Contributed by Doug Watson, CEO of Frontier Title With more than five million homes sold annually in the United States, purchasing a home remains at the center of the American dream. A large percentage of these buyers will be making this major purchase for the first time, which can be an extremely stressful and overwhelming experience. Even for an experienced homebuyer,...
Near or far, there’s no short of challenges when it comes to moving. Between organizing an entire household, changing addresses and vetting out movers, relocating to a new home can be more hectic than happy. And the biggest stressor of all? Packing. To help alleviate some of that stress, we’ve compiled a list of clever shortcuts that will ease the burden of packing...
Contributed by Tori Toth A home buyer’s gut reaction never goes away. That’s why a home seller should critique each area of their home, or recruit a judgmental friend who can help answer questions like these in each room of their home: Is the room cluttered or clean? Are there minor repairs or updates needed? Review the six areas of a room. The four walls, the...
Contributed by Brandon Cartee When buying a new home, chances are you spend a lot of time inspecting various aspects of the property. Before making an offer, be sure to take a closer look at one hidden area of the home: its foundation. Foundation problems can be costly to repair, so you need to know they exist before making the purchase. A Door That Is Not Square Often,...
Revisiting population data, the U.S. Census Bureau recently zeroed in on the living arrangements of adults over the last 40-plus years. Notably, the majority of adults in both 1970 and 2014 shared a household with a spouse. But if trends bear out, the gap between married adults and unmarried adults sharing households will close – fast. As of last year, spouses sharing...
Inspiration comes from a variety of places, from design magazines and blogs, to Pinterest and Instagram. But for those not involved in the world of design, inspiration is usually sparked from the media, in particular our favorite TV shows. Eighties-style wood paneling, 90s-era purple walls and even the 2000’s periodic table shower curtains - they have all sparked...
Contributed by Tori Toth A woman who lived in her home for over 25 years, who raised four kids there, is now ready to live a simpler life. She contacted a home staging company to help downsize to a two-bedroom condo. Over the phone, she mentioned removing items she no longer needed. The woman sounded excited to get started, however, upon arrival for the consultation,...
Preparing your home for a walkthrough can be tough, especially when you’re still living in the house. One of the hardest things is keeping your home clean while you’re taking the other necessary steps to sell your house -- like removing personal items, staging the house and increasing curb appeal. While you can spend money to hire a cleaning service, it adds up...
Yesterday on Housecall, we discussed ways to increase your home value with indoor décor. Today, we're focusing on what you can do outside the home to give it an added monetary boost. Curb appeal is everything when it comes to selling your home, and that means your home’s exterior needs to be in optimal condition. In fact, 71 percent of prospective home buyers...
Contributed by Jessica Kyriakos Sometimes when planning to sell a house, in the name of renovating interior living spaces, updating bathrooms, replacing appliances and adding decorative touches throughout the bedrooms, homeowners leave outdoor curb appeal as a last priority. While of course the inside of a home is important, sellers make a big mistake when they neglect...
