Month: May 2021

Summer Home Maintenance Tasks: Jobs to Do If Your House Is For Sale

Summer Home MaintenanceSummer is the perfect time of year to get a head start on home maintenance tasks you always put off, such as painting trim and doing yard work. If your house is for sale this summer, there are some additional things that should be done in order to make it attractive and appealing to potential buyers. Add these 5 tasks to your summer checklist to help buyers see your home as the beautiful home they picture themselves living in.

1. Washing windows

Nothing can ruin a potential buyer’s impression of your home more than when they look out to see your lovely yard, pond, or lake view, than windows which are dirty or water spattered. Clean windows are an immediate way to show your potential buyers that your home is well cared for, and that the views outside are to be enjoyed. If your time has already filled up with summer activities and you have no time to do it yourself, consider hiring this job out. The average cost of window cleaning for a 1500 square foot house is approximately $150-300 (Home Advisor)

2. Clean Window Screens

As long as you’re paying special attention to your windows, don’t forget about your screens. Screens can be easily cleaned with a gentle spray of water and then left to dry in sunlight. If you have any holes or tears in the screen, replace the screen. This repair usually costs $50 or less, and you’ll be glad you did when you don’t have mosquitoes buzzing you at 2am!

3. Cleaning gutters

If your home is for sale this summer, it’s a perfect time to make sure the rain gutter and downspout are clear of leaves or other debris. Cleaning out gutters will not only prevent unnecessary water damage to exterior wood siding when heavy rains come- it also shows that you care about how the house looks from outside, before a potential buyer comes to visit. Left cluttered, clogged gutters can contribute to leaky roofs, or damage that can be very expensive to fix. Even more unsettling is that outside critters looking for warm bedding may make a home in these areas, and eventually may make their way into your home.

Considering doing it yourself? Check out this video from Lowes: https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cleaning-services/clean-windows/

Want to hire it out? Prices do vary, depending on square footage of your home, but is up to approximately $1.50 per linear foot (Home Advisor: https://homeguide.com/costs/gutter-cleaning-cost)

4. Power washing exterior walkways and driveway

Power washing walkways is a quick and economical way to give a fresh, clean look to your sidewalks and driveway. Your house will look fresh and inviting, ready for that first open house of the summer. Even if you don’t have a pressure washer, it’s quick and easy to rent one.

Here’s how to do it: https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/hardscape/power-washing-a-walk

5. Ensure flowers look healthy, and greenery looks neat and trimmed

Be sure that the plants are healthy and cared for throughout the hot months by regularly watering them, either through hand watering or use of irrigation systems. Remove any diseased leaves from shrubs, trees, or hedges as they will provide hiding spots for invasive pests, which can spread disease quickly among nearby vegetation. For hedges or shrubs, make sure they are not unruly, as this will give an impression that your home is not cared for.

No flowers? Consider adding a couple of summer-hearty potted or hanging plants to your steps or outdoor entrances. The pop of color will add visual interest and an extra bit of life to your outdoor space. Consider geraniums, fuchsias, impatiens, or begonias.

Enjoy your summer, and your sale!

Summer is a great time to tackle some home maintenance tasks, and even more-so if your home is listed and getting showings or open houses. I hope these tips not only make a powerful impact on your potential buyers, but help you enjoy the time while you’re living in your home!

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The Best Decision You’ll Ever Make? Getting Pre-Approval Before You Search for Your New Home

What are you looking for in a new home? Is location important to you? Do you prefer a certain style or type of house? What about square footage and lot size?

What are you looking for in a new home? Is location important to you? Do you prefer a certain style or type of house? What about square footage and lot size? If so, then your research has just begun. But before going any further, have a qualified mortgage lender pre-approve your loan. You’ll be glad that you did!

Why is this step so important? Here are 3 reasons!

Pre-approval clarifies your focus and increases your confidence.

A mortgage pre-approval is a great way to know for sure that you can afford the home before going through all of the time and energy in your search. It’s also important because getting approved isn’t guaranteed, even if you have enough cash on hand or think interest rates are favorable at present.

In order to get accurate results, lenders need detailed information about how much money you’re bringing with you into this transaction and what future expenses look like (such as gas bills, insurance, or other utilities). The more they know upfront, the better able they will be to structure an affordable mortgage plan for your needs.

The process typically takes around 20 minutes from start to finish; it includes filling out some basic personal and employment information, along with answering questions about your monthly expenses and income.

Once pre-approved, generally about 24 hours later, you can start looking for your new home confidently, knowing that you have a mortgage company behind you to provide the financing should one of these properties be right for you. You’ll know how much you can spend, as well as what your approximate monthly mortgage payment will be.

Pre-approval increases your chances of being selected if you’re in a bidding war.

Put yourself in the seller’s shoes – if you have two equal offers coming in for your home, are you going to choose the one that is more solid (with a pre-approval) or an offer where the buyers haven’t yet determined if they qualify for the purchase price? As a real estate agent, I have seen the domino effect of deals falling through when a potential buyer wasn’t pre-approved. It can be heartbreaking for multiple parties, who then may have their future plans derailed when an offer falls apart. In the current market, not having a pre-approval may mean that your offer simply is not even considered.

A word of caution – no real estate deal is final until both parties “sign on the dotted line”. Even with pre-approval. A mortgage can still be denied, such as in the case that buyers go out and take on additional debt (no new cars, boats or credit cards, please!) or experience a sudden job loss or reduction in income.

Pre-approval saves YOU heartache.

By starting the process of a pre-approval, you’ll discover if there are any obstacles in your way, such as poor credit or insufficient income. The best time to start this process is BEFORE you begin your search for the perfect home! It’s better to know now than later, when it could cost more money and ruin your chances in securing the house of your dreams. By discovering any outstanding issues early in the process, you can correct inaccuracies in your credit report, work to resolve any outstanding credit issues, and monitor your debt to income ratio.

A mortgage pre-approval is an inexpensive and quick way of knowing if you can afford a new home, before wasting hours looking at houses that are out of your price range.

By being pre-approved, you can be more confident in the offer you present to a seller, as well as have a knowledge of where your upper limit is, should you end up in a bidding war, or in a situation where you need to have an escalation clause.

I’m here to help.

As your realtor, I can help guide you through this process. Connecting with the right people, the right lender and having a team of people educated in the ins and outs of real estate may make the difference in helping you get into your perfect new home!

 

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