Yes, you should stage the garage when getting your Tamaqua home ready for market

You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms in the house, and thus deserve your attention the most. That’s probably true, but don’t discount the importance of the garage.

 

For some motor-loving individuals, the size and functionality of the garage is even more important than the house. But they aren't the only ones who care about the garage.

 

Garages today are far more than protection for motor vehicles. Along with providing a place to store seasonal items, they now function as workshops, hobby rooms, home gyms, and even home offices.

 

Let your potential buyers see the possibilities your garage offers for expanding the home's living space.

 

If your garage has become a "dumping ground" clean it out. Put the items you'll need later in that storage unit with the household items you removed for staging or packed in anticipation of moving. Then clean, paint, and organize. Remember to wash the windows and replace burned out light bulbs.

 

Look at your garage door, and if you've been putting off making repairs, do them now. If the door is dented or bent, replace it, and consider installing the latest technology. Buyers will be impressed by the fact that they can open, close, and lock the garage using their mobile devices.

 

Now see what you can get up off the floor and into shelves or cabinets. The more empty floor space the better. And speaking of the floor… remove oil stains, patch cracks, and give it a fresh coat of paint. Remember that light colors create an impression of more space.

 

The garage may not be as important as the kitchen and bathrooms – but then again it might. It all depends upon your future buyer.

 

Take the time to make sure your entire Tamaqua home is staged and ready to impress – from the initial curb appeal, to the home's interior, to the corners of the garage.

What’s the difference between a Tamaqua Home Inspection and an Appraisal?

What’s the difference between a Tamaqua Home Inspection and an Appraisal?

 

Once you've made an offer on a home here in Tamaqua, you'll go through several steps, two of which are the home inspection and the appraisal.

 

The home inspection, while recommended, is not mandatory. If you're getting a mortgage loan, the appraisal is.

What's the difference between them?

The home inspection and the appraisal serve two different functions.

 

The home inspector checks the house for everything related to the construction and operation of the home. He or she looks at all the systems, such as electrical and plumbing. He turns on the appliances and the heating or air conditioning units to see if they operate correctly. She looks for signs of mold or insect activity. The inspector looks in the attic and the crawl space to check and see if everything is solid. He or she looks at both the roof and the foundation.

 

The inspector makes note of everything from a minor detail such as missing electrical outlet cover to a serious problem like a broken rafter in the roof system.

 

The report you receive from the inspector will tell you about everything that’s working as it should be, and everything that isn’t quite right. As noted, some of these things are minor and some need immediate attention because they’ll lead to trouble in the future.

 

Some inspectors are realistic and some are alarmists. One will tell you that something is not a major issue while another will blow it up and perhaps cause you to withdraw your offer on the home.

 

You should always talk with your agent about the report before making any decisions.

 

Appraisers are looking for the value.

 

While VA and FHA appraisers will note anything that doesn’t meet their specifications, they aren’t going to test the appliances or crawl under the house.

 

They’ll note the condition and take it into consideration along with the age, the square footage, the number of bedrooms and baths, etc. when determining the value. Then they’ll compare what they’ve found with similar homes that have sold recently.

 

Recent sales of comparable homes in that Tamaqua neighborhood (or a comparable neighborhood) are the driving force behind appraisal values.

 

What is recent? Generally it’s considered to be within 6 months – but an appraiser will choose even more recent sales when they are available.  In a fast moving market, they could possibly choose homes that closed within the past week or two.

 

What issues aren’t acceptable for a VA or FHA loan? Anything that presents a health or safety hazard. For instance, broken window panes, tripping hazards, loose hand rails, or the lack of GFI electrical outlets.

 

The appraiser ‘s opinion will determine the maximum value of your mortgage loan.

Hopefully, the appraiser will agree with the price you’ve agreed to pay for your new Tamaqua house. If his or her value falls short, then you can either bow out of the agreement or make a larger down payment.

 

If the appraiser has made a significant mistake, the listing agent may dispute the findings and provide the appraiser with different (better) sales to use in comparison.

 

Do remember that while the bank will depend upon it, an appraisal, like an agent’s market analysis, is nothing more than a considered opinion of value. Three different appraisers may come up with 3 different values – although they shouldn’t be vastly different.

 

In the end, the true value of a home is the price agreement between an informed buyer and a seller who is under no financial duress to sell.

When ignoring a $1,000 fix-up on your Tamaqua home can cost you $2,500 – or cost you the sale

Does your home for sale in Tamaqua need a new paint job? Is there a cracked window, a hollow-core door with a hole, or even a torn window or door screen?

 

If so, correcting those problems before you put your house on the market can save you dollars in the long run – and it might even make the difference between selling and not selling.

 

When there’s a problem that can be seen, some buyers will assume that there are also problems that can’t be seen. Why would you tend to hidden maintenance issues when you didn’t tend to the obvious, easily repaired ones?

 

Some buyers will shy away completely – which lengthens your selling time and keeps you making payments longer.

 

When it comes to the money - you might be able to paint the entire house for $1,000 – especially if you have some do-it-yourself skills. But buyers will assume that it will cost much more.

 

If they're really interested in the house, they may even get a bid – and of course it will cost far more for a professional to do the job.

 

The same can be said for replacing a window, repairing a torn screen, replacing a faulty light fixture, or any of a hundred small things that detract from your home looking "move-in ready."

 

Whatever it might cost you, buyers will assume that it will cost twice that much – or more. If they still want the house in spite of needed repairs, they'll deduct that cost from their offer.

 

Buyers will first consider the cost of the repairs, and deduct that. Then they'll consider the financial factor of having to wait to move in or the annoyance of having to live in the house with repairs in progress.

 

So if they think that $1,000 job will cost $2,000, they might well deduct $2,500 or even $3,500 from their offer.

 

The conclusion: If there are repairs that you can make, or repairs that you can afford to have done, do them before you list the house.

 

Your Tamaqua home will not only sell faster, it will sell for more money.

If your Tamaqua home sells quickly…

If you have an offer in hand when your Tamaqua home has been on the market for only a few days, you might begin to wonder if you set the price too low. You may be thinking:

• If I take this offer will I be making a huge mistake?
• Does it mean I’ve set the price too low?
• Should I hold off on responding to a first offer, hoping for a higher offer or a bidding war?

The answer to all three questions is no. If your agent prepared a comprehensive market analysis and accurately compared your home to others that have sold recently, the price is probably exactly where it should be, give or take a small amount.

Of course you should have reviewed the market analysis – a professional agent will have reviewed it with you to show you how he or she arrived at the suggested selling price.

 

Buyers these days are well-informed. They’ve visited real estate websites, viewed photos, read descriptions, and have a pretty fair idea of how a home should be priced. When they are serious about owning and home; and when see the home that pleases them at the price that’s correct, they hurry to make an offer before it’s gone.

 

Should you  hold off? Should you wait and see if a different buyer will offer a higher price? No – because this may be the only buyer for whom the house is “just right.” If you fail to respond in a timely manner they may move on. This is especially likely if they feel that you are using their offer as a tool to get higher offers.

 

Look carefully at each serious offer, even if it comes within hours of your home being presented to the market. If the price and terms are what you asked for, accept it. If they are not, work with your agent to present a counter offer.

Sometimes the first offer is the best offer and sometimes it’s the only offer. And… sometimes buyers are trying to “get a good deal” but will come up to full price if you politely counter a low offer.

 

Are you ready to list your home here in Tamaqua? Call me – I’ll prepare an accurate market analysis to assist in pricing, and I’ll be by your side to discuss the offers and negotiate when necessary.

9 things you might forget to do after a move

Moving into a new home here in Tamaqua is exciting and exhausting at the same time.

Just deciding where to place the furniture and store your belongings is a huge job.

 

But moving in isn’t all you need to do to get settled in to your new Tamaqua home. Before you move on to the more enjoyable tasks of becoming acquainted with the neighbors, finding favorite supermarkets and restaurants, and locating recreational venues, take care of these details:

 

1.      Job #1: Change your locks and change the codes/controllers on automatic door openers.

I’m not suggesting that the folks who sold you the home are going to come back to rob you, but you simply have no way of knowing how many extra keys could be floating around. There could be a dozen or more, and one of them might have landed in the hands of a dishonest person.

2.      Learn the location of emergency services – for both you and your pets. If someone should be injured or ill, the last thing you need is to be trying to learn where to take them.

3.      Double-check to see that all of your address changes have been made. You don’t want to owe late payment fees because a bill took too long to follow you to your new home.

4.      If you’ve moved to a new city, or even a new district within the city, get your voter registration changed. Make sure you’re removed from the old rolls and added to the new. You don’t want to be denied the right to vote next time around – nor do you want your name to be used in voter fraud.

5.      If you’ve moved to a new state, get new motor vehicle licenses. Some places are touchy about this – and ticket residents who fail to get it done quickly.

6.      Take photos of your home as it is today. This isn’t urgent, but you’ll enjoy having those photos in the future, just to look back and see how you personalized the house.

 

And then, mark your calendar to remind yourself to do two more important jobs:

 

1.      If you’ve sold a home before moving to a new one, wait a few weeks and then check with both your previous lender and the city/county taxing districts to make sure the correct changes have been made. Some places move slowly, so keep checking back until the changes are verified.

2.      Wait a few months, then check your credit report. Because of all the information that’s transferred electronically during a purchase and sale, you could be at risk for identity theft. Check the report to see that there’s nothing you don’t recognize, and make sure that all 3 credit bureaus have recorded your new address correctly.

If you’re still only dreaming of moving… call me!

Whether you wish to sell or buy – I’ll be at your service.