Getting your home into prime showing shape is essential to helping it sell in the shortest amount of time for the best possible price. But while a professional home stager can work wonders, it just might not be in your budget. Don’t despair - here are some great ways to inexpensively stage your home all on your own:
Get rid of the excess. The first thing every home stager will do is get rid of the clutter. And that is something anyone can do on your own without spending a dime. Get some boxes an...
Buying a house that needs some work and turning it from a fixer-upper into a home can be daunting. A lot of effort is ahead, requiring potential buyers to determine their skills, budget and schedule to get the job done.
Here are some ways to determine the true costs of a fixer-upper:
Start With a ListEither by yourself or with a contractor or home inspector by your side, go through the house room by room and write down what needs fixing. Many problems won’t be visible to the naked eye, so a pro...
We’ve all seen news reports about fly-by-night contractors who took thousands of dollars for home improvement projects and disappeared without completing the work. And you might have friends or neighbors who thought they had hired a competent contractor, but the company ended up doing a shoddy job or going way over budget.
These types of horror stories understandably make some homeowners nervous when it comes time to hire someone to remodel their bathrooms or build an addition. Rest assured tha...
Local governments and school districts raise a large portion of the money that goes toward paying for education, emergency services, transportation and other public goods through property taxes. The amount that individual homeowners pay is determined by the assessed property value and the mill rate. Each of these is calculated through a complex process.
How Property Values Are AssessedAn assessor will determine the value of your home, which can change over time due to depreciation, improvements...
Let’s face it, the fall market gets a bad rap. The majority of buyers assume that they’ll be unable to find a house that fits their needs during the fall—hence the mad rush during the summer. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Here are four reasons why a buyer should disregard the myths, and make a fall real estate purchase.
Star of the show The realty market clears out as soon as the weather turns crisp. The majority of warm-weathered buyers have already found a home, me...
Whether it’s a bad storm or a downed utility pole, power outages can strike at any time. While most only last for a couple of hours, a prolonged power outage presents a whole host of obstacles. Here’s how to make sure your home and your family stay safe next time you lose electricity:
- Stay far away from downed power lines and any debris those power lines are in contact with; they have the capability of delivering a fatal charge. Wait for your utility company to take care of the problem.- If fl...
It’s obvious why fall is one of the best seasons for photography—it’s one of the times of year that nature is at its most colorful, and you (typically) don’t have to worry about combating scorching heat or freezing temperatures.
But in order to make the most of your autumn photography session, you’ll need to keep these few tips in mind.
Leaves are gone almost as quickly as they change, so try to find and scout your location the day of, or, no more than one day in advance. Unless you’re really...
