Real Estate

Pro and Cons of Buying a Fixer Upper

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Buying a home can seem long and at times, tedious, but you want to make sure you make the right choice when it comes to your new home! With so many options on the market, you may want to decide a few big decisions first, before diving into smaller and vast options for homes. One of the “big-picture” choices you can make is whether to buy a place in need of remodeling because it may be more affordable. With that in mind, there are also some cons to purchasing a fixer upper rather than a move-in ready place. Let’s go through the pros and cons so that you can make the best decision for you!

Pros of buying a fixer upper

Before we get into any details, let’s explain the definition of a fixer upper. In simple words, it is a cheaper apartment, condo or home, requires some or a lot of remodeling. This option is not appealing to everyone, as spending your money on a property that does not promise much does not sound very appealing. However, there are some advantages to choosing this option.

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Home Sellers

How to Optimize Home Staging for Virtual Home Buying

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Home staging is the revamping, repairing and redecorating of a property to make it as attractive to prospective buyers as possible. The idea behind it is to showcase a property at its best and to help viewers see past it being someone else’s home and rather envision it as their own!

The novel coronavirus pandemic has made searching online and virtual tours a necessity. Real estate has embraced this virtual world, so if you’re using home staging to sell homes, you may need to change your tactics to suit the digital market. Take a look at our ideas for making your listings more attractive to buyers:

Basic Home Staging Advice

A lot of home staging advice applies to in-person and online situations. Here’s what to do before you open up your house and showcase it to any interested parties or prospective purchasers.

·  Get Cleaning: The cardinal rule before you show any space that you want to sell is to get it as spotless as possible. All surfaces need to gleam!

·  Declutter and Depersonalize: You’re selling the space and not the stuff inside it. The home needs to be a blank canvas where a lead can imagine themselves living in it.

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Family Home

Creating Your At-home Classroom

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As many parents adapt to their children learning from home, the idea of the ideal workspace for kids is coming up more and more. We take a look at five steps to creating the perfect at-home classroom that will make your child learn, grow and have fun!

1. Ask the student

What inspires your child to their best and get excited about learning? No one knows better than the student themselves! Although you may already know their answer, go ahead and ask what they would like to do while at school. Maybe they like to play outside or bake in the kitchen. You can work those fun activities into your classroom with using baking to learn fractions or using outdoor games to learn new skills. Just like adults, children will want to focus on things more if it’s something they have fun doing at the same time.

2. Provide consistency 

It’s important to establish a sense of security and routine during school days. Even though you want them to enjoy their workplace, they also need to know it is meant for learning. Try to set-up a specific spot for backpacks, books and computers so that they know exactly where things are and that the space is similar to their classroom at school. Doing this will also help keep your home organized throughout the day!

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Real Estate

A Guide to Property Managers Going virtual

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There are many ways for property managers to try to mitigate the dangers of COVID-19 for residents, staff members and themselves. It is seriously important to keep up to date on public health guidelines, and below are seven tips to help steer you and help you thrive through these challenging times.

Prioritize Maintenance

Your duties as a property manager vary. During COVID-19 you will need to limit physical contact between maintenance staff and residents. When maintenance issues arise consider whether the problem is life-threatening or if it is an immediate threat to the property before dispatching employees. If the issue can be resolved virtually use that option. Routine maintenance on building mechanicals should continue to be done to avoid larger problems that may require more physical contact.

Cleaning 

Be aware of health department guidelines about cleaning product efficacy. Disinfectants must be applied using a strategy that minimizes your employees contact with the chemicals. Provide protective gear like masks, gloves, eye coverings and for some products full body disposable suits. These measures may not be physically comfortable but are necessary to the health of your employees. Clean common areas often, especially elevators, railings, and pulls on trash chutes and doorknobs. Touch-less entry systems may be a good investment at this time.

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Home Design

How COVID-19 Will Change Home Design

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Coronavirus impacted the world, throughout workplaces healthcare, recreational time and much more. Home design is another field that may be forever changed due to the pandemic. With many people spending more time at home, homeowners are shifting their idea of a dream home and its necessary features. Here are five designs that may become the new norm in a post COVID-19 home.

The Essential Home Office

As office workers adjusted to working remotely, the need for the home office became apparent. Before COVID-19 many saw the home office as a use for an extra space or bedroom, but not a necessity. Now with entire families having to share a home and workspace under one roof, it is important to have a space where meetings and important phone calls can take place away from distraction. Post Coronavirus homes will need to create a space that can either be in a separate room or a desk area in an already existing room, designed for privacy and efficiency.

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DIY, Home Design

10 Matching Color Ideas to Brighten Your Home

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Color is an essential tool when crafting any kind of interior design plan. Every room in the home should have at least two colors that offer something unexpected, interesting or harmonious. Modern interior decorators have come with lots of wonderful matching color ideas for home decoration throughout the seasons. Whether you are designing a new home or refreshing your current home, these color combos will make your rooms pop!

1. Magenta and Turquoise

This is one option for the homeowner who likes bold looks and isn’t afraid to make that clear. Magenta and turquoise both draw on the same side of the cool color wheel. Yet, they’re different shades and tones. When combined, the result is electric. This is a good choice for a room that needs lots of zing.

2. Cream and Terracotta

Soft cream and light terracotta orange are two colors that make any room feel soothing. Consider this one in your dining room to help guests relax and promote conversation. This is a good idea when you want something with a fresh feel yet comfortable.

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Home Sellers

How to Use Social Media to Help Sell Your Home

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Are you wanting to help your agent sell a home you just listed? Social media can help! Although few people see a house on social media and decide they gotta have it, it is a great place to make people notice your property and share it with their friends who are looking for a new home. There are many things you can do to market a home you are selling online. In this article, we are breaking down ways to use social media to sell your home faster and for more money.

Things to Focus on When You Use Social Media to Sell Your Home

Like any marketing campaign, using social media to sell your home requires a good strategy, especially if you want to sell and move in the off-peak season to prevent unplanned costs during relocation or if something about your home makes it hard to sell. Your agent will have their own marketing campaign ready to go, but you can always ask for tips on how you can market on your own time as well!

Know Your Target Audience 

Every social media platform is different and if you are wondering which one would be the most effective, you should ask your realtor who they think is best to attract. For instance, if your demographic is twenty-somethings, Instagram would be the best fit. But if your target audience are senior citizens, Facebook is a better option because very few of them use Instagram. However, there are always exceptions, and the social media channel you least rely on could easily be the one.

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Real Estate

Tips for Buying Your First Condo

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Have you decided to buy a condo but not sure if there are differences between purchasing a condo or a home? Or maybe you don’t know what you should be looking for? Well, you don’t have to worry because this article is here to help you make sure you are financially geared up before you rush into a decision.

Strategies to Make Sure You Are Financially Ready

Buying a condo for the first time can be tricky, and all you need are essential tips from experts and consultants to help you in this world of real estate. The following are six crucial strategies to help you become successful in owning a home. They include: 

Budgeting Your Finances 

It advisable you jot down the critical points to help you in handpicking the best home. A condo has a lot of specifications and in getting it, requires proper planning of finances to make sure all the amenities and stocking of the house is well budgeted for. 

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Homeowners

Five Summer Home Improvement Projects

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The summer months are the time to relax and take in the sunshine! But it can also be a great time to get some much needed home improvement projects done around the house that aren’t possible to do in bad weather. Check out these five tasks that will make your home the hit of the summer and don’t cost you a large chunk of cash.

Power Wash

We always think about washing the inside of our home but what about the outside? The summer is a great time to either buy or rent a power washing machine to get your exterior cleaned and looking brand new. You can power wash the siding of the home to remove dirt and grime collected from outdoor elements over the seasons or you can wash the walkways including sidewalks and driveways.

Build Outdoor Features

If you have some downtime and it’s a beautiful day outside, it’s a great opportunity to build an outdoor feature! This could include an outdoor kitchen to entertain guests throughout the summer, a fire pit to roast marshmallows with the kids or maybe a garden to grow your own veggies. Each project ranges from difficulty and cost so make sure to determine timeline and budget before starting the project. Once you decide on those, have some fun designing what fits your style best!

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Family Home

Five Reasons to Have Backyard Chickens

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Keeping backyard chickens has become increasingly popular, and for good reason! While chickens do take a lot of work, they also have quite a lot to offer to anyone who is ready to take on the challenge. Here are five of the top reasons why you should consider keeping backyard chickens. 

They Provide Produce.

Raising your own chickens means you have your own supply of eggs, poultry, or both! While commercial manufacturers are typically reliable, raising your own flock means that you know exactly where your food is coming from, and you know how the flock was handled and cared for. Whether you raise chickens for eggs, poultry, or dual-purpose will depend on the breed. Here are some recommendations: 

  • For eggs, consider the Easter Egger, Golden Comet, or Orpington! They are all quiet docile, and are well sought-after. 
  • For dual-purpose, consider the Rhode Island Red or the Wyandotte! Both are recommended for beginners. 
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