Curb appeal puts your home in big demand

In a market where sellers are in competition to make the most out of their largest investment, improving your home's first impression is one of the best ways to set it apart from the rest of the pack.


When prospective buyers or renters drive through your neighborhood, what do they see? This is a really important question that you need to answer because it will help understand what your buyer is going to be looking for in a new home. Once you've answered this, ask yourself objectively if the front of your home is in keeping with the rest of the houses on your block. The first impression is critical in setting the mood for prospective agents and buyers. If your home's exterior looks like it needs work, then people immediately assume that it's a 'fixer-upper'. The opposite is true if your front yard is manicured, the roof is in good shape and the driveway is in good condition. Having a potential buyer walk into your front door in a positive mode can translate into big dollars for you.


Both Virginia Tech and the University of Guelph did studies in 2011 that measured the effect of landscaping on property values, and they both came to the same conclusion. To improve curb appeal, basic landscaping increased the home's value by 5%, but more extensive landscaping including decks and patios increased the homes value up to 15%.


So where do you spend the money?


Set your budget and be realistic about what you're trying to accomplish with it. Keep in mind that you are trying to create an excellent first impression to attract potential buyers. This isn't the opportunity for you to realize your landscaping dreams. Consider a new paint job using a color scheme that highlights the character of your home. Install a new front door or at least update your door's hardware. Even something as simple as full and healthy planters can make a favorable impact.


One of the easiest ways to improve curb appeal is to have a clean and tidy front yard with a manicured lawn. Maybe this is the opportunity to invest in some new tools to help do the job properly. The best part about this type of investment is that not only will your plants and lawn look better with edging, pruning and cutting, you also get to take your new tools with you once you've sold your home.


The technology for landscaping tools has made the purchasing task much easier as well. Now you can get a hedge trimmer, string trimmer or sweeper & vac all in one system. With the Black & Decker 36V Lithium system, for example, you can use the same battery and charger for all three of those tools. A quick prune of the shrubs with the hedge trimmer, followed by a 'one-around' with the string trimmer and then tidying up with the sweeper will help you to maintain the front yard as short as 10 minutes per day.


The goal is to create an emotional connection at the first glance of any prospective buyer, so before you put that sign on the lawn, be sure to spend enough time at the curb.

Design a stunning backsplash without the whiplash

(BPT) - The kitchen is the heart of the home and a top-selling feature with home-buyers. Does yours convey style and functionality? Whether you've just completed a remodel or you're looking for ways to upgrade your existing kitchen, a tile backsplash will instantly transform the space into an eye-catching masterpiece.

"Tile backsplashes are timeless, providing the ideal transition between the cabinetry and the countertop," says Kirsty Froelich, design director for The Tile Shop. "It's one of the number one ways homeowners can add value to their kitchen while adhering to their personal design preferences. Best yet, the process can be simple and enjoyable."

Froelich offers her top tips for designing a stylish backsplash for your kitchen without headaches or stress:

1. Determine your style profile and take action
 Start by looking at Houzz, Pinterest and home magazines to see what styles you're drawn to. Are you more contemporary, vintage or transitional? It can help to see backsplashes in person to get a true idea of how different materials look, feel and reflect light. For up close and personal inspiration, attend your local Parade of Homes, or visit a showroom environment like The Tile Shop to view multiple styled vignettes.

2. Follow your vision
 When exploring tile or stone, think about whether you want the backsplash to be a focal point or more subdued. Subway tiles in neutral tones are timeless for those who prefer a muted backsplash. If you're looking to make a statement, clean and tumbled white marble is trending right now. Slate is comforting and earthy where metallic offers a more eye-catching and contemporary look. For added personality, consider designs with color, patchwork or patterns. "Pop art" is also really hot right now (e.g., incorporating Andy Warhol visuals into the backsplash design).

3. Consider product type and maintenance requirements
 A backsplash isn't necessarily maintenance-free, so know how much time you're willing to spend before making a final design decision. If you prefer low maintenance, the best route is ceramic tile. If you are drawn to the beauty of natural stone, keep in mind that there's minimal annual maintenance, including resealing the surface to ensure the product's integrity and beauty last.

"One of my current favorite backsplash looks is a new globally influenced Decor Mayflower pattern featured in The Tile Shop's 2015 Spring Design catalog," says Froelich. "It coordinates with the Treviso solid ceramic tiles that are available in three beautiful colors. Each piece has a handmade look and feel inspired by classic looks from long ago. This collection will definitely add a wow factor to your backsplash."

"Another collection I love is the Devonshire Cararra marble. It's crisp, clean and particularly elegant when set in herringbone pattern by itself or when paired with a picture frame design incorporating polished mosaic and marble profiles."

4. Know your budget 
 Before digging into any home improvement project, it's important to know your budget. Convey your visions and cost parameters to any experts you work with, such as a contractor or interior designer. Bring a sample of your cabinetry and countertop, or a picture of your kitchen, to the designer or showroom you're working with. It will help them maximize your budget while achieving your vision.

5. Add personal touches
 When finalizing your design, consider adding unique characteristics. Above the sink or cooktop are good places to do something more decorative. If appropriate, you might decide to add a niche with a cutout that has tile on the interior that matches the exterior tile or create a picture frame design using a completely different style of tile and stone that complements the backsplash to make a statement. Additionally, if you are doing a backsplash in a bar area, it's a great place to have fun with materials and shapes.

"Adding a backsplash does so much to dress up a room and complete the space," says Froelich. "The most common mistake I see homeowners make is letting indecisiveness cause the project to be delayed. Alas, the above tips will help create a clear path toward a backsplash design they can feel confident in and admire for years to come."

 

Selling your home? Make it more appealing to buyers

"The most important thing you can do is to make your home look welcoming when people drive by," says Kimber Powell, Realtor and sales manager for Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group in Altoona, Iowa.

"You want to invite them in. Make sure your front door looks nice. Trim and landscape your yard. Accent your entryway with a new door mat and pots of flowers that contrast with the color of your home," she says.

Follow these tips to position your house for a successful sale:

Enhance curb appeal

A well-maintained house appeals to more buyers and can sell faster and may sell for a higher price, according to Realtor.com.

Maximize your home's exterior appearance. Keep the lawn and landscaping edged, cut and watered. Inspect doors, windows, trim, foundation and siding for peeling paint. Repaint and replace items as needed. Clean out gutters and replace missing caulk and shingles.

Declutter inside

Make your home look bigger by removing clutter and storing personal items and extra furniture before prospective buyers arrive. Make repairs where needed, Powell advises.

"Repairs are ongoing maintenance needs that show your home has been well-cared-for and kept up-to-date," she says. "Most potential buyers want turn-key homes that are easy to move into."

Repaint dingy or stained walls with a neutral shade of paint. Repair cracks or holes in walls, ceilings, tile and woodwork. Replace broken items and consider updating worn-out cabinet knobs, dated curtains and battered bath and kitchen hardware.

Show lifestyle possibilities

Create a lifestyle story to help buyers envision themselves living in your home. Have a small kitchen but a big deck? Focus on outdoor entertaining by adding lights, comfy cushions and showcasing grilling areas, Powell recommends. If you love your neighborhood, highlight a front porch with wicker furniture and window boxes.

"You want to show buyers the ways they can use the entire home and yard," Powell says. "If you don't have outdoor furniture or decorations, work with a stager to borrow those items." Or consider borrowing items from friends or family to get your home staged for sale.

Highlight quality brands

If your home features or you've replaced items with high-quality brands, like Pella Windows and Doors, include their names in your home's sell sheet, Powell says.

"People are very conscious of name brands and high-quality products. They also want to know about energy-saving benefits and warranties that may transfer to them," she says.

Windows, door replacement

Projects like window and door replacements can recoup more than 70 percent of their cost at resale, according to the National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine's Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

Whether you're preparing your home to sell, or updating it to live in longer, Pella offers low-maintenance, energy-efficient vinyl, wood, and fiberglass replacement windows and doors that can help improve your home's curb appeal, and help lower utility bills.

"Stylish exterior doors that look like wood, with the minimal maintenance of fiberglass, are popular replacement options," says Kathy Krafka Harkema, Pella spokesperson. "Plus, fiberglass offers exceptional energy efficiency, weather resistance and outstanding durability."

Pella fiberglass entry doors offer many prefinished options, as well as custom colors so you can design a door that truly reflects your home's style.

Mix and match trend revolutionizing deck design

When it comes to fashion faux pas, the only thing worse than clashing patterns is overly matching every item. Mixing and matching creates exciting contrast - and not just when you dress yourself, but also when you "dress up" your home. The trend toward mixing colors and materials has made its way outdoors, with enterprising homeowners getting creative with their decks.

When it comes to building a deck, or refurbishing an existing one, options abound. Design choices beyond simple considerations such as wood or composite, square or rectangular, open the door to creative outdoor environments that are truly unique and reflect your personal style.

The deck design experts at Deckorators point to several popular looks emerging in the mix-and-match trend:

Mixed materials

Retire that old rule that says all the materials you use for your deck must match. Your railing no longer needs to be made from the same material as your decking. Pairing wooden deck planks stained in a natural hue with a metallic railing and decorative balusters creates a fresh, exciting look. Dress up basic wood and vinyl deck posts with fiber-reinforced concrete postcovers that provide the look and feel of real stacked stone.

An inset of deck stones in the floor creates contrast and interest - as well as a functional, durable spot for outdoor kitchens, grilling areas and raised fire pits.-

Pairing metal or glass balusters with a wood or composite railing is another striking way to add personality to a deck. The combination is the perfect marriage of rustic and modern, incorporating the classic natural appeal of wood with the modern flair of metal and glass.



Playing with color

Metal balusters also allow you to experiment with color. Available in finishes that mimic popular metals such as bronze, copper and stainless steel, as well as basic black or white, metal balusters also resist insect damage and rot - making them practical as well as pretty.

There's also no rule that says all your balusters have to match. For even more personality, try mixing balusters: alternate different styles of glass or metal, or mix regular metal or glass balusters with lighted balusters. Using energy-efficient LED technology, lighted balusters connect to a standard 12-volt power source to create a soft glow.

Exploring accessories

Accessories like post caps and planters are great ways to enhance a deck's visual appeal and usability. While metal and glass post caps are traditionally thought of as great complements for metal and glass balusters, they can also add pops of color to a monochrome deck. Available in a variety of colors such as copper, pewter, black and white, metal post caps also coordinate well with wood and composite deck materials.

Or, for an even more colorful accent, consider glass post caps. Deckorators offers a line of glass post caps that mimic timeless Tiffany styles. They are also available in basic colors and styles, as well as illuminated versions that coordinate well with regular or lighted balusters.

While you're experimenting with accessories, don't overlook the opportunity to mix things up with a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and materials for built-in planters and seating.

Need help visualizing how your deck might look all dolled up using the mix-and-match trend? Deckorators offers a simple online tool, the Deck Visualizer, which allows you to mix different decking, balusters and post caps and see in advance how your personalized outdoor space might look. Log on to www.deckorators.com to learn more.

How to get your offers accepted to buy properties

The biggest challenge facing most real estate investors is making acceptable offers, especially when buying properties is the basic foundation of real estate investing.


Unless you buy properties, you cannot make any money.


Here is how to make offers that get accepted.


The offer you make depends on the type of property you are buying.


1) Buying from motivated sellers


If you buy houses from motivated sellers, it is necessary to have the following pieces of information:


a) Market Value


Do your due diligence to find out conservatively how much the house would be worth in perfect condition. You must have this information before you can make any offer.


b) Mortgage balance


You must get this information before you can make an offer. A seller who is not willing to disclose this information is not motivated enough. Move on to a motivated seller.


The mortgage balance must allow you to buy the house and still leave you with a profit. It must allow you to make a profit and own it free and clear.


c) Repairs needed


It is possible to estimate repair costs with the information provided by the seller.


You must know how much you need to fix up the house before you can make an offer. Of course, I like to see the house and do my own repair estimates.


d) Asking price


If the owner is asking for too much money given the above 3 pieces of information, the deal might never happen.


A good asking price must take into account the market value, mortgage balance and repairs. You can then make an offer based on the asking price. Make an offer if the mortgage balance allows you to make a profit.


Even though it is necessary to consider the seller's needs, no offer can be too low. If they are facing foreclosure, then they probably need some money to move, or their asking price might be just enough to get away from the property.


If the mortgage balance is too high compared to the value of the house, it does not make sense to make an offer. Move on to the next deal.


There is no bad offer, except the one you have not made. Always make the offers that make sense to you. You'll be surprised how many get accepted.


2) Buying foreclosed properties


The asking price and repairs are the only important considerations to make in this case. Banks selling these properties are willing to negotiate.


Most REOs are listed below market value. Depending on your exit strategy, if the numbers are close to making sense, by all means make an offer.


Lastly, remember to make your offer lower than the asking price.


by: Simon Macharia 

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6984.shtml 

Why more people are installing saltwater pools

People no longer have to tolerate the eye-burning, nose-curdling sting that comes from chlorine. Saltwater pools only have one-tenth the salt of ocean water and about one-third when compared to  human tears. They are also gentler on the skin and hair than traditional chlorine pools. And pool owners don't have to purchase, store, and handle harsh chemicals, so maintenance is easier, more convenient, and saves time and money.

More chlorine pools are being converted to salt water and today there are more than 1.4 million saltwater pools in operation nationwide. An estimated 75 percent of all new in-ground pools are salt water, compared with only 15 percent in 2002, according to data published in Pool & Spa News.  

Since the Evergreen Commons senior center in Holland, Mich., converted its 65,000-gallon pool to salt water, members have been pleased with the results. "The minute you walk into the pool area you notice a big difference," says Jodi Owczarski, the center's community relations director. "There is no longer that chemical smell. People also tell us that the water is much softer. In the old pool, people said they sometimes had to wash twice to get all those chemicals off, but in this pool, they only have to wash once. All in all, people have been thrilled with this new system."

In saltwater pools, chlorine is automatically produced as water passes through the generator. As the water exits the generator and enters the pool, the sanitizing chlorine reverts back to salt, and the process repeats itself, conserving salt and keeping sanitizer levels balanced. 

Saltwater pools require less maintenance than traditional pools, but pool owners still should test weekly for pH and chlorine, and monthly for other water balance factors and for salt levels, which can drop due to splash-out, rain and filter back-washing. Most pool owners test their pool water themselves with test strips and periodically bring a sample in to a pool retailer for testing.

Anyone who has made the decision to move to a saltwater pool should make certain they use salt specifically designed for that use. An average 20,000 gallon pool requires 530 pounds of salt at startup; with quantities that large, even small amounts of contaminants within the salt can cause pool problems. That's why ultra-pure salt is best for salt water pools. Salt water systems can also save money in the long run over chlorine-based alternatives.  

There have also been questions about the effect of salt water on pool construction materials, decks and surrounding structures. When pools are properly constructed and normal maintenance is followed, salt water has no effect on pool finishes, equipment and decks. Most materials are suitable for salt water pool construction, and most kinds of stone and decking materials will last if treated and sealed properly and periodically rinsed off. 

If you're considering a saltwater pool, talk to a knowledgeable builder or retailer, or get some insight from other saltwater pool owners. You can also find more information at the Salt Institute website.