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5 Easy Home Improvements To Increase Home Value

November 2, 2013 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

5 Easy Home Improvements To Increase Home Value

Home ImprovementsAre you considering selling your home? Did you have it listed but it didn’t sell? Your home may need a bit of work before it will sell at the best possible price. Here are some easy home improvements you can make to increase home value and improve your chances of selling quicker.

Step up your curb appeal – First impressions are everything, and the front of your home is what buyers see first. You can easily step up your curb appeal and increase home value by mowing and edging the grass, trimming shrubs, and planting flowers. If the paint on your front door or garage door has seen better days, repaint them. Consider replacing the shabby mailbox, adding new house numbers, power-washing the driveway (and the house if it has vinyl siding) etc. A well-kept front yard makes buyers much more willing to come inside for a look.

Upgrade kitchen appliances – The kitchen is one of the best places to see return on your investment in home improvements. If you are not looking to do a full kitchen update, simply upgrading your kitchen appliances will make a huge difference to how potential buyers see your home. If you want to go a step further, you can update the  hardware on the cabinets, or even give the cabinets a new finish. Improving the kitchen is a great place to start when you want to increase home value.

Paint neutral tones – Have deep red walls that you just love? Go to your nearest home improvement store and buy some neutral paint tones such as cream, taupe, etc. Neutral paint tones tend to make rooms look bigger and more open. Buyers see dark or wild paint colors as more work and money to change. A fresh coat of neutral paint is an easy and cheap improvement, but will make a significant difference.

Take a look at your flooring – Are your carpets looking a little rough? Get them professionally cleaned. Do you have any dated vinyl flooring? Consider replacing it with neutral laminate or tile. Making your home look clean and updated is a quick way to impress buyers and increase home value.

Don’t forget the basics – Buyers expect the basics of the home to be in good, working order, so make sure you address any issues beforehand. If your roof is old or leaking, it should be replaced or fixed. Address any problems with heating and air-conditioning units or plumbing. Making sure the basics work can definitely increase home value. You don’t want to lose a sale to competition or reduce your home value just because one of these things aren’t up to par.

Other articles that may interest you:

Thinking Of Selling Your Home? 5 Reasons To Do It Now

Selling Your Home By Yourself – For Sale By Owner

Filed Under: Eric Lowry's Articles, Preparing Your Home For Sale, Sellers Tagged With: 5 Easy Home Improvements To Increase Home Value, Getting ready to sell, Home Values, Increase Home Value, Sell Mason Home, Sell West Chester Home, Selling A Home, The Lowry Team - Keller Williams Realty, West Chester Realtor

Top Ten Reasons You Should List Your Home For Sale During The Holidays

November 20, 2012 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

Top Ten Reasons You Should List Your Home For Sale During The Holidays

Listing Your Home For Sale During The HolidaysThere are many reasons you should list your home for sale during the holidays. The absolute best time of course is determined by your need to sell and the reasons and timing behind that decision. Here though are the Top Ten Reasons You Should List Your Home For Sale During The Holidays:

10.)  By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring, when many more homes are on the market.

9.)  Even though your home will be on the market, you still have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days around the holiday.

8.)  January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs.  Since transferees cannot wait until spring to buy, you need to be on the market during the holidays to capture that market.

7.)  Some people must buy a home before the end of the year for tax reasons.

6.)  Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than they do during a work week.

5.)  Buyers are more emotional during the holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price.

4.)  Homes show better when they are decorated for the holidays.

3.)  Since the supply of homes for sale will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home.  Less demand means less money for you.

2.)  Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the holidays and less competition means more money for you.

And the number one reason you should list your home for sale during the holidays…

1.)  People who look for homes during the holidays are more serious buyers!

Other articles that may interest you:

Home Prices In Mason Ohio For November 2012

Home Prices In West Chester Ohio For November 2012

Filed Under: Eric Lowry's Articles, Preparing Your Home For Sale, Real Estate News, Sellers Tagged With: Cincy Hassle Free Listing, Eric Lowry, Getting ready to sell, Keller Williams Realty, Listing your home for sale, Selling A Home, Selling A Home In Mason Ohio, Selling A Home In West Chester Ohio, Top Selling Realtor, Top Ten Reasons You Should List Your Home For Sale During The Holidays, www.LowryTeam.com

West Chester, OH Real Estate: A Home Inspection Before You Sell?

December 3, 2009 by Eric Lowry Leave a Comment

Selling Your West Chester, Liberty Township & Beckett Ridge Ohio Home
Consider doing a home inspection before selling your home

If you are considering selling your home in the current real estate market it would be prudent to have a home inspection completed before putting your home on the market.  It is rare that a buyer will not have a home inspection done before closing and being aware of any problems and taking care of them prior to selling can alleviate the pain that surprise issues can bring.  Doing the inspection prior to listing also gives you time to seek out competitive estimates for completing the work as opposed to being under the gun right before closing.

It is a competitive real estate market out there.  A seller’s best chance of snagging a buyer always comes from having the home in top notch condition.  More than looking good, a home needs to function well and it is important to examine the mechanical systems such as plumbing, wiring, heating and cooling issues, as well as, the roof and other structural components.

If problems with a property are faced and dealt with before selling, it will make the entire process go more smoothly and there should be no surprises when going through the contractual steps before closing.

Thinking of selling a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Ohio?

Learn the current market value of your home here!

Thinking of buying a home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Ohio?

Search the entire MLS here!

Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio

Filed Under: Real Estate News, Sellers Tagged With: Cincinnati, Cincy Hassle Free Listing, Eric Lowry, Eric's Hassle Free Listing, Getting ready to sell, Home Inspection, Home Values, Keller Williams Realty, Liberty Township Real Estate, LowryTeam.com, Luxury Homes, Ohio, Selling A Home, Top Selling Realtor, West Chester Ohio Real Estate

1st Half 2008 Home Sales For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

August 24, 2008 by Eric Lowry

1st Half 2008 Home Sales For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

 
 

Jan-June 2007

Jan-June 2008

+ / –

Closed Units

692

607

-12.28%

Average Sale Price

$244,219

$229,711

-5.94%

Average Days On Market

82

84

+2.44%

Average List to Sale Price %

96.54%

95.79%

-.75%

 Sales were down for the 1st half of 2008 when compared to the 1st half of last year.  This should come as no surprise to anyone.  Everywhere you look and/or read the message is the same for the most part. (Some of the reports make things out to be worse than others). Unit sales (closings)  were down 12.28% in West Chester and Liberty Township. 

Does this mean that you won’t be able to sell your home if you need to?  It most certainly does not.  I am successfully selling homes each and every month of this year and some of them pretty quickly.  What all of this does mean is: (1.) you must prepare your home for the market (2.) you must price it properly and (3.) you need a strong marketing effort.

Average sale prices were down 5.94% for the 1st half of 2008 when compared to the same period in 2007. There is no way to paint this statistic in a good light.  This is a large decrease in the average sale price for West Chester and Liberty Township homes. Again, this emphasizes the need to price your home correctly in today’s market.  Thinking of selling?  Click here to learn the current market value of your West Chester and Liberty Township. Ohio home.

Interest rates continue to be very volatile.  In the last week I have seen rates move lower to 6.20% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage from a recent high of 6.55%.  The rates are changing daily.  If you need a referral to a good lender with competitive rates and closing costs please let me know.  Mortgage rate locks can become crucial right now. Read this article in my August online newsletter.

Your questions and comments are always welcome!

Filed Under: Real Estate Information, Real Estate Market Statistics Tagged With: Cincinnati, Getting ready to sell, Home Values, Homes For Sale, Liberty Township Housing Statistics, Mortgages, Relocation, West Chester House Statistics, West Chester Realtor

An Interest Rate Drop, A Can Of Paint And A Must See Video

March 21, 2008 by Eric Lowry

First the interest rate drop.  Interest rates have dropped considerably in the last week and a half with the 30 year fixed rate mortgage falling from 6.20% to just 5.60%.  A more than welcome decrease.  Interest rates do continue to be very volitale.  This article on the CNBC website provides more details on the volitility.  FHA financing is the new trend in home mortages.  I will provide an update and more information on this in the next few days.

And what a little bit of paint can do for the appearance of a home listed for sale.  Especially in today’s real estate market, anything that can be done to make your home show better and be more appealing should be done. The freshness of a new coat of paint both visually and in the fresh smell when you walk in the door are hard to deny.  This is a great home in West Chester, Ohio, listed for $165,000 and is now freshly painted throughout most of the interior.  

Your comments and questions are always welcome!

Filed Under: Financing, Real Estate Information Tagged With: Cincinnati, FHA Financing, Fresh Paint, Getting ready to sell, Homes, Liberty Township, Oh, Real Estate, West Chester

The Secrets To Selling Your Home In West Chester & Liberty Twp, Ohio Right Now!

February 28, 2008 by Eric Lowry

Are these really secrets?  No, but they are certainly the keys to selling your home in this market!

Secret #1:

Your home must standout!  The condition of your home must be great, (good doesn’t cut it).  The decor must be tasteful, it must be clean and fresh.  Your home must be updated;  for example, new countertops and appliances in the kitchen, new carpet, maybe a new or re-finished deck, etc.  Spring is coming, (I think), so look at the front of your home.  Is it clean, freshly mulched, no weeds, etc.?  

Need more information on this, email me and I will send you my checklist, “20 Steps To Help You Sell Your Home”.   Have questions call me.

There are so many homes for sale right now that the homes that are cluttered, dark and out-dated are being and will continue to be overlooked by today’s buyers.  And, these homes will continue to sit on the market for sale.

Secret #2:

Your home must be priced right!  The price of your home must be great, (good doesn’t cut it).  “Trying a little higher price” on your home for a while has never been a good strategy, now in this real estate market in West Chester and Liberty Township, Ohio it is a really bad strategy.  The homes that are selling are priced aggressively.  This may be hard for some homeowners to accept, but it is the truth!

So…  these aren’t really secrets, but they are the answers to the question “What will it take to get my home sold in this market in West Chester and Liberty Township, Ohio?”.

Wondering what your home is worth?   Click here to find out!

Your comments and questions are always welcome!

Filed Under: Real Estate Information Tagged With: Cincinnati, Getting ready to sell, Homes, Homes For Sale, Housing Market, Liberty Township, Oh, Real Estate, Selling, West Chester

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