Posts Tagged “declutter”
For many families, the death of a loved one is followed by family squabbling over possessions. In a previous blog, we discussed the importance of having a will, which should designate who inherits certain possessions. Today we will discuss ways to simplify the distribution of your property.
What Happens To Your Property When You Pass Away
When you die, your estate goes through the legal process known as probate, which may assess probate taxes and accrue legal fees. Having a will, with an executor in place, helps the process go smoothly. if you die intestate, without a will, the court appoints an executor, at greater cost to your estate.
With careful estate planning, you can get around most probate fees by designating beneficiaries on life insurance policies and registered investments, or holding your assets jointly with someone else, so that full ownership passes to them upon death.
If you specified how you want your property distributed, a court-appointed executor gives it to the next of kin after subtracting debts and fees owed to the court. A same-sex partner or significant other has no legal standing to receive your property.
A Will makes sure that your property goes to those you want to receive it. You can even specify that money goes to a favorite charity.
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If you own a considerable amount of property or other assets, you should hire a lawyer to ensure that your estate passes to your heirs with minimal taxes. For a simple estate, use a Will kit.
Simplifying Property Distribution
Your heirs may not like how things get distributed. If you own a large estate, families can argue over who gets small items that you own. Few Wills list every possession someone has.
Grieving family members may argue over a box of recipes, family photos, or a special vase you did not specifically bequeath to a child or other family member. How can you simplify your estate to prevent family drama after your death?
How can you simplify your estate to prevent family drama after your death? Below find a few tips to keep in mind.
– Routinely declutter your home, so that you own fewer possessions for your heirs to worry about. Before you donate or sell furnishings, ask your children or other family members if they want your items.
– Considering that many items in your home do not interest your kids or other heirs, do not hold on to things you don’t use.
– For other items of value, consider passing them along now so you can see them enjoying something that you love.
– To prevent arguments over heirlooms or other sentimental items, label them or at least make a list of who gets what.
– Keep your Will, power of attorney, and final wishes current.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today. Give me a call for experience, market knowledge, correct pricing, and a sincere interest in helping you fulfill your real estate goals.
Ready to sell your home for maximum value? Click here and schedule an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Few people relish the thought of dying, yet you ultimately have no say as to whether you will die or the details of your demise – even if you try to extend your lifespan by healthy living and excellent medical care. You do have some control over what happens to your assets after your passing by having a current will.
Who Needs A Will
For younger people, having a will protects minor children or special needs family members who need a guardian if the parent dies; even you have no family obligations you want to continue to take care of, a will controls the disposition of property and other items in your estate and makes your final wishes known. Anyone who has children, property, possessions of value, or a business needs a will to make sure that your estate can be handled promptly with minimal administrative costs and probate taxes.
You should draft a power of attorney for someone to handle your affairs and one to appoint someone to make medical decisions if you are in an accident or become ill. If you have special preferences about your funeral or what you what do with your final remains, you should also make your wishes known in your will.
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What Should Your Will Include?
The more complex your estate, the more likely you need to have a lawyer prepare a will and help you develop an estate plan. If you don’t have much, you can prepare your own will or draft something from LegalZoom or other online services. The requirements for a legal will are rather straightforward:
– The Will, must be in writing and must be dated and signed by you, preferably in the presence of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries.
– It should state what you want to be done with at least one of your possessions after death.
– Your Will also lists the person you want to be the executor of your estate, along with the names and addresses of your beneficiaries.
– You should list all your assets and where they’re located, including property, personal effects, jewelry, animals, investments, and designate what you want to be done with each of these assets. Sentimental items or heirlooms that you want to go to a specific person, you should list these in the will.
– If you have dependents, they will specify how you want them to be provided for.
– Your Will, should list all debts and the creditors you owe, as the estate will have to settle these debts before your assets are distributed to your heirs. Certain assets, such as life insurance distributions, go directly to the heir and need not go to clear debt.
Keep Your Will Current
Once you prepare a will, you should update it frequently to make sure it reflects your current situation and wishes. If, for example, you remarry, your Will, should specify whether your estate goes to your children or goes to provide for your spouse. If you acquire additional property, you Will, should specify who gets it.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today. When you are buying or selling a home, don’t waste time. Give me a call for experience, market knowledge, correct pricing, and a sincere interest in helping you fulfill your real estate goals. If you are ready to sell your home for maximum value, the best place to start is by clicking here and scheduling an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Whether you plan on selling your home this spring or just want to clean it up, paring down your possessions is a freeing experience. With unused things removed, you can accommodate the grandchildren coming to visit.
The Easy Decisions
You may look around your home and quickly see the importance of getting rid of furniture that is worn out, mismatched, oversized, or no longer usable, but discarding potentially useful can be harder to justify for most people.
Undoubtedly, you know the logic behind donating clothes in your closet that you have not worn in the past year. Plenty of other things that can accumulate don’t seem such obvious stealers of your space, yet can overwhelm drawers, cabinets, closets, basements, storage spaces, and more.
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Small Space Guzzlers
Below find a quick list of items you may find in your household that contribute to clutter long after they have no useful life.
Plastic containers, particularly those without lids
Are your cupboards filled with old margarine tubs along with plastic storage products you have purchased? Many containers that you recycle like yogurt, cottage cheese, or margarine can be unsafe for microwave reheating.
Clear florist vases
If you have been a lucky recipient of gifts of flowers from friends, significant others, and family, you may have a slew of inexpensive, clear vases that take up needed space. Keep a couple if you must, but pass on the rest to a charity or yard sale table.
Plastic grocery bags
While having a few unripped bags on hand can be useful for lining wastebaskets they seem to multiply as quickly as old hangers. Take the extras to the recycling center, and the hangers to a thrift store.
Old media
Many thrift stores want nothing to do with outdated VHS tapes, although a recycling center might put them to good use. Even CDs and DVDs are less popular due to the prevalence of online streaming; only save what you anticipate you will use.
Old sheets and towels
Long after linens become too threadbare to use for their intended purpose, they may be useful for cleaning rags. They are still useful at pet shops and animal shelters.
Reading material
Years ago, you may have sacrificed to purchase a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica or World Book, but these reference materials are now too outdated to be useful in this Internet age. Their fate may lie at a recycling center or a community center where they might be used for crafting. Donate other paperback bestsellers to a thrift store or give them away as freebies at a yard sale. Recycle old magazines.
Old makeup
Eye shadow, lotions, moisturizers, and other cosmetic products can develop bacteria once they are opened. While you might be lamenting how much you paid for the items, throw them out rather than developing an infection by using them.
Old spices
Besides taking up room in your cupboard, rows of old spices lose their flavor in time. Pitch old spices, 1 to 3 years for dried herbs, 2 to 3 years for ground spices, and 4 years for whole spices that have been kept in a dark, dry container.
Old condiments
Periodically rid your refrigerator of jars of partially used condiments, and toss out condiment packets you have saved from fast-food restaurants. Having a few packets of ketchup or Arby’s Horsey Sauce can be handy for lunches, but the packets can leak and dry out in time, especially after they have multiplied in a drawer.
Unnecessary kitchen paraphernalia
Specialty electrical appliances and bakeware that you only use once every couple of years take up valuable space in a small home and tie you down, even in a larger one. Pass on what you don’t use.
Get Ready For Your Next Stage Of Life
By ridding yourself of the 10 categories of items that are mentioned above, you will have more space, while not compromising the quality of your life. When it comes time for a life change, whether it means moving to a smaller home or devoting more time to travel, you will be happy you made the effort to get rid of what you don’t need.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today. When you are buying or selling a home, don’t waste time. Give me a call for experience, market knowledge, correct pricing, and a sincere interest in helping you fulfill your real estate goals. If you are ready to sell your home for maximum value, click here and schedule an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
When you list your home for sale, don’t overlook the importance of your exterior landscaping as a tool for increasing the volume of potential buyers and selling your home more quickly.
In real estate, while you can’t always “tell a book by its cover,” having a home with curb appeal is more likely to get people to request an appointment after seeing it on a website or from a drive-by. A home that looks neat and inviting from the outside is likely to be the same way inside.
Landscaping Upgrades That Add Resale Value
Just as with other upgrades you do to your home before the sale, you should not go crazy with exterior landscaping or add features with the questionable resale value, such as a pool, water feature, or a large garden. You want to present property that is well-maintained and attractive, while not seeming overly difficult to maintain.
As a result, planting some colorful flowers, adding a hanging basket to the porch, upgrading the exterior doors, refurbishing an existing deck or adding a new one, and playing an attractive stone walkway may be well worth the money in resale value and speed of sale.
According to Carson Arthur, a landscaping designer, often seen on TV home shows, great landscaping can increase a home’s value by 7%, which amounts to $42,000 on the $600,000 home. Patios may add a 12% return, while decks, especially low to no maintenance types, have a 10% to 15% rate of return. An awning, pergola, or even a tree that offer backyard shade might increase your home value by $2,000-$3,000 each. In general, adding trees, a bench in your front yard, a stone walkway or driveway, and attractive plantings are among the key upgrades that pay off.
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Managing Exterior Landscaping
If you are selling your home because you are no longer able to keep it up as you like, the whole concept of exterior landscaping may be overwhelming. Given the extra value that great landscaping can add to your home, hiring someone to do the work will be well worth your investment. If you are up to it, putting some effort into the outside of your home can be the perfect closure for transitioning to a new place.
Any home will benefit from neatly trimmed lawns, gardens, and shrubs, along with a patch of color. If you don’t have much to spend on updating a moderately priced home, hiring a neighborhood kid to clean up the area, cut your grass, and plant some flowers might offer the boost you need. If you have a higher-end home where you are hoping to extract maximum value, or if your landscaping is outdated and out of shape, you should go to the next level of hiring a landscape designer or landscape architect to plan out your improvements. A professional will be able to suggest the proper plantings and upgrades and even do them in an eco-friendly way that appeals to many modern buyers.
Ask Me About Curb Appeal
If you are ready to sell your home and wonder whether your property needs more curb appeal, give me a call for an honest assessment as to what you need to do before we list your home.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today. When you are buying or selling a home, don’t waste time. Give me a call for experience, market knowledge, correct pricing, and a sincere interest in helping you fulfill your real estate goals. If you are ready to sell your home for maximum value, the best place to start is by clicking here and scheduling an appointment.
When you sell your home, expect that potential buyers do require a professional home inspection before they complete the transaction. Not all buyers request this, but preparing your home for an inspection can prevent unwelcome surprises. You don’t want the buyer to back out of their contract to buy or delay the closing because of seen or unseen defects in your home.
Engaging a professional inspector to look over the home can be an extra expense that many sellers do not wish to incur. Often, an experienced real estate agent can look over the home, point out obvious flaws, and make suggestions about what needs to be done to make your home more appealing to buyers.
Cautions When Selling “As Is”
Planning to sell your home as-is? You may not want to do any renovation on your home, but having a home inspection done before you put your place on the market can help your agent set a fair price, based on the condition of your home.
Having a “fair price” may not prevent interested potential buyers from trying to negotiate an even lower price, while multiplying the dollar amount it takes to fix any defects. As Dan Stewart, president of the home inspection company Pillar to Post notes, “For every real dollar of cost, the buyer thinks it’s $2 or $3 more.”
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Tips To Prepare For A Professional Home Inspection
Before your professional home inspection, check below for a few things you need to do to prepare:
Clean your house
Presenting your home as clean, uncluttered, and neat makes it easier for the inspector to do his or her job. The inspection does not critique your lifestyle, but a clean, fresh home sends out the message that your house is well maintained. The cleanliness includes gutters, garage, and outside areas.
Don’t keep red flags flying
Inspectors note things such as flaking paint, cracked windows that don’t open and close, inept or not-to-code DIY projects, leaky faucets, water spots on ceilings, walls, and baseboards, unpleasant orders that could indicate mold, and more. Addressing these problems keeps the inspector moving along in examining your home and reducing the list of problems you may uncover.
Anticipate buyer concerns and prevent surprises
Hire a professional to clean and examine your HVAC system, address plumbing problems and signs of water damage, and examine your roof. Make the repairs before your home is on the market and prepare your agent to answer questions that buyers ask about the age and condition of mechanical systems in your home.
Ensure to connect utilities and keep your pilot lights lit
To make sure everything functions properly, the inspector needs to see your plumbing and electrical systems in action, so your power on and your pilot lights lit. If your house is vacant, turn on your utilities to prevent delays in closing.
Selling appliances with your home?
Keep appliances clean and in good working condition before listing. Your agent may recommend buying new appliances if the current ones detract from the appearance of your kitchen.
Ensure that there is workspace around your furnace and water heater.
The inspector needs to access these areas to examine and test these mechanicals; it is not his job to move boxes or clutter away from the work area.
Allow access to attics, basements, garages, and outbuildings
Provide keys, if needed, along with clear access to reach these areas that provide insights as to the condition of your home.
Thinking Of Selling?
I assess the condition of your home, set the right price, and get it sold so you can move on to your next location at 902-497-3031.
Ready to sell your home for maximum value? Start by clicking here and scheduling an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
Even if you have retired and are making do on your fixed income, be aware that scammers want to take advantage of your situation. They may call you on the phone, send you an email, or a snail mail communication, or work from a website to offer an attractive deal. Furthermore, to prevent increasing your stress and losing your money, it pays to know some of the top scams operating today.
Why Fraudulent Scams Work
Scammers succeed because they offer something you may want or need, such as funds, companionship, or work opportunities. In addition, some scams appeal to the human desire to get something for nothing, others appear more reasonable yet are just as costly.
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Five Schemes To Watch For
Here are some common ways that Internet thieves may try to deceive.
1. Nigerian letter scam.
You receive an email from a Nigerian prince, or his widow or lawyer, who claims you have been left millions of dollars. Alternatively, the person might be trying to get a large number of funds out of the country.
You will get a windfall by simply providing your bank account number, and by sending a small amount of money to cover transaction costs or bribes to local officials. In addition, you will receive in subsequent emails being asked for more money. Rather than getting millions of dollars, you pay considerable fees and get nothing.
2. Lonely hearts scams.
Online dating is popular these days among all age groups. If you don’t get out much, finding a potential mate or companion on the Internet is attractive. Moreover, you might meet someone online that appears to be the perfect match; they even want to get together.
Signs that the situation is a scam include their asking you for money for transportation money, rent, or medical expenses for their sick granddaughter. In these cases, your potential soulmate may not even be who they claim to be.
3. Infected computer scams.
A message pops up and scares you by telling you that your computer is infected with a virus. Fortunately, the message claims, you can fix the problem by clicking the link. $50 later, the message disappears after you have bought a fix to a problem you don’t have. In addition, by clicking the link, you may have installed new spyware in your system.
4. Craigslist or Kijiji scams.
Trying to de-clutter your home? When you use these free sites like Craigslist or Kijiji to sell furniture, appliances, bikes, and other goods online, you may generate quick interest from a foreign buyer.
They promise to send you much more than what you want for the item; upon receiving it, you are to ship the item along with several hundred dollar fees to the shipping company. The check bounces and you’re out both your item and the money you sent for shipping costs.
5. Work at home schemes.
Need extra income? Legitimate virtual work opportunities can be lucrative for retirees, but some opportunities are scams. Furthermore questionable sites request you to buy equipment or pay fees before you receive any work. After you pay, you get nothing in return.
Be Vigilant Against Scammers
The five scams listed here are just the tip of the iceberg of ways that scammers use to try to make off with your money. It pays to be vigilant when someone requests a contribution to a charity, requests money in order to clean funds, or presents you with an offer you find interesting.
To prevent losing your money and your valuable personal information, research whether the authors are legitimate. For a more comprehensive view of scams to watch for, check the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or a website such as Snopes.com.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today. When you are buying or selling a home, don’t waste time. Give me a call for experience, market knowledge, correct pricing, and a sincere interest in helping you fulfill your real estate goals. If you are ready to sell your home for maximum value, the best place to start is by clicking here and scheduling an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here