What To Repair Before You List

When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the utmost importance to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and fix up some of its possible weaknesses can make a big difference in how fast it sells. Here are our top four recommended repairs to make before selling your home.

Repaint walls.

Giving your home a fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to spruce it up, and generally, it can be a do-it-yourself project. Make sure cover any walls with scratches and chips and consider updating any accent walls with a more neutral coat.

Repair floors.

Hardwood floors are a very desirable feature in a home, so you want to ensure they look their best by fixing scratches or dull areas. If your carpet is worn or stained, consider replacing them. And don’t forget the tile in your kitchen or bathrooms. Re-grouting can go a long way in making dingy tile work look brand new!

Refresh the landscaping.

Show buyers your home is the full package by dressing up the outside as well as the in. Clean walkways and driveways, plant seasonal flowers and plants, trim hedges and trees, install outdoor décor pieces and fill in mulch and gravel.

Fix your fixtures.

Leaky faucet? Rusted drains? Loose drawer handle? Making these small fixes can make a big difference to potential buyers with detailed-orientated minds. Improve your kitchen. An outdated kitchen can be a real eyesore in a home. Updating cabinetry, repairing or replacing countertops, and installing new faucets and sinks may be worth the investment

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What To Repair Before You List

3 Reasons Stopping You From Owning A Home In 2018

2018 is the year you want to become a homeowner but below are some popular reasons you are still renting: 

• Low Credit Score

You can buy a home with a credit score of 500, however, you will need 20% down payment. Speak with a mortgage consultant who can help you raise your credit score FREE of charge.  The higher your credit score, the better loan programs, and in some cases, lower down payment cost.  So contact me, if you need a mortgage consultant referral, your credit score could be on its way up in as little as a few weeks or a couple of months depending upon your situation.  

• Waiting for the Market to Settle

I can't tell you how many times that I have heard this response.  The reality is that Colorado has a thriving economy, with low unemployment rate. Companies are moving here and people are moving here for the jobs, the quality of life, and as a result, the demand for housing is greater than the supply.  In December of 2015, the median home sales for Colorado was $310k, in December 2017, it was $371k.  If you purchased a home just 3 years ago, you will have acquired approximately 60k in equity.

• Locked in the Leasing Cycle

Planning and preparation are all it takes to break the leasing cycle, but sometimes people underestimate this process and start looking too late.  If your lease ends in May, you will need to notify your landlord by March, which means that you need to start the home buying process approximately six weeks before you plan to give notice or in this scenario, late Jan, early Feb. If you find your perfect home in March, a 30-day closing takes you into April, and your first mortgage payment is due in May.  Another option is to rent month to month for 1-3 months until you find a new home. Rent will be higher but it is better than signing another 12-18 month lease if your desire is to be a homeowner.

If 2018 is your year to start earning some equity, give me a jingle.  

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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3 Reasons Stopping You From Owning A Home In 2018

FIVE FALL HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS

These simple maintenance tasks can save you from expensive repairs and big headaches over the next few months.

 1. Take care of hoses and faucets: Disconnect your hoses before the freezing temperatures arrive, because they can cause water to back up in your faucets—and eventually cause the plumbing to crack. Then, if possible, shut off the valves for your exterior faucets.

 2. Winterize the lawn mower: Either run the mower dry, or use a fuel stabilizer to prevent the gas in your mower from degrading and damaging the engine.

 3. Clean the gutters: Twigs and leaves will build up in your gutters throughout the fall. Make sure to clean the gutters before there’s heavy snow, because the weight of both the leaves and the melting snow could cause the gutters to break away from the house.

 4. Get the furnace ready: Your best bet is to call in a professional to give the furnace a tune up, but at the very least you should change the filters.

 5. Inspect the roof: As snow accumulates and melts from your roof, it can cause major water damage if the roof isn’t in good shape. Look for loose shingles, rust, moss—anything that could lead to decay or water damage. It’s best to be proactive with your roof—repairs can be extremely expensive—so don’t hesitate to call a roofing professional if necessary. It’s worth it in the long run!

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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FIVE FALL HOME MAINTENANCE TIPS

How I Help Home Buyers Alleviate Stress

Purchasing a home can be a stressful experience, whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve been through the process before. But that’s one of the reasons that working with a real estate professional like myself is so worthwhile. With my guidance, buying a home will be enjoyable, rather than stressful. Here are some of the more unique circumstances where as your buyer's agent can make your life much easier.

Out-of-town buyers: If you’re looking for vacation homes or moving to a job in a new city, there’s a good chance that viewing homes will be difficult—you could be a long drive or even a plane ride away. With today’s video messaging apps like Skype or Facetime, you can view properties virtually. It’s not the same as walking through in person, but it will at least give you an idea about whether a property is worth pursuing further.

When life is just too crazy: If you’re just getting too busy with everything else going on in your life, I usually tell my clients to take a few weeks off from your home search to recharge, or only focus on properties that exactly fit their wants list.

Inspection issues: You’re dreaming about move-in day, and then some unforeseen issues turn up during inspection. As your agent, I will help you by negotiating a lower offer—to cover costs of repairs—or by getting the seller to fix the problem.  

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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How I Help Home Buyers Alleviate Stress

2017 Denver Parade of Homes

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Denver Parade of Home Tour presented by the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver. The tour showcased 66 state of the art, energy efficient homes with unique floor plans, and the latest interior and exterior design finishes. Whether you are a home buyer seeking a no maintenance town home, a custom build, a luxury home, a smart home, or searching for a 55+ community, there was a home for you.  

Some of the design trends I noticed:

Glass & More Glass|Window towers brought more lights into interior units/townhomes & added a more spacious feel.

Spa Feel to Bathrooms| Free standing tubs, larger showers and glass enclosed water closests.

Outdoor Living Spaces| Transitioning seamlessly from the interior, rooftop decks, adjacent to master bedrooms

Next Generation Homes| full living spaces for in-laws or grandparents with separate entrances.

Weather Sensing Irrigation| Automatic timers and weather sensing irrigation, your landscaped yards will be healthier and you save money as well as reduce the amount of water used. 

Spray Foam Insulation| Greatly reduces costs for heating and cooling and well as decreases noise, dust, pollen, and other outdoor pollutant that can adversely affect indoor air quality. 

Don't rule out new build homes.  Price wise they are comparable to resales, customize-able, and in some cases move in ready.  If I can be of help in making a new build a reality, please give me a call.

When buying or selling a home in the Denver metro area, contact Delilah,

 and let me put my knowledge, experience, expertise, and professionalism to work for you. 

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2017 Denver Parade of Homes