Sellers Archives | Home Solutions Real Estate Team

HOW TO MOVE WITH KIDS

As if moving isn’t already hard enough, adding your children into the mix can present a whole new challenge. Kids are resilient, but major changes like big moves can be difficult to work through if children aren’t prepared. Depending on their age, your children may be leaving behind a school, friends, and activities that they’ve grown to love. Instead of throwing them in the deep end, consider helping them get their moving feet wet with these steps.

1. Talk to your children about your move as soon as it becomes a possibility.

Once you’ve decided to move, the first thing you should do is have an open discussion with your children. If you wait until it is time to pack, they may feel like they’ve had a bombshell dropped on them. If you give them a chance to voice their feelings and work through them, you’ll deal with a little less chaos when it is time to move. Consider the best way to tell your children, taking into account how each child best receives information. Be open, honest, and available to answer their questions.

2. Find ways to involve your children in your new neighborhood.

Instead of leaving the kids at home while you are closing on a property or even just touring potential homes, bring them along. Find activities in the area that your children will enjoy, whether it be a park nearby or local libraries, pools, or playgrounds. Helping them feel familiar with their new home will take a weight off of their shoulders and reduce the fear of being the ‘new kid’ when they move. Once you are moved in, consider hosting a game night or play date for your neighbors with children so that your kids have an opportunity to make friends quickly.

3. Reach out and get local recommendations ahead of time.

This will help both you and your children have a little more peace of mind when it comes to making a big move. Before the move, find local parent groups (sites like Facebook are full of these) and seek out recommendations for daycares and schools that meet the criteria you are looking for. The first thing most people do when trying something new out is to check for reviews, and these groups will allow you to do just that. Create a short list of places you think will fit your lifestyle, and then conduct as much research as you need to make a decision when you arrive in your new home. This will reduce the time your children will spend in limbo when you move.

Moving can be a difficult time, but preparing your children will help make the process as smooth as possible and help to lessen the stress that comes with a big move.

TRENDS TO TOSS

With millennials making up nearly 40% of the home buyers on the market today, up-to-date style is a huge consideration in the buying process. When nearly half of your potential buyers have likely scrolled through Pinterest or watched HGTV more times than they can count, it is important to keep in mind that they are going to be style-conscious. While you don’t need to do a full home renovation, getting rid of some outdated trends will help your home appeal to a larger buyer pool. Here are some trends to toss (and avoid altogether during staging) if you want your house to be marketable in 2019!

Curly Ironwork

One of the biggest trends today is sleek and modern design. Curly ironwork and other chaotic decor can be distracting. Avoid having large metal pieces of decor or art in your home during open houses.

Faux Props

Some faux plants add the perfect touch to a home, but in many cases, faux is not the way to go. Faux fruit and some faux plants look unnatural and dated. Replace the fake with something authentic – which will never go out of style.

Tuscan Furniture

You may have invested more money than you planned in heavy drapery and cherry wood furniture to have the bedroom of your dreams, but Tuscan decor is out of style. Instead of completely removing your bedroom suite, take down your drapes and paint your cherry wood black. Add silver or gold fixtures and you’ve got a modern bedroom.

Window Treatments

A major key to selling your home is making it look as open and inviting as possible. There is no need to invest in expensive window treatments, and if you already have, take them down during showings. Large treatments can hold on to lingering smells and can instantly date a room. The only treatments you should leave are simple panels or wood blinds. Allow your windows to do what they’re meant to do – let light in!

It is important to know your market. It is our job to help you. If you want more details on what the target buyer is looking for in our market today, give us a call!

WHAT YOU SAVE BY GETTING RID OF EXCESS STUFF BEFORE YOU MOVE

If you’re getting ready to move, whether you are trying to sell your home or you’ve already purchased a new one, one of the first things that tends to cause stress in the process is the fear of packing all of your stuff. Whether you’ve been in your current space for a few months or several years, you’ve probably accumulated plenty of things you use and love, and even more items you haven’t touched since you brought them home. Now is the perfect time to purge those items and start fresh in your new home with intentional decor and less clutter. Here are some of the things you’ll save when you let go:

Save Time

Instead of waiting until you’re ready to move, start sorting through your items now. Sell, donate, or trash the items that you’ve decided don’t have a place in your future home. When you’re ready to pack up for your move, you’ll save so much time because you’ll have less to pack (and unpack).

Save Money

Maybe some of the stuff you’re considering letting go of is worth something. If that is the case, consider having a garage sale or selling your clothes to resale boutiques in your area. Donate or dispose of whatever you don’t sell. Not only can you make money, but you can save money by moving less stuff. You may be able to fit what you love into a smaller moving truck if you get rid of those items that have gone unused for years!

Save Energy

Sometimes items can take up a great deal of emotional energy. It is often in our nature to cling to things that may have meant something in our past, but have no place in our future. Get rid of that baggage and create an intentional environment with positive energy in your new home.

Save Space

Instead of taking the clutter from your current place into your new home, save space by getting rid of it now. Open spaces in your new home will bring you peace of mind and joy.

If you’ve done all this saving and you’re ready to save even more on a new home, give us a call!

WHY FSBO CAN BE A BIG NO-NO

In this DIY-age, it is easy to want to do everything by yourself. Saving money is great, and there are so many things today that we can do on our own after a simple Google search and a YouTube video or two. While sometimes doing it yourself saves you a few dollars, that isn’t always the case when selling your home.

When looking at it from the outside, the For Sale By Owner option, or FSBO, may seem great. With a standard Realtor commission of 5-6%, wouldn’t it make sense to save yourself that money? Think again. In most cases, people choosing to take the FSBO route end up losing more than that when they try to sell on their own. Here are a few reasons to consider forgoing FSBO and hiring an agent.

1. Keeping emotions out can be difficult

Your home typically means something to you. It is where you’ve created memories. Because of that, it can be difficult to remove your emotions from a sale. Agents are there to be a mediator for rejections or negative feedback. It can be emotionally tolling to have your home rejected multiple times. Having an agent there to negotiate terms, repairs, and everything in between will offer peace of mind instead of stress and heartbreak.

2. Selling a home can be a full-time job

Even if you don’t already have another job, selling your home can consume all of your time. Are you available to meet for a viewing or answer potential buyer calls at any time during the work day? Do you have the experience to market your home and ensure it is being seen by potential buyers? Even if you have some free time, selling a home can be a daunting task. It is the job of an agent to do all of this for you, so that you can sell your home without taking on the workload of another full-time job!

3. You could be sued

There is a reason agents need training. Legal paperwork is a core part of home selling and buying, and unless you are a lawyer, there is chance you may miss something in your paperwork. If you forget to disclose something you are aware of, even accidentally, you could be held liable for fraud. Why risk the cost of a major lawsuit when you can hire a knowledgeable agent instead?

4. You aren’t actually saving money

When you have minimal knowledge on how to negotiate the price of your home or how to market properly, the fact of the matter is that you are probably going to have to sell your home for much less than you planned. That loss is usually much more than the price of an agent’s commission. You wouldn’t want someone who isn’t a doctor performing your surgery, so why try to sell your home on your own when you aren’t a real estate agent? Let a Realtor save you time and money.

Buying or selling a home is probably the largest transaction you’ll encounter during your life. You can try to do it alone, but why not hire someone who wants to help you? If you are ready to sell your home and hire an agent to get you the best deal and peace of mind, call us!

Simple Tips For Your Next Open House

Selling your home can feel like a daunting task, but it shouldn’t. It is our job as agents to walk you through every step, including your open house. We are going to give you all the tools we have to ensure that your home has the most potential to sell when someone walks through the front door. Your open house is the best place to make a lasting impression on potential buyers. While online listings can provide a glimpse into what your house looks like, buyers are able to really see if your house feels like a home to them during an open tour. Here are some tips that will help you maximize the chances of a potential buyer falling in love with your home:

1. Temporarily remove personalized items in your home. When a potential buyer is touring your house, they want to be able to feel at home. While staging the house to look like a home is important, removing items like family photos can help the space feel more personal to buyers, rather than an intrusion into someone else’s house.

2. Keep it simple. While you may be adjusted to the clutter that comes with everyday life, a potential buyer is going to notice messes you don’t even realize are there. Cleaning closets, putting away toys, and other organizational practices will help remove any distractions from your house that could put a bad taste in the mouth of a potential buyer.

3. Don’t create a ‘no-go’ zone. While it may be easy to use a room or a closet as a place to hide clutter, creating a space where potential buyers are not allowed can easily turn them away. Keep in mind that they are considering making your home their own, so they are going to want to see every part of it.

4. Keep your children and pets out of the house. While plenty of people love babies and puppies, it is easy to get distracted by a dog who won’t stop barking while someone is trying to tour your home. Use this time to take a trip to the park or set up a play date for your children – even the furry ones – so I can sell your home while you relax!

Let’s get in touch! We will get your house sold in no time.

Make That Small Closet Look Bigger

If there is one thing that can turn a potential client away from a home they may be on the fence about, it is a tiny master closet. When a potential buyer falls in love with your large bedroom only to find that the closet is a fraction of the size they expected it to be, it could make them want to keep looking at other houses on the market. While that may not be the case for everyone, there are plenty of women (and men) who enjoy having a nice closet space. While you may not be able to expand the square footage, here are some steps you can take to make that small closet look bigger and more appealing to potential buyers!

1. Marie Kondo your closet

The KonMari method is all the rage today so many people are cleaning out their closets – and the rest of their homes – in an attempt to live a little more like a minimalist. With this movement being so popular, many people searching for new homes might be even more aware of clutter, especially in small spaces. Declutter your closet and donate anything that doesn’t “spark joy.”

2. Add some paint and light

Even large closets can look small if they are have dark walls and not much light. Since most closets don’t have windows, consider adding a light fixture to brighten the space and a mirror to multiply the amount of light bouncing throughout the closet. By painting the walls a nice bright white or off-white, the room will expand and look inviting.

3. Organization is key

Once you’ve removed the clutter, you may still have a lot of items that you aren’t willing to let go of. By adding shelving or even a closet organizational system, you can fit more into your closet without taking up as much space. If you want to stay on budget, try a DIY closet system that is easily installed and can be purchased at your local home improvement store!

4. Show off your favorite items

While decluttering is key, displaying the things you love on nice hangers or placing those handbags/shoes you adore on your newly installed shelving can help potential buyers picture their own favorite items in your closet. Keep it neat and organized, but show off the things you love most!

These tips will help you ensure that your closet space doesn’t prevent you from selling your home. Remember, if you are ready for a home with a bigger closet, call us and we will find you the walk-in of your dreams!

Why You Need An Agent For New Construction

Are you ready to buy a home and considering going in the route of new builds? It may seem like an easy enough process, where you get to call the shots of how you want your dream home to be, but there is a lot of risk when it comes to new construction if you are going in blindly. It’s unfortunately not as trouble free as we’d like to hope, if you don’t have the right representative by your side to help with the things that need to be looked out for from a professional’s eye. Below, we’ll dive into the many reasons you need a professional buyer’s agent representing you in the sale. They are, after all, on your side. And it’s their role to ensure you aren’t taken advantage of by the builders and their representatives in the transaction.

1. HIRING THE RIGHT BUILDER

The most important part of finding an agent is having a professional’s perspective to finding a builder with a great reputation. You get to benefit from your agent’s network of vendors, lenders, and home builders. They have the industry expertise to connect you with a builder that matches your needs, and more than likely, have already had experience with the builder with a past client. Or, if they haven’t worked with a builder you want to use directly, they can gather person-to-person recommendations from other agents to know the expected experience with said builder. They will help you find one, that not only delivers exactly what their clients want, but in a timely fashion.

2. THE RIGHT LOT IN THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD

The lot you choose to go with in a new build can either be a positive to your new home, or detrimental. In the excitement of the process, we tend to overlook important features of a property. It’s important to have a professional to ensure you make a purchase that will best serve you. They’ll be able to find a neighborhood that best fits your lifestyle and a lot that has a location that works for you. Whether you’re single with pets, or a family with children, the lot location can really make a huge impact. Especially when it comes time to selling it in the future. These are important things your agent will be able to help walk you through, so your decisions work in your favor in the long term, as well as now.

3. UPGRADES AND PLAN MODIFICATIONS

Not only will your agent be able to ensure you get the upgrades and modifications that will best suit your lifestyle, but will also help you make decisions that will increase the value of your home in the long term. They are working for your best interest long term, and with an agent’s guidance, you can be sure to make changes that end up benefiting you.

4. HANDLING CONTRACTS AND PAPERWORK

Your agent will handle the contract and all of the paperwork, and they will be sure to review it to ensure that it is in your best interest. They will be able to help you break down the best loan types, purchasing processes, and steps to take that benefit YOU, not the builder. They are, after all, working for you. They’ll make sure there are no overlooked terms in a builder’s contract that could end up hurting you after you move in. Or even during the building process. You want to make sure you have a professional who is experienced with the paperwork and contracts and knows how to make revisions that work in a way that make you happy.

5. NEGOTIATIONS

It is imperative in the purchasing process to have an agent that is able to represent you and negotiate for you. The building process is so much more than having the builder put in your favorite counters and floors. They will be able to get you a price that actually benefits you – not the builder. They will be able to run a comparative market analysis to ensure you are paying a fair price for the property. You don’t want to end up overpaying for the home – it could put you in a tough spot when it comes time to sell. They’ll also be able to negotiate terms around building time frame, closings costs, and so many other aspects of a contract that you may otherwise overlook.

6. BUILDER’S AGENT REPRESENTS THEM, NOT YOU

It may seem easy just to pop into an office of a new build, or a builder’s office, and use the onsite agent. But keep in mind that this agent works FOR the builder, NOT for you. So they will be working to make sure the builder gets the best deal at the end of the day. By having a buyer’s agent of your own, you can ensure there is a professional on your side that can walk you through the process and avoid being taken advantage of during the transaction. They will also have a better handle on things when you hit bumps along the way. If you end up working with a builder who isn’t holding their end of the deal, they will have the power to make connections that ensure the builder holds their end of the contract terms.

The Catch You Shouldn’t Fall For

With the growth of online tools, companies are quickly building products to serve the real estate community. After all, it’s a lucrative industry, home buying and selling will always be a thing – even if it does slow down, and companies around the world are diving in to make as much money off consumers as possible.

What are they selling? The ease. The ease of buying or selling a home online. The catch? You actually don’t benefit from these online quick-sale services. In fact, you could find yourself out of tens-of-thousands in cost difference. If you’re in the market to buy or sell, and are considering foregoing a real estate agent for an online service, be sure you read the fine print. You’ll often times find that you aren’t benefiting at all. Will they buy your home upfront to resale, so you don’t have to worry about the headache? Sure, but you may have been able to get $50,000 more for your house using a Realtor. Can you see and purchase your dream home through said services and “save” on agent commissions? Sure, but you’ll probably be overpaying for the home anyway.

The real estate industry is heavily regulated for licensed professionals to ensure the consumer is always getting the best representation for the best savings. These online services don’t require regulation and licensing, therefore, they can get away with fine print “scams.”

Be sure you do your research. A Realtor is there to make YOU the most money. Quick online services are focused on making their business the most money – not focused on how much you can sell your home for or how much you can save when you buy. Licensed professionals exist for a reason, be sure you don’t lose more than you can afford to by using a gimmicky online service that dubs buying and selling an “easy” process. Any good agent will make the process easy, minus general lending issues that may arise.

Using Baking Soda In Your Laundry Room

That orange box of baking soda tucked away in your fridge or kitchen cabinet can also be an inexpensive, and earth-friendly, solution for your laundry needs. It’s safe to use in both standard and high-efficiency washers and is one of the best products available to reduce your dependence on chemicals. Let’s take a look into the top 5 ways baking soda can be used in your laundry room:

Reduce and Remove Laundry Odor

The body odors found on our clothing and linens are caused by different types of bacteria. These bacteria are removed when the detergent’s molecules break them up and flush them away from the clothing. Less expensive detergents generally don’t have strong enough enzymes to remove all of the bacteria, so baking soda will be a great boost to your detergent’s bacteria fighting power. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to each laundry load to make your detergent work more effectively.
Boost Bleach Performance

Bleach is often used to removed odors and stains from our laundry; however, if the water is to acidic, bleach doesn’t do it’s job as effectively. Just as it boosts detergent performance, baking powder can also help how effectively your bleach works. Which equates to less use of bleach and it’s negative impact on our environment.
Use As A Natural Fabric Softener

Baking soda is great for regulating your water’s pH level in your washer. It does this by making sure the rinse water is not too acidic or full of alkaline. 1/2 cup of baking soda to each rinse cycle with balance the mineral deposits in the water and keep them off of your clothes. It’s the minerals that make your clothing feel stiff, baking soda is a shield for your clothes from these minerals.
Great For Cleaning Irons

Baking soda is a gentle and earth-friendly abrasive. The face plate of an iron is notorious for building up starch and scorch deposits. To remove this build-up, mix a paste of water and baking soda and rub the paste over the face of the cool iron with a white cloth. Gently wipe the build-up away. You can finish with a wipe of white vinegar with a fresh towel.
Controls Water Suds

If you accidentally use regular laundry detergent on a washing machine that requires HE detergent, you’ll get a mess of suds. They might be fun to look at, but they are a pain to clean up. If you make this mistake, just grab a box of baking soda and sprinkle it directly on the suds to break them down. The baking soda is good at absorbing the moisture and will make clean-up much easier.

Homebuying Tips for Military Families

Among the many changes that joining the military brings, a frequent change in location is sometimes part of the territory. For families, moving often can make it difficult to feel settled in a home, or to even make the commitment associated with homebuying.

But if you’ve made the decision to buy a home, you deserve to feel confident in your choice. These tips can help!

Consider the likelihood of selling.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that, because of the risk of deployment, you may not be in your new house for long. While some families will stay in a house for over thirty years, this prospect isn’t as likely for active military members.

While searching for a house, look for points that can influence selling price down the line. Is the house in a good school district? Are there modern appliances? Are there any structural issues? These are all qualifications you would want to look at anyway, but are particularly important if you’ll eventually need to sell.

Get familiar with the neighborhood.

If you will be away from your family for long periods of time, you’ll want to make sure the neighborhood is warm and welcoming, and a place that the rest of your family will feel supported by while you’re gone.

Looking for a home near base could be beneficial in that there will probably be other military families nearby that you will be able to relate to and rely on. Some communities even offer special resources through programs like Joining Community Forces, which brings local businesses and services together in support of military families.

Use your resources.

There are a number of special resources available to military families interested in buying a home. VA loans, while not always feasible, can be extremely beneficial when used properly. A real estate agent familiar with the system can help military homebuyers work through the VA’s requirements process.

You will have to work with a VA appraiser, and not all homes meet the VA loan requirements, but it is absolutely worth it to look into and understand the resources available to you as a service member.

Ask around.

This is especially important if this will be your first homebuying experience, but it’s always beneficial to talk to families who have been through the process before. If you know of anyone who has bought a home previously, using a VA loan or other type of military assistance, ask them about their experience. What did they do right? What do they wish they did different?

Previous homebuyers can be a wealth of knowledge and guide you through your own journey, helping you avoid pitfalls and make decisions that will benefit you greatly down the road.

For more homebuying tips, visit www.americanlifestylemag.com/home.

Article Credit:

Homebuying Tips for Military Families

Why You Need An Agent For New Construction

Using Baking Soda In Your Laundry Room

Reduce and Remove Laundry Odor

Boost Bleach Performance

Use As A Natural Fabric Softener

Great For Cleaning Irons

Controls Water Suds

Among the many changes that joining the military brings, a frequent change in location is sometimes part of the territory. For families, moving often can make it difficult to feel settled in a home, or to even make the commitment associated with homebuying.