Is It Time to Sell Your Home? Here Are The Signs It Might Be

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the seller’s market currently taking place around the globe. Seeing what homes are selling for in your neighborhood may have you wondering, “should I sell my home, too?” In this post, we’ll go over the top signs that it may be time for you to get your very own “For Sale” sign.     #1. Your Home Is No Longer Meeting Your Needs Outgrowing your home is very common — especially for first-time buyers who outgrow their “starter homes.” As your family grows, it makes sense that a house you bought just for your partner and you starts to feel a little too snug for comfort. Once your family starts growing, or your needs change, there’s a good chance you’ll want to sell and find a new home. Of course, you should have a plan in place before listing your home as far as when the right time to list is (don’t forget to take school, work, and extracurricular schedules into account). Here are some other things to think about: How much other houses in your area are going for. If the neighborhood you’re thinking of moving to is a good fit for your family and needs. If the size of your new house will be able to fit the whole family and even grow with you. On the other end of the spectrum, as people age and their kids fly the nest, they often choose to downsize to something easier to maintain. No matter your situation, if your home is no longer meeting your needs, it’s probably a good idea to sell it.     #2. Your Home’s Upkeep Is Taking a Toll If your to-do list is never-ending and unexpected repairs pop up by the day, it might be time for a house that requires less maintenance and upkeep. Did you know the average homeowner pays $2,000 per year to maintain their home? That includes landscaping, snow removal, trash and recycling, gardening, house cleaning, septic services, and so on. That doesn’t even cover what it costs to make repairs. These costs on top of property tax and the mortgage can start to add up — surprising some first-time homeowners in particular. If it’s becoming too hard to afford upkeep or tackle the list of DIY repairs and home chores, downsizing might be in your near future — especially if your home needs excessive upkeep and maintenance and it’s no longer worth it.      #3. It Makes Financial Sense To Sell A house is the most significant investment we make, and homes can accrue a lot of value as the years pass by. If you’ve owned your house for a long time and your mortgage is paid or almost paid off, you have excellent built-in equity, and given today’s market, this may be the perfect time for you to recoup a large portion of your nest egg. The housing market is expected to stay red hot in 2022 as Zillow predicts home values will increase by an additional 11% in 2022 after increasing by a record 13% in 2021. So, if you're wondering when a good time to sell is, now is your answer! Additionally, if your financial situation has changed — either way — it might be time for a new home to accommodate your new lifestyle. A recent promotion might allow you to finally get that home with a swimming pool, while a job loss may require you to move into a smaller home.     #4. You’ve Done Your Research The best seller is a well-informed seller. If you’ve done your research on both the national and local market and know that it’s a good time to sell a home, you’re one step ahead of the game. Researching Realtors during this time is also an excellent idea because you can chat with them about what houses are selling for and get the inside scoop if any of your neighbors with homes similar to yours are planning to list theirs soon so you can know what you may be competing with — and make the required repairs/upgrades to outshine them!     #5. You Know What’s Next The thing about selling your home is, you’ll no longer have a home. You certainly don’t want to put yourself and your family out on the street! So, before you decide to list your home, you need to have a pretty good idea of what the next steps are for your living situation. Will you be relocating? Downsizing? Moving to a different school district? Whatever reason you’re moving for, it’s important to start devising a plan, researching your intended market, and figuring out what you’ll do when your current home sells.   Is it your time? Now that you’ve read our blog post, you should have a better handle on whether or not it’s time to sell. Whether the time is now or you plan on waiting a little longer, we're here to help. Let's Talk

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Going Green: How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

During the summer, the weather is warm, and people spend more time outside. It's natural to think about how your house can be more energy-efficient when you're enjoying more of Mother Nature (and potentially paying more in energy bills). Are you looking for a way to help reduce energy consumption and reduce your monthly bills? Simple changes to your lifestyle and a few home upgrades can help you make your home more energy-efficient. Not only will you do your part to conserve essential resources, but you’ll also save money! Now, that is one thing every homeowner is interested in. Whether you’re looking to lower your personal costs or help make your home more attractive to sell, investing in energy-efficient changes benefits everyone. In 2022, real estate agents often find that many eco-conscious buyers are looking for homes that are prepared with many of the following energy-efficient equipment options. Get started today with these simple measures to help you create an energy-efficient home in no time.     1. Upgrade Your Windows Many homeowners ignore the importance of properly sealed windows in helping to conserve energy. Older or drafty windows are common culprits of expensive energy bills. While replacing your windows may be costly, it is a wise investment that will help you save money in the long term. If you’re planning on selling your home soon, you get the added benefit of having new windows as a major selling point to tell prospective buyers about.     2. Switch to a Tankless Water Heater Today, many homeowners pass on traditional tanked water heaters and switch to tankless water heaters instead. A tankless version is far more energy-efficient, plus it will last much longer — a win-win in our book. Tankless water heaters can help significantly reduce your utility bills while also taking up far less space in your home. This is another smart investment in your home that will save energy and costs in the long run. If you’re not ready to make the move to a tankless water heater, simply reducing the temperature of the water can also help to conserve energy. You can easily adjust the temperature on most traditional water heaters with the click of a button. If you can't figure out where to do this on your water heater, give a maintenance company or the manufacturer a shout.     3. Change to Energy-Efficient Appliances Does your home have old and dated appliances that do not run well? When it’s time to replace an appliance in your home, choose one with superb energy ratings. Not only will you benefit from improved performance, but you will help to conserve energy. Outdated appliances are also an eyesore when trying to stage your home for prospective buyers, so this is another energy-saving update that will help you in the long run.     4. Consider Your Landscaping Did you know small changes in the placement of your trees and shrubs can make a difference in your energy expenditure? Especially in older homes, we often see that good landscaping can help save energy. The shrubs or greenery serve as a barrier to block radiation that warms the home in the summer season, meaning less energy is required to cool it. In the winter, the branches help keep the heat inside the house. When buying or selling a home, pay close attention to its age and the placement of plants around its exterior.     5. Add Insulation Poorly insulated homes can lead to drafts and uncomfortable rooms. Plus, insulation plays a vital role in helping reduce energy usage. Homes that are well insulated will retain heat better through the winter season. In the summer, less energy will be needed to cool the house. Insulation is an important consideration when buying or selling a home. Furthermore, it’s an important thing to tackle if you’re looking to simply reduce your energy usage over the long term.     6. Replace Your Bulbs Remember, small changes can make a big difference in creating a greener, more energy-efficient home. Though it may seem like big projects make a more significant difference, small projects matter too. Replacing your light bulbs is a simple task that goes a long way. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) can use up to three-quarters less energy than standard incandescent bulbs! This big difference goes a long way.   Steps Toward a Greener Tomorrow Each step you take toward going green helps your wallet and the environment. Whether you’re looking to reduce consumption for a greener lifestyle or simply want to upgrade your home to sell, consider these ideas for a more energy-efficient home. We post helpful content each week that will help ensure you know what to expect while buying or selling your next home. Browse the Blog

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How a Real Estate Agent Can Help Before, During & After Your Home Sale

The vast majority of people hire a real estate agent to help them sell their homes. In fact, 92% of homes sold in the U.S.in 2021 were sold using an agent or a broker. Of course, most people know how invaluable and helpful a real estate agent is during the selling process. But most people don't realize that real estate agents are extremely helpful to you before, during, and after the sale goes through. Want to learn how to maximize the benefits of working with an agent? Check out these often-forgotten ways we can help throughout the entire home-selling process — from point A to point Z.     Before the Sale of a Home Before selling your home, your real estate agent can help you determine a listing price. Based on an assessment of the market and competition, your agent can help you find a reasonable and competitive price to offer your home at. Correctly pricing a home is one of the most critical things in producing promising results for the sale of your home — getting it to sell fast and for a price that makes you as much money as possible.  In addition to pricing your home correctly, an agent can help you stage your home for prospective buyers looking at the house. Staging is important for buyers to visualize the property as their future home. Research has consistently shown that well-staged homes sell faster. Ask your real estate agent for suggestions to help stage your home well. They often have connections to other helpful resources, including professional stagers.     During the Sale of a Home Once you’ve listed your home for sale, your real estate agent's talent gets the chance to shine by marketing your home and attracting as many potential buyers as possible. Your agent's role is vital in promoting the house on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). In addition, they can list it on their website. Your agent should help promote the property for sale through personal connections, blogs, social media sites, and many other avenues and relationships they've made through the years. An essential component of effective marketing of your home is photos. Photos often attract a buyer to want to learn more or run the other way! Bad pictures can seriously hurt your chances of selling your home. Be sure to select an agent experienced in many avenues of helping you market your home, including one who has connections with top-notch photographers who specialize in real estate listings. An experienced real estate agent can also help you find a qualified buyer. With years of experience comes the ability to vet candidates properly. Your agent should be helping you look through prospects and offers, answer any questions you may have throughout the process, and choose the best candidate and offer.     After the Sale of a Home Congrats! Your home has sold! If you’re asking yourself, “now what?” you’re not alone. Your real estate agent still has a job to do, even after you’ve identified a buyer and accepted an offer. Your agent can help you negotiate any terms with the buyer. For example, if the buyer asks for an allowance to replace the roof, your real estate agent will help you negotiate a price that doesn't drain your wallet. Other things can get complicated when selling a home, such as closing dates or contingencies. Many sellers often think that the agent's job is done once a buyer has been found. However, this is simply not true! An agent has an important role right up until the sale is finalized. Other things they should help you with after the offer has been accepted are scheduling the inspection along with any necessary repairs and scheduling the appraisal.   We'd Love to Help Are you listing or planning to sell your home soon? From start to finish, a good agent has many roles throughout the process. Consider these important tips for selecting a qualified agent. Before the sale of your home, they should help you determine a fair asking price and aid in preparing the house for listing. During the home sale, their role is to market your home well to attract buyers. Lastly, once a buyer has been identified, they should help you throughout the closing process. We'd love to tell you more about our team of experienced and helpful real estate agents. Let's Talk

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