Bathroom Makeover Tips for Staying on Budget

For several months, I have been contemplating a bathroom makeover for the master bathroom in my home.  The size of the bathroom is sufficient, but I want to make it more functional.  I have an older home and "function is job one" for me.  The bathroom "boasts" (I use that term lightly) a jetted tub that I hate!  I never use it (it takes forever to drain) - so pretty much all it does is collect dust and is difficult to clean.  I want to remove the tub, make my shower larger and more luxurious (rainmaker showerhead, nice fixtures, a shower seat and nice shower doors) since that is what we use and enjoy.  I want to replace my pedestal sink with one that has a cabinet for extra storage and add something like a dresser or a piece of furniture of some kind that will give it a warm look while, again, adding storage. Oh, and I want a mini chandelier - I just have to have one!  Finally, I would like to tile the walls to some extent and replace the vinyl floor with tile or wood. 
So with my budget of $5,000 in mind, I began checking out what some of the home centers have to offer and how much things cost and it soon became evident that I may have to find different ways to achieve the look I want in order to stay within my budget.  For instance, instead of having a tiled shower, I could install a prefab shower and kind of frame it with tile on the wall around it.  I'd seen it online and it would save a lot of money, but the impact would be the same. 
I came across this article in HouseLogic, 7 Smart Strategies for Bathroom Remodeling, which illustrates just what I'm talking about.  It offers bathroom makeover tips that can help you stay within your budget and leave you satisfied with the result. 

 

7 Smart Strategies for Bathroom Remodeling

Outdoor Spaces Extend Curb Appeal

Thinking of putting your home on the market?  There's something you should know. According to the Chief Economist at the American Institute of Architects, outdoor living spaces have become a "must-have" among home buyers.

  A cozy outdoor space where friends and family can gather will increase curb appeal, extend living area, and lets the home buyer imagine the possibilities and lifestyle they can have.

 

Think about it.  When I tell friends that in my neighborhood, our parties and gatherings are always outdoor in someone's backyard, sitting around a fire,  I hear the oohs and aahs!   It sounds wonderful.  That's the feeling you want can create and your home will stand out among the competition.   Following are some creative ideas for different budgets that will spruce up your outdoors.  Read more

When You Make An Offer to Purchase A Home...Go The Distance

When a client is ready to make an Offer to Purchase on a home, one of the first things I do is determine how realistically the asking price is.  This is important because the closer asking price is to market value, the closer the agreed upon purchase price will be to that number, except in cases of hardship.  To determine market value,  I look at comparable sales in the last six months, days on market, whether the home has received other offers, tax value, and local market conditions, to name a few.   I present my finding to the buyer client in order to help them determine a good opening offer.

Of course it's human nature to want to get the best deal possible, I get that.  But the purpose of making an offer is, at the very least, to get the seller to counter offer, if not accept.  So if the home is priced relatively close to market value, and your initial offer is ridiculously low, the only thing you will have accomplished will be to have insulted the seller who'll shut you down.  

As an agent, I wish for homes to be priced correctly because they are easier to sell.  As a buyer, you have to be able to recognize it when it happens and react accordingly.  Your agent has done a lot of work to help you achieve your goal of finding a home in your price range that meets your needs; has done all the paperwork necessary to make an offer; and has researched comparable properties and market conditions so you can make an educated offer.  If you are a serious buyer, go the distance.  Consider all the information given to you by your agent and negotiate intelligently.  If both buyer and seller are committed, it should result in a meeting of the minds and an accepted offer.

Preparing for the Year to Come

Trying to be a successful real estate agent, you are faced with many circumstances out of your control.  We are all taught the harder you work, the more successful you will become.  Coming up in the corporate world, this appeared to be true.  Real estate is quite a different animal in the respect that you have to work extremely hard for several years before you even start reaping the rewards.  And when I say work hard, I mean every day.  It would help if the economy, something I have no control over, would cooperate!  In the beginning of my career as an agent, and even to this day, it is sometimes hard to stay positive during the down times when I am not doing as much business as I would like.  But in this business, you have to stay focused and positive and keep at it no matter what, and in the end it will pay off. 
Christmas and the New Year holidays are fast approaching and as a real estate agent in coastal North Carolina, this time of year signals a slow down in real estate sales which usually lasts until at minimum the end of March.  These times used to be so very hard for me to take.  I'd question my ability as an agent and my career choice, but once the season started up again, I fell was back in the ring and understood why I enjoy selling real estate and helping people so much.  So now that I have become a more experienced agent, I use this time to prepare myself for the New Year; take aim at what I want to accomplish and put a plan in place to achieve my goals in helping buyers and sellers achieve theirs.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you in 2014    

Purchase Process Should Be Positive

In my opinion, home ownership is very important and a great source of pride and joy.  Because it is such a wonderful thing, as a real estate agent I believe the purchase process needs to be a positive experience as well - sort of like a prelude of good things to come.  This is not always possible as the purchase process has become somewhat complicated with demanding lenders, confusing paperwork and sometimes difficult negotiations.  What I try to do is take one step at a time and without drama handle each issue and solve each crisis as it presents itself.  It also helps to prepare buyers and sellers for what to expect, and things to consider when dealing with issues to keep them from turning into larger, stressful problems.  Purchasing a home is a collaboration of sorts, between people working toward the same goal (for different reasons) and if you are smart and remain realistic about what is important, it should be a successful, stress-free, positive experience and good start to the next chapter of your life.

Home Trends to Get Bolder in 2014

Home Trends to Get Bolder in 2014 

Real Estate Agents Bring A Lot To The Table

The internet has changed the way business we business, and in fact has made many jobs obsolete.  With the abundance of real estate information available online, one would expect the need for real estate agents to dwindle but actually the opposite has occurred.  The number of agents was definitely diminished by the crash in the market, but according to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of buyers retained an agent in 2012, up from 69% in 2001; On the seller side, just 9% sold a home without using an agent, down from 20% in 1987.  There are some good reasons why real estate brokers still exist.  

 

Generally speaking, REALTORS* bring a lot to the table. They bring their knowledge, but maybe more importantly, they bring their insight and experience.  Since the crash in the real estate market, not only have lenders tightened their standards, but real estate transactions have gotten much more complicated and continue to do so.  Agents can match you up with local lenders who have successfully worked through circumstances similar to yours.  They can negotiate tricky contracts and will guide you through the real estate transaction, all the while looking out for your interests and making it as stress-free as possible.

They also have special insight into neighborhoods and specific communities that you cannot get from a website and can introduce some options that you would not have known existed had you not been working with an agent.  For example, a buyer I worked with was looking for a vacation home and asked to see available homes in a particular neighborhood.  After listening to what his wants were and getting to know him better, I finally got him to look at a home in a different community that I thought might be a better fit.  I was pretty sure he would love the community and I knew that one home in particular, had a great floor plan.  I finally got him to agree to see it, and he and his wife purchased that home and are extremely happy with their choice.

Another buyer was sure he could find a home and navigate the real estate process on his own and really just wanted me to get him into the houses he had chosen.  Again, after listening to him and getting to know what he was looking for, I showed him some options that he did not know existed, but really fell in love with.

In closing, do not under estimate the importance of a real estate agent and what they bring to the table.  Do your homework on the internet and be as familiar with your target market as possible. Then find an agent that you can work with and commit to them.  They will surely be committed to you and will positively impact your real estate experience.