Summer is an ideal time to tackle outdoor renovation projects. From driveway paving to sidewalk repair, the fair weather can be an ideal time to not only enjoy the outdoors, but take some time to improve the curb appeal and value of your home.

One common outdoor project? A new fence. Whether you’re looking to install a decorative wooden garden fence, a chain link border for your pets, or a substantial privacy fence, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind before you begin:

1. A permit may be required for fence construction. These may be issued by your county or your city, depending on where you live.

2. The size of fence may dictate need for permit. Some communities do not require permits for smaller fences.

3. If your fence shares a border with your neighbor, certain permits may require proof of your neighbor’s consent, plus plans and/or drawings that detail how you’ll go about building your fence.

4. Permit fees for fences can range anywhere from $20 to above $100. If you use a company to build your fence, often they will secure the permits for you (but you’ll still be on the hook for the permitting fee).

5. You’ll need to know how much concrete to buy for your fencepost footings. One easy way to figure this out is use this handy online concrete calculator:

6. Check YouTube for helpful fence tutorials, such as this handy and professional video produced by Lowe’s:

Best of luck with your summer project!

If you’re looking for a home with more land or new fences installed already, give us a shout. We can help you find the ideal property:

Realty Executives Midwest

1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Realty Executives Midwest

1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

If you’ve been searching for a home or have been considering selling your home, you may have heard the term “pocket listings” from real estate agents or even friends and family. What is a pocket listing? Where did the term come from? How are pocket listings being used today to buy and sell homes?

Pocket listings are homes which are for sale but not yet widely advertised or entered into typical MLS databases. Often an agent will enter into an agreement to sell a home, but will first reach out to their personal and professional network to see if anyone may be interested in a quick, private purchase. Ideally, the agent knows someone or another agent who has a client interested in the home and the whole process of listing and marketing the home is bypassed.

Originally, pocket listings were typically used for extremely high-end luxury properties with a limited pool of buyers, or with celebrities or other buyers/sellers who wished to avoid any publicity surrounding their transaction. But that’s changed a lot in the past few years, especially in competitive markets where there are eager buyers and relatively little desirable inventory.

You might think pocket listings would restrict the sale price of the home. After all, won’t a good home publicly listed attract lots of buyers, resulting in competitive bids? It depends. Once a home is listed in an MLS database, the home is officially on the market. The longer a home sits on the market (i.e. the higher its “days on market” number is), the greater the possibility the home will see price reductions or low-ball offers.

The pocket listing can be a very useful tool for exploring the level of interest in a home. A savvy agent with a good network will often reach out to their database in order to get a sense of whether the listing has real potential. It’s also a great way to drum up excitement about a house, especially if the agent conducts small, exclusive broker showings of the pocket listing. Pocket listing also gives a wary home seller the chance to see if it’s likely the home will sell for a price they can accept.

Experienced agents with deep connections in the community are the go-to choice if you’re interested in discussing the possibility of buying or selling via the pocket listing approach.

Thinking of listing quietly? Want to see if there are any homes out there which are just about to come to the market? We are happy to help you navigate a pocket listing situation. Get in touch today:

Realty Executives Midwest

1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Realty Executives Midwest

1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Maintaining indoor air quality is an extremely important but often overlooked component of a living happily in your home. By and large it’s an invisible problem, but the costs can really add up— from high energy bills to creeping health issues.

Many homes have become so energy efficient that they’re also good at trapping dust and other pollutants. Appropriate ventilation is an important aspect of indoor air quality. This includes venting bathrooms, kitchens, and fireplaces directly outside. It’s also vital to try and store industrial chemicals such as pesticides, paints, and harsh cleaners outside of the habitable areas of the home.

Alarms are also a useful way to keep an eye on what you’re breathing. Smoke alarms are a must for home safety, but carbon monoxide alarms are also key to keeping a silent killer at bay. Finally, periodic radon testing is a good idea. Radon, a radioactive gas, is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It is a known contributor to lung cancer. You can only know how much is in your home by testing.

Of course, one of the most neglected home maintenance chores is regular replacement of air filters. This is surprising, given that changing the filters is typically among the easiest tasks a homeowner can do. What’s more, the simple act of replacing filters increases HVAC efficiency, extends the life of your heating and cooling system, and also lowers energy bills.

The problem’s not the complexity of the task, it’s often remembering to do it. One company hopes to solve this problem and save homeowners time and money. FilterEasy delivers air filters when it’s time to change them. The process is pretty straightforward: First, you select the number of filters for your home. Next, you compile the sizes and choose your filter “grade,” either light allergen, micro allergen, or super allergen.

You can check them online here: FilterEasy 

If you’d like to breathe a little easier in your home, follow up with these minor home maintenance tasks and inexpensive tools. High air quality is also an excellent selling quality for you home! If you’re thinking about listing soon, get in touch with us today:

Realty Executives Midwest

1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com