Sorry, I know the title of this post made it sound like there was going to be a prize or a giveaway or something exciting like that. Or maybe even just some chicken for your dinner. All of the above are false. However, it would be really fun to do a prize giveaway on here! Let me know if you have a prize you'd like to giveaway :)
Today we are talking about home projects and which ones add actual value to your home. Here's a little quiz. Read over the following list of home projects and decide which ones actually add value to your home at the time of resale.
1. Trimming the trees
2. Adding attic insulation
3. Landscaping
4. Kitchen facelift
5. Bathroom remodel
So, how'd you do? If you guessed that the first two do NOT add value to your home at resale and the last three DO add value, you are correct! Winner winner chicken dinner!! (I heard someone say that recently on the Bachelorette and I've decided that phrase isn't used enough; I'm working on bringing it back. Hence the title of the post. Thankfully my husband is not yet reading my blog or he would be quick to tell me that the Bachelorette is killing my brain cells, and I should not repeat anything I hear on that show. He has absolutely no taste in good television.)
Enough about the Bachelorette. This is a real estate blog. Here's the deal.
Trimming the trees- This one is considered basic home maintenance. Unfortunately, as homeowners, there are things we just have to do as a part of owning the house. Other examples would be servicing the AC, interior paint, replacing rotten wood on decking, etc. When you spend money on these items, don't expect to get it back out when you sell. Oh the joys of being a grown up!
Adding attic insulation- I bet that tricked some of you! It sounds like an improvement but having adequate attic insulation is just considered a necessity these days. If your insulation is insufficient, you should definitely budget to have some added. It will help to lower your electric bill but in the long run, it would fall under the Home Maintenance category more than the Home Improvement category.
Landscaping- This is a great way to increase home value! And, with a little blood, sweat, and tears you can probably make this improvement yourself and save money on the installation thus adding to your return. Okay, so maybe there's no blood or tears involved in your landscaping projects but it is safe to say these are both part of any landscaping projects I do!
Kitchen facelift- Homebuyers love updated kitchens! Now, be careful on this one. Make sure you do your research before dropping a chunk of change on this project. Check out some of the other homes in your immediate area. Ensure that your kitchen remodel plans will be in keeping with the other homes in your neighborhood. Don't go overboard and add luxury appliances and granite if the "competition" in the area doesn't have these. You want your kitchen remodel project to make your kitchen only slightly better than your neighbors.
Bathroom Remodel- Yucky old tile and outdated fixtures should always go. Again, same as the kitchen advice, check out your neighbors bathroom before making your updates. Don't spend the money on marble flooring if all the other houses have ceramic tile. A talented carpenter can raise your cabinet height giving it a more modern look while making use of the existing cabinetry. A raised cabinet, new fixtures, and updated tile work will go a long way to giving your bathroom a new look.
If you need remodeling inspiration, just check out Pinterest! You could even follow Nix Realty Company's boards and get some great ideas. Basically, the moral of this post is to do your research before you start out on your remodeling projects. If your goal is resale, make sure the work you are doing is creating real value. If you have questions about a specific project you have in mind, you can always email me at KEversberg@NixRealtyCompany.com
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
One Knick Knack Away from Hoarders
I once read a book that talked about how your house should feel like a hotel. Close your eyes and remember how you feel when you first open the door and walk in to a hotel room- everything is neat and straight, cool and calm, everything in its place. The room typically smells fresh and clean; vacuum marks on the carpet. I don't know about you, but I instantly sense a calmness in the room and can feel myself start to relax.
As a realtor, I go in a LOT of houses. There's a definite WOW factor to walking in a home and seeing a neat and tidy house. Very few things on the kitchen counter, toys nicely put away in bins, no dirty clothes on the floors. If you are selling your house, it's positively crucial you clean out before putting that sign in the yard. But even if you aren't trying to sell, wouldn't it be nice to live in such a way that everything had a place and was in its place?
I LOVE the idea of having my home feel like a hotel. But just reading that depresses me because I am SO far from this being a reality. I long for a day when I walk in to my home and feel a sense of peace and not the overwhelming feeling of needing to clean up.
But, here's the reality of my life and probably most of yours too: we LIVE in our home. It can't look like a hotel because you don't live in a hotel. It's not feasible to always have your home that neat and tidy. Not only do my husband and I live in our home, we have Little People that live in our home.
We ran in to some friends of ours recently that were about to have their first child. We somehow got on the topic of decorating and my friend commented that she loves the Pottery Barn look. I laughed and reminded her that I hope she loves the Fischer Price look because her entire house was about to be filled with baby swings, highchairs, carseats, and strollers.
It's just plain HARD to keep your house neat and tidy. Never been my strength. Really can't even blame it on my Little People. My house was messy before we had children.
With the new school year about to start, I have been thinking about the extra time I will have on my hands and how I want to use it wisely. My goal for myself for this school year is to use the time while my daughter is in school and the newborn naps to organize my house. No, my house is not going to look like a hotel anytime in, say, the next twenty years BUT there's no reason why it can't look like a tidy home.
Here's my plan: I'll take one room a week. Might need a month for the playroom and that's okay. I want to do this the right way and not rush through.
I am going to take two trash bags in to the room I'm tackling at the beginning of each week. One bag will be TRASH and the other will be DONATE. I'll go through drawers, cabinets, and closets. If it's broken, I'll throw it away. No excuses. (I can already hear myself now, "I'll hang on to this because one day I'll learn to sew and can fix this..." No excuses. Trash.) If it's something we've outgrown or don't use, I'll donate.
I will continue until I've been through every last inch of my house. I can already feel the sense of peace within my grasp. I desperately desire my home to be organized and well kept. I just know that once I get through this, it will be easier to keep my house clean. If everything has a determined place, my daily straighten ups should be so much easier because I will know where everything should be put away.
I really can't wait. I'm excited even as I type this. Will you do me a favor? Hold me accountable. When you see me at the grocery store or in my office, ask me what rooms I've cleaned out.
Anyone want to join me in the cleanup project? Maybe some of my readers have organization as their gift and want to share some tips and tricks with us!
What plans do you have for your house while your children are in school?
If you need some inspiration, just check out Pinterest and search things like "house organization" or "bathroom redo"! And then, GET BUSY. Clean up. Clean out. Let's work together and get our homes feeling calm and peaceful!
See you next Thursday!
Ps- For readers in San Antonio; great news! CBSnews reported last week that San Antonio is one of the top fifteen cities in the nation for soaring home prices. Additionally, CNNMoney listed Alamo Heights as one of the best neighborhoods in the nation! It's a great time to sell your home and buy before interest rates rise! Call me today if you'd like a complimentary evaluation of your home determining for how much you'd be able to sell.
As a realtor, I go in a LOT of houses. There's a definite WOW factor to walking in a home and seeing a neat and tidy house. Very few things on the kitchen counter, toys nicely put away in bins, no dirty clothes on the floors. If you are selling your house, it's positively crucial you clean out before putting that sign in the yard. But even if you aren't trying to sell, wouldn't it be nice to live in such a way that everything had a place and was in its place?
I LOVE the idea of having my home feel like a hotel. But just reading that depresses me because I am SO far from this being a reality. I long for a day when I walk in to my home and feel a sense of peace and not the overwhelming feeling of needing to clean up.
But, here's the reality of my life and probably most of yours too: we LIVE in our home. It can't look like a hotel because you don't live in a hotel. It's not feasible to always have your home that neat and tidy. Not only do my husband and I live in our home, we have Little People that live in our home.
We ran in to some friends of ours recently that were about to have their first child. We somehow got on the topic of decorating and my friend commented that she loves the Pottery Barn look. I laughed and reminded her that I hope she loves the Fischer Price look because her entire house was about to be filled with baby swings, highchairs, carseats, and strollers.
It's just plain HARD to keep your house neat and tidy. Never been my strength. Really can't even blame it on my Little People. My house was messy before we had children.
With the new school year about to start, I have been thinking about the extra time I will have on my hands and how I want to use it wisely. My goal for myself for this school year is to use the time while my daughter is in school and the newborn naps to organize my house. No, my house is not going to look like a hotel anytime in, say, the next twenty years BUT there's no reason why it can't look like a tidy home.
Here's my plan: I'll take one room a week. Might need a month for the playroom and that's okay. I want to do this the right way and not rush through.
I am going to take two trash bags in to the room I'm tackling at the beginning of each week. One bag will be TRASH and the other will be DONATE. I'll go through drawers, cabinets, and closets. If it's broken, I'll throw it away. No excuses. (I can already hear myself now, "I'll hang on to this because one day I'll learn to sew and can fix this..." No excuses. Trash.) If it's something we've outgrown or don't use, I'll donate.
I will continue until I've been through every last inch of my house. I can already feel the sense of peace within my grasp. I desperately desire my home to be organized and well kept. I just know that once I get through this, it will be easier to keep my house clean. If everything has a determined place, my daily straighten ups should be so much easier because I will know where everything should be put away.
I really can't wait. I'm excited even as I type this. Will you do me a favor? Hold me accountable. When you see me at the grocery store or in my office, ask me what rooms I've cleaned out.
Anyone want to join me in the cleanup project? Maybe some of my readers have organization as their gift and want to share some tips and tricks with us!
What plans do you have for your house while your children are in school?
If you need some inspiration, just check out Pinterest and search things like "house organization" or "bathroom redo"! And then, GET BUSY. Clean up. Clean out. Let's work together and get our homes feeling calm and peaceful!
See you next Thursday!
Ps- For readers in San Antonio; great news! CBSnews reported last week that San Antonio is one of the top fifteen cities in the nation for soaring home prices. Additionally, CNNMoney listed Alamo Heights as one of the best neighborhoods in the nation! It's a great time to sell your home and buy before interest rates rise! Call me today if you'd like a complimentary evaluation of your home determining for how much you'd be able to sell.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
"Moving on up..."
So... you've find your dream home, negotiated a great deal, closed on it, and now it's time to actually move. First of all congratulations! Second, sit down and pour yourself a glass of wine. You are going to want to read this article I found sharing 101 of the best packing and moving secrets. Here's a little story of how NOT to do things, and why I feel it's important you read this article. After all, isn't the saying "Do as I say, not as I do"??
Ever since I got my real estate license years ago I've bugged my husband to move. Every day I'd check MLS and email him great new houses on the market. He was always nice and indulged me in checking out the pictures, but ultimately he'd remind me I got my license to self OTHERS a home, not to sell OUR home. However, after several years of persistence he caved. He let me put a sign in the yard "just to see what will happen". Well, we sold our house three days before Christmas. I call it a Christmas Miracle really, given the state of the holiday décor we had going on around the place. My husband calls it something else but that really can't be repeated here...
Anyway, we sold our house, and I started the task of packing. "This won't take that long", "we don't have that much stuff", and "there's only three of us" are all thoughts that ran through my head. What I didn't take in to account was that one of the "three of us" was three years old. Have you ever attempted packing anything with a toddler? Here's how it works: I put one item in a box, she pulls out three. Oh, and did I mention that I was seven months pregnant when I started packing our house? And that my husband was working out of town? Basically it was a recipe for disaster.
Really, the packing started off okay-ish. I would make myself pack several boxes a day, tape them up, label them, and then push them in to a corner of the room. I felt totally on top of things until two weeks before we moved and my mother stopped by. She was barely in the house three minutes when she quickly surveyed the situation and asked, "What exactly have you packed? I see taped up boxes but you still have things EVERYWHERE. You will NEVER finish this in time". Okay Mom, thanks for stopping by! Thus, from that point on the new name of the game was "open the drawer, dump it in a box, tape it up, label "kitchen drawer", and MOVE ON". It was a nightmare!
Then came the actual moving day. I was feeling so proud. I'd packed the whole house (not very well but that was beside the point now). I'd called countless movers and found the VERY best deal with the VERY best company. I was going to save us $$$$. Then the movers pulled up in the tiniest moving truck I'd ever seen. Determined not to feel defeated I told myself it didn't matter the size of the truck it was all in the strength of the men. Then the movers hopped out of the truck. They looked like high schoolers. And not high school football players. More like high school band members. They introduced themselves (couldn't have been nicer!) and quickly got to work. But, I knew it wasn't going to go well after the first hour when I overheard one of the guys calling the boss and saying, "you've got to send more guys over here. This is going to take us DAYS". Well, great; just what I wanted to hear.
Despite the fact that there weren't any more guys the company could send out, the movers were able to finish the job. It took them eleven hours and that was just to get it to storage. We had to have it all moved out of storage a couple of weeks later but that story is so awful I still can't tell it without crying again. No lie. Needless to say, I have sworn to my husband that I will never, EVER ask to move again. The new house is fantastic but the packing and moving part, I couldn't have done it worse!
However, after reading this article that tells how to do it the RIGHT way, I'm not gonna lie- I kind of want to give it all a try again. I think I could do better this time. If you happen to be reading this and know my husband, let's just keep this our little secret... he'll find out soon enough when I start sending the MLS links again :)
101 Best Packing & Moving Tips
Ever since I got my real estate license years ago I've bugged my husband to move. Every day I'd check MLS and email him great new houses on the market. He was always nice and indulged me in checking out the pictures, but ultimately he'd remind me I got my license to self OTHERS a home, not to sell OUR home. However, after several years of persistence he caved. He let me put a sign in the yard "just to see what will happen". Well, we sold our house three days before Christmas. I call it a Christmas Miracle really, given the state of the holiday décor we had going on around the place. My husband calls it something else but that really can't be repeated here...
Anyway, we sold our house, and I started the task of packing. "This won't take that long", "we don't have that much stuff", and "there's only three of us" are all thoughts that ran through my head. What I didn't take in to account was that one of the "three of us" was three years old. Have you ever attempted packing anything with a toddler? Here's how it works: I put one item in a box, she pulls out three. Oh, and did I mention that I was seven months pregnant when I started packing our house? And that my husband was working out of town? Basically it was a recipe for disaster.
Really, the packing started off okay-ish. I would make myself pack several boxes a day, tape them up, label them, and then push them in to a corner of the room. I felt totally on top of things until two weeks before we moved and my mother stopped by. She was barely in the house three minutes when she quickly surveyed the situation and asked, "What exactly have you packed? I see taped up boxes but you still have things EVERYWHERE. You will NEVER finish this in time". Okay Mom, thanks for stopping by! Thus, from that point on the new name of the game was "open the drawer, dump it in a box, tape it up, label "kitchen drawer", and MOVE ON". It was a nightmare!
Then came the actual moving day. I was feeling so proud. I'd packed the whole house (not very well but that was beside the point now). I'd called countless movers and found the VERY best deal with the VERY best company. I was going to save us $$$$. Then the movers pulled up in the tiniest moving truck I'd ever seen. Determined not to feel defeated I told myself it didn't matter the size of the truck it was all in the strength of the men. Then the movers hopped out of the truck. They looked like high schoolers. And not high school football players. More like high school band members. They introduced themselves (couldn't have been nicer!) and quickly got to work. But, I knew it wasn't going to go well after the first hour when I overheard one of the guys calling the boss and saying, "you've got to send more guys over here. This is going to take us DAYS". Well, great; just what I wanted to hear.
Despite the fact that there weren't any more guys the company could send out, the movers were able to finish the job. It took them eleven hours and that was just to get it to storage. We had to have it all moved out of storage a couple of weeks later but that story is so awful I still can't tell it without crying again. No lie. Needless to say, I have sworn to my husband that I will never, EVER ask to move again. The new house is fantastic but the packing and moving part, I couldn't have done it worse!
However, after reading this article that tells how to do it the RIGHT way, I'm not gonna lie- I kind of want to give it all a try again. I think I could do better this time. If you happen to be reading this and know my husband, let's just keep this our little secret... he'll find out soon enough when I start sending the MLS links again :)
101 Best Packing & Moving Tips
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Seal the Deal with Curb Appeal
Welcome and THANKS for stopping in to read the blog! I'm excited to get started and have an outlet for posting residential real estate news and updates!
Today's topic is curb appeal! Whether you are planning to put your house on the market or just maintain the beauty of your home- it's important to pay attention to what the front of your house looks like when others drive up.
Here are my top ten suggestions for improving curb appeal! At the bottom, you'll find links to a few articles I found helpful on this topic as well.
1. Landscaping
Keep it simple- you don't have to have the most beautiful garden on the street; fresh cut grass with neat edges go a long way to make your home appear well maintained. It is money well spent to invest in a professional tree trimmer periodically. This will keep limbs away from your roof (thus preventing damage!) and a nicely trimmed tree can truly enhance the look of the front of your home.
2. Front Door
Repaint or stain your front door yearly to maintain color. If you are trying to sell your home, keep the front door color a neutral- now's not the time to experiment with bright purple! Remember, the front door is the entrance into your home and you want it to set the tone. A door that always looks freshly painted gives people the impression that your home is well cared for. While you are at it, don't forget to polish and shine up the hardware!
3. Windows
Clean your windows monthly- both inside and out. I know, I know, no one likes to wash windows and they are hard to keep clean, especially if you have young children in your home! However, a little window cleaner to remove those greasy grimeys (aka- precious handprints!) will be worth the effort. Paper towels can often leave white bits behind; I like to use newspaper with my window cleaner to get a streak free shine.
4. Keep the toys in back
If you have young children in your home it's easy to let the front yard start looking like the backyard- bikes in the yard, stroller by the door, or a few too many balls around. They will leave your front yard looking messy and potentially invite theft. Remind your children that these items should all be stored in the garage or back of your home.
5. Add a pop of color
Be on the look out for a great deal on a ceramic pot or urn to put next to your front door. Lowe's or Home Depot usually have something that will work. Even the most Brown Thumbs (what I call people like myself that are the OPPOSITE of Green Thumbs) can maintain a small pot of flowers and adding some fresh flowers to a pot will give a pop of color that definitely enhances curb appeal. Make sure to pay attention to whether your front door is in the shade or full sun and buy flowers accordingly.
6. Hang a wreath
There's something about a wreath that makes your HOUSE look like a HOME. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and I know wreaths can be pricey but you really only need two- one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter. You could probably even get crafty and use the same wreath all year simply changing out the décor to match the season. Make sure you keep the wreath proportional to your door; it should be an accent, not a hazard! (True story- I had to get rid of a wreath that was so large we could barely get through the doorway without getting tangled in the thing!)
7. Walkway
Make sure you have a clear path from the street to your front door. Visitors shouldn't have to trample through your grass to get to your house. If you don't have a walkway you can add one yourself by laying down some flagstone. When adding a walkway consider the style of your home. Is it a traditional red brick? Add a red brick or concrete path. Stucco? Consider adding flagstone.
8. Hang a Flag
Adding a flag gives your house character. You can go traditional and hang an American flag or branch out and put up a flag from your alma mater or favorite sports team. Again, make sure your flag is the right size for the house. You aren't trying to look like a post office with a giant American flag; keep it simple and buy the whole set from Target or Walmart- you can get the flag, pole, and mount all together for about $15 and it should be just the right size.
9. Power Wash
Power wash your walkway and driveway twice a year. There's nothing better than power washing- watching all of that dirt come up and run off is just gratifying. Make sure you block out enough time to start and finish the project; you don't want to get half of your driveway looking fabulous and then have to quit- trust me, the unwashed part will look even worse now next to the sparkling clean part!
10. Open and Inviting
We have HOT summer days down here in Texas! I know it's better for your energy bills to keep the curtains or blinds closed all of the time but that really makes your home look closed up and uninviting. Consider shutting the draperies only during the hottest part of the day but opening them up again in the evenings and mornings.
What are YOUR ideas for adding curb appeal? Any suggestions for keeping your yard neat and tidy?
If you are looking for more suggestions you might check out these articles!
http://architecture.about.com/od/addcharactertoyourhome/tp/AddCurbAppeal.htm
http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-improvement/adding-curb-appeal-value-to-home/
Check back next Thursday for another insider look into real estate!
Today's topic is curb appeal! Whether you are planning to put your house on the market or just maintain the beauty of your home- it's important to pay attention to what the front of your house looks like when others drive up.
Here are my top ten suggestions for improving curb appeal! At the bottom, you'll find links to a few articles I found helpful on this topic as well.
1. Landscaping
Keep it simple- you don't have to have the most beautiful garden on the street; fresh cut grass with neat edges go a long way to make your home appear well maintained. It is money well spent to invest in a professional tree trimmer periodically. This will keep limbs away from your roof (thus preventing damage!) and a nicely trimmed tree can truly enhance the look of the front of your home.
2. Front Door
Repaint or stain your front door yearly to maintain color. If you are trying to sell your home, keep the front door color a neutral- now's not the time to experiment with bright purple! Remember, the front door is the entrance into your home and you want it to set the tone. A door that always looks freshly painted gives people the impression that your home is well cared for. While you are at it, don't forget to polish and shine up the hardware!
3. Windows
Clean your windows monthly- both inside and out. I know, I know, no one likes to wash windows and they are hard to keep clean, especially if you have young children in your home! However, a little window cleaner to remove those greasy grimeys (aka- precious handprints!) will be worth the effort. Paper towels can often leave white bits behind; I like to use newspaper with my window cleaner to get a streak free shine.
4. Keep the toys in back
If you have young children in your home it's easy to let the front yard start looking like the backyard- bikes in the yard, stroller by the door, or a few too many balls around. They will leave your front yard looking messy and potentially invite theft. Remind your children that these items should all be stored in the garage or back of your home.
5. Add a pop of color
Be on the look out for a great deal on a ceramic pot or urn to put next to your front door. Lowe's or Home Depot usually have something that will work. Even the most Brown Thumbs (what I call people like myself that are the OPPOSITE of Green Thumbs) can maintain a small pot of flowers and adding some fresh flowers to a pot will give a pop of color that definitely enhances curb appeal. Make sure to pay attention to whether your front door is in the shade or full sun and buy flowers accordingly.
6. Hang a wreath
There's something about a wreath that makes your HOUSE look like a HOME. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and I know wreaths can be pricey but you really only need two- one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter. You could probably even get crafty and use the same wreath all year simply changing out the décor to match the season. Make sure you keep the wreath proportional to your door; it should be an accent, not a hazard! (True story- I had to get rid of a wreath that was so large we could barely get through the doorway without getting tangled in the thing!)
7. Walkway
Make sure you have a clear path from the street to your front door. Visitors shouldn't have to trample through your grass to get to your house. If you don't have a walkway you can add one yourself by laying down some flagstone. When adding a walkway consider the style of your home. Is it a traditional red brick? Add a red brick or concrete path. Stucco? Consider adding flagstone.
8. Hang a Flag
Adding a flag gives your house character. You can go traditional and hang an American flag or branch out and put up a flag from your alma mater or favorite sports team. Again, make sure your flag is the right size for the house. You aren't trying to look like a post office with a giant American flag; keep it simple and buy the whole set from Target or Walmart- you can get the flag, pole, and mount all together for about $15 and it should be just the right size.
9. Power Wash
Power wash your walkway and driveway twice a year. There's nothing better than power washing- watching all of that dirt come up and run off is just gratifying. Make sure you block out enough time to start and finish the project; you don't want to get half of your driveway looking fabulous and then have to quit- trust me, the unwashed part will look even worse now next to the sparkling clean part!
10. Open and Inviting
We have HOT summer days down here in Texas! I know it's better for your energy bills to keep the curtains or blinds closed all of the time but that really makes your home look closed up and uninviting. Consider shutting the draperies only during the hottest part of the day but opening them up again in the evenings and mornings.
What are YOUR ideas for adding curb appeal? Any suggestions for keeping your yard neat and tidy?
If you are looking for more suggestions you might check out these articles!
http://architecture.about.com/od/addcharactertoyourhome/tp/AddCurbAppeal.htm
http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-improvement/adding-curb-appeal-value-to-home/
Check back next Thursday for another insider look into real estate!
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