Tag: country_us

Four essential phrases when buying and selling

Like many areas of life, the real estate business has its fair share of sayings and clichés. The most common is “location, location, location” because a great location can be worth just as much, if not more, than an amazing house.  Other popular phrases represent essential elements of buying and selling property. Here’s a few…
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7 tips for a stress-free remodel

Even if you’ve been through the experience before, remodeling your home can still be a scary idea. You’ll know all about the stress of keeping the project within budget and on a time schedule. Upgrading a home is a mixture of science and art, and you need to be on top of the quality of…
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Is it essential to update your kitchen before selling?

Homeowners often ask me what happens to their home’s value if they spend $50,000 or so on a new kitchen. Could they add the renovation cost onto the asking price, and maybe something extra for the inconvenience? If only it was that easy! The value of any property is determined by far more than a…
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7 ways to put your renovation on the right track

Big home improvement projects usually percolate in our heads for months, maybe even years, before we finally take action.  The motivation to break out the tools, or to start hiring contractors, can vary from wanting to prepare your home for sale, or simply rewarding yourself with some creature comforts, such as a landscaped garden, swimming…
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9 ways to tell if there’s a hole in your roof

We can feel the approach of Winter in the air, and that means you need to double-down on the maintenance of your roof.  Leaks that crack and stain the ceiling can also undermine the structure of your home and ultimately cause thousands of dollars in damage. As an experienced real estate agent, I tell homeowners…
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Easy and affordable ways to make your home feel new

When you’re thinking about placing your home on the market, one of your first thoughts is often whether you need to renovate before selling. Nobody likes leaving money on the table, and it would be a crying shame if you failed to achieve the top price for your home for the lack of a few…
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Nine tips to make your bathroom a real winner

It’s often called the smallest room in the house, but the bathroom makes an impressive contribution to the value of your home, whether you’re living in a 10-bedroom palace or a neat inner-city apartment. Together with the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the favorite areas to renovate when homeowners decide it’s time to sell…
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How to identify a home with good bones

When you’re told the property you’re about to view has “good bones”, have you ever wondered what that really means? It’s a familiar phrase in real estate to describe a house that might be old but has retained its structural integrity. This means if you’re looking for a property you can upgrade, you shouldn’t find…
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Five ways to extend outdoor living into the fall

With summer giving way to increasingly shorter days and cooler evenings, don’t put your porch and deck into hibernation but give them a facelift so that they remain great entertainment areas during the fall. This is an especially good idea if you’re thinking of selling your property in the next few months. A few smart…
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12 ways to downsize your life

Downsizing your life can be incredibly liberating, but you can only achieve it by shedding many of the possessions you’ve accumulated over a lifetime. Living with fewer responsibilities is the goal of many aged mid-50s and above who decide to downsize once their children have grown up and there’s no need to maintain a large…
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