Last-Minute Open House Cleaning Tips

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Your open house is almost underway! You’ve already made sure your home is warm and inviting and you’ve taken time to carefully stage it. Now, here are some last minute cleaning tips to quickly spruce up any areas you may have missed.

Prep for Pets 
You may be ready for your open house, but your four legged friends might have other ideas. Perform a last minute inspection of any areas your pets frequent to make sure they haven’t left an unpleasant surprise somewhere in your home. Also, pet hair has a way of showing up unexpectedly. Vacuum carpets and sweep any floors with a rubber broom to clean up debris that may have gathered since your last cleaning.

Check Your Entryway
Although you may have painted your front door and meticulously cleaned your home’s entryway in the days before your open house, recheck it on open house day. Be sure to check for marks on your door, damaged plants, disheveled door mats, and unexpected messiness that may have accumulated in front of your home since you last inspected it.

Clean Up After Kids
If children happen to be in your home during the hours leading up to your open house, you may want to check for additional messes before potential buyers arrive. Look at your lower windows for finger smudges, which can be cleaned quickly with a cleaning agent and microfiber cloth. Also check your doorway for dirt, and look at the lower part of your walls for crayon streaks or other stains.

Ready Your Refrigerator 
While easy to overlook, the inside of your refrigerator should be as neat and clean as the rest of your kitchen. Make sure it isn’t full of half consumed food or overstocked to the point where it looks cluttered. Additionally, any fridge magnets should be removed to further depersonalize your home for potential buyers.

Care for Your Lawn
Last minute removal of lawn debris can make your home more appealing and may attract more buyers. Depending on the season, eradicate lawn clutter with a leaf blower, a rake or a snow blower. If you’re too busy for exterior home cleaning, consider hiring someone to do it for you, so you can focus on the interior of your home.

These last minute cleaning tips may help your home shine brighter on open house day.

7 Creative and Quick Dining Room Updates

With so many dining rooms being converted into part of the living room or kitchen these days, dining room design has kind of fallen by the wayside. But if you’re one of the lucky homeowners to have hung on to a formal dining space, you’ve got an opportunity to make some amazing modern updates. Here are 7 affordable ways to breathe new life into an old dining room:

#1 Perk things up with paint.
Are your dining room walls still the same color they were when you moved into your house 10 years ago? If so, there’s a good chance the color’s a little past its prime. In fact, it may also be doing an injustice to your furniture and the updates you’ve made in adjoining rooms as well. Refresh the walls with a paint shade that makes you feel comfortable and cozy. The room will reflect that feeling.

#2 Modernize the lighting.
Are outdated chandeliers and lamps gathering dust in your dining room? Consider sending them packing and installing some recessed lighting and pendants in their place. Pendant lights, in particular, come in a wide variety of styles and colors sure to add some new pizzazz to your space.

#3 Repurpose another room.
If your dining room is located in an undesirable space — a cramped corner of the house away from the kitchen, for example — pick a new place for your table and chairs. Put them in the kitchen, if you have the the space. Or, place the dining table somewhere right in your living room, where there’s easy access to the TV and stereo. You should always feel comfortable during a meal, and being confined to an area you don’t enjoy doesn’t contribute to that feeling.

#4 Add some visual appeal.
Visual appeal doesn’t stop at paint and lighting. It’s also important to consider how wall decor may increase the interest and comfort of the room. Blank walls may make it easy to zone out and focus on your meals, but your guests will surely enjoy looking at something a little more interesting. Depending on your budget and the size of your dining room, consider hanging potted plants and colorful pieces of art. Just be sure to balance wall decor with other elements in the room so your space doesn’t feel like it’s cluttered with stuff.

#5 Throw in a rug.
One of the worst sounds to hear is a chair scratching against the floor as you go to get up from the dining table. So fix the issue. Add a rug underneath the table and chairs to make things soft and cozy. Choose a rug that isn’t too thick with fibers. Otherwise, your chairs can get stuck and twisted. Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that the style and color of your rug complement the rest of the room.

#6 Use dividers.
Many newer homes combine kitchen and dining spaces. If you want to create a dedicated dining space, think about incorporating a room divider. It’s much cheaper than installing a wall — and you can add shelves, plants or a sliding door to further divide the two spaces. Plus, the flexibility of the divider allows to revert back to the bigger space any time you like.

#7 Build in.
How’s your dining room designed? Do you have a table that sits in the middle with four chairs around it? If you want to make the room more functional — and create more storage in the process — think about ditching the clunky furniture and opting instead for built-ins like bench seating, china cabinets and buffets. A professional can create custom built-ins to suit any style.

5 Common Questions Potential Home Buyers May Ask

After seeing your home online or during an open house, potential home buyers may have additional questions for you, the homeowner. Being knowledgeable and honest with potential buyers may expedite your home’s sale. Below are five questions you should be able to answer during the selling process.

What is the status of…?
Although you’ve probably listed the vital information about your home’s integrity in accordance with state law, there’s some information that may be absent from those forms and of general interest to potential buyers. They will likely want to know the quality and age of items such as your roof, appliances, plumbing, windows, central heating and cooling, and garage doors. Research your home’s various parts to know this information for potential home buyers.

Has your home ever had a pest problem?
Potential buyers may want to know if your home is prone to infestation by rodents, insects, or any other irksome little creatures. You’ve most likely managed any pest problems before putting your home on the market, but it’s important to give an honest account of your pest history if asked.

How’s the neighborhood?
This question is intentionally open-ended to let you share any pertinent information about the neighborhood that potential buyers should know. Buyers may be curious about neighbors, schools, restaurants, entertainment, safety, and other general facts. Be sure to highlight the stellar aspects of the neighborhood and shift emphasis away from any negatives.

Where is…?
Certain features of your home may be harder for buyers to locate. They may want to inspect items such as the water heater, sprinkler controls, thermostat, pool filter, and circuit breaker. Show potential buyers where these can be found and how they’re maintained.

Is there anything else I should know about this house?
This is your chance to share all the information you wish you’d had known when you moved in or things that may not have been covered yet. You could share things like when trash day is, the nearest hospitals, the best way to care for your lawn and garden, or which neighborhood dogs are your favorite.

Be ready to answer any question a potential home buyer asks. If you don’t know the answer right away, be honest about it and be sure to get back to them promptly.

A Little Education Never Hurts!

The best method available to home sellers to learn their home's current value so they can select the best sale price is a CMA 

Everyone who has ever sold a car knows they have to first find out how much it is worth and what people are willing to pay for it. It's easy to gather the information you need to set a price from newspapers, the Blue Book, or online used car sales sites. When you've gathered this information you can then set a price that potential buyers will find attractive. It's really pretty simple and requires very little pricing expertise. 

If you want to sell your home, it's not so easy and it's certainly not simple. The value of your home is much more difficult to predict and the information available to home sellers can be untrustworthy. Online home valuation sites are fun to play with, but they are based on past sales, not current market factors. Newspaper listings give you some information, but houses are usually so different that it's hard to compare. 

The best method available to home sellers to learn their home's current value so they can select the best sale price is a CMA, or Comparative Market Analysis. CMA is the term real estate agents use when they conduct an in-depth analysis of a home's worth in today's market. 

The best part about this CMA, It's FREE! 

When should I ask for a CMA? 
If you don't get a CMA before you list your home you might try to sell it for the wrong price. Setting the price too low means you'll get less money for your home; setting it too high means it might not sell at all. Every real estate agent in the country will want to complete a CMA on your home before helping you sell it. Sellers who haven't yet chosen a real estate agent often ask several agents to complete CMAs so there is opportunity to meet different agents and to see how they work. 

How is a CMA prepared? 
First, an agent will walk through your home. The home does not have to be in perfect condition. However, property condition does affect price, so if you plan to do work on the property, let the agent know. At this point the agent may recommend improvements to increase your home's value. 

Second, the agent will research information about comparable properties in the area, usually using a real estate industry resource called the Multiple Listing Service. This includes:

• Properties that have sold and closed within the last 12 months
• Active listings - properties currently for sale
• Pending sales - listings that have sold but not yet closed
• Expired listings - properties that did not sell during the listing period

Lastly, the agent suggests a probable selling price. Don't be surprised if a CMA results in a price range rather than a set price, particularly in markets were there are price differences due to property size, age, architectural style or physical condition. 

What can you expect to see in a CMA?
A completed CMA is presented in the form of a report, which includes the selling price, detailed information about your home, and the comparable properties that were researched to determine its value. Because the price derived from a CMA is somewhat subjective, some agents may include brief statements on the perceived selling points your home. 

A CMA is not an appraisal.
A real estate appraisal is a comprehensive evaluation performed by an independent professional appraiser. With a CMA, the agent's experience in the business and familiarity with the local area can affect the accuracy. Typically, a CMA prepared by an experienced agent with good knowledge of the local market is right in line with your home's appraised value. A CMA can therefore be a very useful tool in a real estate transaction. 

When selling your car, an incorrect price might cost you a few hundred dollars. If you set the wrong price for your home, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars. Do your homework and ask a real estate professional for a Comparative Market Analysis to ensure you get the most value for your home. 

There is such thing as Winter Curb Appeal!

How to Up Your Winter Curb Appeal

Regardless of the season, your home should make a good first impression on potential home buyers. Here are some helpful tips for boosting your home’s curb appeal during the winter months.

Light It Up
With less sunshine and shorter days, adding outdoor lighting to your home will help illuminate it and could make it more inviting to buyers. Lighting the pathway to your front door and highlighting any features unique to your home may increase your home’s curb appeal.

Plan for Snow
Depending on where you live, you may get some (or quite a bit) of snow during winter. Your home’s aesthetic could benefit from having a neatly cleared driveway and walkway. It may also be helpful to avoid piling up shoveled snow into unsightly mounds while clearing it. Try using salt to melt snow and checking weather forecasts to prepare for heavy snowfall.

Add Winter Plants
Don’t let winter weather mean the end of your garden. Adding evergreen or winter-blooming plants can inject color into the white and gray winter landscape and make your home stand out. Flowers such as witch hazel, winter jasmine, and pansies can thrive and add color all winter.

Eliminate the Ice
Ice can be a problem in terms of both safety and curb appeal. Icy grounds can be a slipping hazard and hanging icicles can detach at any moment. Moreover, sharp and dangerous looking icicles attached to your home’s roof and gutters don’t make your home seem inviting to home buyers. Be sure to salt your walkway and safely clear ominous looking icicles.

Update Your Door
A front door that appears to be in need of a fresh coat of paint or refurbishing can deter home buyers. Your front door should be in pristine condition, and in the winter months it could benefit from a splash of vibrant color to juxtapose the sparsely colored winter season.

Don’t let winter freeze up your home’s curb appeal. Follow these helpful tips and you may make your home as appealing now as it is the rest of the year.

4 Common Open House Mistakes Made by Home Buyers

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by CENTURY 21 | December 21, 2015 at 4:00 am EST

When you’re looking for your dream home, how do you ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want? One easy way is to stop by open houses in your neighborhood. It’s easy to make a mistake during the complicated open house process, so here are a few things to avoid when attending an open house.

Don’t get distracted by the current state of the house.

Paint colors, carpets, and cluttered rooms can distract you from the way a home looks. When you enter a home and you don’t initially like the way it is decorated, don’t let it stop you from appreciating the architecture of the house. Ignore what’s inside and imagine it decorated with your furniture and photos.

Don’t believe everything you hear.

The homeowners you interact with may very well be interested in helping you find the right home, but at the end of the day, do your own research. You wouldn’t buy a used car without a history, so treat your potential new home the same way. Make sure you know everything, from past damage, to potential for any new problems in the future.

Don’t forget to ask questions.

On that note, make sure that you ask a LOT of questions. Don’t simply walk into a home and sign on the dotted line — that’s not the best way to make a huge investment. Ask questions about everything, from the current condition of the home, to details about the neighborhood. You’ll want to have as much information as you can before you purchase the house.

Don’t try to figure it out on your own.

Open houses can be confusing, so don’t walk in unprepared. The perfect weapon is having your agent by your side! Agents are trained to attend open houses and see what is going on. They’ll know what to ask and look for even if you don’t.

Most importantly, don’t let an open house overwhelm you; it’s meant to be an easy way to see the home you’re interested in. This list can help you take the first steps in preparing yourself for your open house visits and ensure that you find the perfect place for you and your family.

Baby Proofing The Hoidays!

How to Baby Proof for The Holidays

by CENTURY 21 

If you’ve got a little one this holiday season, don’t make the mistake of being unprepared. This time of year brings about unique potential dangers for him or her that you might not have considered. Follow these five tips on how to baby proof your home for the holidays.

1. Skip the tablecloth. Infants are known to be grabby, and the hanging end of a tablecloth is too tempting to resist. In one quick tug, your tyke could accidentally pull down the entire dinner table setting, including your dishes, silverware, and candles. Yikes!

2. Keep flowers out of reach. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias aren’t actually poisonous, but there’s still no reason for your child to ingest them. Keep all plants out of reach. They’re not food, and you never know which one may make a particular individual sick.

3. Don’t wrap with ribbons. Stick to wrapping paper only when giving gifts. Leftover ribbons can easily fall on the ground, presenting a choking hazard for you baby. Additional tip: Gather up and throw away wrapping paper as soon as it’s discarded. Again, you never know what your child might put in their mouth.

4. Secure your tree. Fasten your tree to the wall and consider blocking off the area with a baby gate because after all, the tree is for looking, not for touching. If you want to bring your baby closer, do so under strict supervision, and don’t let them tug on any branches.

5. Hang ornaments higher. Hang all ornaments out of reach on the top half of the tree, just in case your tot does get closer to the tree. Smooth, shiny decorations will be sure to attract their attention, and all too many are easily breakable. If you feel like your tree is a bit bare, opt for paper or felt ornaments on the lower half.

These simple changes to your holiday decorating routine may make for a safer celebration for your newest family member.