The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on Mold
I recently sold a gorgeous house near the University of Missouri at St. Louis to a young couple, newly married, one from Texas and the other from Alabama. Wonderful old home, two stories, solidly built all brick, with a two story add on: breakfast room on the first floor and master bathroom above. Wonderful home. […]
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HOME CARE MYTHS
Realtor.com shares 8 top home care myths that are a waste of your time and money. 1. Stone countertops are indestructible. In fact, stone countertops are easy to stain and scratch. Plus, regular household cleaners and mildly acidic substances, like soda, coffee and wine, can dull stone surfaces over time. 2. Your smoke detector’s test […]
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5 THINGS BUYERS SHOULD NEVER COMPROMISE ON
When buying a home, there are some things you should never compromise on – or you’ll likely regret your home purchase, according to Realtor.com. 1. The floor plan. It’s difficult and expensive to reconfigure a home’s floor plan. If a home doesn’t have the minimum number of rooms or the flow of the main living […]
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Little Things Mean A Lot
Increasing the value of your home before putting it on the market is important, and your budget shouldn’t hold you back. Here are a few, simple tips to improve the look and feel of your home fast – all for under $400. 1. Low-maintenance lawn care: Overgrown lawns and bushes will cause your home to […]
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PRE-LISTING CHECKLIST
With the beginning of a brand new year, often thoughts go to changes: in ourselves, in our life styles, in where we live. So, I thought it was appropriate to talk about getting ready to list property and what that might look like. New beginnings! There’s a lot that needs to be done when you […]
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Handy Scam
Undertaking a home renovation is stressful, even with the best contractors. Unfortunately, not all are trustworthy and many homeowners are scammed. In 2016, more than 32,000 scams were reported to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). On average, homeowners lost $1,400 from shady contractors, painters and repairmen, according to the BBB. 1. Verify the contractor’s license, […]
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Saving by Saving
You don’t have to overhaul your home to make it more energy efficient. And you also don’t have to guess at which projects offer the best Return On Investment (ROI). ENERGY STAR certified windows can shrink energy bills by an average of 12%. Fix common water leaks to reduce energy bills by 10%. Turning your […]
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To D.I.Y. or Not To D.I.Y.
Doing home projects yourself can help you save money, help you get to know your house better and fill you with pride at a job well done with your own two hands. But there are circumstances where a pro is the way to go. Neighborly, a community of home service experts, draws the line on […]
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Kill the Clutter
There’s a reason REALTORS always advise home sellers to remove all clutter when selling their homes. The difference is remarkable. The clutter-free home often looks like a new one entirely, and homeowners even wonder how their home could look that good. You don’t have to wait to sell your home to make it look better. […]
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MARKED APPRECIATION
A home generally appreciates in value between 3 and 4 percent each year, but not every home appreciates equally. While every market is different—and appreciation is naturally affected by factors homeowners can’t control—there are certain home features that create greater appreciation than others. Realtor.com did some research, analyzed millions of listings over the past five […]
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