Pixabay (CC0 Licence) When you’re flipping a new home - or even living on one with a view to potentially moving in in the future - it’s easy to become frustrated by the advice you’re given. You need to make yout house stand out! People won’t buy it if they don’t remember it, after all. And yet, you need to make sure that your house doesn’t stand out too much - because too many unique little touches will scare off buyers! So there you are, stood by some imaginary uniqueness scoreboard, trying to do enough to make your house stand out, but at the same time not wanting it to be too obvious. What exactly do realtors expect of you? Well, keep that imaginary scoreboard in mind because yes, you do want to land somewhere along the middle of a spectrum that begins with “bland and forgettable” and ends with “gold-leaf wallpaper in the bathroom”. You do want to achieve a certain level of unforgettable, but not the kind of unforgettable that means people are still seeing your master bedroom when they close their eyes at night. And below, we can help with a few tips as to what that can mean. Clean as a whistle Every buyer will have their own priorities when it comes to the kind of house they want to buy, different colors they prefer to others and different architectural styles, but at the end of the day everybody wants the place to feel fresh and clean, and so when it comes to open houses and viewings, you must have the place sparkling clean inside and out - and that means as far as the sidewalk, because otherwise you’re not going to have that curb appeal. If you’ve got an open house coming up, it’s worth paying for professional cleaners to do a proper deep clean. Add touches of personality If you love a bit of color in a home decor, then it’s more than fine to paint, or paper, the walls in eye-catching shades to really make them stand out. But when you come to sell the house, you will have to be aware that anything idiosyncratic will narrow the field of potential buyers - at least, if it is permanent. You can bring outstanding touches of personality to the house in other ways, though. Wall art, brightly colored window blinds and rugs can all add that dash of individuality, without making any potential buyer think that they’ll be stuck with something they don’t want. Arrange for a rug cleaning service to do a sweep of any rugs in the house before a viewing. This way they’ll really pop, and catch the eye without being an eyesore. Get the framing right When people view your house, the main thing they will be left with is a series of mental snapshots of what they saw, so playing to the strengths of the house is essential. Consider this a way of playing to the natural advantage your house has been given. If it gets excellent natural light in daytime, keep the blinds up and the areas around the windows free of clutter. If there is a way of approaching the house that takes the viewer through an area of particular interest or beauty, give them directions that take in that route. The better an all-round experience they have when viewing your home, the more likely they are to want to put in an offer. Lead them up the garden path, literally Pixabay - CC0 Licence
Doing too much to the interior of your home risks the viewer looking at it and finding it a bit “too much”. Adding to the exterior carries no such problems though, and offers the opportunity to bring a set-piece into the mix without it overwhelming anyone. Cleaning up the path and planting flowers around the border - smaller blooms that won’t get out of control and crowd the path - will make the trip from car to home that bit more indulgent, and at the same timeit’s something that they don’t have to keep if they don’t want to. It’s always tough to strike a balance between not enough and too much. Often the best answer is to make telling improvements in areas where it doesn’t have an overwhelming effect on the whole of the piece. With that done, you can then attract the widest possible range of potential buyers, and increase the chance of an offer that will really make the most of your efforts. Striking that balance will make all the difference.
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You probably know how hot it gets in the summer if you live in geographically warmer places, like Texas, California, and Nevada. And with increasing energy expenses, it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg to keep your air conditioning system running during the hotter months. Statistics show that 2021 was the hottest year for the United States since 1936! Therefore, preparing yourself and your home for this summer is understandable to avoid unpleasant surprises. Fortunately, your interior décor and design can help you achieve coolness this summer. Check out some of the ways your interior design can cool your house down this summer.
Usually, if you want to make a statement, having a deep wall color can help you get that across. However, it can also affect the temperature of your home. That’s because darker colors typically absorb sunlight, thereby giving off a warm effect. If you live in a warmer area, it’s better to choose lighter neutral colors that can reflect sunlight, making your home cooler. So, be sure to hire reputable residential painting services to give your home a cooling, rejuvenating paint job.
Having carpets in your home feels fantastic under your feet, but they add to the amount of heat in your home. Carpet fibers and materials absorb sunlight and reflect heat in the room, making them more suitable in colder climates. If you want to make your home cooler this summer, consider stripping off your carpet and using bare flooring like hardwoods, laminates, or bamboo. If you can’t do without carpets, you can throw in a rug or two to tie in the look of your room.
It might surprise you to know how much heat comes from incandescent bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs create light using a lot of heat, wasting about 90% of energy and increasing your energy bills. For a cooler home this summer, ensure that you replace all your incandescent bulbs with more eco-friendly LED bulbs that do not use much heat and energy.
It’s easy to dismiss your ceiling fan because it doesn’t help you cool down during the summer. Nonetheless, fans are extremely useful during the hotter months. All you have to do is adjust your fan’s settings for it to rotate counter-clockwise. Your fan can now push air downwards and cool your home by doing so. Before you commit to buying or replacing your ceiling fan, ensure that you know exactly what you need for each room. Larger rooms like your living room would need bigger fans. If you want a fan for your bathroom or patio, ensure that you get one that can thrive in wet conditions. Of course, your fan choice must also complement your home’s lighting system and match your décor. Summertime is fun, but it gets very hot. Ensure that your home is well prepared to become a cooling sanctuary when the heat rolls in. Maintain your AC unit
While excessive heat is the main cause of air conditioner energy consumption increasing, it can also be down to inefficient systems. If you’ve not had your air conditioner looked at for years, then it’s not going to be operating at peak performance. You need regular home air conditioner maintenance to ensure everything is running correctly. This means the whole unit works super efficiently and doesn’t require as much power to cool your home. As a result, you’ll have the AC at a lower setting and it won’t need to be on for longer periods. Energy consumption goes down, yet you still enjoy a cool home!P Photo Source
Add Some Artwork It doesn't make any difference whether you've got small or large rooms in your house. You will likely have bare walls that don't have anything on them, and they can sometimes feel a little lackluster or lifeless. Consider breaking up the monotony of large open spaces by putting up some artwork. Paintings, illustrations, and even family photos of loved ones can create unique focal points in each room and break up the space on large sections of walls. Keep Your Home Clean Inside And Out Are you thinking that you've done most, if not everything, discussed in this blog post so far? If so, another good way to make your home always look like a million dollars is by keeping it clean and tidy. The pressures of modern life often mean that many people seldom have the time to keep on top of cleaning schedules, let alone deep-clean their homes. Try to find a cleaning schedule that works for you and your family. Alternatively, think about hiring a cleaning company to take care of your home's cleaning tasks for you. Add A Patio To Your Backyard Do you have a lifeless area immediately adjacent to the rear of your house? If the answer is yes, getting a patio installed is a worthwhile investment for your home. Patios are great for several reasons, such as allowing families to entertain guests for occasions like summer barbecues or having a suitable outdoor space where children can play. There are all kinds of ideas you can consider for a new patio. It all depends on your requirements, imagination, and, of course, your budget. Install Some Automatic Lighting Outside Last but not least, consider installing some automatic outdoor lighting on the front and rear of your property. It will make your house look fantastic in the dark and make it easy for you to navigate your way indoors each evening. Moreover, the lighting will also offer you and your family additional security benefits. Photo by MART PRODUCTION:
Open houses are a great way to get your home off the market and make it more appealing to potential buyers. They allow you to show off your property in a live environment and provide an opportunity for buyers to interact with other people who are interested in buying the same house. With the help of a realtor, open houses could make your home’s sale smoother. Open houses also give you the chance to update your listing without having to do anything extra. Open houses are also a good way for sellers who want to move their home quickly or who need a quick sale because they are moving out of state or moving into a smaller home. So when getting ready for an open house, there are a few things you can do to make your house more attractive to your potential buyers. Take Care of Any Maintenances It is important to take care of your property's maintenance because it will help you get the best out of your open house. It will help you in making a good impression on potential buyers and also give them an idea of what they are getting into. In order to make a good impression on potential buyers, it is important that you take care of your property. This includes doing simple things like mowing the lawn and keeping up with regular maintenance. Clean Your Home Cleaning your home is a tedious task, but it can help your open house. There are many reasons why cleaning is important for you and your guests. A clean home will give a good first impression to potential buyers or renters. It also helps you have a better time when hosting an open house. Cleaning can also be therapeutic and reduce stress levels. In order to have a successful open house, you need to make sure that the place is clean and tidy before the event starts. Get Rid of The Clutter The goal of an open house is to show off the best parts of your home while still keeping the space inviting. When you want to sell your home, it's important that potential buyers feel comfortable and not overwhelmed by all the things they may not need or want. By removing clutter from the space during an open house, you can make more sense of what's happening in the room and what may be worth showcasing in order to entice buyers into buying. Take Care Of Your Exterior Your home's exterior is the first thing that people see when they walk up to your property. It sets the tone for what your house is going to be like. If you want your open house to be successful, it's important to make sure that it looks appealing and presentable. It's also important to make sure that you're tending to your home's exterior in a timely manner so that you don't have any surprises come up during the open house. You don't want people walking into a mess or an unkempt front yard, since first impressions count for a lot when you’re trying to sell your home. Keeping our homes safe and secure from intruders is one of the most pressing challenges that many of us face on a daily basis, yet it is also something that we tend to ignore or put our heads in the sand about. Naturally, you do not need to go overboard and install CCTV cameras throughout your home and garden, but there are some basic changes you can make in your daily routine to give you peace of mind that you have done everything possible to prevent a break-in. Get Yourself a Safe When most people think of “safes,” they immediately think of rich people storing their bars of gold, priceless jewelery, or even their expenses works of art. But really, anyone can have a safe for any reason, and these can really be a great invest. For the most part, safes don’t need to be expensive, and they can still be excellent quality. and Fort Knox Safes is pretty solid proof of it. While a safe doesn’t protect your home itself from unwanted guests, it’s at least able to protect your prized processions from unwanted guests. Change the locks on the doors. When we move into a new home, it is common for us to pay little attention to who might be in possession of a set of keys that will allow us to enter. The previous homeowners or tenants may still have one in their possession, and they may have given copies to neighbours, family members, and acquaintances as well. When you move into a new home, one of the first tasks you should complete is having the locks changed, preferably to a Mul T Lock deadbolt. In an ideal scenario, you should be performing this procedure every time you lose a set of keys or every couple of years simply to ensure that there is no outside entry into your home. This appears to be an overreaction on your part, but it will keep you safe in the future if you follow through. Take a look at the windows and doors. Door and window entry are the most common points of entry for intruders into a house or apartment. Consider using window locks, if you have them, to ensure that your windows are properly secured every time you leave the house and at night. The time has come for you to consider having your windows and doors replaced if you have noticed that they are not closing as cleanly and quickly as you would like, or if a simple push can get you into your home (which is convenient if you are locked out, but not so convenient if other people can get in). Install a home security system When you are away from your home, a home security monitoring system can provide you with peace of mind. It monitors your home around the clock, and if something triggers the alarm, you will be notified, and if it is someone who should not be in your home, the appropriate emergency agencies will be notified. Make an effort to avoid following a predictable pattern. Although the thought may be disconcerting, you never know who is keeping an eye on you at any given time. The vast majority of break-ins are carried out under the presumption that you are not at home - but how can they determine this? Some burglars will keep an eye on your home and take note of the times you leave and return to the property in order to piece together a picture of your daily routine with your permission. Obviously, work schedules and other obligations such as school runs and shopping trips make this difficult, but if at all possible, invite a neighbor or a friend to drop by at odd points during the day to help break up the monotony a little. Although you can never completely eliminate the possibility of someone breaking into your home, there are steps you can do to reduce the likelihood of it happening. |
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