Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Getting You Property Ready to Sell

                                               Nothing is more important than first impression…..
When you put your property on the market, your goal is to achieve the best sales price you can get. Nothing is more important to most buyers than the first impression they receive.
Just today a Buyer’s wife told me that there is nothing worse than a “cluttered home, messy kitchen and dirty bathrooms. Let me guide you what needs to be done to get you the best price possible.
·         Go outside and stand in front of your entrance door. Pretend you are the Buyer waiting to get in; what do you see? Spider-webs, leaves, fingerprints, dirty entrance mat? Clean it! Make it appealing! It will bring you money!
·         Kitchen: A bright, cheerful kitchen is a must! Un-clutter the counters, show that you have space. Wipe cabinets upper & lower parts. Have all appliances sparkle! Under sink: Check for leaks, make sure space is organized. Buyers will check the plumbing. Don’t have an overflowing waste container. Empty it.
·         Bathroom: Clean mirrors, showers, tub caulking & cleaning, floors, baseboards, toilets (lower & upper part) and clean your bathroom. Nothing worse of Buyers seeing used female or male products in a waste basket. No dirty laundry on floor. And Ladies  & Gentlemen: please, hide those”special” Magazines.
·         Utility Room: Hide that dirty cloth! Nothing worse than smelly laundry.
·         Walls: Make sure all outlet cover and lights-witch plates are cleaned. No fingerprints on walls; paint if needed. Fix holes, if any. Clean baseboards.
·         Doors: All doors should be free of fingerprints, dust or smears. Check for smooth opening and closing of all doors.
·         Floors: Clean, especially around edges. Don’t forget the baseboards. Repair loose carpet or broken tile.
·         Plumbing: leaking faucets always raise questions about plumbing. Check all and repair, if needed.
·         Electrical: make sure all switches, outlets are working. Check all light fixtures, replace bulbs if needed.
·         Windows: Repair or replace broken windows and screens check blinds for cleanliness.
·         Return vent for central heat & air: make sure you have a clean filter and scrubbed the vent.
·         Closets: un-clutter and organize!
·         Ask your Realtor to assist you in staging the home
·         Yard: Make it look good. Trim bushes or encroaching tree-branches from the roof.
·         Gutters: Clean your gutters and check for holes. Repair if needed.

Your Realtor should help you staging your home to give it the final touch. 
Please feel free to add to the list thankyou!    

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Oklahoma Real Estate: Education for Sellers & Buyers on Home Inspections...

Oklahoma Real Estate: Education for Sellers & Buyers on Home Inspections...: Keep this in mind: Any inspection is a VISIBLE INSPECTION! That means Inspectors cannot inspect inaccessible areas, nor c...

Education for Sellers & Buyers on Home Inspections

                  Keep this in mind: Any inspection is a VISIBLE INSPECTION! That means Inspectors cannot inspect inaccessible areas, nor can they test outlets with furniture or other items in front. They are not furniture/appliances movers. Simply remember this: any inspection is based on accessibility and visibility. You have the RIGHT to be present during Inspections!
Also note this: if the component for which it is designed is in working order, then it will pass. Example: home is built in 1989 and has the original central heat & air unit. At time of inspections the unit is in working order. However, an inspector will usually make a note of the age and the future time-frame of replacement & cost, based upon his experience and opinion.
We recommend conducting inspections! Home inspections are designed to protect you from unexpected repairs and costs after move-in. If any problems are found during a pre-sale inspection, the buyer can then negotiate with the seller to have the issues resolved before closing or incorporate the cost of repairs into the offer. By assuring the buyer that they are purchasing the best home for their money, home inspections are an invaluable resource in the home buying process. A seller can also obtain a Home inspection upfront before the property goes onto the market. However, the buyer does not have to accept their inspection report and has the right to hire their own inspector.
In most cases, home inspections analyze a number of factors both inside and outside the home.
Foundation - The most important thing to check for in the foundation are cracks. If any cracks or irregularities are noticed in the foundation, a further inspection may be needed to check the integrity of the construction.
Roof - When the roof is inspected, it must first be determined if any leaks are present. If the roof is free of leaks, a proper inspection will then attempt to determine if the roof possesses any flaws that could cause leaks in the future. During inspection, it is also important to notice if any large trees hang over the home. Wet leaves from such trees can sometimes cause serious problems for homeowners.
Drainage - The most important thing to consider is how the home is situated on the property. To ensure adequate drainage and prevent flooding in the home, the surrounding land should slope away from the home and 6-8 inches of the concrete foundation should be visible. Additionally, all gutters and drainage spouts should be angled away from the home.
Windows and Doors - Besides looking for broken glass, a check of the windows should cover many factors. Ideally, all windows should open and close properly with a good seal, be free of rot around the window sills and have all screens intact. Similarly, all doors opening to the exterior should open and close properly with a good seal to prevent extra heating and cooling costs.
Siding, Trim, Gutters and Paint - An inspection of the exterior siding or paint should check for the presence of bubbling or peeling. Also, all exterior fixtures that do not impact the structural integrity - such as ornamental trim and rain gutters - should be checked for overall condition.
Decks and Porches - If the home has a deck or porch, the inspection will try to uncover the presence of rot or insect damage.
Walls, Floors and Ceilings - All walls, floors and ceilings inside the home should be checked for the presence of water damage - usually present as mold or other stains - and signs of insects or pests. The areas near plumbing fixtures should be given extra attention to check for mold and water damage, while gaps or cracks in exterior walls should be checked for the presence of insects. Lastly, all wall and floor surfaces - such as paint, plaster, wood floors, tile bathrooms and carpet - should be checked for overall condition.
Appliances - Typically, home inspectors will run one dishwasher cycle and check all functions of the oven and stove. If the home is being sold with a full set of appliances, it is wise to check the working order of all appliances.
Electrical, Heating and Cooling Systems - These inspections of the home's infrastructure are some of the most telling assessments of a property's quality and, by extension, value. An inspection of the electrical system will typically test all outlets, light fixtures and circuit breakers. If it is an older home, an inspection should look for updated features such as ground fault interrupt (GFI) outlets in the bathrooms and kitchen. When checking heating and cooling systems, inspectors typically test the furnace, monitor the response of the thermostat and assess the overall ventilation of the home.
Plumbing - The inspection of the plumbing system begins with a check for leaks around all fixtures and pipes. Next, both cold and hot water pressure should be tested by turning on multiple faucets. In the bathrooms, the areas around each bathtub and shower should be inspected for water damage. Lastly, try to ensure that the hot water heater is up to code and functioning properly.
Basement - If the home has a basement, the most important thing to check for is the presence of water damage. An inspection of the basement is primarily an extension of the previously mentioned check for walls, floors and ceilings.
Chimney and Fireplace - An inspection of the chimney and each fireplace will check for loose bricks and mortar, assess the overall stability and check for obstructions within the chimney.
Keep in mind, if an inspection uncovers a problem, you should not necessarily be deterred from buying the home. Depending on what is uncovered during the inspection, you may want to conduct an additional inspection of the problematic element and simply work with the seller to resolve the issue as part of your offer.
We welcome comments about our blogs. Let us know, if you have a topic you want us to talk about. Thanks a bunch.                                
  

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Up and Running

I have finally got this up and running. Now off to find some great topics to keep my future readers entertained with.