5 Location Characteristics To Look For When Buying A Home

Ask just about any real estate agent to list the three most important things a property should have, and you’ll likely hear: “location, location, location.” But why does location matter so much? For starters, you can’t move a home — at least not easily or inexpensively. When you buy a home in a good location, it’s usually a solid long-term investment.

Real estate agents often advise their clients to buy the worst house — a property that could use some TLC — on the best block. Why? Because fixing up a home in a great neighborhood will give you the best return on your investment. Quite simply, it will be easier to sell later on. Conversely, you can buy a beautiful home that doesn’t need any work. But if the block is sketchy or just plain bad, you could have a hard time selling the property at a decent price.

So if “location, location, location” is so important, what makes a location good? Here are five characteristics to look for when buying a home. If you can get all five, chances are the home’s a great investment.

1. A safe neighborhood

People want to live where there’s little or no crime. Naturally, they want to feel safe in their homes and will pay extra for it. A safe neighborhood means people will feel free to walk around, be outdoors and interact with their neighbors. Communities still exist today where people don’t lock their doors, and they know their neighbors are there for them in a pinch.

2. Good schools

Being in a good school district is important, even if you don’t have school-age kids and never plan to have any. Fact is, young families always will be buying their first or second homes. They will do their home search based on location in general and good school districts in particular. The better the school district, the higher the values of the surrounding homes can be.

3. Convenient access to popular places, shops and restaurants

Everyone wants to be near the best commercial districts. The closer to the best parts of a city, the better the location — and the more someone is willing to pay for a home. In beach communities, the closer to the beach, the more valuable the property.

 4. Water access and views

No matter which town or city, someone will always pay for a great view or to be on or near the water. Put a home right on a waterway or on a hill with panoramic views and you’ve got a great location.

5. Access to public transit and/or freeways

In major cities, the farther you live from the bus, subway or other types of mass transit, the less valuable the home. A good location means being very close, and having easy access, to public transportation. Being near a train or bus can get you anywhere in a short amount of time. In some towns, where a commute by car is inevitable, easy access to the freeway makes for a good location. Adding 20 minutes to a commute just to get to the freeway never helps a location.

How can you choose the right community? Become a neighborhood detective. Figure out what you're looking for, do research and find a neighborhood that fits your description.

8 Misconceptions about Home Staging

Home staging is the process of preparing a home for sale. This takes on several different elements to ensure that the home is warm and inviting, has optimal flow and the features of the property are highlighted, allowing buyers to develop an emotional attachment. As a result, stagers address many elements, such as paint colour, room function, furniture layout, de-cluttering, organizing, accessorizing and of course, curb appeal. They also address the condition of the property, such as broken doors and door handles, unfinished trim, damaged counter tops, mismatched lights, etc. In other words….there is a lot that is involved in staging. Home staging is the best tool available to market your home and allow it to be positively memorable to buyers and therefore, sell faster and for more money. 

 

 

Here are 8 Misconceptions about Home Staging:

#1: Home Staging Is Expensive.

As mentioned already, there are many different areas addressed with staging. Therefore, the price varies quite a bit. It can start with the consultation fee where you will receive a detailed room by room assessment detailing exactly what needs or should be taken care of before listing your home. The price can go up if you choose to have a staging company take care of painting, minor renovations, cleaning, junk removal, etc. However, certain companies emphasize low cost recommendations and cost-effective solutions that will gain the best return on your investment. And don’t forget that this is a small investment in your home to ensure that you are protecting the equity in your home and increasing the potential for profit.

#2: Other houses sell without home staging.

This is absolutely true. Houses can and do sell without staging…eventually. However, those sellers may have missed out on the opportunity to sell faster and for more money. It is very important to remember that when a buyer makes an offer, they will deduct money based on items that they feel they will need to address in order to improve the condition of the home. These deductions will always cost you more than if you take care of them prior to putting your home up for sale.

#3: Buyers can make changes that they want themselves.

Of course, they can and this is one of the biggest mistakes that a seller can make. Think of it this way. Would you prefer to remove the wallpaper in the living room and paint it a neutral color for about $100 and one weekend of your time or would you prefer to take about $1000 off the sale price of your home? Which option makes more financial sense? As much as you may not want to do that work, buyers don’t want to do that work either. Especially if there is another home available that is “move in ready”. Find a company that makes changes that will create the most appeal to the largest number of potential buyers as well as justify the asking price.

#4: Staging is just for vacant houses.

Yep, vacant houses need to be staged. But so does yours! Let’s just say for example that you put your house up for sale without staging. Then a vacant house in the neighborhood goes up sale and has been staged. Which house do you think will look better in the online photos, draw a larger group of prospective buyers to view the property and create more interest for offers?
The fact is your house is competing with all other homes in your area and price range vacant or not. You want your home to stand out above all of the rest. Your goal is to sell fast and get the most money that you can. Staging is a fantastic marketing tool that can help you achieve these goals.

#5: I don’t need staging because I’ve already tidied up and organized my stuff.

Organizing and cleaning are definitely a part of staging, however, only a small part. A staging company is able to help walk you through all areas of staging and ensure that nothing is overlooked or forgotten. They position themselves as the neutral third party that looks at your home from the “buyers eyes”. As we live in a house for many years, we begin to not see things like a door handle that does work properly, the door that sticks, the piece of furniture that blocks the walkway in a room, etc. A staging company will have a strategic approach when evaluating exactly what needs to be addressed, what colors will work in certain rooms, what features need to highlighted (or minimized) and how all of this can be achieved.

#6: Staging is just a trend.

Well, staging is still a fairly new concept in the grand scheme of things. The notion of staging began about 25 years ago. It started with just a few savvy individuals seeing potential in sprucing up homes to make them look their best prior to putting them up for sale. These people were simply interested in protecting their investment and the value of their home. Today, home staging has gained the attention of a countless number of real estate agents, home sellers and media (all of those TV shows focused on the need for staging). Real estate has seen many changes over the years such as the need for home inspections, marketing via the internet (namely MLS), marketing via social media and staging, to just name a few. Staging is not a trend. It is quickly becoming an essential part of the home selling process, just as marketing on MLS has. Buyers watch HGTV, they read the design magazines and that’s what they want. A home that looks like it belongs on the cover of a magazine…..they want the dream!

#7: No one will care if my closets and cupboards are messy.

Actually, messy closets, cupboards and storage spaces give the impression that there just isn’t enough storage space. Buyers will open cupboards and closet doors. They want to see that everything is in working order and they want to get a good sense of whether or not all their stuff will fit. By making sure that everything is neat and organized, you are showing buyers that not only is there plenty of storage space, but they too can live the dream of an organized life in this house. And the best part is that this part of staging is free! Why wouldn’t you do this??

#8: Anyone can stage a home, after all, it’s just decorating.

This is probably the biggest misconception. As mentioned throughout this article, staging engages many different facets. Stagers must make suggestions that are based on real estate, not design. In others words, suggestions are fueled by who the target market is, the location of the home, the price point and market conditions. In preparing your home for sale, a staging company takes all of these items into consideration along with color, lighting, flow, use of rooms, etc. They strategically create a plan to allow your home to stand out above the competition. While there is definitely a creative design element to staging, there is also a logical and strategic plan that must be implemented. The way you live in a house and the way you sell a house are very different. Home staging does not hide flaws or mislead buyers about the overall condition of the home. It highlights the positives. A stager's goals are the same as your goals – sell fast and sell for the best price possible.

If you are looking to stage your home, please contact us for recommendations. We have worked with some of the best stagers in the area and we are always happy to help!

What Is The Big Deal About Curb Appeal?

You know how they say first impressions last? Or how you will never get a second chance to make a first impression? This is true of your house as you’re trying to sell it too. If you are expecting a buyer to make an offer on your property, it’s important to make sure it looks worth the asking price. You can even increase your home's value with just a few aesthetic tweaks. And these can be the difference, especially in a competitive seller’s market. Check out some information below on what buyers see as “curb appeal” and how to get it.

Affordable Changes 

You can use a hose or a power washer to get rid of excess dirt on the sidewalk, driveway, deck, walkway and exterior of your home. You may want to dress up your front door with a blast of color, a wreath or a doormat to make it more inviting. You may want to consider adding fresh molding to the sides and top of the doorway and polishing or replacing the door’s hardware.

 

Adding shutters and trims can be a nice touch without breaking the bank. Their added bonus is that they control light and ventilation all while providing extra security. You can also address the mailbox at this time, ensuring it matches the home’s look. Either update yours with flowers and plants, or replace the current one with a sturdy and attractive option.

To improve the yard, it can be a good idea to start by cutting back trees and bushes that obstruct the view of your home’s best features. You also may want to prune your garden and pull weeds. You can focus on the lawn and any deck or patio area. Container gardens can add welcoming and colorful infusions and are available for purchase ready-made from garden centers.

Changes Worth the Investment

While those low-cost changes can make a real difference, you can also consider making a bigger change if your budget allows. You can install effective and attractive outdoor lighting or replace shoddy fixtures. Newer models often have indoor time control.

When it comes to the garden, there are plenty of options: from renewing planter beds and upgrading old borders to stone or cast-concrete systems to planting new vegetation or flowers as part of a landscaping overhaul. You may even consider adding arbors, garden gates, or decorative fence panel sections and painting or staining them to colors that align with the home.

Speaking of paint, redoing your whole exterior may seem like a serious project but it can make your home look a lot fresher. It’s a good idea to also consider replacing broken gutters and edging the driveway if you haven’t in a while.

 

While curb appeal isn’t always as easy to measure as other factors like square footage or number of bedrooms, it still can play an important role in the home sale process. It’s a good idea to take some time to focus on increasing your property’s curb appeal at whatever levels you can afford. Then, watch the dramatic difference these can make on both your property’s appearance and value.

As you sell your house, don’t overspend to increase curb appeal. Consult with your listing agent on what makes the most sense for your neighborhood and housing market.