Spring into Home Improvements
As sure as April showers lead to May flowers, spring is the season when many homeowners begin projects to update their homes. Some early birds are already working, planning to trade their old nest in for a new one. Here are a few samples of some smaller and do it yourself types of projects that add value and appeal, whether you plan to keep your nest, or sell it to buy a new one.
Let the Light In
After living in the redwood forest through a winter, we all know the value of daylight inside the home. Skylights, ideal for bringing daylight in, are a project best left to a roofing contractor once the rains have passed. But it’s never too soon to schedule with your contractor, and choose your skylights! One local homeowner recently used a contractor to add French doors to bring more light into the ambiance of her home. Here are some of her before and after pictures; she’s delighted with the results. Estimated cost: $2,500.
Updating Your Kitchen on a Budget
After years of living with scuffed and chipped cabinets that were last painted a 1980’s era teal color, local homeowners decided to update their kitchen themselves. This project costs very little – just paint and supplies – since you can do it yourself relatively easily. Just look at the fresh and modern looking results! Estimated cost: $50.
New Flooring Makes a Sweeping Statement
Kids, pets, and years of wear and tear can really take a toll on our floors, which are the some of the most visible surfaces in our homes. In this series of before and after photos, look at the inviting difference new flooring made in this homeowners’ living room! Estimated cost: $500 (depending on the size of the room).
The Best Part of Being a REALTOR®
What is the best part of being a REALTOR®? Since we are self-employed, we set our own our daily schedule, which sounds great until you try to finish your to-do list. All day long, and into the evening and of course on weekends, our clients and other REALTOR®s call, text, and e-mail us with questions and problems. Problem solving is one of the most time consuming and challenging aspects of our work. While it’s “fun” to preview homes for sale for clients who don’t live here, it’s also a mental exercise to keep all of the addresses, floor plans, features and prices readily available in our minds. We need this mental inventory: To help our buyers find and evaluate homes, and to help our sellers price and market their homes. Showing property is even more challenging – it’s not just opening the door! It’s really about listening to and observing our clients’ reactions so we understand the kind of property that will meet their wants and needs. It’s about looking for problems too. It’s not like the TV shows where you look at three properties together, the client chooses one, they make an offer and get the house. Recently I spotted a property on the multiple listing service that looked like it might work for one of my buyers. I’d met him 4 years ago, and we’d toured many homes together over the years. Hundreds of e-mails back and forth. Several unsuccessful offers and disappointments. His wish list was hard to find and his budget was tight. For complicated reasons, it was really hard to get inside to see this property. Behind a locked gate and overgrown with trees, you couldn’t tell if it was a winner or loser. The photos were inconclusive and rather dark. But when I drove by, I could tell there was potential, so I persisted making calls until I got us an appointment. It turned out the property had most of the features my client wanted. But that was far from the end of the story! The person who owned it had died, it hadn’t been lived in for some time, and the disclosures were not very useful. Our inspections turned up some real problems – many were expected, others completely hidden, and one problem bordered on disastrous. It took weeks of negotiating for my client….until we finally figured out a way to resolve the problem that worked for the buyer, his contractor, and the seller. Then one day the buyer and I met with the contractor, someone I’ve known for 15 years. The contractor agreed to work on getting the permits prior to closing the escrow and getting paid. This was truly the linchpin to making the purchase work. After the contractor left, the buyer and I were quiet for a moment, looking at each other, feeling waves of relief. Then the buyer got a little misty-eyed and threw his arms open for a big hug. It was one of the most heartfelt hugs you can imagine. To me, these moments are the best part of being a REALTOR®.
Contact MC Dwyer (CA DRE#01468388) today to get a custom review of your home’s value and a list of recommended upgrades to make if you’d like to sell, at mcd@mcdwyer.com, (831) 419-9759, or www.SLVHomes.com