Category: Guest Blog Posts

A Few Simple Tricks That Will Help You Maximize Your Profit When Selling Your Home

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

When people are moving to a new place it is quite normal that they will actually not need the previous one anymore. You have two options on how to proceed here: you can either sell the property or give it for rent.

Selling is considered the most reasonable action you can do in this situation as you only sell the place once, take the money and stop worrying about it. However, here comes the very important part of how to successfully sell your place so that you can be sure you will take it at a good price. The next piece of advice should give you some basic details on what you have to do in order to maximize the profit of your home sale. The first thing you have to do is make sure your place is visually exciting. After all, everyone is interested in appearance no matter what they say. So if you want more prospective buyers make your place visually attractive. Clean it well and make sure to repair everything that is broken or malfunctioning.

Remember, the most important rule that applies here is that if you want to sell your place at a great price you should make people find in your home something they cannot find anywhere else. So if you have a beautiful garden make it gorgeous, plant as many flowers as possible, clean everything unnecessary and make sure to remove all the weeds. We understand that renovating procedures might be a bit expensive but they are the way to a successful deal. And we can assure you that the amount of money you are going to invest in order to renovate the place will return as a part of the price. The truth is that there are people who want to pay more money but to make sure they are moving into a really great house. You can also think about whether you want to sell the place with the furniture as many people prefer to buy already furnished places so that they could simply move in. And if this is the situation and you are looking at selling your place this way you can be sure that any investment is absolutely worth it.

The simple truth is that when you announce your home is for sale you are actually publicly exposing it to be viewed and commented on. And you should arrange everything to present the place in the best possible light. A simple sign saying “For Sale” is not enough to bring you, customers. You need to actively promote it via all possible means such as the Internet, local newspapers and magazines even in the local shop. Make sure the place looks appealing not only from the inside. After all who will wish to come and see it from the inside if it does not look attractive? Make sure the lawn is well mowed and there is no trash in the garage or in the basement. And if you have too many items at least make sure you have arranged them in a way to looks organized and tidy.

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Did You Know You Could Save Money By Building An Extension?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

If you’re getting a little stale in your current accommodation, but don’t want to go through the hassle of moving home, have you considered adding an extension to your home? By adding an extension you can create a new space in your home, which can be utilized for any number of things and you can add all of the mod-cons you wish. In fact, many homeowners understand that building an extension is a fantastic way to increase the overall value of their home.

Can Adding an Extension Actually Save You Money?

Saving Money

Many of us dream about either purchasing a new home or even building our dream home, but most people, unfortunately, don’t figure in many of the additional costs. This is typically why building an extension can help to change the way you view your current home and indeed save you a vast amount of money on various forgotten costs, including:

–          You will incur Real Estate Agent’s fees and costs for both selling your current home and purchasing your new home. These costs include the price of advertising and you will also need to pay a commission on the sale price of your current home.

–          You will, no doubt, be looking at financing the move, even if you require the exact same amount of mortgage loan as you currently have, you will still incur costs for moving this mortgage from one property to another.

–          One of the most substantial costs of purchasing a new home is stamp duty. This is a tax levied by the government and will typically need to be paid on all properties purchased (over a certain value).

–          You will probably have a fair amount of furniture, fittings and personal belongings that you will want to take to your new home. This will usually require the services of a specialist removal company and this of course will cost money.

–          Don’t forget that you will generally also incur costs for cancelling or moving your utilities or regular paid services; such as Internet, telephone, gas, electric, home alarm monitoring company, etc.

Home Extensions

House with extension on stilts

Granted, building a home extension will also incur certain expenses, but in truth, this is nowhere near as much as you can expect to pay to move home altogether. There are a number of considerations for you to make before you decide whether a home extension is the best option for you and these typically include:

–          Do you want to stay in the area? Do you have good neighbours? Are the best schools in your area?

–          Are you eventually looking to sell at some point in the future? And, if so, will it make sense to add value to your property now?

–          Do you have a set budget to pay for your home extension or will you need to borrow money?

–          Is there anything major about to occur in your life in the near future, such as a wedding, the arrival of a baby, or hospital costs?

–          Will you be able to still live in your home whilst the extension is being built?

Once you can provide suitable answers to all these questions, only then will you be ready to start planning your home extension.

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Some Great Tips to Make Master Bedroom More Attractive and Comfortable

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The bedroom is that part of your home where your dreams are made and where you finally retreat and relax after a long hard day. However, if your bedroom is filled with fluff such as television and clutter such as unread letters and magazines, it will be a nightmare for you to sleep in that place. Your bedroom should be a calm, tranquil and comfortable area where you can take rest and sooth your mind without any distraction.

Special Bedroom Decoration Tips:

Following are some of the tips and tricks for making your bedroom a true relaxing retreat.

·         Stylish Seating:

The type of seating you have in your bedroom can make it even more captivating and cozy. You should avoid making your seating area a stash spot and therefore, always place chairs as away from drawers and closets as possible. This will prevent you from unclothing and throwing your garments on the seats.

·         Class in Colors:

Blue and white is perhaps the best color combination for any room yet alone bedrooms. In this regard, you can incorporate different shades of blue and white in the bedding, throw pillows, walls and accent. Similarly you can add another and sensational layer of color by using sage green in the artworks hanging on the walls immediately above the headboard.

·         Gallery Walls:

Big blank walls of the bedroom will make it feel empty and under scale and therefore you should avoid them. You can fill a large wall with equally large piece of artwork or can also create an art gallery on the wall using artworks like photos on canvas. Furthermore, a black and white photograph will make room more modern and glamorous especially if it is painted in neutral colors.

·         Let Plenty of Light In:

You should not cover the windows with heavy curtains and drapes if your room does not receive enough natural sunlight. On the other hand, you should consider sheer curtains and light weight cotton sheets that allow plenty of sunlight in the room. This natural light will create a sensational ambience in your room illuminating everything in style.

·         Shocking Stickers:

The use of wall decals can add high quality yet beautiful artwork to the dull walls of your room.  For instance, oversized polka dots will work exceptionally well with any modern bedroom. Similarly, you can also buy wall decals inspired by nature like fun silhouettes of chandeliers, whimsical trees and even animals such as cats and dogs. 

·         Add a Bit of Drama:

Adding a fancy or modern styled canopies or mosquito nets to the bed can add an intrigue and a bit of drama to the bedroom. Furthermore, you can also sleep with your windows open without any fear of mosquitoes biting you.

·         Hang Frames on the Walls:

It is also a great idea to hang multiple and uniform sized picture frame displaying simple artwork side by side immediately above the headboard. Similarly, you can hang art works like canvas prints to adorn the walls. These simple techniques are a great way to cover up your blank walls without spending a lot on expensive paintings.

Conclusion:

Above mentioned are only some of the many fascinating tips to decorate your master bedroom. These techniques will revitalize your bedroom in style allowing you to relax in calm and comfortable environment.

 

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Common Types of Homes For Sale

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Shopping for a new place to call home can be an exciting and stressful time all at once. It’s natural to want to find the perfect house, in the best neighborhood, with all your favorite features and at just the right price, however, this can take quite some time if you jump into your search without really being certain of what you’re looking for. The overwhelming amount of homes for sale on the market can leave you confused, but one easy way to narrow down some of the choices is to decide which style of home you prefer. There are many different architectural options out there, so read on to learn more about key features of some of the most sought-after.

Tudor

Tudor homes became very popular in the 1930s and can actually appear in an assortment of forms, from mansions to more humble abodes. They are well-known for their extravagant construction features such as steeply pitched roofs, cross or overlapping gables, large chimneys, tall, narrow windows with small panes and rounded interior doorways. Many Tudor homes have brick or stone walls coupled with ornamental wood framing, also known as half-timbering. Tudor-style homes are influenced by medieval structures and remain one of the pricier housing options.
Ashland Place Mobile AL 05

Mediterranean/Spanish

Mediterranean and Spanish-style homes often have the same kind of characteristics, the most recognizable being a red-tiled roof. These home designs were first inspired by some of the most beautiful countries in the world and continue the tradition of artistry in construction. They commonly have stucco walls, arched windows and doorways, decorative interior woodwork, wrought-iron balconies and tiles adorning various entry points. Fancier Mediterranean and Spanish homes are often built on properties enhanced with courtyards.
Mediterranean house in Southlake

Victorian

Though they can vary greatly in style, Victorians are still one of the most distinguishable American homes to have been built due to some key features that include steeply sloped roofs, patterned shingles, baroque porches and massive brick chimneys. Victorian homes are frequently compared to the look of a dollhouse with their intricate trim and bright paint jobs. Victorians actually refer more to the time period they originated in, during Queen Victoria’s reign from approximately 1840-1900, than a specific construction technique.
Purple Victorian House

Split Level

Split level styles tend to be one of the most price affordable among the selection of homes for sale. They were designed to separate miscellaneous house activities into different levels. Generally, sleeping accommodations were built on the very top floor over the garage while the middle floor would be comprised of living and dining quarters. Lower levels were constructed for a garage, laundry room and a den-type area.

Bungalow

Bungalows, or Craftsman, houses are low rise with overhanging roofs and charming covered porches. These cozier homes are regularly favored by first-time buyers on a budget who aren’t looking for a lot of space. Bungalows have one or one and a half stories and are assembled with many different worldly influences in mind, especially from India.
Craftsman House

Colonial

Colonial homes favor asymmetrical and simple design, built in a square or rectangular shape with bedrooms on the top floor and living space on the bottom. Colonials don’t vary much from there. They do, however, make a statement with their generous size. Double-hung windows can be found along all sides of these homes with the most elaborate design feature often focusing on the front door.
Josiah Dennis House

Knowing the characteristics that are unique to each style of home and then narrowing down your preferences from there can be very helpful as you begin your examination of all the different homes for sale in your area.

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Retro or Just Plain Old? How Kitchen Design Upgrades or Downgrades Your Property

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

The retro aesthetic is fantastic for making any room seem immediately more interesting, almost like being thrown into a time warp and ending up in an unfamiliar, but oh so exciting, decade of the past.

But a decision to ‘go retro’ as it were, in a room as important as the kitchen, should not be taken without due consideration. Here are several examples of how a retro design can leave your kitchen looking just plain old, and what effect it can have on the value of your property if you don’t get it right:

1) The Oven

The oven is the staple of every home, unless you’re someone who only eats microwave meals or, heaven forbid, salads. Presuming you’re not as strange as all that, owning a reliable oven is a necessity for a functional and therefore saleable property.

An oven from the 50’s might look neat with all its knobs and almost plastic appearance, but something so old is likely to downgrade the value of your property if potential buyers can’t cook a simple frozen pizza with ease. You should avoid a truly retro oven and opt for a modern-made version in a classic design.

2) The Refrigerator

I expect not everyone in your house will be cooking, but no doubt they’ll be taking a look in the fridge. That’s why something so popular needs to have a great design.

Genuine retro refrigerators are often ridiculously colourful and overly small. Now that our appetites have sky-rocketed, a retro refrigerator just isn’t going to cut it. Something so obsolete by itself is just not going to work well in your favour. Again, opt for a modern appliance made to look retro, like these fridges, if you want to get the aesthetic right but maintain modern functionality.

3) The Counter

We prepare all our meals on the counter, so it’s perfectly feasible to think that getting the counter right in terms of design is an absolute must. The question is, should you go with a retro design? Consider this, and then make your decision:

The counter is going to immediately draw the eye of potential buyers as soon as they enter your kitchen. Do you really want to attract attention to your old-fashioned veteran of food preparation? No? In that case, you should drop the idea of a retro counter, or kit out the entire kitchen as such so it isn’t the elephant in the room.

4) The Cabinets

A kitchen can be a messy place at the best of times, but a kitchen without cabinets is a nightmarish hell of kitchenware all over the place. You’ve got to have cabinets to avoid losing yourself in the clutter, and its indispensability means the design has got to be just right.

The typical design of a retro kitchen cabinet was pretty much the same from the 60s through to the 70s; all dark woods and extraordinarily bright colours. The 50s were even worse for outrageous cabinets, so making yours the retro feature of your kitchen is a really brave move. They are just not going to compliment the cool colours and modern design of the rest of your kitchen, and such a clash will leave you looking silly and with a less valuable property as a result.

Let it never be said that a retro design should be avoided like the plague; to own something so unique and obscure is an absolute thrill. But you’ve got to know when to implement a touch of retro design and when to leave well alone, because it will make or break your chances of selling your home.

If you still want to pursue a retro design, take the time to research what kitchens looked like in the past to show you what works, but ultimately remember that retro is always hard to sell unless you go full-scale, in which case it can drastically up your perceived property value to the right, retro-loving customer. Good luck!

If you have any advice for retro designs, then please share them in the comments section down below!

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