Posts Tagged “Senior Community”
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
When it’s time to sell your home so you can move on to the next stage of your life in retirement, nothing shows the history of your life there more than your flooring. If you have lived in your home for decades, your carpets may be dirty, matted, and thread-bare, even if you clean them frequently. Wood floors have become dull and scratched, while vinyl tile is ripped or scratched.
What To Do About Old Flooring
Real estate professionals often disagree on whether it’s better to sell a home as-is and price it accordingly, offer buyers a flooring allowance, or replace the flooring. As a seller, it can be a tough decision to determine what to do about the floors without spending a fortune. The fact is that some homebuyers buy a home and replace flooring to reflect their own taste. Subsequently, you have spent money to upgrade flooring only to have it replaced. Many buyers want a move-in-ready home. Some buyers lack the vision to see past worn carpeting and scratched floors, Some sellers opt to replace old worn carpeting with low-quality new carpeting.
You first need to assess the state of your floors. The carpeting may respond well to a good cleaning. Cleaning and a couple of coats of floor acrylic can do wonders for wood floors. If you are on a limited budget, your real estate agent may recommend that you list your house without making a major investment.
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Consider Buyer Preferences When Replacing Flooring
When your home needs new flooring to make it show better, you should consider current buyer preferences which often lean toward hardwood floors rather than carpeting. Many buyers want hardwood in their living and dining room, along with hardwood or tile in kitchens. They like carpet or hardwood in bedrooms.
If your home was built prior to the 1970s, your original flooring might have been hardwood rather than plywood subflooring. Rollback the carpeting to see if you have hardwood floors. They may need a bit of refinishing to make them appealing to buyers.
Consult With Me Before Making A Flooring Decision
When replacing the flooring is necessary, you have plenty of affordable choices to select from. Besides carpeting or hardwood, high-quality laminate offers the appearance of wood at less cost. Woodgrain porcelain tile works well in kitchens and entryways.
I, as your real estate agent, can offer you insights about what is selling in your area. You will find that my recommendations might vary depending on whether your current home is in the moderately priced area versus an upscale one. I understand that your goal is to sell your home for a reasonable price without making a major investment that will not pay off.
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
Getting your house ready to put on the market might mean making some renovations, but even if you have the minimal amount to invest to make your place appealing to buyers, don’t forget to appeal to the most basic requirements that perspective buyers have. Potential buyers expect your home to smell clean. When you live in your home day after day, you may become immune to odors. Furthermore, those visiting your home for the first time may react so negatively that they cross your home off the list of potential properties.
Common Smelly Turn Offs
Positive, pleasant smells are so important to creating a favorable impression that real estate agents often suggest that you bake bread or chocolate chip cookies or have potpourri simmering on the stove during an open house. Many smells recreate present childhood memories, whereas others are guaranteed to turn off visitors. These include:
- Pet Odors. Dogs, cats, and other household pets may have occasional accidents in the house or may require a litter box where they do their business. Pet urine can leave a residual smell in carpets and furnishings even after you clean it up. In addition, if your home smells of pet urine, you may be able to neutralize the smell with a pet enzyme removal product such as Resolve or with baking soda in the cat box. If this doesn’t work, pulling up the carpet or removing the furniture may be the only way to get rid of the smell.
- Rotten food. Prior to a showing of your house, you will undoubtedly empty trash containers, but your range, refrigerator, or garbage disposal can hold odors too. To make sure everything is clean, run your garbage disposal with ice cubes, salt, and lemon peels, and wipe other appliances down inside and out with white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and a micro fiber cloth.
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- Smelly carpets. Even if you have no pets, your carpets can smell of food and sweat. Make sure to have your carpets professionally cleaned before you start to show your home. Keep the carpets fresh with a home steam cleaning or even a spray of vodka misted over the carpet. This liquor known for not being obvious on the breathe leaves no smells when dry.
- Stale AC smells. Stale water that collects in a dehumidifier or air-conditioning unit can foster the growth of mold and mildew that will send odors through the room when the unit is running. Smoke fumes can also collect in the condenser coil and be released as well. In addition, clean the coils, replace filters, and drain the water frequently to keep the room free of odors.
- Dampness in the house can create a musty smell that makes even a new home seem old. Make sure to have your home inspected for water accumulation in the basement or in the roof rafters.
Kill Odors, Not Sales
Unappealing odors are a turnoff to potential buyers. If you have a limited budget for getting your house ready to sell, consider investing a couple hundred dollars in basic professional cleaning services that will leave your property smelly fresh, clean, and inviting.
Ready to sell? Give me a call for additional tips on making your home appealing to buyers.
Call Me For Real Estate Success
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
When you retire after a lifetime of hard work, you want your retirement years to be enjoyable and fulfilling. Even if you are going into retirement with a healthy pension and considerable savings, you don’t know how long your life will be or how many years your money must stretch. Preparing for this reality means that you must ways to do the things you like on a reduced income.
Here are seven ways to have a great life, even though you have less money to spend.
1. Live out of the farebox
Going into debt as a senior will only complicate your future. Pay your expenses out of your pension or other retirement income rather than relying on credit cards that you cannot pay back at once.
2. Use a 30-day list
Aside from food or medicine, write down other items that you want on a 30-day list. If a month passes and you still want to buy something, only then make the purchase after it has passed the test of time. Having a list like this reduces impulse purchases that can add up quickly.
3. Reevaluate what you need
As a retired person, you may no longer need to buy as many clothes and shoes as you did when you were working; you may not need to purchase business clothing ever again. For many people, changing buying habits can be hard even when the reality of life has changed. The 30-day list concept can ease you into this new way of thinking.
4. Substitute your guilty pleasures
If you enjoy watching cable TV, reading magazines, and eating out, you can enjoy these things in a more economical manner. By cutting the cord and signing up for streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu, you can retain access to great TV programming. Viewing magazines online cuts down on subscription costs as well as clutter. Going out for lunch instead of dinner can give you the tasty food you occasionally crave for less cost.
5. Reduce transportation costs
Owning and operating cars is costly. Retirement is the time to evaluate whether you could scale back to one car or take public transportation to fill in the gap. If you don’t go out much, renting a car for a weekend trip or using car services such as UBER to get to a special event might save you money.
6. Find a low-cost way of doing what you want and need to do
For example, when you want to stay active and healthy in retirement, you do not have to join a fancy health club to stay in shape. Consider joining the Y or looking for low-cost fitness classes offered by churches, schools, or local communities. Walking in your local mall or park is a great way to get free exercise.
7. Evaluate your housing situation
Especially if your home is costly to maintain, moving to a smaller house or, better yet, an apartment might be the budget-friendly alternative. If you prefer to stay in your home, renting out a room or basement apartment can bring in extra income; be sure to check out the legality of renting out an income suite in your area.
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Thinking Of Making A Change In Your Housing? Call Roy For Real Estate Success
If you are retired or planning to do so soon, now is the time to talk to me about your retirement housing options. I can help you sell your home and find another house or apartment that will suit your new economics and lifestyle.
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.
Looking to sell your home? Give me a call today.
Find out what homes in your neighborhood are selling for. Free monthly report by email showing current listings, recent sales & market stats. Go to www.HalifaxHomebeat.com
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