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Author: Richard

Important Tips for Preparing Your Home for Sale

As the housing industry continues to strengthen, so will the number of homes that will go up for sale. However, simply having the opportunity to sell in a good market isn’t enough to receive a great outcome. One of the most important things you need to complete before placing your home for sale is prep. Prep can be a number of things, and understandably might be confusing for some. Therefore, here are a few important tips for preparing your home for sale.

 

Pressure Washing

Over time various parts of your home’s exterior will begin to collect dust, grime, and everything in between. However, you might be so used to it that you may not even see certain parts as dirty. One of the most common areas that would definitely need to be pressure washed is your home’s driveway. Weather, harsh chemicals, and dirty car tires are just a few of the things that can make your driveway an eyesore for potential buyers. You may also pressure wash other areas of your home, such as the exterior walls and walkways that lead to your front door.

Organize Those Closets

One of the biggest selling points for a home is its storage capabilities. When buyers are walking around your home, you should make it a point to organize your closet as best as possible. Doing so will allow them to see that not only can it hold plenty of clothes and objects but potential as well. This should also be applied to other areas of the home, such as the kitchen.

Remove Cobwebs

You wouldn’t think so, but cobwebs are extremely difficult to spot if you’re not looking directly at them. Therefore, it is paramount that you go in search of these hidden cobwebs before your buyers see them. One of the most common places they like to hang out around and within is your light fixtures. Because people don’t usually stop and stare at a light bulb, they will often go unnoticed.

Don’t Stock up on Candles To Remove Smells

Everyone likes a great-smelling home, right? A common mistake made by home sellers is suddenly running to their nearest big box store to stock up on scented candles and plugins. However, expert real estate agents state that it’s better to have a neutralized-smelling home. Buyers may not like that pine forest smell or coffee aroma. You can accomplish a neutralized-smelling home by simply hiring a carpet cleaning service to clean and deodorize carpets and furniture. 

When it comes to making sure that your home sells fast, prepping is the best route to take. Therefore, it is highly recommended that homeowners adhere to the tips listed above before placing their homes on the market.

 

Home Security Basics

Having an effective home security system is one of the best ways to make sure that you and your family are protected. Such a system may prevent someone from breaking into your home and stealing your belongings, but there is much more to it. Modern-day home security systems are capable of doing much more than protecting material possessions. They can also protect you from fire and carbon monoxide. They may even be able to help an elderly loved one maintain their freedom by alerting emergency services in the event of a fall.

Start With Good Locks

Basic home security starts with the locks on your windows and doors. There are a wide variety of locks to choose from, and installing them properly is a job for a qualified professional locksmith. Do your homework to find the most trustworthy service in your area.

 

Types of Home Security Systems

These days, you can get almost any type of home security system you want. The most basic systems are often designed to deter entry into the home. They usually also alert you to an open door or window by making an audible noise. However, they may or may not be linked to a monitoring system that alerts police, fire, and emergency medical services if needed. On the other side of the spectrum, the most advanced systems monitor every point of access to your home and provide cameras to monitor the property. They also incorporate smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. These systems are typically monitored twenty-four hours a day and can be directly connected to local emergency services so that they are automatically dispatched if an alarm goes off. As previously mentioned, many of the more advanced systems also have motion detectors that can be worn to keep vulnerable individuals safer in the event of a fall or other medical emergency.

 

Tailoring Your System to Fit Your Needs

The most basic security system may not necessarily provide much protection. However, you may be wondering if you really need the most advanced system money can buy. In reality, most people choose something in the middle. In fact, it’s best if you tailor the system you choose to fit your individual needs. You’ll likely be excited to learn that in many cases, you can even handle the installation yourself. That’s right, you may not need to hire someone to do it all for you. These days, it’s possible to purchase the equipment and pay a nominal monthly monitoring fee, all while completing the installation yourself.

 

 

You may feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of options you have at your disposal. The good news is that there is really no need to be. It wasn’t all that long ago that you had to pay a company to come out and install a home security system, paying rather exorbitant fees in order to do so. That is no longer the case. Today’s systems allow you to take full control when it comes to protecting your family and your home. All you have to do is get started.

Top Costly Mistakes To Avoid While Remodeling Your Home

Top Costly Mistakes To Avoid While Remodeling Your Home

Remodeling your home, particularly the kitchen and bathrooms, can not only add value but also give you considerable comfort and pleasure. And yet, remodeling horror stories abound. If you don’t want to be the lead character in a remodeling horror story, avoid the top four mistakes homeowners make.

Hiring a contractor too quickly

Even if a contractor is referred by a friend or neighbor, you still need to interview them for your particular job. What your friend considers outstanding work may not meet your standards.

Does the contractor have the required licensing, experience, and awareness for the job you want. It’s best to hire a contractor who lives and or works in your city because codes vary from city to city. That way, they are likely to be familiar with the inspection process.

Ask for photos of past work and references. Then actually call the references and ask the best and worst experiences they had in working with this contractor. A key question is did he show up on time or call when he was delayed.

Be clear on what you want, and be sure it’s stated in your written agreement.

Be sure your written agreement spells out when the work will begin and when it is projected to end, and at which stages payments will be made.

Trusting your contractor to find all the subcontractors.

While you may hire a contractor to do the big jobs, you don’t have to use all the subcontractors recommended by your contractor. Interview them too and decide for yourself if they are a good match for you.

Do the work to find your own workers for the parts your main contractor doesn’t do, especially when you’re doing a major remodeling that involves flooring, painting, all new appliances, electrical rewiring, plumbing and more.

Top Costly Mistakes To Avoid While Remodeling Your Home

Leaving too many decisions up to the contractor.

The contractor may know construction and tools, but only you know what you want. You get to decide where you want the electrical outlets and the type of light fixtures. If you leave these up to many contractors, they’ll just install the cheapest or most convenient for them to attain.

No matter how detailed your written agreement, there will be many small decisions to make along the way.

The biggest mistake you can make when remodeling is being unavailable and inaccessible while the work is being done.

This is NOT a time to take a vacation. If possible, stay in your home or nearby. Give the contractor your cell phone, so you can be easily reached. Monitor the progress and ask questions immediately about work that seems to be out of keeping with what you agreed to. Don’t add new tasks as the contractor goes along unless you want to modify the written agreement and add to the costs.

Don’t sign off and pay the final payment until you are satisfied that the work has been done according to your agreement.When you avoid these four common mistakes, remodeling your home can be a timely and satisfying experience.

How Do You Choose The Right Carpet Cleaning Company Near You

How to Choose The Right Carpet Cleaning Company

When it comes to carpet cleaning at home, you want to choose the right carpet cleaning company. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps that you must take before choosing a carpet cleaning company. Carpets require regular cleaning due to natural wear, spills, and other phenomena. If you have children or pets, carpet cleaning will likely be carried out more often than not. That’s why it is important to choose the right carpet cleaning company for your needs. Below are some things you can consider when choosing a carpet cleaning company near your area.

Experience

Everyone can create a company that does everything, but not everyone can manage the company of the expected quality, so make sure that the cleaning company can confirm their experience. You must be careful that the experience is not necessarily the job that you want, so explain that you must do what you can boast of.

References

Every good cleaning company will have References to support your business, so ask for some names you can call and double-check the company or check the website for links. Under the new rules, the ASA is prohibited from making false advertisements, so if you find a suspect, go out and find someone else. Also, talk with people in your area because there will be many people who can be reached, and although they may be more expensive, at least you will know that good work will be ensured.

Range of Services

Although you may want to clean your antique carpet, a company that you think can do it; you may not be able to do it, so make sure you are specific with what you want and tell the cleaners everything you may need to ask wisely before making an offer. Also, when they get home, make sure you expect them to do what they were told because collecting extra work and paying them will not work very well.

Cost / Availability

There is an old saying that you pay for what you get in life, and although this may be true, you sometimes have to approach more broadly when it comes to choosing the right company and getting the best price. The best cleaning companies invest in equipment of the highest quality, which means that they will be more expensive, so it is important to calculate the cost of work and the quality that you will get based on the results.

Cleaning Technique and Solutions

Hazardous chemicals and solutions that pollute the environment and cause health problems are used to clean carpets. Therefore, it is better to choose a company that uses environmentally friendly solutions and equipment. These solutions are not only beneficial to human health and the environment but also play an important role in extending the life of your carpets.

It is important to obtain a written agreement before cleaning the carpet. You want to make sure that the carpet is effectively cleaned as recommended by the company. If the company tries to charge you extra, you will have a written contract. When choosing a carpet cleaning company, make sure you get the best service at the best price. You can be sure that your carpet will be cleaned and look new.

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