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5 Simple Outdoor Upgrades to Get Your Home Sold

January 28, 2012 By

As anyone involved in the real estate business can tell you, a growing number of home buyers are looking for homes that make good use of their outdoor space. Whether interested in Denver real estate or Nashville homes for sale, buyers searching for homes that are nicely landscaped, but they are also looking for homes that have effectively created outdoor living space for them to enjoy. Therefore, if you hope to appeal to a broad range of buyers and to increase your chances of getting your home sold quickly, you might want to consider implementing one or more of these 5 simple outdoor upgrades.

Outdoor Upgrade #1: Install Pavers

If your home features an outdoor patio, you can perk it up with the help of concrete or clay pavers. Available in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, pavers can be easily placed over the top of a poured-concrete patio. Not only will this help to create more interest in your hard, but it is also easier to replace pavers than it is to repair cracks and other problems frequently encountered with poured concrete.

Outdoor Upgrade #2: Create a Fire Pit

Building a fire pit is a relatively simple project for the do-it-yourselfer, but it can go a long way toward leaving a positive impression on potential buyers. Coupled with a few pieces of outdoor furniture, a fire pit can transform a patio into an inviting place for friends and family to gather. If city regulations do not allow for an open wood fire pit, consider installing a natural gas pit instead.

Outdoor Upgrade #3: Build a Deck

Decks are relatively inexpensive to build, but the can add a significant amount of value to your property. If you already have a deck, you might want to consider redoing it with some of the modern materials that are now available. Not only are there a wide arrange of colors and styles to select from, but many of today’s materials are resistant to rot, scratches and stains.

Outdoor Upgrade #4: Add Lighting

Not only does outdoor lighting add security and safety to your property during the nighttime, but it can also go a long way toward transforming the look of your outdoor space. LED lights are particularly popular among homebuyers, as they are longer-lasting than incandescent lights and they use 90 percent less energy.

Outdoor Upgrade #5: Create a Garden

Adding a garden is another upgrade that will help get your house noticed. An outdoor garden doesn’t have to be expansive, nor does it need to cost a great deal of money to install. One excellent option is to install a rain garden along the side of your house. Not only will this help divert water away from your house, but it will also add a bit of color and interest to your landscape. Use native plants for a low-maintenance garden that will be sure to appeal to potential buyers.

About The Author – Josh Anderson assists clients with Hillsboro Village homes for sale and other Nashville area realty transactions as an agent with Keller Williams.

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Five Tips for Expanding the Life of Your Roof

January 7, 2012 By

Replacing a roof is a costly endeavor. Therefore, in order to keep more money in your bank account where it belongs, it is important to know how to take care of your roof in order to extend the life of your roof. While it is inevitable that a roof will eventually need to be replaced, following these 5 tips will be sure to help you postpone this need for many years to come.

Tip #1: Keep the Gutters Clean

Cleaning the gutters on a regular basis will help prevent water overflow from causing damage to your roof. When leaves are allowed to pile up in the gutters, the water can get into the roof sheathing or even the rafters, causing rotting to occur. To prevent this from happening, you should clean your gutters at least once each spring and once each fall.

Tip #2: Wipe Leaves Off of the Roof

In addition to keeping the gutters clean, it is also important to keep the roof itself clear of leaves. If you have a simple roof with little landscaping, leaves may not accumulate on your roof. If you have a more complex roof design or if you have many trees surrounding your house, on the other hand, leaves may pile up fairly regularly. Failure to remove then will trap moisture, which will allow seeds to germinate and possibly take root.

Tip #3: Remove Moss

Moss regular grows on wood or composition shingles, particularly in the Northwest part of the country. Regardless of where you live, an accumulation of moss can cause damage because it traps moisture and leads to rotting. Therefore, if moss has developed on your roof, it is important to remove it as soon as possible. There are many products available on the market to help with the removal of moss. You might also want to consider installing zinc strips on the roof in order to help prevent moss from growing in the first place.

Tip #4: Trim Nearby Trees

If there are trees located near to your house, keeping their branches trimmed back will help prevent leaves, moss and other debris from falling onto or developing on the roof. Trimming back the branches will also help keep squirrels and other creatures off of your roof. Ideally, you shouldn’t have any branches within 10 feet of your roof.

Tip #5: Remove Snow

Removing snow from your roof between storms will help to prevent damaging ice from forming on the roof. While prying ice off of your roof can cause additional damage, removing snow can help prevent the ice from forming while also preventing any leaks from occurring when the snow melts. You can further prevent ice from forming by addressing air leaks or inadequate insulation in the attic, as these two conditions typically contribute largely to the problem.

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Save Money in the Long Run By Getting a Home Inspection

November 25, 2011 By

If you are in the market for purchasing a home, you might be caught off guard by all of the other expenses that are involved in the process. In addition to paying for the actual cost of the home, you can expect to pay a number of other fees in the closing process. As such, you might be tempted to cut a few corners wherever possible. While this may seem like a good idea at the time, cutting back on certain things may lead to disaster in the end. One example of an expense that you should not push aside is your home inspection.

Many homebuyers are tempted to forego the home inspection in order to save a few hundred dollars. This is particularly true for those who are purchasing a newly constructed home. After all, what could possibly be wrong with a home that is brand new? The unfortunate reality is that even newly constructed homes can have problems and getting a home inspection is the only means you have to protect yourself in the future. While it may hurt the pocketbook to pay for a home inspection, it will pay off in the long run. In fact, here are three money-saving reasons to get a home inspection:

  • Use it to negotiate a better price – if any problems are discovered during the home inspection, you can use that information as a bargaining chip as you bring down the agreed upon price of the home.
  • Avoid costly repairs – before you close on your home, you can require certain repairs to be made before the deal is complete. By getting repairs completed before you move in, you avoid headaches as well as the expense of making the repairs yourself.
  • Back out of the deal – by having the closing contingent upon the results of the home inspection, you can back out of the deal without losing any money if something is found to be wrong with the house.

Even if you do decide to purchase the home without requiring repairs to be made, getting a home inspection gives you a good idea of what you are getting into. For example, while the roof may be in decent shape now, the inspector may find that it will need to be replaced in ten years. By having this information before you buy, you can start planning ahead in order to ensure your home is properly maintained and repaired in the future.

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Three Inexpensive Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home

November 25, 2011 By

If you are thinking of putting your home on the market, you might want to consider completing a few updates first. Not only will updates help your home stand out from the other homes on the market, but they will also increase the value of your home. In fact, by investing just a few hundred dollars or so, you can significantly increase the closing price on your home. Here is a look at a few inexpensive home improvements that will pay off in the long run.

Update Your Kitchen

There are many steps you take toward updating your kitchen without spending a fortune. Here is a look at a few of the simple updates or upgrades that will be sure to catch a potential buyer’s eye:

  • New water efficient faucet – appeals to the eco-conscious buyer as well as those who are looking for ways to save money in their new home.
  • New tile back splash – creates a fresh, clean look while also updating the overall appearance of the kitchen.
  • New sink – a new sink will be completely clean and free from scratches and nicks.
  • New cabinet knobs – installing new knobs on your cabinets is one of the quickest and easiest ways to modernize your kitchen.

Update Your Bathroom

Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is the most important room for buyers. Therefore, you want to make sure it has been brought up to date as well. Some upgrades you might want to consider doing to your bathroom include:

  • New water efficient faucet and shower head – once again, your eco-conscious buyers will appreciate this feature.
  • A low-flow toilet – installing a new toilet is a great way to freshen up and modernize your bathroom. Make it a low-flow model to enjoy an even greater return on your investment.
  • New shower curtain – a new shower curtain in a neutral color will depersonalize your bathroom while helping it look clean and fresh

Make Your Entryway Inviting

Your entryway will be one of the first things a potential buyer sees, so make sure it is both appealing and welcoming. Two ways to accomplish this include installing a new front door and applying a fresh layer of paint to the inside of your entryway. Look for an energy-efficient door in order to get the most bang for your buck and choose neutral colors for your entryway paint job. In addition, when potential buyers come to take a look at your home, make sure the lights are on or the windows are open in the entryway. This way, potential buyers will be greeted by a bright and welcoming home.

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