Real Estate by Sims

Notifying the postal service about your change of address is just the beginning of an ever seemingly endless list of people and places with which you must remember to update your address.

Obviously your closest friends and family know that you’ve moved, likely because they helped you lug your heavy boxes and furniture from your old place to your new one. But what about the rest of your friends and family, those you only hear from around the holidays?

A simple postcard will do the trick.

There are dozens of online printing sites where you can design or pick your own card, upload your address book, and they will mail them out for you. One of my favorite sites for designing your own is Overnight Prints. It is fast, simple, and relatively inexpensive when you factor in the time and cost it would take you to do it yourself.

If you like to share pictures of yourself or family, have someone take a picture of you or your family standing in front of your new home. Include on the front a simple message like “We’ve Moved” or “123 Main Street, My New Home.” It’s a fun way to show off your new home.

If you happen to move around the holidays, you can kill two birds with one stone with that holiday letter or card.

Tags: Buyers, Moving, Sellers

Among the most obvious things that you must do when you move is to notify everyone of your change in address. You can begin this process by changing your address with the United States Postal Service. You can intitate this process with an online change of address form. After the form is completed and printed, you can mail it in to the United States Postal Service, deliver the printed form to your local Post Office, or hand it to your mail carrier. You will also have the option to complete the process online for a small fee.

The form allows you to set the date you want to begin forwarding your mail. After you have notified the United States Postal Service of your change in address, it can take 7-10 days for your mail to begin forwarding to your new address. You should request this change as soon as you know the date you will be moving into your new home to avoid any delays in delivery. Multiple forms may be required if individuals in your household have different last names.

After submitting the form, you will receive confirmation of your change of address at your current address and at your new address. You will also receive a welcome kit at your new address. Your first class mail will be forwarded to your new address for 12 months. After 12 months and up to 18 months your mail will be returned to its sender with your new address. After 18 months your mail will be returned to its sender or delivered to the current resident at your old address. Your periodicals will be forwarded for only 60 days.

After you have changed your address with the United States Postal Service, you should notify everyone who sends you mail, that your address has changed.

Tags: Buyers, Moving, Sellers

Many older homes have non-peelable wallpaper that is slightly more difficult and messy to remove. These papers have a water-repellent surface that does not easily separate from its paper backing. For these types of papers you will need to first score the surface of the paper.

There are a couple of options for scoring the paper:

• Use a wallpaper-scoring tool, which is specifically designed to score wallpaper. This tool has notched teeth that perforate and lift the wallpaper as they roll along it. It is sometimes called a paper tiger.

• Utility knives will also work if you gently score the top layer of the paper in a crisscross pattern. If you use a utility knife to score the wallpaper be very careful not to cut the wallboard below the surface of the paper.

• You may also use a very coarse grit sandpaper to score the surface of the paper. Just be sure to do this by hand and not with a power tool.

After you score the surface of the paper so that it is now absorbent, you are ready to start stripping.

Tags: Renovating, Wallpaper

The first thing you need to do is understand what kind of wallpaper that you have. Solid vinyl and fabric backed papers, called dry strippable, can usually be entirely removed by simply pulling them from the wall without little effort or mess. If you find this to be the case, just peel away the paper and you ready to refinish however you like. However, the most common wallpaper in residential homes are vinyl coated papers. They have a vinyl face and a paper backing. Removing this type of paper takes a little more effort and a lot of patience.

Be aware that wallpaper removal can cause damage to the walls. Most removal damage is caused by the fact that the walls were not primed with a wallpaper primer before the walls were wallpapered. This resulted in the glue being absorbed into the wallboard. The top layers of wallboard will try to come off with the wallpaper backing. If this occurs in large areas, you will have to be prepared to resurface the area before you can apply a new finish. Test a small, inconspicuous area before trying a larger area, and consider alternatives to removing the wallpaper.

If the walls were properly prepared (a couple of good coats of paint or wallpaper primer) before the wallpaper was applied, or if you have plaster walls, you should be able to strip the paper with little or no damage at all to the walls. The process can be messy at times so all furniture and flooring should be properly protected before you begin. You should also remove any outlet covers and cover the openings with plastic, sealing the edges well with tape. Cutting the electrical power to this room is advised.

Start by peeling the vinyl face of the paper from the wall. Then you need to wet the paper using a solution of a gallon of very warm water and a cap full of fabric softener. You can also use a solution of a gallon of water to cap full of vinegar. (There is no need to spend a lot of money on expensive wallpaper strippers.) You can apply the water with a sponge or a paint roller. You can even use a garden sprayer if you have a large room. The goal is to saturate the paper, not to have water running down the walls. Thus, a couple of light applications over the course of about 20-30 minutes will be necessary.

It is tempting to start scrapping right away, but this is where your patience will pay off. Let the solution do its work. Once the paper is completely saturated, the adhesive on the back of the paper will loosen. The paper will then peel right off the wall. Work on saturating the room in about 4 foot sections so one area can be soaking while you are peeling the previously prepared area. Use a 6 inch broad knife to slid the paper off in long strips. You can even use a plastic spatula to avoid nicking the wallboard with a knife. If there is any resistance, apply more solution and wait a little longer.

After all the backing is removed clean the walls with a sponge and new solution of warm water with a little fabric softener. You should allow the walls to dry completely before preparing to refinish them. If you plan to reapply wallpaper, you should apply a wallpaper primer. If you plan to paint, you should apply an acrylic primer or sealer to the walls before painting.

If you encounter several layers of wallpaper and paint, use these same steps, stripping only one layer at a time. Remember patience is the key, let the solution do its job.

Tags: Buyers, Renovating, Sellers, Wallpaper

While price is important, remember that it isn’t the only factor in selling your home.  The condition of your property, the desirability of your location, and the market exposure are also critical.

It’s not always easy to look around your home and see what needs spruced up. You look at it every day. But homebuyers are going to take notice. You don’t have to spend a fortune, however, on expensive upgrades to enhance the appeal of your home and make it more attractive to prospective buyers. With a little resourcefulness and creativity the following ideas can cost very little and yet make a dramatic difference.

• Repair and replace. Patch cracks and holes in walls. Fix or change broken light switches, door handles and screens. Replace or re-grout any broken, stained or loose tiles in the kitchen or bathroom. Replace outdated faucets and fixtures. When buyers see small areas of neglect, they wonder what major items need repair.
• Add fresh paint. A fresh coat of paint is an easy, cost-effective way to brighten a room. As a general rule, avoid bold colors and stick with light, neutral tones like off-white or beige to make your home as appealing as possible to the widest range of potential buyers. Don’t forget the ceilings.
• Clear clutter. Clearing clutter from countertops and refrigerator doors will make a kitchen more appealing. Straighten closets to make them appear more spacious. If you have children, keep toys confined to bedrooms. Clean the garage and basement, throwing out anything that you are not going to take with you.
• Clean, clean, clean. Buyers, like everyone, prefer to see clean floors, whether it’s hardwood, linoleum or carpet. Have your carpets professionally cleaned  and replace any carpet that is worn or stained. Bleach and scrub all tile surfaces in kitchen and bathrooms. Use special cleaning products to remove stains from bathtubs and toilets.
• Light it up. Light makes rooms appear bigger and more welcoming. Open the curtains and blinds. Turn on lights, even in daylight. Wash the windows, inside and out. Shine the mirrors or hang new ones. Replacing an outdated chandelier with a stainless steel lighting fixture gives a room a new contemporary look.
• Make a grand entrance. Add a few new flower pots, small shrubs or hanging plants to spruce up the outside. Replace rusty house numbers, drab porch lights and frayed doormats with new ones. Rejuvenate a tired-looking front door with fresh paint or stain.
• Buy new fabrics. Fresh new curtains, lampshades and colorful throw pillows can transform the look of any room. New bedding and duvet covers can also punch up a bedroom. A fresh new shower curtain can drastically improve the look of a bathroom.
• Update hardware. Modernize the look of your kitchen and bathroom with new stainless steel knobs, drawer pulls, towel racks and hooks. Save money by repainting, instead of replacing, dated kitchen cabinets.

When you’re finished, you will be the proud owner of a clean, modern-looking, desirable home that potential buyers will easily be able to picture themselves living in. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the right offer to come your way.

Tags: Listing, Pricing, Sellers

A good real estate agent will help you understand your market. The agent evaluates your home’s worth through a process known as a Comparative Marketing Analysis (CMA). Taking a look at your home’s assets, such as a finished basement, larger than normal living spaces, a fantastic view, adjacent parks, and neighborhood amenities, the agent compares your home with similar properties that have sold in the area within the last six months as well as those that are under contract and closing in the near future.

The agent makes adjustments up or down to the price according to factors such as square footage, acreage, age, and condition of your house.  An experienced agent has the advantage of being familiar with the comparative properties and can make adjustments according to considerations such as the level of finish, such as the type of flooring, cabinets, and renovations, inside a home.

Market conditions impact the ideal price of property as well. Supply and demand dictate how quickly something will sell.  If there is an abundance of comparable properties on the market in a given price range, a more aggressive pricing strategy is necessary for your property to gain notice.  Thus, in addition to evaluating properties that have recently sold, your agent must also look at what is currently for sale in your price range.

The most accurate analyses are those in which the agent is able to compare 20 comparable properties within a one-mile radius of your home. Typically, this allows the  agent to recommend a realistic price range that will ensure that you receive top dollar within a reasonable time.

Remember, although a real estate agent can advise you on your home’s fair market value price and can show you how that value was reached, the agent cannot set the price for you. It is your job to review the information from the agent and decide what price is right for you.

Tags: Listing, Pricing, Sellers

The biggest point to remember when pricing your home is that its fair market value is not determined what you think your home is worth. Instead, it’s determined by ascertaining what a buyer is willing to pay for your home. This value is typically determined by the sales prices of comparable homes.

When preparing to sell your house, you need to think about your house in the same way that a buyer would. This means that you must distance yourself from your emotional attachment to your house. Although you may have many memories and emotions tied up with your house, you must remember that selling your house is a business transaction.

Keeping these thoughts in mind helps you make sure that your house is competitively priced. It does not matter how great your house is, no amount of marketing or advertising can overcome a price that is too high for the current market.

The fair market value of your house is based upon current market conditions. Because the real estate market continually changes, and market fluctuations affect property values, it’s imperative to select your listing price based on the most recent comparable sales in your neighborhood. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in today’s market is pricing your home at price points of one, two or three years ago. The national median home price dropped more than 15% from April 2007 to April 2008.

Some factors, such as how quickly you need to sell your home and the condition of your home can alter the market price of your home. Being open and honest about your home’s greatest strengths and biggest weaknesses will help you get a better feel for how to best evaluate and market your home.

Tags: Listing, Pricing, Sellers

Correctly pricing your listing at the beginning of your listing contract is the key to selling your home in a timely manner. Testing the market by listing the home at a price higher than its real value can make it difficult to sell your home. If your home is overpriced, buyers may stay away. Thus, even if your house meets their needs, the buyers may never see it if it is priced too high.

If, however, your price is competitive with similar homes in the area and shows better than the competition, you will stand a good chance of selling quickly.

When you first list your house on the market, you will get an initial surge of interest. Pricing your home properly is the best way to take advantage of this initial surge. By doing this, you do all that you can to ensure that the people who are most likely to buy your house, will view your house. This increases the likelihood of a quick sale and helps to keep your home from becoming stale on the market.

Tags: Listing, Pricing, Sellers