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Benefits of Building a New Home

June 15, 2021 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

There’s nothing like building your own home to realize your dreams of finding the perfect living space. It might take longer than buying a resale, but many people find it is worth the wait. Here are some discussion points to review with contractors in your area.

Avoid the bidding war

This is a wild time to be a home buyer. Across the country, resale houses are getting many, many offers with prices climbing far above appraised values. You can eliminate that stress by purchasing a new home. New construction houses are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The price is set instead of multiple buyers bidding against you. There’s no appraisal gap, meaning you don’t have to come up with more money when your lender will only fund you for the appraised value of the home. You also don’t have to waive inspections or other contingencies to get into a new build like you might with a preowned home.

You can choose a home that fits your needs

New construction means you can personalize the house to suit your needs rather than remodeling an older home. Tall ceilings, big windows, and wide open floor plans make a house look bright and welcoming. Many developers have flexible floor plans that allow you to make changes such as enlarging closets, adding a home office, and redesigning the kitchen and bathrooms. You might want to include a private suite to make multi-generational living possible. Design your home the way you want it.

Create your own style as you decorate

You have a clean slate going into a brand new house. Older homes may have plenty of charm, but that might also include dark, worn cabinets, shag carpeting, and outdated floral wallpaper. You can start fresh to bring in the colors and finishes that suit you. Get the gourmet kitchen of your dreams, the perfect bedroom, and a luxurious spa bathroom. Choosing everything from door knobs to backsplash tiles not only makes the home personal, it can also be fun to do!

Choose a community with great amenities

New builds are frequently in new neighborhoods with excellent amenities. You could have a swimming pool, a clubhouse suitable for parties, tennis courts, playgrounds, walking trails, or water features like a fishing lake or fountains. If you have a growing family and choose an area with good schools, you will likely find many of your neighbors are in the same stage of life. There will be plenty of playmates for your kids and new friends for you. Likewise, if you are retirees looking for an active lifestyle, there are new neighborhoods that will give you exactly what you want.

Get energy efficiency and less maintenance

A new home nearly always requires less maintenance than a resale. You can choose building materials for your new house that can reduce future problems, long-term and short-term. You also can make the new house energy efficient from the beginning. Ask your developer for the energy rating of their homes. Choose energy efficient appliances, upgrade the insulation, and more. Plan on a greener, cleaner home with lower monthly utility bills.

You always benefit from an agent’s expertise

Many real estate agents have years of experience working with new construction homes. They can act as your advocate with the builder if something goes wrong, such as incorrect placement of a kitchen island or closet doors that aren’t the ones you originally chose. A new home purchase has many of the same requirements as an existing one. There will be the inspection, appraisal, walk-throughs, and a closing date. Your agent will help you negotiate each step, bringing value to the whole process.

There is a pride of ownership with a newly built home that is different from any other feeling. You created this special place where no one else has lived before you. It has all been customized especially for you. It just may be the choice you want to make.

Making Pets Comfortable in Your New Home

April 15, 2021 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

Moving to a new home can be so exciting, but the move itself is a stressful, hassle-filled activity that no one enjoys. You and your family will make plans to get through the packing, moving, and unpacking as easily as possible. Everyone is in the know...except for your precious pets. They will be confused and upset by the flurry of activity with too many strange people, too many boxes, and unfamiliar surroundings. Help them make the transition to their new home by providing as many comforts as possible.

Preparing for your move

Make sure your cat or dog has a secure and up-to-date collar with identification tags. Having your pet microchipped is always the safest choice. In the event of the worst-case scenario and your anxious pet escapes, a happy reunion is much more likely with a microchip in place.

Keep your pet’s daily routine normal in the days before the move. Bedtime, feeding times, walks, and playtime should stay the same. Introduce boxes early so they seem like a regular part of the household, but watch out for chewing puppies. They’re a bad mix with tape dispensers, bubble wrap, and boxes!

Introduce your cat to a pet carrier early. Cats are not fond of being contained, so keep it in a quiet place with a few treats and favorite toys inside. Leave the door open so the cat can inspect it whenever she likes in the few weeks before the move. If the cat decides this is a cozy retreat, she may be more willing to stay safely inside during the bustle of moving day. Dogs are more content to stay in a small place, especially if they are already crate-trained. They, too, need familiar toys and their blanket inside the crate with them.

Cats and dogs will be unsettled during the hectic moving day no matter where they are in the house. You will be very busy, so watching over your furry friend will be difficult. Decide if your pet would be happier in a boarding facility during packing and unpacking. Perhaps a friend would be willing to take him for the day. You can wait until after the truck is unloaded before you bring him to his new home.

Traveling to the new address

If you are driving across town, your pet’s anxiety won’t last as long. Your dog probably loves a car ride anyway. If your cat is not a traveler, as most aren’t, keep her in the carrier which is buckled securely with a seatbelt or wedged safely with other boxes you are transporting in the backseat. For a long trip in the car, have all the essentials with you: food, water, bowls, treats, toys, chewies, leash, blanket, and kitty litter and box if you are staying in a hotel overnight. Resist the temptation to take the cat out of the carrier on the road. There is too high a risk that your panicky kitty could make a dash out an open door or window. As always, you can’t leave a pet in the car on a hot day when you stop for a break. If possible, take turns going inside to use the restroom, and go to restaurants with drive-up windows or curbside service for meals. Dogs need to be walked during your break times. Offer water to your pet, even though they might not be interested in it while you are on the road. If your pet hates to travel, you might want to consult your veterinarian about a mild sedative to keep them calmer on the trip.

Finding a place in your new home

Try to minimize your dog’s or cat’s anxiety as much as possible. Some pets will want to be near you all the time. Others may be more comfortable finding a quiet corner for a while. Be patient while they learn the new rooms in your home, figuring out the new sights and smells until the place feels like their own. Like you, they need time to adjust. Don’t be surprised if you hear more barking or whining, see lots of pacing, and changes in eating or “potty” routines. Eventually, it will all get back to normal.

If your dog is used to a doggy door, give him one at your new place. If your cat is used to outside time, stay with her while she’s outside. It will be safer if you keep the cat inside for at least two weeks, however. A cat needs to feel like the new place is home before making a solo trip outside, or she may disappear.

If you think buying new pet supplies for the new home would be fun, wait a few weeks before making the change. Sure, you may be reluctant to take a ratty old dog bed into your wonderful new home, but your pet is going to appreciate familiar favorites. The same old shredded blankets, gnawed toys, and beat up food bowls will help your pet to feel more at home. Get the new goodies later.

Stick to your pet’s regular routine as much as possible. The same times for feeding, walking, and sleeping will help give a sense that not everything is different. Once your pet has settled in, routine changes will be easier on her. This is the time for plenty of hugs, playtime, and attention with you. The extra affection will work to alleviate bad and nervous behaviors while your pet figures out your new place is permanent and safe.

Prepare Your Garden for Spring

March 15, 2021 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

Spring is here along with a new growing season. It’s time to get everything ready for new bedding plants, a beautiful summer lawn, and thriving trees and shrubbery. Hit all the points on this checklist, and you’ll be set to go.

Make a Plan

A beautiful garden needs lots of preparation and maintenance. Develop a plan so you can give your carefully chosen plants a good growing season. Check your zone to see which plants thrive in your area. Refer to any notes you made about last year’s garden. If you don’t keep a gardening journal, now is a good time to start one. You will find that having notes on last year’s success and failures is an excellent basis for developing your plan. For flower beds, consider a variety of heights, colors, and textures to create a lovely vista with different blooms appearing from early spring until frost.

Tools and Supplies

Start with getting your tools ready since you can’t garden without them! Pull out all your spades, trowels, hoes, and clippers. Clean them well, and sharpen their edges. Oil them to remove rust and prevent any new corrosion. You will find it much easier to dig in the dirt with sharp tools.

Replenish supplies, including potting soil, mulch, soil additives, and fertilizer. Decide on any structures you might need, such as trellises, tomato cages, or stakes. Perhaps you need a new wheelbarrow or wagon. Treat yourself to a new pair of gardening gloves. Get everything you need so you are ready for the day when the sun is shining and the soil is warm enough for your seeds and new plants.

Spring Cleaning

It’s time to clear out all the debris that gathered in your yard over the winter. Rake up brown dry leaves from all the corners and beds. Clip off dead stalks or vines from your perennials. Well composted mulch from last year can stay and be incorporated into the soil, but the rest needs to be raked away.

It’s never too early to weed, so start now. Get them out before any of their seeds germinate or they establish long roots. Weeds will proliferate quickly and fight your plants for space in the garden. When possible, weed after it rains so the soil is soft and you can more easily pluck out their entire root system.

Soil Prep

Soil gets compacted during the winter and needs to be loosened by tilling or turning. Once all the old leaves, sticks and debris are gone, you can work in soil nutrients, compost, and other amendments. Wait for a sunny day with dry soil. Soil prep enriches the dirt and breaks it up to allow better penetration of the nutrients, air, and water. You are looking for a consistency of loose cake crumbs. Rake it smooth and water lightly so it settles. Fertilize as needed for the plants you choose.

Prune Late Summer Bloomers

Spring is the right time for pruning some of your shrubs and trees. Leave the early bloomers alone because their buds are in place and will blossom soon. Feel free to prune others that bloom in summer. Their buds will appear on new wood that starts to grow in late spring so they are safe to trim now.

Maintain Everything

Once your plants are in the ground, give everything a nice layer of mulch. It will help hold water on hot summer days while keeping the weeds down. Be sure to mulch around trees too, but don’t pile it up against the trunks. Don’t mulch areas where you are waiting for seeds to sprout, but do it around the plants as soon as they have germinated. Edge the lawn, and follow good lawn maintenance practices. Regularly deadhead the flowers that require it, weed all the time, prune, and tidy the lawn throughout the growing season. You’ll be rewarded with the fun of seeing your plants thrive which will provide a beautiful view of your lawn throughout the spring and summer seasons.

What to Expect the First Year In Your New House

February 15, 2021 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

Your long house hunt is over, and it’s time for the next chapter in your life. You finally get the keys and move in a big truckload of your belongings. Pictures go on the wall, the beds are put together, and you start to feel settled. What’s next?

There are plenty of things to count on during your first year. It’s good to plan ahead and try to anticipate as much as possible. For example, the odds are high that something will break. Maybe it will be a simple problem like a broken window pane, or it could be much more significant. Make sure you have a basic toolbox ready to go, and try to get the name of a good handyman to call when you need one. Get yourself prepared for the expected and the unexpected.

Your First To Do List

You should have had one or more inspection reports prepared before you finalized the sale. Some of the items on the lists may have been fixed by your home’s seller, but there are likely others that you must complete. Prioritize that list. Hopefully, you had time to clean the house thoroughly before moving in. Repainting the interior to suit your tastes will help to quickly make the house your home. If there are windows without curtains or blinds, they should be at the top of your list. Fishbowl living isn’t fun!

Be Ready for Emergencies

Don’t be caught unawares if emergencies concerning your utilities come up; they will, sooner or later. Know where the water main into the house is located and how to turn it off. Check the circuit box and know which switches or fuses are which. Label them if they aren’t already identified. Learn how to shut off the gas. If you have a sump pump, test to see if it works properly. You can find multiple videos on YouTube and other sources for keeping the sump pump in working order. If you have a septic tank, be familiar with how it works and schedule regular maintenance.

Safety & Security

As soon as the house is yours, change the locks on your doors and the codes to the garage doors and other outside entrances. Be sure to make extra keys in case one gets lost. Also, find a good outside hiding place for a key so you’ll never be locked out. Learn how to use the security system if you have one. Check that you have plenty of workable smoke detectors throughout the house. Add more if necessary and put new batteries in all of them. You also need carbon monoxide detectors with fresh batteries. There should be up-to-date fire extinguishers in the kitchen and on each floor.

Maintenance Calendar

All of the items here need to be done routinely, some annually and others more frequently. Make a schedule and perform the tasks faithfully.

HVAC - Learn how and when to change filters in the HVAC system. Some are washable and reusable.
Water heater - Your water heater needs an annual inspection by a pro. If you have hard water, the heater will need to be routinely descaled.
Refrigerator - Clean the condenser coils quarterly. If you have a refrigerator with insulated coils, this step won’t be necessary. Check the door gasket, and change the water filter periodically.
Dryer hose - Always make sure the vents and duct are clean. A collection of lint is a severe fire hazard. Also, the duct opening on the outside of the house should be screened to avoid letting birds or small critters crawl up and inside.
Gutters - Clean the gutters annually or more frequently if you have many trees. Gutters that are full of clutter can cause serious damage to the house, including foundation damage and mold.
Sprinkler system - Check annually for missing or broken sprinkler heads and adjust them so they shoot at the correct angles. Change timers according to the season and the amount of sunlight on your lawn and plants.

Avoid money surprises

If you’ve moved from a smaller home, expect to have an increase in utility bills. This may be much larger than you guess. If you are moving from an apartment, you probably didn’t pay for trash pickup or water. Add them to your monthly expense list. Finally, start saving for emergencies. Some will be quite expensive, like installing a new roof, fixing a leaky basement, or replacing a cracked driveway. You might not have any of these issues yet, but they are likely to come at some point in the (hopefully distant) future.

The joy of owning a house comes with a price tag of your cash and time. Be prepared so the surprises aren’t too much of a shock when they appear. Careful maintenance and planning will help you enjoy your home to the fullest for all the years you live there.

What Home Buyers Want During a Pandemic

October 15, 2020 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

Like the changes happening to every other part of our lives, COVID-19 is shifting the emphasis of what buyers are looking for in their next home. The pandemic has taught us that our own home is the safest place to be, which means a greater demand for a residence that can combine work, school, and recreation.. Trust that this is true now, but you can also expect any or all of these needs to continue after the pandemic is over. Here are some details.

Move-In Ready

Unless the buyer is the type who is enthusiastic about launching a DIY project, fixer-uppers won't be the first choice. Many people want a place that is already liveable. Further, it is harder now to find contractors available to schedule for home repair. Buyers also are trending away from open floor plans. They aren’t as desirable as they once were, especially for someone working at home while the rest of the family is there, too.

Office space

There is a huge surge of people working from home due to the pandemic. The need for a home office, or dual offices, is at the top of the list for many home buyers. They want a separate room of the house dedicated to conducting business or at least some space in a quiet corner with adequate electrical outlets for their technical setup. A great number of these people plan to work from home even after COVID-19 is contained, so this home buying trend should continue for years.

Kitchen

The kitchen has long been the heart of the home and during the pandemic, people are spending far more time preparing meals in their own space. Most buyers want a chef-friendly kitchen with upscale appliances, plenty of cupboard space, and long countertops. A big pantry is important for storing lots of food and non-perishables so grocery shopping trips can be less frequent. The ability to go to eat is curtailed with restaurants closed or offering limited carry-out menus. If your property has a great kitchen, emphasize it in your real estate listings.

Play Space

Swimming pools

Buyers are looking for home amenities to replace public places for recreation and backyard swimming pools have risen in popularity. The family can swim, play, and exercise in the comfort of their own property. If you have one, consider some upgrades, such as an automatic robot cleaner or LED lights, before putting the house on the market.

Home Gym

Space for a home gym has much the same appeal as a backyard pool. Buyers want to get a good workout without leaving home. COVID-19 has shuttered community centers and gymnasiums across the country because people don’t want to share equipment, locker rooms, or even the same air with others. Having a home gym is a big plus.

Home Theater

If your property boasts a home theater with an immersive experience, showcase it in your listing. Even if you don’t have a room dedicated to a theater, your family room or a finished basement may have great space for a large screen TV. Show buyers what they can expect.

Backyard

A big yard has huge appeal during a quarantine as a replacement for public playgrounds and parks. They provide space for outdoor toys and room for the kids to play, along with plenty of fresh air. Many buyers are anxious to find an area to garden, both for recreation and for home-grown produce.

Rethinking Urban Life

For the past many years, homebuyers have chosen to live near their offices to keep commuting time down. They may have loved the restaurants and entertainment venues located downtown, but so many of those are closed or are operating at a reduced capacity. Now that so many individuals are working out of their residence, the suburbs are calling. People want to spend their work and playtime at home. They are seeking expanded square footage and want to live close to basic necessities, like grocery stores and pharmacies.

If you are selling your home and have any or all of these amenities, emphasize them in your listing and other marketing pieces. Use great photos and compelling verbiage. Make the most of what you have to get your home sold quickly and at a good price.

Sprucing Up for Autumn Sales

August 10, 2020 by Paul Schrick (Post Export User)

Fall is a beautiful time of year! If you have your home on the market, make the most of the season to boost its curb appeal. If you have a gorgeous red maple or golden yellow aspen in your front yard, you already have a great head start. Make a list of the most important changes you need to do to win that vital first impression. As trees and shrubbery begin to lose their leaves, more of your home is exposed, so you might need to power wash or paint. Here are more suggestions to get you started.

Focus on the Front Door
Your front door is the focal point of your home. Whether you have a simple stoop or a wide front porch, this is the place to start with your fall facelift.

Give your front door some zing with a new paint color or refresh the current one.
Polish the door handle, lock, and knocker. If they are too tarnished, replace them.
Make sure the mailbox or mail slot look sharp. Replace them if they have aged too much. The same goes for your house numbers.
If you have a porch swing or furniture, give them a cozy autumn look with a warm throw and coordinating pillows. If your furniture has cushions, make sure they aren’t worn or moldy from being wet.
Wash the windows and repair any cracks in the glass.
Sweep away cobwebs and knock down wasp nests.
Add a new welcome mat, perhaps with a seasonal theme. A new mat is practical as well as inviting.

Plant Fall Flowers
As summer flowers fade, replace them with autumn favorites in the rich colors of fall. Mums. asters, pansies and kale are always popular and come in many vibrant shades. Check to see what varieties thrive well in your area. Take a look at your flower boxes, planters, garden beds and hanging baskets. If you don’t want to redo them, then clear away all the withered plants and blossoms. If you think the garden still looks shaggy, a fresh layer of mulch would make the beds appear more tailored. Trim uneven shrubbery and clip out dead branches from bushes and trees.

Skip the Scarecrows
It can be fun to go all out with an array of traditional autumn decorations like hay bales, cornstalks, and Halloween spooks. You need to forego those this year while your home is on the market. Instead choose a wreath of fall foliage and berries for the door. A simple arrangement of a few pumpkins and a potted chrysanthemum or two will look great. Here’s a tip: cover live pumpkins with a light coating of peppermint or garlic oil to keep squirrels and other critters from nibbling on them.

Clear Leaves Off the Lawn
Keep your lawn cut and well trimmed throughout the growing season. A few scattered leaves give a pleasant, seasonal look to the yard, but too many look untidy. An accumulation of leaves can damage the grass and result in ugly dead spots. Keep your walkway and driveway swept clean, especially in advance of a showing. Gutters must have a neat appearance as well, so clean them out and consider installing leaf guards for the best effect.

Light It Up
It will be dark earlier so make sure your home is easy to see from the street and your sidewalks safe for visitors. If your front porch is too dimly lit, illuminate it with new lights or lanterns and use bright, long-lasting LED bulbs. Line walkways with lights; solar ones work well and need no power besides the sun. Strategically placed flood lights can make a beautiful improvement.You might want to use motion-sensor lights for added security and for lighting your driveway and sidewalk.

To sell your home quickly and for top dollar, you must make it look pristine and beautiful. The change of seasons from steamy summer to cool autumn brimming with fall colors can give you great curb appeal. Make your home a stand out in the autumn real estate market.