Month: June 2019

Moving is a tough process because of the different elements you have to think about that affect how much you’ll enjoy your new home. One of these factors is the neighborhood that your prospective houses or apartments reside, as it can play a role in how much you are able to relax, advance in your career, and keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

That’s why you need to review certain necessities that your neighborhood must have to ensure a comfortable living experience. These factors will affect how much money you’ll have to spend, your ability to do your job, and how much fun you can have on the weekends. Here are some things to consider when choosing a new neighborhood.

Safety

It can be easy to get attracted to an apartment or house you found online just because it has a low selling price. However, low cost and high quality don’t always line up, and a cheap rental could actually mean you are getting a bad deal. The picture of the home on the website might look pleasant, but they may not be showing that it is located in an area with poorly constructed homes and high crime.

It helps to communicate with mortgage services and real estate agents in person and at the location so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. This is especially important for parents who want their kids to grow up in a safe environment without having to worry about possibilities of violence breaking out just down the street.

Housing Prices

The most important things in life cost money, and homes are certainly no exception. As much as the houses at the top of your list may have a high-quality design and reside in a safe and productive neighborhood, this is often associated with higher prices, whether it’s for the down payment, monthly bills, or both. This is why you need to form a budget before you start looking at neighborhoods so that you will be able to afford your new home.

Finding a neighborhood that has a balance between housing prices and the quality of living will help you find the best spot for you and your family. This should also come in handy if your friends or current neighbors are also looking to move and you want to show them a neighbor that will suit their financial needs.

Work

One of the main reasons for why people choose to live in certain neighborhoods is because of the opportunities that are available for careers. Whether you’re still in college or are looking to make a career change, it helps to live somewhere that provides an abundance of options so that you can fall back on another path in case your first choice doesn’t work out.

Commuting plays another role in where people choose to live, as the distance between your neighborhood and your job if it is out of town can affect how much money you have to spend on traveling. This also affects how much you have left over to take care of bills, tuition and other expenses, as well as how likely you are to stay at the job, or in that neighborhood.

Education

If you’re a parent, you’re thinking about more than what’s best for you when considering what neighborhood is best for your family. The next town that you call home needs to have the right sources of education for your children so that they can grow up prepared for the real world and able to fulfill their dreams. The more options your neighborhood provides for school, the better off your kids will be.

Education is also a significant element for picking neighborhoods for those who are still in college or going to grad school. People in these situations are also likely to be working part-time or full-time jobs while they continue their studies on the weekends. Being close to universities will make the living experience and career progress more enjoyable in this case. But, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. There are a variety of accredited online and continuing education degree programs to choose from.

Attractions

No neighborhood is complete with sources of fun, as you’ll want there to be something fun to do close by so that you don’t have to spend time and money driving out of town to find entertainment. The neighborhood you decide to move to should have plenty of attractions activities available that provide something new to do every day so that you don’t get bored.

It helps to pick a neighborhood that has an equal distance between the more populated areas and spots that are closer to nature. This means that you can enjoy the night life and parties commonly associated with cities on Friday nights with your friends and then go hiking or fishing with your family Saturday afternoon. Restaurants should also come in varieties so that you have something new to try.

Remember these factors so that you find the neighborhood that is right for you.

For people who are looking to place their home on the market for sale, there are many important things that homeowners should focus on to make their home more sellable. One of the key elements to help ensure the marketability of a home is the home’s aesthetic appearance and whether it is in good repair.

Staging a Home for Marketability

When it comes to the interior of a home, many home sellers are accustomed to the idea that homes that are pleasing on the interior and show well will sell quicker. This an easy takeaway piece of knowledge as a tip for sellers. Statistics show that “staged” homes and homes with high care for their interior and exterior sell quicker than those homes that meet only the status quo. This is where the world of “staging” comes into play.

Staging an interior of a home involves the process of making the interior of the home look enhanced and polished. The basic task is beautifying the home to present it to look like a cutout from an interior design magazine. In most cases, it involves creating an atmosphere that looks elegant and “staged”. This process removes many personal items from the home, including some furnishings and decluttering it. The home is then accented with design accessories to make it look polished.

When it comes to the exterior of a home, “staging” would be a process of making the yard and the exterior of the home look beautified with a greater curbside appeal. While a homeowner might get concerned that this process would require a sizable financial investment, it can usually be accomplished with an investment of several hundred dollars and some sweat equity.

Improving the Home’s Exterior for a Sale

While many homeowners count on the interior of the home being the primary way to get people’s attention to buy, the exterior of the home is also one of the main factors buyers look at when considering the purchase of a home. Since exterior aesthetics are the first impression people see when looking for a new home to buy, this is should always be considered a vital selling factor. Well-kept homes on the exterior are a signal to buyer’s that shows the homeowner has cared for the overall property not just interior design.

In most cases, a yard can be beautified by general clean up and light landscaping projects. Adding some outside furnishings and creating a patio type environment can be a big plus. This is part of one of the more recent trends that has garnered a great deal of attention in homes and involves the creation of outdoor living areas. Creating a basic outdoor living space allows for buyers to visualize what it will be like to enjoy living at the home and enjoying the yard.

Basic Exterior Improvements and Maintenance

When working on creating a great outdoor living area for marketing, it is probably a good time to consider good quality pest control. Homeowners should count on for annual home insect control. Yards that appear to have a higher insect infestation can be a big deterrent to home buyers.

Additionally, clearing the yard of any debris can be essential and will reduce insect infestation problems. Most homebuyers don’t want to buy a home that is going to require extensive repairs and maintenance as soon as they move in. Yard work should be kept up with during the sales process.

Investing in treated bark mulch and a few shrubs and plantings by the entryway as well as repairing walkways can also improve the aesthetics. Another helpful investment would be the purchase a new front door or painting an existing one if needed. While this may seem insignificant, this can be an important factor for improving the overall look and exterior aesthetics of the home.

There are a lot of reasons to consider going through with getting a home renovation, but there are other reasons why you should wait before acting on those projects. Home renovations are expensive and time-consuming, so you should always be certain you want to follow through with them. In addition, you may discover that you’re happy with the home the way it is instead of changing things. Whether you’re a new homeowner or just thinking about starting a project, here are some reasons why you might want to consider waiting.

Think it Through:

One of the reasons you should consider waiting on a renovation project is to make sure that it’s actually something you want. A lot of people are very impulsive when it comes to wanting new things, and that extends to home projects. Things like pools, new furniture, different flooring, creating new additions to the home, should take a lot of planning and thought before deciding. For example, the process of pool construction should not be taken lightly. There’s no reason to get one during the fall and winter months, as you won’t be able to use it until it warms up again. Even if you move in with plans to change something, you might want to consider giving it some time to see if you really like the décor you already have. A lot of homeowners recommend setting up a grace period so that you have time to get used to your new environment before making any big decisions.

Money:

Another reason that you might want to consider waiting on your plans is because of the financing it takes. Depending on the home renovation project you want to take on, it can cost you a lot of money just to start. Some projects such as getting new furniture may be fairly inexpensive, but larger projects that require contractors or changing a big part of the home will take some investment on your part. You’ll need to either save money over time or be prepared to pay off the debts bit by bit. Similar to how you wait and think about whether you want to buy clothing or electronics, you should wait and think about whether you’re ready to invest in the project, or whether it’s even worth the money you’ll spend. You don’t want to finish a project and find out that it feels like money wasted.

Time:

Time is yet another reason home renovations should take a backseat in your life. It’s easy to look at an area of your home and be amazed by its potential, but that kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. You have to be willing to put in the time for the project. For example, if you want to put in new flooring, then you have to be willing to work around that room of your home for a while. That means moving all the furniture and probably avoiding the whole room while the work is being done. Some projects only take weeks, but others may take months. You have to be ready to invest that time for the renovation you want in order to get it like you want. And if it’s not the way you imagined it the first time, you may have to invest even more into it. 

Ultimately, home renovation projects can be a great investment if you’re unhappy with some part of your home. However, home makeover shows have romanticized the idea into making it seem like you can create something gorgeous with some basic imagination and desire to fix up a part of the house. Not everything in your home needs to be changed or fixed and not everyone is aware of how much effort it takes to finish the projects you start. That’s why you should wait before you renovate. It may save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Message me if your thinking about selling your home at m.me/EdPowersRealEstate

Ed Powers Real Estate 970-690-3113 ed@EdPowersRealEstate.com www.EdPowersRealEstate.com