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10 Tips For Successful Real Estate Property Investment
Just because real estate prices seem to have hit a temporary ceiling in many countries around the world, that doesn’t mean that profits from property investments are hard to come by.
Even during a real estate market slowdown, stagnation or...
Convert Your Single Family Home Into A Legal Multi Family Home
Will it really be legal?
It can't be done legally! I've heard it literally hundreds of
times, yet in my concrete cutting business, one that is crucial
in the conversion process, I have seen it done hundreds of
times. How you may ask? It's...
How To Spot The Best Real Estate Agent
A home can be a person’s best asset. One’s equity in his home is not to be overlooked since it will help in meeting major needs now and in the future. So there’s no reason for a person to entrust this asset to just any agent. You should always seek...
What is second mortgage?
What is a second mortgage? A second mortgage is a loan that is secured by the home itself, and subordinate to the first mortgage. Any mortgage taken out against a home in addition to an already established mortgage automatically becomes a second...
When is the Best Time to Move?
As Realtors, we are often asked, "When is the best season to move?" This is a tough question, one we cannot answer for you. Most people are asking about price, do they fluctuate throughout the year? NO. Just the number of homes on the market...
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Curb Appeal – First Impressions Count When Selling Your Home
People selling their homes via real estate brokers get lots of coaching. People selling their own homes as FSBOs need the same. One of the most important topics on which FSBOs can benefit from coaching is “curb appeal.” How does your home look when a potential buyer drives up to the curb and takes that all important first look?
Be Sure It Looks Great
Single family residences require the most work. The FSBO seller of a single family home also has the most control of what is seen from the curb, so let’s start there. Make sure grass is cut, leaves are raked, sidewalks swept and edged, and planting beds are freshly mulched. That’s just the beginning.
Narrow walks leading to front doors are not inviting. If you can afford to have the walk replaced with a wider one, do it. A walk with some curve to it is often appealing. One which is wider where it meets the public walk and wider as it reaches the front steps can look particularly inviting. If two men can approach your front door side by side without jostling each other, your walk is sufficiently wide.
What if you have a narrow walk and a small budget? You can improvise with brick, stone, or concrete pavers from Lowes or Home Depot if you’re handy and healthy. Choose whichever material is most compatible with your house. Dig out the grass on either side of your walk and lay a line of the chosen paving materials parallel along each side of your walk. Fill in with mulch (not the colored type, just good earth toned natural stuff, please), sand, or river gravel. Make sure there’s a crisp edge where the grass starts.
Large, overgrown shrubs that crowd the house and cover windows are a negative. Prune them back. If there is a narrow planting bed along the front of the house, widen it. Have the bed swoop in a curve around to the side of the house. Depending on the size and scale of the house, plant something like a dogwood, a butterfly bush or a holly in the curve at the corner of the house. Make sure it will not be so close or so large as to overwhelm the house in a few years. Fill in with
smaller plants at the front of the widened bed. Mulch. Mulch. Mulch. But the mulch should be only two or three inches deep. Don’t let it pile up on the trunks of trees.
Plant colorful flowers in containers on either side of the front door if the season is conducive. Geraniums work well in sunny spots. Impatiens are good in shade. Make sure the containers are of natural materials. Most plastic containers look tacky and cheap. Advertisements for luxury cars show them near expensive houses and beautifully dressed people for a reason. Association. You want the things seen on the way to your front door to be in good taste and of excellent quality. Fortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be expensive. Clay pots are good. Old iron urns are great with traditional homes. Oak barrels can look wonderful with rustic homes. The addition of a bit of trailing ivy or sweet potato vines can be attractive. It’s possible to achieve a miniature garden by combining several sorts of plants in larger containers.
Make sure the front door is clean and the paint is in good condition. Be sure it swings on its hinges well. It needs to open and close well and firmly. The doorknob should work well and not have any “bobble” motion when it’s used. Exterior light fixtures should be clean and free of rust. Front windows should be clean and shining.
When preparing to sell your house, make sure you get everything in order. As superficial as it may sound, curb appeal is a dominant factor in getting sales.
About the Author: Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing homes for sale by owner, "FSBO", properties. Are you thinking, "Should I sell my home?" Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your home for free for one month.
Source: www.isnare.com
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