple tap anywhere on the faucet, handle or spout, faucets like the Delta Cassidy single-handle pull down kitchen faucet with Touch2O Technology, help homeowners conserve water and -avoid unwanted messes while entertaining.

This ease and efficiency added by touch technology is being incorporated into new homes at rates never seen before, as more and more consumers use the technology on a daily basis to interact with smart phones, ATM machines, tablets, computers, printers and other devices. It is now possible to utilize touch technology on tablets and smart phones to remotely adjust lights, monitor room temperature, or even summon a hidden flat screen television. Not only are these tools adding time-saving solutions but they are also providing new energy-saving benefits that can be felt on your water, electric and natural gas bills at home.

While only about 3 percent of homes in the U.S. include these automation systems today, this percentage is expected to grow by double-digit rates as the global home automation industry is anticipated to become a $35.6 billion industry by 2016. Fueled by the latest mobile apps, homeowners across America are controlling their interior and exterior lighting, unlocking the front door for guests and arming their security systems and more with a simple touch.

Whether updating an older home or evaluating options for new construction, people have many options when it comes to incorporating technological upgrades in the home and as the market continues to grow, more exciting options will emerge. Homeowners now know they need not wait to add smart functionality and style today to create their dream home of the future.

Courtesy of BrandPoint.

Summer is winding down but it’s still a great time to buy or sell a home!!  It is the time for sellers to put their homes on the market & for buyers to start your home search!  This season has been the busiest in 6 years & interest rates are hovering around 4.0%.  Both home prices & interest rates are on the rise though!  Contact me for details today!

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Home Remodeling, Home Technology

June 5, 2013 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

6 Tips for Spring Cleaning

My friends at Rubbish Works provide some more great tips on Spring Cleaning!

It’s that time of year again….time to spring clean! The early warm weather in St. Louis has posed a difficult decision:  take advantage of the weather and outdoor activities or clean the house?  If you’re like me, outdoor activities generally trump any cleaning projects; however, I know the cleaning has to be done sometime, right? Here are a few quick tips I use to help the cleaning process go faster to enjoy more time outside.

1.)    Focus on eliminating stuff before organization.  Don’t even think about how you wish to organize newly clean space.  Focus on what you want to get rid of (donating or throwing away).  Once you’ve purged the items in the area you are cleaning out, and then come up with an organizing plan of the items you have left.

2.)    Start with the garage if it is not already cleared. We’ve worked with a number of professional organizers who utilize cleared space in the garage for staging.  The idea is to remove items from inside the home and then create zones in the garage for donate and trash piles. Getting the donate or trash items out of the house will help you resist the urge to include them in the organizing process.   Items you are keeping still remain inside the home to be organized after getting rid of items you no longer want.

3.)    If you touch it, take action. If you pick up an item, decide what you would like to do with it then.  Are you keeping it? Donating it? Trashing it? Don’t put it in pile to decide later.

4.)    6 month rule. If you haven’t use it in 6 months (excluding holiday and seasonal items), it is probably time to remove it from your home.

5.)    5 second decision. I spoke with a woman a few months ago.  Her general rule of thumb when clearing space in her home: Within 5 seconds of looking at or touching an item, I should be able to decide why I have it and if I use it.  If it takes longer than 5 seconds to decide, it’s time to get rid of it.

6.) Once you finish determining which items you would like to keep, it is time to organize it all for easy, convenient access! Not good at organizing? Look into hiring a professional organizer.  Professional organizers offer a wide variety of services from literature, classes as well as onsite organizing.

Time to tackle those spring cleaning projects, and then reward yourself with time out in the nice weather!

Originally published March 19th 2012

P.S. Spring is here!  It is never too early to start your home search or get your home ready for the market.  This past year was the busiest year we had in home sales in 5 years.  This year could be even better!  There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering around 3.5% !! Contact me for details today!

Filed Under: Guest Blogger, Home Improvement

May 28, 2013 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Spring Cleaning – Where To Start

My friends at Rubbish Works provide some great tips on where to get started for Spring Cleaning!

Spring cleaning is in full swing. For some, it only takes a few hours to wash away the dirt, clutter and grime from the winter.  For others, like myself, it can be a real chore that takes an entire weekend, sometimes a week.  Occasionally, I get delayed starting spring cleaning because I simply just do not know where to start.

This weekend, Parade Magazine, which comes in the Sunday Post Dispatch, featured an article about decluttering the home.   Within the article, they described 10 things that you can get rid of in your home today.  This seems like the perfect place to start for spring cleaning! Here is a summary and a few of our own ideas on where to start:

From Parade Magazine:

1.)    Computer Print Outs: Save a digital copy of what you need or bookmark an article/blog

2.)    Paper Copies of Bills: Refer to internet or bank for proof of payment if you need it

3.)    Old Technology: VHS tapes, cassette tapes, etc.  This technology is outdated and obsolete. VCR’s and cassette players are no longer manufactured.

4.)    Work Out Equipment:  Use it or lose it.

5.)    Worn-out Linens: Rule of thumbà # of people in house x 2=how many of each linen item (towels, sheets, etc.) you should have (I didn’t know this! I’ll be going through our linen closet soon.)

6.)    Old Hair Accessories: Keep what you use daily or weekly.  Toss the rest.

7.)    Old Cell Phones: When you get a new phone, donate the old one to be refurbished to someone who can use it

8.)    Coat Hangers: Excess hangers only tempt you to buy more

9.)    Reminders of Past Hobbies: Interests change.  Get rid of the old, to make room for the new.

10.) Single Use Kitchen Gadgets: Get multipurpose items to declutter the kitchen

Other places to start:

1.)    Expired Food: Check the pantry and freezer for expired food

2.)    Food Storage Containers: Recycle those that are missing a lid or lids that are missing containers

3.)    Clothes that do not fit: Rule of thumb à keep one size lower and one size higher than you wear

Purging a few items today will make of spring cleaning a breeze!

Here’s a link to the article in case you missed it in the paper. https://www.parade.com/news/2012/04/22-is-your-stuff-weighing-you-down.html

Originally published on Thursday April 26th 2012

P.S. Spring is here!  It is never too early to start your home search or get your home ready for the market.  This past year was the busiest year we had in home sales in 5 years.  This year could be even better!  There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering around 3.5% !! Contact me for details today!

Filed Under: Guest Blogger, Home Improvement

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Office: 636-946-2020
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ReeceNichols – St. Charles

2171 Bluestone Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63303

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