What To Repair Before You List

When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the upmost 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 five 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 An outdated kitchen can be a real eyesore in a home.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

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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What To Repair Before You List

The Dangers of Radon in Your Colorado Home

Radon is cancer-causing radioactive gas that you can’t see, taste, or smell and 50% of homes in Colorado have high levels of radon.  It’s in the Colorado soil and can typically move up through the soil to the air in your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can be a problem in ANY home whether it’s old, new, drafty, or well-sealed. According to the Surgeon General, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, next to cigarette smoke. If you are a smoker or former smoker and your home has high levels of radon, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

If you are a current homeowner, I strongly recommend testing your home for this carcinogenic gas especially if your family spend lots of time in areas such as offices, bedrooms, and family rooms in the basements.

For more information about radon, how to test for it, and how to mitigate, click here. Get a coupon for a free radon testing kit here.

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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The Dangers of Radon in Your Colorado Home

FIVE THINGS THAT FACTOR INTO COMPS

You may think that sale price is the only factor when you’re looking at comps and trying to set a price for your listing. But it’s actually a bit more complicated. Here are five things that affect comps that you might not be aware of.

 1. New construction nearby: Because of low prices for lots and varying prices in home building materials, new homes can actually be cheaper and cost less per square foot than existing homes. If there’s a lot of new construction nearby, that can affect the price for your own listing.

 2. Renovations: Recently renovated homes typically sell for more than homes that haven’t been updated in a while. If you’ve recently upgraded your home—especially sought-after upgrades like the kitchen or master bath—your home should be priced appropriately.

 3. Developable lots: Not all lots are created equal. Even if the square acreage is the same, a lot that’s easily developable will get a better price than a hilly or rocky lot that needs a lot of preparation.

 4. Sales price of similar homes in the neighborhood. 

 5. Location: Proximity to schools, busy streets, and upscale grocery stores can have a profound effect on property values.

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 THINGS THAT FACTOR INTO COMPS

Anti Burglar Tips for Sellers

A House with the For Sale sign can be targets for criminals and squatters. Use the tips below to protect your property while its on the market.

Realtor.com suggests that you mark your valuables and record details. Use invisible-ink pens or engravers to mark identifying information (driver’s license or state ID numbers) on items. Log serial numbers and take photos of your belongings. Check to see if your police department participates in the Operation Identification program. They will have stickers for you to place on doors or windows warning would-be thieves that your items are marked. These steps may prevent them from pawning or selling stolen items and can help you reclaim recovered belongings.

If the home is empty, inform your neighbor the house is going on the market and to report anyone other than your real estate agent showing up to view the home after hours.

Make it look like you are home regularly, especially if the property is empty. Invest in lightening apps that can be controlled by your phone, or lamps that pop on at sunset.

A well manicured lawn usually means that the home is occupied but overflowing newspapers, and packages that accumulate by the front door is usually a tell tell sign that the home is empty.

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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Anti Burglar Tips for Sellers

The Top 3 Reasons That Turn Off Potential Buyers

As a real estate agent I have shown hundreds of homes and held tons of open houses. This gives me first hand knowledge to buyer's comments and reactions. One thing that is consistent with ALL potential buyers, judgement of homes are made immediately. So, if you are planning to put your home on the market, be aware of  things that could quickly turn away buyers, even in a seller's market.

Top 3 reasons:

• 70% of buyers are turned off by stained wall & ceilings, and damp patches.  
• 65% of home buyers are turned off by properties that are in need of major repairs 
• 56% of home buyers are turned off by cigarette and pet odors. 

Other Turnoffs

• Overpricing your home (buyers won't even bother looking at your home if the asking price is clearly higher that comparables in the neighborhood)
• Cluttered rooms
• Sellers who stick around when buyers are viewing the home
• Bad DIY (exposed wires, holes in walls, chipped paint)
• Not enough parking spaces 
• Poor natural lightening
• Old inefficient heating and air systems
• A small kitchen
• Outdated bathrooms & kitchens
• Bright & unusual colored walls
• Deceptive listing descriptions 
• Not enough storage space

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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The Top 3 Reasons That Turn Off Potential Buyers