Author: Ed Powers

Decide to Sell As-Is or Updated

The decision to update needs to be weighed against what you hope to accomplish.

So maybe your family size has changed or you have taken a new job in a new location, the decision to sell or update may involve deciding on whether to update or just get moved quickly. According to the U.S. Census, Homeowners nationwide will spend over $200 billion this year to either remodel or repair their homes.
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The National Association of Home Builders’ Remodeling Council, Remodeling Index, says minor alterations are at $25,000 or below and major alterations above that amount.

So is it worth $25,000-plus to update or should you sell? There are reasons in favor of both. We should talk about updating first.

1. Your community is great, why move? For some homeowners
they already live in the best community for their family and
lifestyle. The schools are great, it’s near their worship center,
shopping and they are plugged in with neighbors and the
community. So instead of moving, it might be best to expand or
remodel.
2. Sometimes, it’s just time to upgrade the house — even if
you’re planning on selling in the future. If you bought a home
with 15-year-old appliances and décor, it may be time to switch
them out, now that they are 20 or 25 years old. I always get
frustrated with homeowners who want to remodel right before
they move — they’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy the
house they’ve just remodeled. Upgrades may include flooring,
bathrooms, kitchen, exterior facelift, paint, curtains, furniture —
not just the house itself.
3. It might be cheaper than selling. If you’re needing more
space, the remodel may actually be cheaper than selling,
especially if you’re looking at finishing or remodeling the
basement. The basement remodel is the easiest and most
affordable remodel available to homeowners because the
exterior walls, plumbing and most electric may have already
been run throughout.
4. You’re a do-it-yourselfer. Okay, you love those Old House,
Fix-It or Nix-It, Saturday morning programs. Living in a
dust-ridden environment with tools and power cords strewn
throughout is your vision of heaven on earth. Go for it.
5. You’ll have to remodel the new house anyway. Most new homeowners spend upwards to 30 percent of the value of the
new house they just bought fixing it up the way they want — so
why move? Just spend that money where you are.

Now, there are just as many reasons to move instead of
remodeling.
1. The move could take less time and hassle. Depending on the
condition of your local market, you may be able to list, sell and
move in a shorter period of time than it would take to actually
remodel your current home. Time is a major factor in our busy
lives, and many times it would be quicker to just move.
2. Remodeling would disrupt your lifestyle more than you’re
willing to deal with. You have to hire a designer, then a
contractor, move furniture from one area to another in your
house, find storage for the rest, live with dust, workmen, etc.,
for several months and then HOPE you like what you get at the
end of it. Better to buy the house that’s already finished the way
you want it than betting on a finished product you’re not sure
about.
3. You don’t want the hassle of dealing with contractors in case
they don’t get it right. The challenge for remodelers is that they
are being told by a remodeling-challenged homeowner what
they want and then try to create that environment. If the
homeowner doesn’t like it at the end — it’s very expensive to
change once it’s done.
4. Remodeling could cost more than moving. For some people,
to get what they really want, they would have to double their
mortgage anyway — so it might be better to check out what’s
available in new construction or even in a move up in the
community. Plus, builders in some markets are starting to offer
free upgrades — including rec rooms, decks, and other add-ons
that usually are the subject of a remodel job.
5. Finally, you’re family has enlarged. You just may need a
larger home because you have more children or your
parents/au pair/adult children have moved in with you.
When it’s time to remodel, speak with your real estate broker
before making your final decision, it might be in your best
interest to make that move instead of knocking down a wall.

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Garage Sale Still a Good Way to Move

Because of internet availability the once popular yard sales are no longer temporary front yard retail operations. Thanks to on-line auctions like e-bay, craigslist and others, the garage sale is becoming a thing of the past. But you can still have a profitable parting of the way with a lot of your stuff using the traditional yard sale.

Now is a good time to de-clutter and the good moving folks at North American Van Lines offer these suggestions for a well- planned and profitable sale:

1. Timing – Avoid holiday weekends. Many potential customers will be out-of-town and others will be afraid to venture forth because of the extra traffic. Start early, say 8 a.m. But be prepared for people to arrive even earlier than that. The “professionals” like to beat everyone else to the punch.

2. Permits – Some jurisdictions require their permission to hold yard sales. Others dictate exactly how and where streets signs can be posted – and perhaps more importantly, when they must be removed.

3. Advertising – Yard and streets signs are only part of the equation. Following the local rules, put up your largest posters on high-traffic roads and make sure you have all the avenues to your place covered. Run ads in the local daily, weekly and Pennysaver, and post some information on your community website.

4. Neighbors – At the very least, warn people on both sides of you that the neighborhood is about to be invaded. But also consider a block sale. Multiple sales on the same street sometimes boosts turnout.

5. Change – Have plenty of it on hand, not just coins but small bills, too. And have a calculator nearby so you can do the math more quickly.

6. Power – If at all possible, have an electric cord handy so your customers can turn on your electronic items. People will want to confirm these items run properly.

7. Helpers – Enlist the entire family, including the kids. But try to keep their hands out of the cash box. One adult should be assigned to collect money.

8. Traffic – Place your best stuff near the street to attract passersby, and display everything else up nice and neat. Curb appeal counts.

North American has lots more information and suggestions on garage sales, including what to sell, advertising, and some suggestions on pricing to help ensure a smooth successful sale. www.northamerican.com/moving-help/garage-sales .

Getting Your Move On

So you are on your way to selling one home and buying another. Now you will need to move your stuff.

Getting you move on means you need to get know what it will take to get up to speed, so the more you know the smoother your move.

The American Moving and Storage Association www.Moving.org and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration www.fmcsa.dot.gov have some more information that will help you get your move on.

There is a lot more to a move than selecting a mover and signing over care of your goods.

You can smooth the move if you:

1. Sit down, take a breather, read the contract before signing.

2. Stay in contact with the mover while in transit and tell the mover how to reach you at the destination. If the mover can’t reach you at the destination, your goods may have to be stored adding to your cost.

3. Be on hand when movers arrive on moving day to discuss packing and delivery arrangements. Have beds stripped and ready for packing, but let the moving crew disassemble items.

4. Movers must acknowledge receiving the claim within 30 days and deny the claim or settle within 120. When making a claim, keep in mind the amount of liability that you declared on your shipment. If the value you declared was $10,000, the mover’s maximum liability is $10,000.

5. Report losses and damage immediately. If goods are damaged or lost, report this promptly and in detail on the driver’s copy of the inventory sheet before signing. For damage found after unpacking, you must file a claim within nine months after delivery.

6 Buy extra insurance if necessary. All interstate household goods shipments move under a very limited liability of 60 cents per pound. Without additional coverage, for example, if a 10-pound stereo component worth $1,000 is lost or destroyed, your mover is liable for a pittance — only $6 (10 pounds times 60 cents). Full replacement value coverage is the most comprehensive protection available.

7. Resolve disagreements before signing off on the driver’s inventory. Make sure you get legible copies of the inventory and that all items are numbered. See to it that valuable items are listed separately.

8. Start soon if you are packing yourself. Remember, movers aren’t liable for items you packed but packing non-breakables, like clothes and bedding can speed things along.

9. Be flexible. You may be asked to select several consecutive days for loading, and a second series of dates for delivery. This gives the mover flexibility to work to keep on schedule.

10, Be present when goods are packed. Professional packing is crucial. Schedule the mover to pack a day or two before loading the van.

11. The not-to-exceed estimate — sometimes called “guaranteed price” or “price protection” — is based on a binding estimate or actual cost, whichever is lower. Like a binding estimate, it must be in writing and is binding on the mover. The driver cannot collect more at destination before unloading.

12. A non-binding estimate comes with no guarantee. Final cost is determined after your shipment is weighed and certified. Certified weighing could exceed the estimate. However, the driver cannot legally demand payment for more than 110 percent of the non-binding estimate before unloading. You then have at least 30 days to pay remaining charges.

13. Understand binding and non-binding estimates. Binding estimates guarantee the estimate for the move based on items moved and services listed on the estimate sheet. Items or services added later could result in higher charges. Once the mover arrives at destination, the driver cannot ask you to pay more than the binding estimate before unloading unless you added items or services not included in the estimate.

Stone Is Never Out Of Style

As popular as ever stone is again making home styles one of the fastest growing decorating trends. The fine masonry look brings with it not only a luxury style but also an ease and comfort that gives a home personality. Homeowners are instead choosing natural stone, masonry patterns, travertine, and limestone, with honed-matte finished surfaces and leaving behind the once-preferred 70’s looks of wall-to-wall carpeting throughout the house, linoleum kitchen floors and vinyl tiles in the bathroom. Homeowners are using two tones, finishing their kitchen island in maybe limestone and the surrounding kitchen countertops in granite materials for a unique style. Only seen in office buildings at one time granite and marble are now used in vacation homes and owners are working to personalize their homes more than they did before. Before everything was pretty much the same overall. Now owners are bringing in different types of materials like glass tile, mosaics, different designs, different sizes, textures, into the same room. Homeowners are giving each room a more individual personality by adding different types of products. Now the white tile countertops are going away and replaced by solid surface countertops such as granite which has no grout lines and is easier to care for. There are many different choices, sizes, textures and styles of stone. Prices vary depending on the type selected. Some very expensive flooring is even salvaged from old houses scheduled for demolition. The look and durability of stone makes it appealing to homeowners. Before it’s put in, experts say, homeowners should understand the maintenance required and the issues that may come up. One of the most common problems is stains. Due to stone being very porous, if you spill things on it, the stone can easily absorb the liquid but sealing the stone can alleviate this problem and the amount of foot traffic you have in various areas of your home ought to be considered before putting in stone floors. Honed surfaces are usually the best because they’re matte finishes so they don’t wear like a polished material would. A polished marble will scratch and if you drop something acidic that etch it, which means the polish will be removed in that particular area. So there are more maintenance issues with polished surfaces. Honed surfaces on the other hand show less wear pattern. Cleaning can be more aggressive. Granite is best for countertops because it is dense and easy to maintain. Granite should be preferred over marbles or limestone in the kitchen, but there will be more maintenance with a marble or a limestone and, of course, it should be honed. Because acids in some foods can etch marble or limestone granite is recommended over these stones where foods and drinks can leave marks or rings on the materials. When deciding which stone to choose, keep in mind these handy tips :
1 Granite is most suitable for kitchens and bar counters because it is the most dense. It also resists hot and cold. Acidic foods will not etch the polish.
2 Marble is not as dense as granite but is more so than travertine. Marble works well for bathroom flooring, on back splashes and fireplaces.
3 Travertine is not as dense as marble but is more so than limestone.
4 Limestone is the softest and most porous of the stones. It requires more frequent sealing.
5 Slate is an excellent choice for outdoors or indoors.