How Can You Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal?

The first impression people have of your home will be based on its curb appeal. Today, I’ve got some easy ways to add some vibrancy to the exterior of your property.

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When people see your home, their first impression will be based on the exterior. For this reason, curb appeal is incredibly important. Today, I’ve got some quick fixes and simple tips that you can use to boost the curb appeal of your property. If your home is looking a little drab, you should focus on ways to make a quick impact on the home. To do this, you should determine if the exterior of the home needs a fresh coat of paint or be power washed. Paint can actually go a long way in improving the appearance of a home. However, take your time. Don’t merely throw on a coat of paint. Before you do, make sure to scrape off the old paint in places where it might cause unsightly texture beneath the fresh coat. Take your time when power washing, too. 

A little fresh paint can go a long way.

But what if it’s your yard that is lacking luster? If you have an upcoming home showing and lack the time to mulch, you still have options. Getting already potted plants to put outside your home can add a lot of vibrancy to your home’s curb appeal. Also remember not to neglect the appearance of your front door. As the entrance to your home, your front door is the focal point of your home. Repainting can go a long way, but sometimes a total replacement is a better option. It all depends on the condition of your home and the door itself. The final way to boost your curb appeal is something many people forget: your mailbox. Your mailbox is a feature of your home that people see easily as they drive past or approach your home. While most people tend not to notice a mailbox, they will certainly pay attention to one that is especially attractive. For a quick, easy impact on your front yard—update your mailbox. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

4 Things That Can Make or Break Your Milford Home Sale

If you want to sell your house here in the Milford area, these four things can be the determining factor in how successful your sale is.

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When you list your home, there are four things that can make or break your sale.

1. Pricing it right from the beginning: In a hot market like ours here in the Milford area, many sellers think they can test the market by pricing too high. As things start to cool down in the summer and fall months, though, inventory will rise and you'll want to avoid that mindset and price your home right at market value. The closer the price is to the real value, the more activity you'll get, and you can even get your house into a bidding war—which is ultimately what you want.

2. Amp up your marketing: The days of agents or homeowners taking their own marketing photos are long gone. Hire a professional photographer to shoot the home whether it costs $100,000 or $1 million. This is a must because of their ability to get the most out of the lighting, the angles, and the skyline. Many people make real estate decisions based on the photos they see online. Focus on social media as well; Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter should all give your property exposure. It will generate more activity on the home.

The days of Realtors taking photos of homes are long gone.

3. Staging: I don't necessarily mean hiring a stager to advise you, but to instead use what you have and take a decluttering approach. Make sure you remove all the extra stuff and make sure you utilize what's available in each room. You want to stage the property by opening up floor space to showcase square footage. It will not only improve the home's photography, it will help buyers gets a better feel for the space.

4. Be prepared to receive multiple offers: Our market has very tight inventory so we're seeing many more multiple offer situations than in the past, so it's important to have a gameplan for it. If it's not handled carefully and professionally, you could squander an amazing opportunity and even lose the offers. This will help you maximize the value of your home.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions or you're thinking of buying or selling a home here in the Milford market, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be happy to help.

4 Inexpensive Ways to Prepare Your Home for the Market

Preparing your home for sale is a process, but it doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Here’s what we recommend for home sellers.

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People ask me all the time about what they need to do to prepare their home for sale on the market. Here are four things I would focus on if I was getting ready to list my home: 1. Decluttering. I walk into homes all the time that are cluttered. When you have lived in a place for a while (or you have kids), this happens. When you get ready to sell, however, you should do all you can to declutter your rooms and get all the little items and knick knacks out. If you can stack things neatly in a spare unfinished room or a garage, that’s great. You could also invest in a storage pod or storage locker while you show it. 2. Flooring. This is another area to really focus in on. It’s one of the first things potential buyers will take note of. If your flooring is outdated or damaged, it makes the rest of the house look bad. You don’t have to have brand-new flooring or high-end carpet, but giving everything a deep, professional cleaning will pay dividends in the end. 3. Paint. Fresh paint goes a long way. Not only does it make the house smell fresh and clean, it makes it look that way too. Scuffed white trim looks awful. A fresh coat of paint will have a big impact, especially on those high-traffic areas. Get rid of those fingerprints on the walls, too. Fresh paint has a big impact on showability and value. 4. A deep cleaning. This isn’t just a tidying up of the house we are talking about. You may even want to hire a cleaning company to come in and do an extensive, deep cleaning. There are many areas of your home that are often neglected that will really stand out if they are sparkling clean, like your windows, walls, appliances, cabinets, and baseboards..

Take our advice and you will sell faster for more money.

These are just four of the least expensive things you can do to prepare your home for sale. Take our advice and focus on these areas and your home will sell for more money and faster than your competition. I guarantee it. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

How Can You Successfully Sell Your Home in the Fall or Winter?

There are a few things sellers need to do in order to sell their homes during the fall or winter. Today I have my top fall and winter selling tips to help you do just that.

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Today I’m here with the top tips to sell your home in the fall or winter.

First of all, you need to pay close attention to curb appeal. Don’t get too excited and buy every pumpkin, gourd, or fall decoration out there. There is a fine line between having a nice, decorated farmer’s porch and a full-blown farmer's market. Go easy on the exterior decorations.

Although people expect the leaves to fall, you should work to keep your yard somewhat clear, especially during a showing or open house. The same thing holds true for the winter. We all expect snow, but you need to keep your driveways and walkways clear. Your home should look nice and accessible in either season.

Next, go easy on the holiday decorations. Having some nice decorations for the fall or winter can make your home feel warm, inviting, and cozy, but going crazy with decorations can be a turnoff. Don’t buy every blow-up snowman from Lowe’s and throw them in your yard. Don’t get three different Christmas trees and scatter them throughout the house. You can absolutely decorate for the holidays, especially if you have small kids, but just make sure it’s tastefully done if your home is on the market.

Don’t go overboard on the holiday decorations.

Let there be light. As it starts to get darker outside, it’s important to make sure that your blinds are open during the day to let in the natural light. In the late afternoon or evening, leave your lights on. Set exterior lights to a timer and light up the inside of your home before you leave. If you have energy-efficient light bulbs, make sure you turn them on early so they have time to warm up. You want people to walk into a home that is warm and bright, not dim and gloomy.

Finally, make the fireplace a focal point. If there is peeling paint, repaint it. Clean it out, get a new grate, and make sure the wood is neatly stacked so that it looks fantastic. If you are comfortable leaving your gas or wood burning fireplace on for showings, go ahead. Just make sure the screen is in place. That way, buyers will walk into your warm, inviting home and think, “Wow! I would love a fireplace.”

These are just a few things you can do to make sure your home sells in the fall and winter. If you have any other questions about preparing your home for the market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!