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Recommended Tips for Selling Your Home that Can Increase Asking Price Possibilities

Recommended Tips for Selling Your Home that Can Increase Asking Price Possibilities 

When selling a home, the homeowner will want to sell it at a profitable price. Many inexperienced homeowners attempting their first home sale often make some common mistakes that could cost in the way of lowered buyer offers. If the person truly needs to sell their home by a certain date, this could force the owner to accept far less for their home than they should have if only they had followed some simple pre-sale recommendations. These are expert tips from top real estate agents knowledgeable about residential home sales and all of that process.

 

Clean the Home Thoroughly from Top to Bottom & More

 Trying to sell a home that is obviously dirty and un-cared for can dramatically lower buyer interest right from the start. The golden rule when selling a home is to present a clean and tidy environment that is free from clutter or overly slanted towards a particular design style. If your current wallpaper in the dining room is exceptionally busy or too bold, consider replacing with a more neutral pattern and color scheme.

 Before even planning your first open house, take the time to ensure that the home is thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom and then some. Gather the entire family to help with this typically huge task, or consider hiring a professional house cleaning service to perform some of the hard work. These experts will have the manpower, proper cleaning equipment and supplies and can likely get the job done far faster than going it alone.

 

Repair Obviously Broken or Older Home Eyesores

 If you have long desired to fix that cracked window in your kitchen, or yearn to replace that ancient and problematic plumbing system, now would be the ideal time to finally get it done. Even if these eyesores are routinely small and don’t really bother the family very much, a prospective buyer will be looking at these undesirable spots with their antennas up regarding the condition of the overall house. Homeowners should repair broken fences and fix the broken garage door to better their chances of a serious buyer offer.

 

Try to Remove as Much Personal Junk & Extra Possessions Before Open House

 Having to stumble over kids toys, teens sports equipment or your man’s tools can make anyone feel less interested in really seeing the rest of the home. Most people will have a hard time envisioning what your home’s interior spaces could be for their family when they are bombarded with your family’s personal style selections. Most real estate experts recommend presenting a more neutral design tone and color palette. Painting walls, finishing the floor, completing the basement room and installing new kitchen cabinets are all things to do that could raise the selling potential of your home substantially.

 

Learn How to Properly Stage a Home for Successful Sales

 Most of us have probably seen how television professional home experts stage a home to show the prospective buyers. While a very obvious personal style displayed could negatively impact someone’s first impressions, so too do too cold and impersonal indoor spaces. It is important to learn how to properly stage a home for a successful sale.

 Another option is to get in touch with a local company that offers these services. While this could be a little expensive, the end results could more than make up those initial pre-sale costs. These professional real estate home staging professionals will have the necessary accent touches that can seal a successful open house buyer offer. Taking the time to get your home into its best shape and condition possible should be every homeowner’s goal to improve the odds of a profitable sale.

6 Health and Safety Tips for Your Home, Kids and You

6 Health and Safety Tips for Your Home, Kids and You

A home is a family’s personal retreat. It’s a comfortable space where you can relax after a hard day’s work. And aside from that, it should be a haven where you feel utterly safe and harm-free. After all, this is where your life’s limelight resides – your children.

Suffice to say, children are too naïve to even tell the difference between safe play and unsafe play. So without further ado, keep your loved ones safe by ensuring these 6 health and safety home tips to keep everybody safe.

 

  1. Child-Proof the Entire House

Children sometimes don’t know the limits to play. And your role as a parent is to constantly monitor your little rascals at home. There have been thousands of children-choking instances due to parent negligence or kids injuring themselves due to falling. Go through these child-proofing ways you can do to your home:

  • Install corner bumpers to prevent your children from hitting their heads in stiff and sharp areas.
  • Install safety gates in the pathways, doorways, and stairs to keep them from hazardous areas. If you have a pool, make sure to block doorway entry as well.
  • Avoid cords that can possibly strangle your children.
  • Use covers, protectors or safety caps on electrical outlets.
  • Don’t plug too many cords on electrical outlets.
  • Unplug your electrical roller and hair dryers from outlets especially in the bathroom to avoid electrocution.
  • Store medicines in their appropriate bottles and label them correspondingly if necessary. This is extremely helpful for seniors.
  • Put safety latches on cabinet drawers to prevent curious children from getting their hands on hazardous products like mothballs.
  • When showering your child, ensure that you set the thermostat to 120 degrees only. Anything higher than that will burn your kids in a matter of seconds.
  • Do not leave small objects scattered on the floor or where they’re accessible to children.

 

  1. Install Fire Safety Measures

Unfortunately, children under five years old are the usual casualties in a residential fire. Although your kids’ school involves them in fire drills from time to time, keeping your children educated in case of fires at home will potentially save their lives in the future. Here are ways on how to fire-proof your home for your kids and everybody in it:

  • Install smoke detectors in every part of your home including the basement if necessary.
  • If you’re living with elderly people with hearing impairments in your home, invest in special smoke alarm systems to keep them safe at all times.
  • Check your alarm system twice a year. Replace the batteries if need be.
  • Replace old alarm systems.
  • Stick the local emergency numbers like the nearest fire station or police station in a conspicuous place.
  • Plan a fire escape route with your children and teach them the “stop, drop, and roll” method in case their clothes get caught with fire.
  • Practice fire drills with your children when they’re ready. Do it when they’re still half asleep.

 

  1. Prevent Allergens and Irritants

Children are more susceptible to indoor allergens and irritants than adults. Some examples of allergens are dust and dust mites, pet dander, mold, dirty rugs, carpets or pollen. Some examples of irritants are pesticides, cleaning product chemicals, paint fumes, outdoor air pollution, kerosene or indoor burning fuel, asbestos, radon, and carbon monoxide. Make sure your home is well ventilated by installing exhaust systems, air filtration systems, and humidifiers.

 

  1. Clean Regularly

And speaking of allergens and irritants, make sure that you avoid these by cleaning regularly. Processed wood products use formaldehyde which can cause watery and burning eyes, burning throats or even asthma attacks. In addition, carpets also hold harmful chemicals like VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Here’s how to keep the house free from environmental pollutants:

  • Avoid clutter to avoid dust particles.
  • Wash bed sheets, rugs, and carpets in hot water frequently.
  • Keep your furry pets well-groomed.
  • Regularly mop floors.
  • Replace your air filters regularly.
  • Use natural cleaning products as much as possible.

 

  1. Keep Hazardous Things Away

There are everyday things you use at home that can potentially harm you or your children. As you know, children can put anything they can grab into their mouths and it can cause serious choking and illnesses. Here are some of the daily hazardous things you must keep away from your little ones:

  • Pesticides
  • Mothballs
  • Lead paint
  • Air fresheners
  • Cleaning solutions
  • Cosmetic phthalates
  • Batteries

 

  1. Don’t Smoke Indoors

Second-hand smoke causes cancer. Hence, don’t ever smoke inside the house or near your children and other people. You’re not only damaging your lungs from chronic smoking but you’re also putting other people’s lives at risk. Set up a designated smoking area at home and make sure it’s outdoors and as far away from house doors and windows as possible.

 

A Safe Home for Your Family

A safe and clean home means a trusting and loving environment for your kids. Remember that their health and personal development start at home; so ensure that you foster positive ways as early as now to have a healthier and happier family.

 

Author Bio: Kerry Brooks, driven by the passion for blogging, writes about health, beauty, fashion, food, travel and more. She loves to spend her time travelling. She also blogs at KemperMedical, one of the leading national and global distributor of premium medical products including radiation protection products and radiology/ medical imaging supplies.

6 Strategies to Save Money on Your Home Office

6 Strategies to Save Money on Your Home Office

Like a growing and significant portion of the U.S. workforce, you may work from home all or part of the time. Consequently, you may have a home office. If that is the case, there are six strategies you will want to consider employing to save money on your home office.

 Stock Up During Sales

 As is the case with any worksite, whether it be a home office or a one located in a building somewhere else, you need supplies and materials to keep your office up and running. One important way in which you can save money on the operation of your home office to stock up on all manner of supplies when sales occur. Indeed, as part of setting up a home office at home, you should allocate a generous amount of closet space or part of your basement in which you can stow larger purchases of items obtained during sales. You can also make purchases in bulk from big box and membership stores as a means of saving money as well.

 Buy Pre-Owned Items

 You can also save money on the creation and operation of your home office by purchasing pre-owned or used items of all types. For example, you can conserve a good amount of money if you purchase pre-owned furnishings and even some equipment items for your home office.

 Take Advantage of Free Software Programs

 Many people who work from home end up spending a considerable amount of money every year on software applications of different types. Some specific types of software may be an absolute must depending on the business you are in. However, there are other types of applications that don’t require such specificity. When it comes to types of software for which you do have flexibility, consider taking advantage of free software programs and offerings when they are available as a means of trimming your overall home office budget.

 Keep Your Home Office Organized

 Efficiency is important in any work environment. Unlike an office in a building or other “communal” setting, at a home office there is no one else who may be concerned about keeping order in your workspace. With that said, by maintaining a strong sense of order in your home office, you necessarily increase efficiency. By increasing efficiency, you save money and increase your bottom line during the course of a year.

 Control Energy Use and Cost

 Pay attention to heat and cooling settings associated with your home office. For example, as would be the case in an office outside your home, when your home office is not in use, make sure that you adjust the heating or cooling associated with the space accordingly. Over the course of a year, being conscious of heating and cooling use, and regulating it appropriately, can save you a decent amount of money on the overall operation of your residential workspace.

 Use Available Tax Deductions

 Finally, you can save money on your home office by being certain to take advantage of all available tax deductions. These include deductions for all business expenses associated with working from home, including the costs associated with stocking up on work supplies as discussed previously.

 You also need to take advantage of the tax deduction that may be available for your home office itself. Provided you’ve designated a specific space in your home for your workspace only, you likely will be able to deduct that portion of your rent or mortgage payment associated with the space in your home dedicated to your office.

 

Taking advantage of most or all of these strategies can prove beneficial. By doing so, you can end up with a significant overall savings on the operation of your home office every year.

Get Ready for the Waste Management Phoenix Open

Get Ready for the Waste Management Phoenix Open

Whether you live in Scottsdale full-time or are just a snowbird, one of the biggest local events of the year is the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The People’s Open is the most popular and well-attended golf tournament in the world and is a popular attraction along the PGA Tour. This year’s event will be the 84th annual open, making it one of the five oldest stops on the PGA Tour.

Tickets for the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, which is scheduled for January 28 to February 3 at TPC Scottsdale, are on sale now. General admissions prices range from

  • $45 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
  • $60 on Saturday and Sunday

The Kadima Ventures Pro-Am will be free on Monday due to a sponsorship from Desert Ford Dealers, and Tuesday’s practice rounds are free due to Ford Free Days.

There are also various hospitality packages available for those looking to spice up their visit, with different viewing options and perks per package.

The Member’s Club package provides four members badges that offer access to the Members Club tents, a parking pass, and free lunch, beer, wine, and snacks. It’s $150 per person for Monday through Sunday and $175 per person for Thursday through Sunday.

The Greenskeeper package is another package capped at four badges with a valet parking pass and access to complimentary breakfast and lunch buffet, snacks, and open bar. You can also add on a reserved table in the Greenskeeper venue or upgrade to the Greenskeeper Cabana package, which provides access for 12 people with two valet parking passes and a cabana that has a patio with lounge seating. It’s $250 per person for Monday through Sunday and $350 per person for Thursday through Sunday.

The Clubhouse package offers either a four-pack or six-pack option, which offers access to the Clubhouse with a complimentary continental breakfast, lunch buffet, and an open bar and two valet parking passes. The additional Clubhouse credentials package is $350 per person, with a limit of four, for Wednesday through Sunday, and the single person Clubhouse credentials package is $450 per person, with a minimum of four, for Wednesday through Sunday.

The Chairman’s Club package offers one ticket to go to nine different venues as you choose and see whatever you’d like to see, when you’d like to see it. It costs $6,500 per badge.

Don’t forget to also check out the Birds Nest Concert series, which is available Wednesday through Saturday. The Coors Light Birds Nest tent offers the festival, which is part of what makes this stop on the PGA Tour so memorable and unique. Four nights of getting down and dancing with friends will make this event something you remember fondly. Wednesday’s set will feature Old Dominion, Midland, and Brandon Lay; Thursday’s set will feature Jake Owen, Lee Brice, and Michael Ray; Friday’s set will feature The Chainsmokers, Snoop Dogg, and Kelley James; and Saturday’s set will feature Martin Garrix, DJ Vice, and Justin Mylo. Currently Thursday and Friday are sold out.

When heading out to the event, plan to carpool with your friends or take an Uber or Lyft if you’re thinking of drinking. Arizona takes pride in it’s tough DUI laws, and sets up a number of checkpoints to keep drivers and pedestrians safe.

Free public parking available in Lot at Loop 101 and Hayden Road. There will be free shuttles available from the lots to the tournament gates from:

  • 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday
  • 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday
  • 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday

From Wednesday through Saturday, you can find additional free parking at WestWorld in Lot W at 94th Street and Bell Road. From Lot W, you’ll find free shuttles from:

  • 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday
  • 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

 

11 Things To Change Over Before You Move

11 Things To Change Over Before You Move

Different office movers say, if you’re planning on moving to a new city, you might be wondering about the things that you need to switch over before the move. Throughout this article, you’ll learn more about what you need to change and who you should contact to do just that.

 

 Change Your Address

To notify the post office, you can either fill out the needed paperwork at your local post office or make the change online through the USPS website. In order to make sure that you get your mail, experts recommend that you fill out the paperwork at least 30 days before you move out.

 

 Utilities

As you move to a new city, transferring your utilities is extremely important. This includes electricity, water, gas, cable/internet, and trash removal. Arrange to have those services turned off by the end of the day on the day that you move out.

 

 Doctors

Before you move, have a chat with your current doctor and see if they can refer you to another physician in your new town. After you’ve picked a new physician, ask them to transfer your medical records over to ensure a smooth transition.

 

 Banks

Consider moving your funds and accounts to a local bank, just in case you ever need to make use of the local branch.

 

 Credit Card Companies

Notifying your credit card companies of your address change is very important, and can often be done online.

 

Employers

Give your employer at least a month’s notice that you’re moving, so they have enough time to fill your position. Also, your boss is going to need your new address in order to mail your tax information.

 

Insurance Companies

Contact your providers for health insurance, life insurance, car insurance, and homeowners insurance in order to switch the addresses. You may even have to get new insurances, depending on the company.

 

Landlord

If you’re unsure when to notify your landlord, go over your lease agreement well in advance in order to adhere to the time period stated. Be sure to notify them in writing and include the day that you’re moving out. Just in case, document the condition of the apartment so you can have the best chance of getting your security deposit back.

 

DMV

At least 10-30 days before you move, contact your local DMV so you can transfer your driver’s license and update your vehicle’s registration and insurance.

 

The IRS

The IRS needs your new address so they can send you essential tax documents and to so they can have it on file for tax refunds. Notifying them can usually be done online.

 

Church

Churches can often help you find a new church in your new location. Also, they can recommend groups for you to get involved in so you can successfully transition into a new congregation.

 

Whether you’re moving across town or a long distance move, moving is stressful. But, if you plan accordingly, you’ll experience less stress along the way. Soon enough, you’ll be able to get on with your new life in your new town without any worries weighing on your mind.

3 Things You Should Do To Prepare Your House For Viewings

3 Things You Should Do To Prepare Your House For Viewings

Preparing a property for viewings is no easy task as anyone who’s ever tried to sell a home can tell you. Keeping your house in order once you’ve prepped everything is even harder, especially if you have children. Everyday life doesn’t stop just because you want to put your house on the market. These three tips can help you make the preparation part of selling your home a little easier.

Make Sure Everything Works

It’s time to think like a buyer, even if you’ve just gotten used to the idea of being a seller. There’s no one person who knows the good and bad of your home better than you. With that in mind, take a walk-through of your home with the mindset of a potential buyer. What buttons would you push to test things out? What oddities would make you cringe?

Develop a list of items that need to be fixed, changed, painted, or updated, as well as any accessibility modifications that are required and get to work. Ideally, you should begin making repairs before you decide to put your house on the market. However, if you do contact a realtor beforehand, they will be able to assist you with potential problem areas.

Stage It

There’s a certain art to staging a home in preparation for sale. Professional stagers get paid a pretty penny to help potential buyers see themselves living in your space, which is the entire point of the staging exercise. If you don’t want to pay that pretty penny, you’ll need to think like a stager and DIY.

One of the first things stagers look for in a home is the amount of furnishings. In many cases, they will remove half or more of the family’s furniture. This may seem drastic, but it opens up the house and makes it look larger, which is half the battle when prepping a home for sale.

Keep it Tidy

The other half of the battle is keeping the house tidy until it sells. Begin by controlling clutter. Organize closets, desks, counters, and tables, and make sure your family knows where to put things. Get help with vacuuming, dusting, and bathroom cleaning chores. All members of your family will benefit from the sale of your home, so everybody should pitch in. Above all, trust in your realtor and keep the lines of communication open. It won’t be long before potential buyers come pouring in.