Real Estate Information |
|
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: Landmark Settlement Breaks Up the Real Estate Cartel The American Prospect Top real-estate CEO sees decades of housing pain ahead: 'What the Fed did will have a 30-year tail on it' Yahoo Finance Commercial Real Estate's Systemic Threat: Separating Fact From Fiction Commercial Observer Rules that helped set real estate agent commissions are changing. Here's what you need to know The Associated Press Brockton-area real estate sales for Dec. 26 to Dec. 29, 2023. Enterprise News Refined Real Estate: Historic Queen Anne Polson House lists for $6,950,000 seattlerefined.com Luxury's Latest Battleground: Real Estate | BoF The Business of Fashion The Realtors' Big Defeat The New York Times Local real estate agents face uncertain future with new negotiation rules WJHL-TV News Channel 11 Investigation underway after 44-year-old real estate investor seen on video firing shots off boat docked at Lakeview ... WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale Will March bring more madness to Craven County's real estate market? New Bern Sun Journal Rules that helped set real estate agent commissions are changing. Here's what you need to know Lufkin Daily News A luxury agent on how the NAR settlement will change his business The Washington Post What National Association of Realtors agreement means for Texas real estate KAMR - MyHighPlains.com Rules that helped set real estate agent commissions are changing. Here's what you need to know KXLY Spokane Cities Face Cutbacks as Commercial Real Estate Prices Tumble The New York Times Realtor group will pay $418M to settle commission lawsuits The Associated Press National lawsuit could shakeup housing market, cut into real estate agent commission 11Alive.com WXIA Swimmo Invest Opens up a New Chapter in the Real Estate Industry Markets Insider Realtors settlement to lower home sale costs, alter commission structure - The Washington Post The Washington Post What Seattle-area homebuyers should expect after national settlement The Seattle Times CrewBaltimoreâs mission to accelerate womenâs success in real estate Afro American Newspaper Realtors Reckon With a Seismic Shift to How They Get Paid The Wall Street Journal Israeli real estate event: Legal complaints escalate NorthJersey.com Settlement will affect Iowa homebuyers KCCI Des Moines What the death of the 6% real estate commission means in D-FW The Dallas Morning News China's Real-Estate Market Just Set a Recordâbut Not a Good One The Wall Street Journal Real estate commissions, unassailable for decades, could crumble after landmark settlement The Denver Post Making Sense of New York's Confusing Luxury Home Market The Wall Street Journal Is the Era of the Celebrity Real Estate Agent Over? Industry Reacts to Settlement That Could Slash Commissions Hollywood Reporter Pension funds snap up real estate at steep discounts Financial Times A commission settlement may affect housing market 9News.com KUSA Rules that helped set real estate agent commissions are changing. Here's what you need to know Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal National Association of Realtors Agrees to Slash Commissions to Settle Lawsuits - The New York Times Bay Area Real Estate Executive Charged with Wire Fraud, Identity Theft in Investment Scam - Hoodline Foreclosures Are RisingâEspecially in This One Stateâbut Not for the Reason You Might Think SFGATE Illinois real estate: Home sales in Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford counties Peoria Journal Star Realtors Reach Settlement That Will Change How Americans Buy and Sell Homes The Wall Street Journal Rules that helped set real estate agent commissions are changing. Here's what you need to know News10NBC Once America's Hottest Housing Market, Austin Is Running in Reverse The Wall Street Journal Real estate lawsuit settlement upends decades-long policies that helped set agent commissions WQAD Moline End of 6% real estate commissions could mean lower home prices The Atlanta Journal Constitution Real Estate Credit Investments (LON:RECI) Shares Pass Below 200 Day Moving Average of $126.75 Defense World Manhattan Real Estate Update westsiderag.com A Look Into the Future of Home Buyers' Agent Commissions The Wall Street Journal Bridgemarq Real Estate Services (TSE:BRE) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average of $12.93 Defense World Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:GRT.UN) Given Consensus Recommendation of âBuyâ by Brokerages Defense World National Association of Realtors to cut commissions to settle lawsuits. Here's the financial impact. CBS News Chicago Voters Face Choice on Tax to Fund Homeless Programs The New York Times Blackstone, World's Top Alternative Asset Manager, Eyes Record Highs Amid Real Estate Bottom Investor's Business Daily 4 Ways a Settlement Could Change the Housing Industry The New York Times Colony Ridge violated deceptive trade practices, Texas says The Texas Tribune Real Estate Stocks Drop As NAR Agrees to $418 Million Settlement Markets Insider Antitrust ruling rocks real estate: Buyers brace for shift in commission structures Straight Arrow News |
RELATED ARTICLES
Prepare Your Rental Property for Occupancy Among your many responsibilities as a landlord, the law provides for a warranty of implied habitability. This means that the dwelling must be considered habitable and any known problems must be fixed before you allow a tenant to take occupancy. Finding the Right Buy to Let Mortgage for Your Investment Property Finding the right buy to let mortgage is crucial to your success as a property investor. Unlike other forms of investment, a lot of the money you put into a buy-to-let property is likely to be borrowed. Buying Land For Development Requires Careful Planning and Execution From the desk of Colm Dillon .. 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. How to Make a Home for Sale Flyer Using Marketing Psychology Want to sell your home right away, for the highest profit to you? Discover how to improve on the Realtor's number two sales tool--right after the sign--your sales flyer.Most real estate agents use a sales flyer template which showcases their listings using out-of-date marketing strategies. A $100,000+ Discount On Miami Condos By this point and time, many people have heard about buying preconstruction condos and some of the amazing profits that have been generated by these investments. What many people don't understand is that there is another way to play the preconstruction investing game, especially for those investors with solid financial resources. Saving for a Home So you want to buy a home? This is a big step for anyone, and there are many factors to consider, not the least of these is how to get the money for a home. Sure there are loans available for home purchase, but you must have cash on hand to cover expenses such as fees and closing costs that might not be able to be covered by a loan. Real Estate Investing - Finding Cheap Houses Real estate investing expertise can certainly accommodate the luxury home market. In some ways, the upper end of the housing marketplace produces easier success than the lower end. A Real Estate Primer There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It's often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. Home Warranties: Are They Too Good To Be True? What is a 'Home Warranty?'A home warranty is like an insurance policy. In fact, in some states the Insurance Commission may even regulate them. 10 Important Tips to Successful Real Estate Investing When it comes to investing, everybody has certain goals and aspirations. However, we have found that there are certain guidelines every aspiring real estate investor needs to know:1. Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble? We are selling our house. We have lived here for 15 years, the longest I have ever lived anywhere; of the places since I left my parents' home I think my previous best was three years. How Do I Bring Consulting Into My Lease Purchase Business As you are making your cold calls on property, you will run into sellers that are having a hard time selling, however, the numbers just don't work for you to take on the deal. Do you just say, "I can't work with those numbers". Cashing Out of Preforeclosures - Exit Strategies for Maximum Profit One of the quickest ways to real estate profits is through preforeclosures. What is a preforeclosure, exactly? A preforeclosure takes place from the time the bank gives notice of default to the time the house sells at auction. How to Sell Your House For Full Price Many people believe that a real estate broker is needed to sell their house. So they post it with a broker who may or may not sell it and if they do charge exorbitant fees. Finding Structural Problems During Escrow - Small Rural Home Example In rural home purchases, the transaction is often subject to a satisfactory home inspection being done. Any imperfections are usually corrected during escrow. 10 Things You Shouldnt Do When Youre Buying a Home Home Buying Don'tsYour home buying process is well underway. The sellers accepted your offer to purchase. Selling Your Home: 5 Deal Killers That Are Lurking In Older Homes You've listed your home for sale, you have a Buyer and now their Inspector is performing an inspection. You think you have a pretty good home, but do you really know for sure? What is he finding? Why is it taking so long? Here are 5 deal killers to watch out for when selling your home. RESPA: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) is a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1974. One of its purposes is to help consumers become better shoppers for settlement services. How To Buy Property in Spain Safely Buying property abroad is not an undertaking one should embark upon lightly! It is not wise to assume that the entire purchase process will follow the rules we're used to 'back home' and generally speaking there are usually a whole new set of rules and regulations, traditions and traps to learn, understand and watch out for.Spain is absolutely no exception and has a tangled web of laws and legislation seemingly designed to trip up an unwary real estate buyer. |
home | site map |
© 2006 TIGER MEDIA |