Trends in Kitchen Design
John & Cindy Farrell – Coldwell Banker Residential Brokergae
House did a great survey to show the current trends in kitchen design. Make sure to see the full Houzz survey results. We can help with your project ideas early and give you our thoughts on resale in the future. You may not be thinking of selling now but it is important to give this thought when you are renovating your home. The decisions you make now could greatly impact the value and saleability of your home. Contact John & Cindy Farrell 978-468-9576.
Curb Appeal and First Impressions When Selling a Home
John & Cindy Farrell – Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
It is important to make a great first impression when you are selling your home. That first impression used to be when a potential buyer walked up to and entered your home. That is no longer happening for most buyers, and many sellers haven’t given any thought to how things have changed. The first impression most often happens well before someone walks through your front door. When you put your home on the market, potential buyers for your home may be considering your home for the first time on line. Then after getting the address online, possibly driving by, well before they even consider making an appointment to view it with their agent.
It’s important to pay attention to the curb appeal, your online presentation, both with photos and listing detail, and staging the living space. (more…)
Take that staging further
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
After you have done the initial staging of your home and prepared it for photos the next step is to get ready for the showings. Once people are in your home they will be opening the closets, opening your refrigerator, opening the microwave and opening the oven.
See this great post on the National Association of Realtors blog, Styled Staged and Sold, by Melissa Dittman Tracey about staging your refrigerator.
It’s especially important if you are leaving the appliances with the home to have them very clean and well presented. Even if you aren’t leaving the appliances their condition will leave a general impression of how a home has been maintained and cared for. (more…)
Competing Offers in a Seller’s Market – When you are the seller
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Selling a home and getting more than one offer
By now many people have heard about the lack of inventory of available homes on the market in and around Boston and the North Shore. There have been repeated instances of homes coming on the market and quickly going under agreement, some with multiple offers. Sadly, some sellers may never have a chance to know whether they have received the best possible offer for their home. Some properties never even see the chance, because they are not adequately exposed to the whole market. You will never truly know what your home value actually is when you sell, if it has not been accessible and adequately exposed. Help insure you are actually getting the best you can for your property. Ask these questions. (more…)
- Published in Selling Brief - Selling Real Estate
Asbestos – Getting a Home Ready to Sell
Do you have Asbestos in your home? Are you planning to sell?
Environmental Concerns – Call In The Experts! Don’t touch this……Our housing stock on the North Shore and in New England stretches back to the mid 17th century . These older charming homes, often times historic in nature, may have environmental issues that have come to light in the last 50 years. One of these is asbestos.
Asbestos was used in roofing, exterior siding, insulation on duct work and heat pipes, and floor tiles. If you suspect that you may have this substance in your home, don’t try to remove it yourself. Call an expert. This work needs to done properly and the material also needs to be disposed of properly. This is not a DIY project.
If you think your home may have asbestos, contact a qualified professional prior to putting your home on the market. Below are a few resources. (more…)
- Published in Selling Brief - Selling Real Estate
Selling a Vacation Home or Summer Home on the North Shore
John & Cindy Farrell – Coldwell Banker
When should you put your vacation home on the market on Boston’s North Shore? The North Shore of Boston is an outstanding place to have a summer home. There are extensive and varied recreational opportunities, and a diversity of landscapes. The close proximity to Boston and the rest of New England adds to the appeal and the large numbers of potential buyers. Many people have been coming to Boston’s North Shore for generations, and sometimes people look for years as they continue to vacation in the area and look for just the right home.
If you have a home that you are considering or if you already have the plans to sell this year and you think it would attract interest as a summer home, now is the time to get it ready for the market. (more…)
- Published in Selling Brief - Selling Real Estate
Selling your Home in the Winter on the North Shore
Wondering what you can do to prepare your home for sale in the winter?
The spring home selling season is already upon us. It starts very quickly after the holidays and the Sunday after the Super Bowl is a very busy open house day. Even so, it certainly doesn’t look or feel like spring and you may be concerned about how your home will be presented with it so cold outside, very little happening in the garden and it getting so dark so early. There is a lot you can do and it will really make a difference. Remember staging your home is very important. Below are just a few suggestions that can make your home inviting. (more…)
How Much Value Will Renovations Add To Your House?
John & Cindy Farrell – Coldwell Banker
Preparing to sell a home on the North Shore of Boston. Have you been wondering how the renovations you have done or plan to do to your home will impact the value? Remodeling Magazine has put out their cost vs value report for 2014. This is an interactive report that breaks it down by type of project and region. They also have graphs that show you how things have changed over the years.
Remodeling Magazine explains what the numbers mean. There are many factors that can contribute to differences.
The numbers shouldn’t be applied to an individual home or project without exploring all the available information for a specific home. If you are considering selling or if you are planning a renovation project we can help you early in the process. John & Cindy Farrell 978-468-9576
“© 2012 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2012-13 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.”
Update February 5, 2014
Houzz.com has a great calculator to research what people are paying for remodeling projects in different locations. You just put in your zip code and type of renovation. This is a great tool! Here is the link.
Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent
Interviewing Listing Agents
Choosing and hiring a real estate agent to assist you in the sale of your home is something that should be done with care and research. There is great variation in each agent and the companies they work for. Below we have listed only 15 of the many questions you should ask the real estate agent you are considering hiring. It is also important to carefully assess their answers as well.
- Published in John & Cindy Farrell, Selling Brief - Selling Real Estate
