Remodel Your Kitchen and Bath without Breaking the Bank

It’s not surprising that two of the most popular rooms for home makeovers are the kitchen and bathroom. When potential homebuyers are searching for homes, they generally are more attracted to homes with updated kitchens and baths. These same rooms rank high in return on remodeling investment at resale, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost-vs-Value 2008-09 Study.

However, both can be pricey ventures. According to the same study, the national average for minor kitchen remodel was $21,246. A sample remodel at this cost includes replacing cabinet fronts, flooring, laminate countertops and oven and cooktop; installing mid-priced sink and faucet, adding wall cover and repainting trim.

The national average for a mid-range bathroom remodel was $15,899, which included replacing fixtures, installing a porcelain-on-steel tub, new shower and ceramic tile flooring.

If you’re like many consumers today, you are more budget conscious and may not be able to afford thousands of dollars on a remodeling project. Here are some alternatives that will give your kitchen and bathroom a fresh, modern look without breaking your piggy bank.

Kitchen

Cabinets—Give your cabinets a fresh look by either refinishing or refacing the fronts at a more economical cost than buying new ones. You can even take the center face out and install a glass front.

Hardware—Replacing your cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, can give your kitchen an entirely new look.

Paint—A fresh coat of paint is always a sure bet. And it is one of the least expensive ways to give a room a makeover. To further transform the room, choose more modern hues, such as a warm yellow or deep red.

Countertops—The price of natural quartz or stone countertops can quickly eat away your kitchen remodeling budget. Less expensive, yet still attractive alternatives are solid surface materials such as Silestone® or granite and ceramic tiles. An even more affordable choice is laminate, which is easy to install yourself and comes in a variety of colors and styles.
Faucets and Sinks—Add a fresh new look by replacing your sink and faucet with a high-arched spout in an updated finish, such as brushed nickel, brushed chrome or stainless steel.

Backsplash—Another option to modernize your kitchen’s look is adding a backsplash. But rather than having ceramic tiles, consider creating a mosaic with ceramic or glass or install a faux backsplash panel.

Window treatments—Switch out older valances with options that let the natural light in.
Lighting—By adding under cabinet lights or even track lighting, you can create a dramatic look to your kitchen.

Bathroom

Paint—As with the kitchen, a new coat of paint is a low-cost way to renew a room’s look. Choose a warm color to give the room an intimate feel.

Showerheads—Change out old showerheads with a new rain showerhead.

Shower Doors – If you still use shower curtains for your bathtub, you can update the look by installing glass doors. Frameless doors are preferable. However, if the walls aren’t flush to the tub area, framed doors will still give you the modernized look you’re seeking.

Hardware—Just as with the kitchen, replacing the knobs and handles can give your vanity a fresh new appearance.

Lighting and Mirrors—In addition to the vanity, the lighting and mirrors above that area can combine to make the perfect focal piece for your bathroom. If changing the vanity is not in your budget, consider swapping out your unframed glass for a more decorative mirror and add a new lighting fixture.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to add pizzazz to your kitchen or bath. Just changing one or two elements can make a huge difference in its appeal to you and a potential buyer down the road.

5 Tips to Help You Sell Your Home Fast

There is no question that in many parts of the country, houses are currently on the market longer. As a seller, this slow-down means there is more competition for a limited pool of potential buyers. Consider the following five tips to place your home on the fast track to sale:

Price It Right. The first 30 days are the most critical. If your home is priced too high, interested buyers may never even tour your listing. The longer the property is on the market, the fewer the prospects.

Deciding the value of a home isn’t an exact science. Yet, there is data to help you determine a fair asking price that is right on target. You may want to hire a real estate appraiser for an objective, unbiased estimate. Then consult with a real estate professional who can help you determine true market value based on a comparable market analysis, which will include recent home sale transactions as well as homes currently on the market. From your analysis, you may want to price your home conservatively to give it a competitive edge.

Make Your Home Irresistible. Unless they are looking for a fixer-upper, most homesellers are more likely to make a bid on a home that they can enjoy immediately. Therefore, you need to create an environment the buyer can’t resist. In other words, do everything you can to make the home so attractive, charming, cozy, inviting, comfortable and exciting that a buyer will want to buy that lifestyle for himself.
Evaluate the home from a buyer’s point of view. An experienced real estate professional will be able to offer an objective view and will also know what buyers are asking for. Get your home in tip-top shape by making repairs and cosmetic improvements, and removing clutter. This may mean investing in a few upgrades to modernize your home’s look such as installing newer carpet and light fixtures and painting the walls a neutral shade.
Create Traffic. If you want buyers to see your home, you must first find the buyers. Work with your real estate professional to design a marketing plan that is flexible and capitalizes on your property’s most desirable features. Your strategy should include ways to reach buyers online and offline – such as word of mouth, the Internet, yard signs, direct mail, open houses and so on.

Go with a Professional. Selling a home is more than just putting a sign in your yard and having a listing on the Internet. And in a competitive market, you don’t really want to take the chance of making novice mistakes that can slow the selling of your home. By hiring a real estate professional, you get the benefit of an experienced marketer and negotiator who is familiar with real estate issues in your community. A real estate professional can offer worthy advice on pricing and staging your home based on their vast experience.

Plus, there’s the added value of the peer-to-peer networking among real estate professionals, which can bring buyers and sellers together – sometimes even before the property goes on the market.
Offer Incentives. Offering incentives can be just the impetus a potential buyer needs to select your property over others. You may want to consider offering a carpet or paint allowance. Or, pay for a professional home inspection or a home warranty – and, depending on your market and budget, offer to pay some of the closing costs.

Don’t be discouraged if there are competing homes for sale in your neighborhood. With just a few smart moves, you can turn a buyers’ market in your favor.

Should Buyers Use a Real Estate Professional?

With just the stroke of a few keys, you can find myriad resources on the Internet to help you in your search for a new home. Besides property listings, you can find out about specific communities, schools and mortgage options. With this wealth of information at your disposal, do you really need a real estate professional to represent you? Absolutely.

It's like having a guide. Think of it this way, when you go to an unfamiliar place, sure you could do a self-guided tour. However, your tour is much more rewarding and enriching when you have someone who is familiar with the location to guide you along because he or she has inside knowledge on the history, culture and stories that you may not have otherwise received.
The same can be said about sales professionals. Their role is more than someone to drive you around from property to property. They can be a great resource, especially to homebuyers relocating from other communities. He or she knows the local area including home values, taxes, utility costs, and school data, and may even be knowledgeable about resources pertaining to your special interests or needs. For instance, should you require help relocating an aging parent with you, your real estate professional may be able to direct you to local services or organizations for the elderly.
Get up to the date information. These days, changes to regulations for the real estate industry are ocurring quite frequently. A sales professional can familiarize you with the processes involved in buying a home, alert you to potential risks, help you determine how much house you can afford, explain alternative financing strategies, as well as provide tremendous moral support.

Your advocate. Another benefit is having a strong advocate during the negotiating process. Sales professionals can help you objectively evaluate an offer then work to negotiate a favorable contract. During the process, he or she will review the contract and obligations before you sign, explain how contingencies and release clauses work, and so on.
Avoid risk. And something easy to overlook is our familiarity with the complexity and risks inherent in the process. It is amazing how quickly a seemingly simple transaction can grow legally complex and risky. When complex questions arise, a sales professional can help you quickly locate an attorney or other licensed professionals whose services you may require, such as home inspectors, engineers, surveyors and lenders.
Single point of contact. As your single point of contact, a sales professional can manage the entire transaction including coordinating inspections, keeping in touch with the other real estate professionals, managing the documentation for the loan process, monitoring deadlines associated with contingencies, providing applicable paperwork, estimating closing costs, and helping prepare for a smooth and uneventful closing.

If you’re about to begin the process of buying or selling a home, consider involving a real estate professional. When the stakes are high, it’s comforting to have a specialist by your side.

Choosing the Right Community for You

If you are buying a home, one of the first things your real estate professional will do before taking you on home tours is interview you to determine the type of house you want such as a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom, split-level with a formal dining room and two-car garage. But just as important is the type of community you want to live in. Knowing what your requirements are will help narrow your home search and save time.

Make a list. To expedite the house-hunting process, start by making a list of the dream home factors that are most important to you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, children in the community, and of course, price.

Price and location generally are the key factors you’ll use to identify the communities that best suit you. If you are moving within the same city, you may want to start your community search by getting in your car and exploring. There are also resources on the Internet that let you compare communities.
Ask questions. You’ll want to ask yourself critical questions, such as: Do you dream of something quaint and charming that can only be found in an older area? Or, do you prefer everything new? Are you willing to sacrifice size and space for architectural detailing? What about drive and commute time to the office and schools? Will you forgo the number of bedrooms and a big yard for proximity to a lake or other recreational areas?

Consider schools. Whether you have children or not, buying a home in a community with good schools is important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and if you decide to sell. There are plenty of resources available to get information about schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school reports and profiles. They provide statistical data such as graduation rates, college-bound percentages, and standardized test scores. You can also learn about special programs the schools offer. In addition to these reports, many schools have their own Web sites you can peruse. And of course you can always talk to people in the area or take a tour of the school.

Additional factors you’ll want to consider during your community search are crime, recreational activities, proximity to shopping and restaurants, and other specific family needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three communities that fit your price range and lifestyle, make comparisons of price and sales activity. Your real estate professional can help you determine which communities are most sales-worthy at present, and which are more likely to continue to be.

There are many factors involved in selecting the right community for you and your family. Discuss your options with your real estate professional. This will provide the information he or she needs to help you find property listings to tour. Remember, a targeted approach to house hunting is less time consuming, less expensive and more efficient.

Five Ways to Create Curb Appeal

A sale can be made or lost as a direct result of your home's curb appeal. When it comes to selling your Maryland home, the first impression is probably the most important impression. If the outside of the property doesn’t create interest or appear well-maintained, a buyer may choose to not even come inside the home. Here are five ways to create curb appeal.

Paint and polish. Maryland seasonal changes can wreck havoc on the exterior of a home. A fresh coat of paint breathes new life into a tired-looking home. If your home looks dull or suffers from peeling, cracked or chipped surfaces, a paint job is a great investment. Polish the doorknocker and mail slot on the front door, as well as any light fixtures by the entry. Re-condition your deck. Consider renting a power washer to clean dirt and mildew from the wood, and then apply an all-weather sealer or stain.

Manicure the grounds. Mow and edge the grass, and trim the trees and bushes. Also, clear away dead leaves and flowers, and mulch and weed the beds. Check to see that tree branches are not touching the home's roof or outer walls. Add some color to your landscape by planting annuals and placing planters of flowers in strategic spots. You can even spruce up the property by hanging flowering baskets. Add flowering plants in the back yard, too.

Make needed repairs. See if anything is unhinged, loose or just an eyesore. Fix everything including broken fencing, windows and screens. Make sure winter’s cold weather didn’t leave any gutters sagging or loose. Replace any missing shingles from the roof. Try the doorbell. Check stairs and railings. Test doors for squeaks and rusted hinges. Don't forget to take a critical look at the property at night. Make sure the lights work, and replace dim and burned-out bulbs. If you are unable to do the repairs yourself, hire reliable people who will do them for a reasonable price.

Unclutter. Tidy up the deck, patio and back yard. Rearrange the outdoor furniture to look inviting. Put away gardening tools and toys. Clean up the barbecue area. Eliminate any "evidence" of pets, and restrict them to the back yard when showing the home. Move extra vehicles from the view of passersby.

Clean. Clean the windows, inside and out, wash down the walks and driveway, and hose down the siding. Clean outdoor furniture and cushions. Check for oil spots on cement surfaces, especially the garage floor.

The old saying about making a good first impression couldn't be truer than when you are selling your home. Even the smallest enhancements can make a big difference in creating love at first sight for buyers.