Tips to Sell Your Home in the Dog Days of Summer
Each season represents opportunities and challenges for selling homes. During the dog days of summer, you benefit from longer daylight hours and buyers with vacation time. Then again, plenty of people despise confronting the heat and humidity of summer’s roughest months. Home sales tend to slow a bit during summer, although that's not necessarily accurate this year. Try these tips to sell your home to make the browsing and buying experience more enjoyable. Taking the right approach could make your home seem like the best option on the market. Pay Close Attention to Your Home’s Exterior Areas Unfortunately, weeds seem to love the heat and humidity of summer. It can seem impossible to keep them under control. You don’t have much of a choice, though, because potential home-buyers do not want to see lawns and gardens overrun with weeds. The sight will just remind them that buying the home means they will inherit the same chores. If you don’t have the time or stamina to keep your exterior perfect, hire a professional to do the job. Sure, it will cost some money, but it could also help you sell your house sooner, at a higher price. Lawn and garden care might even pay for itself. Turn On Your Air Conditioner to Keep Your House Comfortable When it’s 90+ degrees outside, people can get sweaty walking from their vehicles to your front door. Offer an immediate blast of refreshingly cool air by keeping your air conditioner on. What temperature should you choose? You don’t want to freeze people, so anything under 65 degrees is probably too cold. You want to keep visitors comfortable, though, so you don’t want to go too high above 70 degrees. If you stay within that range, most people will feel relaxed and cool. Keep in mind that body heat will make crowded open houses warmer than normal. If you have a lot of people in your home, consider turning your thermostat down a couple of degrees. Get Your HVAC System Inspected Before You Put Your House on the Market You need an HVAC system that works extremely well during the dog days of summer. Don’t run the risk that your air conditioner will die during a week when you know several people will visit your property. Stay ahead of problems by getting your HVAC system inspected before you put your house on the market. A professional can inspect levels, replace aging parts, and improve efficiency. Good news - knowing that your home's HVAC system has been serviced recently can double as a benefit to potential buyers. Emphasize Outdoor Areas People Can Use During Summer Does your home have an attractive patio, swimming pool, or shaded pergola? This is the perfect time to spruce up those areas so buyers can imagine themselves enjoying the spots. Some things to put on your to-do list include: Cleaning your outdoor furniture (or buying new furniture). Replacing any broken bricks or pavers that mar your patio’s appearance. Hiring someone to keep your pool clean and pH levels perfect (any hint of algae will turn off buyers). Serve Refreshing Beverages and Foods Make people feel relaxed and at home by serving them refreshing beverages and foods. Some great drinks include: Lemonade Sparkling water Cucumber water Mango juice Some light foods to serve include: Benedictine sandwiches Guacamole with tortilla chips Fresh fruit and veggies (extra points if any of it comes from your garden!) Eliminate Any Pest Problems Do you have standing water in your backyard that mosquitoes use as a breeding ground? Itchy bites do not make a good impression. Do you have an army of ants sneaking into your kitchen to steal food? No one wants to buy that problem. If you have any pest problems, hire a professional exterminator to eliminate the bugs. Then, get a remediator to fix any aspects of your property that attract pests (such as improving drainage to prevent standing water).
What Is the Value of a Real Estate Agent?
While many home buyers are distressed in today’s market with the lack of inventory, believe it or not, finding the house is the easy part. It is only the beginning of a very complicated and time-consuming process, and buyers and sellers alike should have a real estate professional in their corner, who can look out for their interests. Realtors are members of the National Associations of Realtors and subscribe to its strict code of ethics. When you are buying a home, here’s what a Realtor can do for you. Act as an expert guide. Buying or selling a home typically requires a variety of forms, reports, disclosures, and other legal and financial documents. You want to work with a professional who can speak the language. A knowledgeable real estate agent will know what is required in your market, helping you avoid delays and costly mistakes. Offer objective information and opinions. A great real estate agent will guide through the process with an unbiased eye, helping you meet your buying or selling objective. Agents are also a great source when you have questions about local amenities, utilities, zoning rules, contractors, and more. Give you expanded search power. As a buyer, you want access to the full range of potential properties. As a seller, you want your property to be exposed to the maximum number of potential buyers. Using a cooperative system called the Multiple Listing Service, an agent can help buyers evaluate all active listings that meet their criteria, alert them to listings coming soon to the market as well as provide data on recent sales. Stand in your corner during negotiations. There are many factors up for discussion in a real estate transaction – from price to repairs to date of possession. A professional who is representing you will look at the transaction from your perspective, helping you negotiate an agreement that meets your needs and allows you to do due diligence before you are bound to the purchase. Ensure an up-to-date experience. Most people buy only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years between purchase. Even if you have bought a home before, laws, regulations, and the process changes regularly depending on the locale. Real estate practitioners may handle hundreds or thousands of transactions over the course of their career and stay up to date to protect you. Be your rock during emotional moments. A home is so much more than four walls and a roof. And for most buyers, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on the issues most important to you when emotions threaten to sink an otherwise sound transaction. They provide a buffer between you and the other party so that you don’t feel pressured into agreeing to something that you aren’t 100% comfortable with. Provide fair and ethical treatment. Whether buying or selling, when you are interviewing agents, ask if they’re a Realtor, a member of the National Association of Realtors. Every member must adhere to the Realtor Code of Ethics, which is based on professionalism, serving interests of clients, and protecting the public. Thinking of Buying This Year? We have special programs such as: A Home Warranty with every Purchase Sell For Free Guarantee - If you do not like your home you purchased, Team Pepka will sell it for free within the first 12 months of purchase Buyer Instant Notification Service Free Moving boxes Team Approach - A specialist in every phase of the transaction. No one person can do as much as team can do! Thinking of Selling This Year? We have special programs such as: 1% back if you Sell & Buy with Team Pepka Complete re-habilitation service to get top dollar for your home Team Pepka Listings Sell 67% faster then the average agent listing Team Pepka Net Sellers 3% more then the average agent Team Pepka closes 99.8% of all its transactions compared to the average agents 80% ratio
Sun-Sational Summer Home Projects
The summer months are the ideal time to take stock of your home and spend some quality time with friends and family. Of course, this also means that now is a great time to begin work on home improvement projects that will bring value to your home. Now that spring cleaning season is coming to an end you're left with a fresh space that you probably have a few ideas about how to spruce up. Creating a home that feels comfortable and welcoming often increases home values; it also provides you with some much-needed time and space to relax and unwind. Home improvement projects don't have to be expensive or time-consuming to be beneficial. In fact, many of the simplest home improvement projects can also have the most positive impact on your home, whether you want to sell your home or just have a place for summer fun. Here are some of the best home improvement projects for the summer that will have a lasting impact on your home and its value. Spruce Up Your Kitchen or Bathrooms The kitchen is often the heart of the home and gets a ton of use over the years, along with the bathrooms. Both of those areas tend to need upkeep and updating every so often, so if you're thinking of completing a few projects around the house this summer, the kitchen and bathrooms may be great places to start. Simple updates can go a long way here — think new fixtures, cabinet pulls, or refinishing cabinets. If you're in need of a more significant update, you can consider getting new cabinets, tiling the floors in the bathroom, or investing in new, energy-efficient appliances. Power Wash Your Home and Walkways Power washing your home and walkways can be a great way to clean up some of the dust and dirt that accumulates on even the cleanest of homes. While this may not sound particularly valuable on its own, it can be coupled with other summer home improvement projects to make it even more effective. Power washing your home, for example, is often a great first step when working on exterior home maintenance projects, such as repairing your gutters or installing new siding. Power washing your walkways can also be a great way to prepare them for summer guests. Whether you plan to have large crowds of people over for an outdoor barbecue or just a few close friends, power washing your walkways is a great way to give your walkway a fresh, clean appearance that will feel inviting and comfortable. Build a Patio Area or Indoor Relaxation Space A patio area is a beautiful place for relaxing with friends and family. Patio areas can be practical and attractive additions for the summer that can transform your home into a more welcoming environment. In addition, patio areas can also be surprisingly easy and valuable home improvements. Patio areas can be attractive spaces year-round that can increase your home value and add practicality to your home. You can start with a simple concrete slab patio or use bricks as the foundation of your patio. If you're dodging those hot summer days and sticking to some time indoors, create a place to relax inside. Think of a theater room with comfy chairs or investing in a new couch that's perfect for movie nights. If some of your furniture could use an upgrade, replacing a few pieces could be made more affordable with those summer sales! Finishing an unused space in your home with something like a workout space or cozy reading nook can also help potential buyers visualize how to use the space (and you get to enjoy it too!). Restain Decks and Outdoor Furniture Restaining your deck and outdoor furniture, like your patio or backyard furniture, is a great way to add both a protective and decorative layer to these items. Many homeowners choose to restain their outdoor furniture because it is a simple summer home improvement project that can provide many positive benefits to your outdoor furniture. Restaining your outdoor furniture can help protect your furniture from UV rays that are harmful to materials like wood, which means your outdoor furniture will look better for longer. Give Your Home a Fresh Coat of Paint Painting your home (interior or exterior) can provide a fresh, new look to your home. If you're painting the outside, it's also a fabulous way to spruce up your home's curb appeal for relatively little money. There are many great reasons to consider home painting this summer, including that it can help your home maintain its value, give it a fresh, clean look, and help begin the staging process. Along with raising the value of your home and allowing you to experiment with a new color scheme. If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, ensure that the exterior paint color you choose is approved. If you're painting the interior take a look at recent lists of popular colors, but plan to keep it fairly neutral overall to ensure it appeals to potential buyers. Use Your Gardening Skills Gardening is a great summer home improvement project for those who enjoy doing it. Whether you prefer to grow herbs or flowers or simply keep your lawn over seeded, adding a home gardening project to your summer home maintenance schedule will help to add value to your home. Homeowners who take advantage of their gardening skills can choose from several creative home gardening projects with far-lasting benefits for your home. Gardening projects can be a great way to improve your home's curb appeal and keep it looking beautiful all summer long.
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