Sun-Sational Summer Home Projects

The summer months are the ideal time to take stock of your home and spend some quality time with friends and family. Of course, this also means that now is a great time to begin work on home improvement projects that will bring value to your home. Now that spring cleaning season is coming to an end you're left with a fresh space that you probably have a few ideas about how to spruce up. Creating a home that feels comfortable and welcoming often increases home values; it also provides you with some much-needed time and space to relax and unwind. Home improvement projects don't have to be expensive or time-consuming to be beneficial. In fact, many of the simplest home improvement projects can also have the most positive impact on your home, whether you want to sell your home or just have a place for summer fun. Here are some of the best home improvement projects for the summer that will have a lasting impact on your home and its value.     Spruce Up Your Kitchen or Bathrooms  The kitchen is often the heart of the home and gets a ton of use over the years, along with the bathrooms. Both of those areas tend to need upkeep and updating every so often, so if you're thinking of completing a few projects around the house this summer, the kitchen and bathrooms may be great places to start.  Simple updates can go a long way here — think new fixtures, cabinet pulls, or refinishing cabinets. If you're in need of a more significant update, you can consider getting new cabinets, tiling the floors in the bathroom, or investing in new, energy-efficient appliances.      Power Wash Your Home and Walkways Power washing your home and walkways can be a great way to clean up some of the dust and dirt that accumulates on even the cleanest of homes. While this may not sound particularly valuable on its own, it can be coupled with other summer home improvement projects to make it even more effective. Power washing your home, for example, is often a great first step when working on exterior home maintenance projects, such as repairing your gutters or installing new siding. Power washing your walkways can also be a great way to prepare them for summer guests. Whether you plan to have large crowds of people over for an outdoor barbecue or just a few close friends, power washing your walkways is a great way to give your walkway a fresh, clean appearance that will feel inviting and comfortable.     Build a Patio Area or Indoor Relaxation Space A patio area is a beautiful place for relaxing with friends and family. Patio areas can be practical and attractive additions for the summer that can transform your home into a more welcoming environment. In addition, patio areas can also be surprisingly easy and valuable home improvements. Patio areas can be attractive spaces year-round that can increase your home value and add practicality to your home. You can start with a simple concrete slab patio or use bricks as the foundation of your patio. If you're dodging those hot summer days and sticking to some time indoors, create a place to relax inside. Think of a theater room with comfy chairs or investing in a new couch that's perfect for movie nights. If some of your furniture could use an upgrade, replacing a few pieces could be made more affordable with those summer sales! Finishing an unused space in your home with something like a workout space or cozy reading nook can also help potential buyers visualize how to use the space (and you get to enjoy it too!).     Restain Decks and Outdoor Furniture Restaining your deck and outdoor furniture, like your patio or backyard furniture, is a great way to add both a protective and decorative layer to these items. Many homeowners choose to restain their outdoor furniture because it is a simple summer home improvement project that can provide many positive benefits to your outdoor furniture. Restaining your outdoor furniture can help protect your furniture from UV rays that are harmful to materials like wood, which means your outdoor furniture will look better for longer.     Use Your Gardening Skills Gardening is a great summer home improvement project for those who enjoy doing it. Whether you prefer to grow herbs or flowers or simply keep your lawn overseeded, adding a home gardening project to your summer home maintenance schedule will help to add value to your home. Homeowners who take advantage of their gardening skills can choose from several creative home gardening projects with far-lasting benefits for your home. Gardening projects can be a great way to improve your home's curb appeal and keep it looking beautiful all summer long.     Give Your Home a Fresh Coat of Paint Painting your home (interior or exterior) can provide a fresh, new look to your home. If you're painting the outside, it's also a fabulous way to spruce up your home's curb appeal for relatively little money. There are many great reasons to consider home painting this summer, including that it can help your home maintain its value, give it a fresh, clean look, and help begin the staging process. Along with raising the value of your home and allowing you to experiment with a new color scheme.   If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, ensure that the exterior paint color you choose is approved. If you're painting the interior take a look at recent lists of popular colors, but plan to keep it fairly neutral overall to ensure it appeals to potential buyers.   Making your home more comfortable during the summer can be a lot of fun, and you may soon find yourself looking for other projects to do. There are plenty of other summer home projects that you can try, especially if you are getting ready to sell your home. We can help you find ways of getting your home ready to sell so that you get the best return on your investment. Our team of house selling and renovation specialists will get back to you and help you make the changes to your home that you are interested in. Let's Chat

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The Key to Buying a Home This Year: Questions to Ask Your Real Estate Agent

If you are thinking of purchasing a home this year, you are not alone. In today’s competitive market, when it comes to buying a house, you must have an “in it to win it” mentality. You need the right people on your team and the right leader in charge of your game. Without a doubt, having the right real estate agent is the key to successfully landing the home of your dreams. One of the best things about employing a real estate agent is that you can get a straight answer about anything you need to know regarding purchasing a home. Here are a few examples of common questions that many people ask their real estate agents.     What’s the First Step to Buying a Home? Before you get too excited and start hunting around for a home on the Internet, the first steps you should take before buying a home are threefold. It should begin with you checking your credit score, to give you an idea of what type of home loan you might qualify for. Next, you need to take an honest look at your finances and calculate how much house you can afford. Getting pre-approved for a home loan will also put you one step ahead of the crowd. After you have a solid figure in mind, allow the real estate agent that you have chosen to help guide you through a list of possible homes within your price range. Be sure to select a real estate agent that you trust and communicates well. Discuss with him or her what aspects of your ideal home are most important to you. Perhaps you desire a specific neighborhood or school district. Or, you might wish for particular aesthetic characteristics. Whatever the case may be, real estate agents specialize in locating what you desire, and making magic happen for you.     Can You Recommend a Good Lender, Inspector, or Appraiser? When purchasing your first home, you will need to utilize various professionals during the process. Real estate agents often have an extensive network of connections. If you haven’t already gotten a pre-approval loan, getting a recommendation on a lender from your real estate agent may really help bring you up to speed. When you find a home you are interested in, it will be very helpful to have both an inspector and an appraiser ready to go - especially in this hot market!     What Are the Closing Costs on a House? Some people don’t realize that a down payment isn’t the only thing they need to bring to the table when purchasing a home. Closing costs are also part of the equation. They are essentially processing fees that you are required to pay to your lender. Closing costs may comprise as much as 3% to 6% of the cost of your home. This money owed is separate from your down payment. Common types of closing costs include appraisal fees, attorney’s fees, and inspection fees.     How Do I Compete to Win in a Bidding War? Many buyers wonder what to do when they have found their ideal home but find themselves in a bidding war over it. To begin with, if possible, offer the seller cash over financing. If this isn’t a possibility for you, make sure you can show proof that you are pre-approved to buy the home. Another thing you should do is assess any contingencies that you have included in your offer. Contingencies are essentially clauses in your contract that allow you to back out after signing. One common contingency is that the house must pass an inspection. While some contingencies are needed to protect yourself as the buyer, there are some that we may be able to do without. Your real estate agent will be able to advise on the best path forward here. Another smart move to win a bidding war is to offer earnest money. This is a deposit that you give the seller. Giving the seller earnest money shows that you are committed to purchasing the home.       What Are the Next Steps After an Offer Is Accepted? Logically, after your offer was accepted, you may be ready to jump for joy! Before you do, let’s get real about what could happen next. First of all, don’t be surprised if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned. You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that the house could have issues, you can’t obtain the type of financing you want, or your house was not appraised high enough to justify its price. Being prepared for possible outcomes will help you overcome any challenges that may happen throughout the process. With that being said, here is what the schedule is like after your offer is accepted. To begin, your initial deposit is transferred. Next, all inspections on the home will be completed. Your lender will then choose a certified appraiser to assess the property. Your loan approval deadline will then approach. You will do the final walkthrough of the home, followed by signing all of the documents and transferring the rest of the down payment. In the final step, the property deed is stamped and the house legally becomes yours. Now it's time to celebrate!    Buying a home this year can be quite a complicated and arduous task. Trying to navigate the waters of home buying on your own is not something that anyone should attempt. Having a real estate agent on your side to guide you and negotiate for you is an absolute necessity. Let's Talk

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April 2022 Monthly Market Update

  Between August 2020 and August 2021, home prices across the United States and Canada rose to record levels, with the U.S. housing market rising to a record of 19.9% and the Canadian housing market rising to a record 21.4%.  2022 stands to be another strong year for sellers. If you're thinking about selling your home, being aware of the trends in the market will help you understand the strength of the market.  Our monthly market update showcases everything you need to know about local real estate trends over the last month.    April 2022 Market Update for Spokane, WA 570 closed sales of single family homes on less than one acre, including condominiums were reported for April 2022. Closed sales are down 6.9% when compared to April 2021, when 612 closed sales were reported. The average closed sales price for April 2022 was $460,388 up 17.3% from April 2021, when the average closed sales price was $392,566. The median closed sales price was $425,000 for April 2022 up 19.2% from April 2021, when the median closed sales price was $356,500. YTD closed sales of single family homes on less than one acre, including condominiums through April this year total 1,943. Closed sales year to date through April last year totaled 2,152, closed sales year to date are down 9.7%. Year to date average closed sales price through April is $441,710 an increase of 19.9% compared to the same period last year, $441,710 v. $368,427. Year to date median closed sales price through April is $411,000, when compared to last year’s median closed sales price through April of $355,000, the increase is 15.8%. Inventory as of this report is up to 352 properties compared to last year when we reported 188 properties. New construction closed sales for April 2022 were up slightly as of this report when compared to last April.  

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