08 Nov 07 Quick Tips to Impress Home Shoppers and Sell Your Home

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You could have dozens of home shoppers visit your house weekend after weekend; but if your home isn’t staged correctly, especially in today’s market, you might not sell your home.

The first thing a potential buyer notices when they arrive at your home is its curb appeal. Does your home have curb appeal? If not, start with mowing the lawn, raking the leaves and gravel, trimming hedges, bushes and trees. Remember, you don’t want your house hiding behind overgrowth.

Once you’ve revealed your home’s facade, ensure that the paint isn’t chipped, gutters are clean, walkways are clear and swept, and that the front door and all windows are cleaned.

The first step to staging your home involves removing any and all clutter. This applies to every single room that open house guests will view.

Start this process by removing personal effects—pictures, paintings, toys and games, books from overcrowded bookshelves, movies, CDs, and even throw-rugs; include any other objects which relate to you and your family on a personal level. Kitchen and bathroom counter tops should be cleared of all decorative items and toiletries.

The next step is to rearrange your furniture to reveal as much visible living space as possible. You may have to remove various pieces of furniture. The garage is a good storage space, but renting a storage unit is ideal.

If your home has been on the market for some time, and you have wallpaper on one or more walls, you’ve found out why.

Remove all wallpaper, patch all holes, replace electrical outlets, repair and if necessary replace floorboards and baseboards. Nobody likes to paint, but everyone loves a fresh coat of paint. Help to add character to your walls and to reduce potential odors by choosing neutral colors of semi-gloss paint.

Clean. Clean every room from top to bottom. Clean dust from air conditioning covers, radiators, ceiling fans and lights. Clean kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Clean carpets, floors, and tile grout.

If you have the means, hire a professional cleaning services. Once all main features and fixtures have been initially cleaned, maintaining their cleanness is a much easier fret.

When preparing your home for weekend visitors, be sure to air-out the house beforehand. Open curtains and blinds to let as much natural light into the house as possible and turn on all inside lights. Hide plug-in air-fresheners and add fresh flowers to the living rooms and dining areas. Turn off all televisions and select a mellow, smooth sounding, CD to be played quietly in the background.

Finally, ensure that your backyard is clutter-free. This includes many of the steps taken to present the front-yard. If you have a pool, make sure it is maintained and that lawn furniture is neatly arranged. It is also a good idea, if possible, to keep pets out of sight.

Keep in mind; if you haven’t already initiated many of the above provisions, you are likely losing out on a potential buyer every time an open house guest visits your home.

Tags: home for sale, home selling tips, home shoppers, homebuyer, potential buyer, sell your home

27 Oct 07 What do you want in your new Arizona home?

The following information was gathered from several housing industry experts and illustrates the features that home buyers want in their new homes.

Master-planned communities are all the rage for home buyers. Many Arizona builders are joining together to provide home shoppers with carefully designed developments. These mini-towns provide residents with an array of amenities, from town-centers full of locally owned shops to 27-hole golf courses; and often as many as six or more home builders to choose from.

A popular trend, that many home builders are pursuing, is a Mediterranean style facade. These homes often portray Spanish and Italian detailing and include rustic terra cotta pottery, wrought iron accents, and tile roofing.

Interior designs have evolved in the past several decades to emphasize an open living area. Rather than short ceilings and enclosed kitchens and living areas, you will often find open archways and rounded wall-corners.

There is often an exceptionally strong emphasis on quality and detailing. This includes low-maintenance surfaces on floors and counter tops—granite, limestone, marble, and slate.

The kitchen area is a particularly important feature for the majority of home buyers. New homes in Arizona often attribute open space to the main living area and kitchen. Large kitchens are designed with ample counter space and a large island for food preparation and entertaining guests.

Most home builders in Arizona pre-wire living areas for surround sound and wall mounted flat-panel televisions. A growing trend is for home automation. Often a central control unit can automate lights, thermostats, door-locks, and security systems.

Master bedrooms that are large open areas, with vaulted ceilings, and offer large walk-in closet space are a must have. Home buyers often request larger master baths that provide separate vanities, showers with lavish shower heads and benches, and Jacuzzi bathtubs.

Home buyers want a big backyard with a majestic swimming pool. Generous patio space and balconies, a private space large enough for a bistro table and chairs are an essential feature for most.

The garage should house at least two mid-sized vehicles; however space for a third car is often desirable for workspace and tool storage, and many home buyers want a basin facility.

Perhaps the most important trend in today’s day in age is the Go Green movement. Homes that offer energy saving appliances and Low-E fixtures are often a standard feature from Arizona home builders and are greatly appreciated by home owners.

Arizona custom home builders can refine home buyers’ desires, to detail every little want and need. From flooring options to wall textures and colors—custom cabinetry to extravagant counter tops—today’s home owner can rest assured knowing they reside in the home of their dreams.

References:

Nation’s Building News. Buyers want more home tech than builders offer. Retrieved October 25, 2007 from http://www.nbnnews.com/NBN/issues/2006-07-31/Research/index.html

Oliver, F. “50 Must-Have Features for Today’s Home Buyers.” Professional Builder (1993) 71.6 (June 1, 2006): 54. General OneFile. Gale.

Weintraub, E. (2007) Trends for home buyers. About.com. Retrieved October 25, 2007, from http://homebuying.about.com/od/buyingahome/qt/Hotbuttons.htm?p=1

Tags: arizona homebuilders, custom home builders, Go Green, golf community, home shoppers, home trends, master planned community, mediterranean, new homes, new homes for sale in arizona, new homes section