When you are buying, or selling a home, your most important step to take is choosing the right real estate agent or buyer's agent. The process is very detailed and difficult and you will want someone that could potentially save you from mistakes that can cost a great deal of money.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Top 9 Conservation Tips For Winter Time Home Selling

By R. Rebecca Carter

If your home is on the market during the winter season, potential home buyers will have your home's energy efficiency at the top of their mind. Here're a few tips to make your home more attractive to conservation-minded buyers.

Modernize your thermostat - Simply investing in a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways to conserve energy in your home.

Position your thermostat for energy efficiency - Locating your thermostat on an interior wall and at least five feet from the floor will keep the temperature accurate and comfortable.
Decorate your windows - Using shutters, heavy window shades and blinds can help keep the cold air at bay.

Caulk and weather strip doors and windows - Investing a bit of cash at your local hardware store can mean big savings on your energy bill's bottom line. You can check for air leaks around all your doors and windows by using a candle to check for drafts.
Insulate your attic - One of the cheapest ways to improve energy efficiency in your home is to increase the insulation in the loft space of your attic. Be sure the insulation is at least 6 to 7 inches thick.

Install storm windows - While installation can be a big investment, storm windows are sure to add value to your home by providing an attractive barrier to wintry weather.

Check your fireplace - If you have a fireplace, check the flue for a tight seal and buy a fireplace cover to minimize hot air loss. It's also important to have your fireplace cleaned once a year to prevent the risk of a house fire.

Consider a new furnace - If your furnace is over 20 years old, consider investing in a newer, modern furnace. While there is an initial cost, you'll save big with the increased efficiency, and this will surely increase attractiveness to potential buyers.

Check you furnace filter monthly - Replace your furnace filter whenever it looks dirty, as potential homebuyers will often check filters as an indicator to a home's maintenance. A dirty filter could signal bigger signs of neglect.

Remember, in the winter months home buyers are extra conservation conscious. Making your home warm and energy efficient could mean the difference when comparison shopping!

posted by Patti Lora 0 Comments

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Green Building

by Cheryl Sandella

Many people are interested in Green Building and Materials these days and have asked me many questions about building green. I decided to share the answers here so everyone can learn.

What is Green Building?

Green Building is about creating a project that is energy efficient, eco-friendly, and has sustainable design. A structure designed to conserve resources and reduce negative impacts on the environment, whether it is energy, water, building materials or land.

What does LEED stand for?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings put forth by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

What makes a given product Green?

To keep it simple remember the three R's

Reuse - Reduce - Recycle

Whenever we can reuse a product instead of producing a new one from raw materials we save on resource use and energy.

Products that reduce material use are considered green. For example, concrete staining can turn concrete slabs into attractive finished floors, eliminating the need for conventional finish flooring.
Taking a material at the end of its useful life and recycling it to make another product is considered green. For example, plastic bottles after use can be recycled into carpet.

Can you list some Green Building Materials?

There are so many "new" green materials popping up all over the place. Here are a few new ones that interested me and I'm considering using for the new, soon-to-be-built green eco-friendly spec home in Paradise Valley.

Soy-Crete - Yes it's made from Soy. It's a soybased concrete stain that is non hazardous, low VOC (volatile organic content), acid free and looks just like acid stained concrete flooring - only healthier.

Eco Top - used for countertops - it's composed of FSC (forest council certified) bamboo blend and mixed with recycled wood fibers. It is available in 7 colors. It won't fade and is extremely durable.

Natural Clay Earth Plaster - adds a rich texture to walls. It's available in 43 colors. A nice bonus is it's fade resistant, non toxic and easy to repair.

Denim Insulation - made from recycled denim. No they're not digging out your old blue jeans from the landfill, instead they're using the scrapes from the manufacturers. It's 100% recyclable and formaldehyde free. And it won't itch like the fiberglass type.

Cheryl Sandella, Interior Designer publishes a monthly eZine called "Bespoke Home". If you want Tools, Tips and Guidance to design and build your custom home, be sure to get your complimentary subscription at http://sandella.net

posted by Patti Lora 0 Comments

Saturday, November 1, 2008

8 Deadly Mistakes Home Sellers Make

By Dave Haydon

Mistake Number One: Not Marketing the home properly
When your property is on the market, it can't be guaranteed that the person who will actually buy your home will simply turn up on the front doorstep. You will need to make sure that your home gets the highest level of exposure to bring the right buyer to your property. Speak to your real estate agent about the different ways they market your home, and what the time frame is. It is also vital these days to ensure your home is on the internet. At Ray White Team DJ, we advertise your home at no cost to you on our own website and on all the other major Australian websites.

Mistake Number Two: Not paying enough attention to the properties 'street appeal'.
When getting your property ready for sale, keep in mind that a buyer's first image of your home is crucial to be the right one. This first impression can often be the deciding factor on whether they even want to come inside to look further. Stand outside the home and think how you can improve its 'street appeal'. Speak to your agent to get their input on how the street appeal of your home can be improved. This alone, could mean you get a whole lot more in your hand when the property is sold.

Mistake Number Three: People forget potential Health and Safety Problems
It is important to let your agent know if there is anything wrong with your home. They will be discovered somewhere in the process anyway, usually during the building and pest inspection that buyers have done before finalizing the contract of sale. 10 years ago, health and safety concerns often didn't even register on a property sale; today they are at the forefront of most buyers' minds, and often form part of the contract. It is also a legal requirement on the seller to let potential buyers know if there are any issues with the property. Normally any problems are taken into account in the final sale price of a property.

Mistake Number Four: Sellers don't think about the presentation of their home the way a buyer would
Keep in mind that even though there are a wide variety of personalities out there, most people are quite similar with their expectations of a property. Most potential buyers are looking for a 'perfect home', from all angles, especially when they are paying so much to buy it. Aim to have the presentation of the property in top shape, and as immaculate as possible, as this will only assist you in getting the best possible price for your property.

Mistake Number Five: Believing you should be there to give information to a potential buyer.
The best result will be achieved for you if your agent is left to do their job one on one with the buyer. Usually a prospective purchaser will be more comfortable discussing things freely with the agent when the sellers are not around.

Mistake Number Six: Placing an incorrect price on the property
One of the most difficult things in getting your home sold is deciding on the price to market the home at. This is one of the crucial areas where having a professional real estate agent will pay off in big dividends for you. If you put the home to market at too high a price, this is as damaging as going in too low. If your sale price is higher than market, there is a large section of the buyer market who are looking in the price range that your home should be, but since your price is too high, they don't even consider yours. Many sellers are of the mistaken belief that they can always come down with their price, and accept a lower offer. The only problem with this, is that usually those lower offers don't even eventuate, since the people who would be keen on your property have been frightened off by the steep price, and not even taken the time to look at the home. Down the track you may correct your price, but the time has already passed, where the main bunch of real buyers are ignoring your home now. The correct price to set your home to market at becomes even more difficult when the market is moving up or down fast. It is very important to know which direction and how quickly a market is traveling, both when putting up the initial price, and negotiating with a buyer. A skilled real estate professional will be up-to-date on the trends, usually more even so than professional valuers, who usually focus on past sales.

Mistake Number Seven: Sellers don't give themselves enough time to plan the move
Many sellers don't plan their move early enough, but then feel completely overcome when the time of moving out of the house comes. If it is possible to move any time of the year, then it is advisable to do it outside the summer months as this is the height of moving season. If you plan to sell your house, put it up for sale as soon as you can. Speak to your accountant, but keeping a record of all your expenses regarding your move is a good idea as some may be tax deductible. Complete a checklist of the items in each room. This is important for establishing the amount of declared valuation for the shipment and as a permanent inventory for insurance purposes. List, as nearly as possible, the year of purchase and original cost of each item. Attach any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory. Prepare a separate high-value list for items that are of value. The following list includes items that might fall into this category:
- Antiques Art Collections
- Cameras
- China
- Computers
- Crystal
- Figurines
- Jewelery
- Oriental Rugs
- Silverware
- Stones or Gems

Mistake Number Eight: Listing with an agent who is 'convenient' instead of someone with experience
When working with an Agent, it is important that you have complete assurance in their experience and education. A skilled, trained agent should be able to explain to you exactly why your home needs to be priced at a certain level - compared to recent listings and sales of homes similar to yours.

Experienced agents will know exactly what the current buyers are looking for in relation to particular styles and price ranges of properties. A good agent can recommend changes that will enhance the saleability of your home, thus improving the price - as well as reducing the days on market before the home sells.

Also, make sure that you are marketing to the right people. There may be several suburbs with the same name in the country. For example, Huntingdale is a suburb in Western Australia and in Melbourne. It's the simple things that make all the difference.

Finally, the 2 main reasons why a home doesn't get a sale in a short time frame are
1. Price 2. Presentation

Make sure you have each covered each of the above points, then join up with your agent and work through it together!

posted by Patti Lora 0 Comments