Price, location, and square footage are very important when selling a property. Beyond that, however, you can focus on these top 5 listing elements to turn your listing into a “must-see” property.

#1: Digitally Friendly Listing

Plenty of quality photos and a complete description that focus on the popular aspects of your listing are required. The Internet is your real 24/7 Open House opportunity. Use it wisely.

#2: Drop the Hysterics

It’s not the “MOST INCREDIBLE ALL-STAINLESS-STEEL kitchen!!!” It’s a “warm, modern kitchen perfect for family celebrations.” Lead with believable emotional benefits and descriptions, not hyperbole.

#3 Well-Maintained From Curb to Kitchen

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Do you ask yourself: Should I continue renting or should I consider owning a home?

There are major financial benefits that homeowners get. I hope  it will help you to evaluate if buying is right for you.

1. Low Home Prices.

It is the best time to take advantage of low home prices that you might never see again and get into real estate game, especially if you are a first-time homebuyer.

2. Low Mortgage Rates.

Since mortgage rates are historically low, it is no doubt that borrowing money is cheap. Over the long run low interest rates can make owning a home much cheaper than renting. Rent might be going up every year but not your mortgage payments, if you get a fixed rate mortgage.

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These tips will get you started on turning your house into a “show home”.  Even if you’re not moving, you will find these tips also make your home more relaxing and enjoyable to live in.

1. Walls:

Neutral colors are going to be best, although it does not have to be light beige. For the fall season, try painting your walls a rich shade of caramel or cream that’s neutral yet warm and inviting. Add pops of color with accessories in deep reds and oranges.

2. Art:

If you are unsure how high the art should be hung use this rule as a guild: 60 inches from the floor to the center of the art. In an occupied home if there is no decent art at all, take it out! It is better having empty walls than unappealing art. more…

Labor Day through Halloween is your window for preparing lawns for a lush spring.

“I’m already thinking about next year,” says John Dillon, who takes care of New York City’s Central Park, which features 200 acres of lawn in the middle of Manhattan. “The grass I grow this fall is what will be there next spring.”

Fall lawn care is no walk in the park. It’s hard work, and Dillon guides you through the four basic steps.

1. Aeration

Aeration gives your lawn a breather in autumn and provides room for new grass to spread without competition from spring weeds. Aeration tools pull up plugs of grass and soil, breaking up compacted turf. That allows water, oxygen, and nutrients to reach roots, and gives seeds room to sprout.  more…

When it comes to preparing your home for sale in an environmentally friendly way, Kermit the Frog had it wrong. It is easy being green.

With so many homebuyers seeking green features in the homes they consider, sellers should create an eco-friendly atmosphere for the buyer and that doesn’t always mean costly fixes.

It’s always nice for a homebuyer who’s been touring houses all day to find water or a snack waiting for them in your kitchen. Instead of leaving the customary bottled water, go the eco-friendly route and have a pitcher of filtered tap water at the ready. Add some organic fruits and vegetables and keep trash minimized. Also, use glassware and plates instead of plastic cups and paper plates. This practice is not only green, it shows class.

Another way to act “green” is during your de-cluttering stage, when you remove furniture and other items from your home prior to the home’s listing. Instead of simply throwing out all those things you no longer want or need, you can recycle, resell at a garage sale, donate to a charity or give away the items at the popular website Freecycle.com. more…

If you’re planning to sell your house any time soon, home improvements that build property value should be on your to-do list. It’s a buyer’s market, and between tighter purse strings and plenty of properties to choose from, shoppers want homes that are move-in ready and free of the need for home improvement projects that will add to their own bottom lines.

Planning home improvements that pay you back at the time of sale requires a strategic vision as well as design, finish and product selections that welcome the widest possible range of buyer tastes. Drawing on tips from real estate pros, along with Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, here are 10 home improvements that pay you back when you sell.

Front entry doors: Curb appeal is the first step in a successful home sale, and installing a beautiful, high-quality entry door is a simple home improvement that delivers impact both in buyer drive-bys and online listings. A new entry door will also help lower home energy costs and stand up to weather extremes.

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By: Jane Hoback

You can repair kitchen counter mishaps with only a little time and money. Big boo-boos, however, will need professional help.

Granite

Even granite counters suffer kitchen wear and tear. But you can make them shine with a little time and know-how. After you fix them, don’t forget to reseal them.

Cracks, chips, scratches: Fill nicks in granite by building up layers of epoxy resin colored to match the stone. Clean the area first with acetone, which breaks down grease. Be sure to open a window for ventilation.

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1. Keep your garage door running smoothly

Most newer garage doors come self-lubricated or with plastic parts that need no oil, according to builder Fred Cann, owner of JRS Solutions in Melville, N.Y. You’ll need to annually oil older doors with metal rollers, hinges, and tracks. “Use a leaf blower to blast all the grit, grime, dust, cobwebs, and dead bugs from the door’s parts,” advises Mark Secord, brand manager for PremierGarage in Mobile, Ala. Occasionally check the rubber seal on the bottom of your garage door. It can harden or chip away from wear and tear, allowing the elements to seep under your door. Replacing the seal costs less than $100. Your door may be hitting the ground too forcefully and jarring all the parts, crushing the rubber seal, or allowing light to peek through at the bottom when the door is at rest. To correct those problems, says Secord, use a screwdriver to alter the travel limit adjustment located on the door opener’s control box. Regularly test the garage door’s sensors to be sure they still prevent it from closing if something—like your child or pet—is in the way.

Before you can decide whether to go ahead with a garage project, you’ll need to make a few decisions.

Zoning and code restrictions

The first step is to determine whether it’s physically feasible to fit a garage on your lot. At your local planning department, find out how close you can build to the edges of your property. Also ask about any special restrictions that apply to garages; some communities require deeper setbacks on sides with doors, for example.

Local rules might also govern driveway design, wall or roof height, and the total amount or percentage of your lot you can cover with impervious surface (roofs and pavement). Local architects and builders usually keep on top of these requirements, as do lumberyards that sell packages that contain garage plans and materials.

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Americans use the garage more than any other entry to the house, including the front door, according to a survey commissioned by window and door manufacturer JELD-WEN.

Types of garage doors

Garage doors come in four basic types: They may swing out, swing up, roll up, or slide to the side.

Swing-out carriage-house doors or sliding barn doors are a good choice if you need to keep the ceiling clear or if you want their distinctive look. Otherwise, the most popular option by far is the sectional roll-up door.

Before purchasing a roll-up door, measure the space between the top of the garage door opening and the ceiling or overhead framing. Standard tracks require headroom of about 14 inches. If you don’t have that, you can get low-headroom track, which costs about $100 more. There are also tracks specially made for garages with unusually high walls or cathedral ceilings.

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