6 Tips on How to Advertise Your Property

•          Photograph the front of your home/property: This is probably going to be one of the most important things you do when promoting your home that you just put up for sale. Make sure to remove anything that will take away from the overall image of your home, such as: sidewalks and streets, vehicles in the driveway, toys in the yard, try and avoid getting shade on your home in the picture, and finally make sure everything is clean and well maintained.
•        Virtual Tours: Most people think that only the super expensive homes have tours- not anymore! As more and more people continue to look for homes online the demand for a tour before actually looking at the house helps with their decision. It doesn’t have to be a really big, long tour, but by doing a slow video throughout your home and even adding some descriptions to the video will help out. If you’re not comfortable with make a tour on your own, you can hire a professional to do it for you.
•         Exterior Photos: These will also be something that will impact a real estate’s potential to intrigue people to look at it. Make sure to take pictures of your yard if you have one. Focus on getting long, spaced shots that will give potential buyer’s the illusion of a very large yard. If you don’t have a yard take pictures of the community clubhouse, pool, tennis courts, etc. It will add more to the value of the home since you don’t have a front or back yard.
•         Interior Photos: It’s always important to take photographs of the interior of your home. People are going to be looking for space, functionality, and more based on what they can see in a photo. Make the inside of your house bright and open. Most people don’t realize to do this, but remove trash cans from rooms and close the toilet lids. It can take away from the “new home” feel when people are trying to imagine themselves in the house. Adding floral arrangements to the kitchen, dining room, and bedrooms will give off a nice, refreshing feel to the home while keeping it from looking plain. Stage the rooms! You’ve probably heard this so many times by now, but it’s true. Staging the rooms in a certain manner will help any potential buyers imagine your property as theirs.
•        Advertising: It’s not bad to go old-school and have articles printed in the local and other area newspapers. There are still quite a few people that receive those as well as other people that read them while in a waiting room or at a friend’s home. Definitely make sure to advertise your home on the web as well. Around 90% of people use the internet to search for a home that’s for sale. Check out Trulia and Zillow for some tips and information regarding advertising your home that’s for sale.
•          Open House: Not a lot of places do this anymore, but it’s a good way to get word out there. Invite neighbors, other real estate agents, and such to create a buzz regarding your home. News will travel fast and you will be well on your way to selling your home. 

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Tips on how to increase your home's curb appeal

When you’re getting ready to sell your home curb appeal is very important. Curb appeal if done right will peak a buyer’s interest and they won’t be able to resist taking a look at your home. Here are some tips you can do to increase your curb appeal. 

•          Wash the outside of your house- I mean really wash it. Power wash your driveway if it’s paved, your walkway, and the siding of your house. Wash your windows inside & out, swipe the cobwebs from the eaves, and clean up your garage door.
•           Freshen the paint on your house- It will do wonders to bring people in. The best thing to do is match the paint you have; so, that way you’re not giving a strange color for the neighborhood. If you don’t know the paint color chip off a small piece of what you have to match it.
•          The condition of your room is one of the first things people see- call a professional to clean it. It will only cost a little and that way it’s done quickly and nicely. If your roof is faded, missing or curled shingles buyers will notice it and appraisers will price it lower.
•          Neaten your lawn- Put down some fresh mulch and prune your shrubs. It will do wonders for curb appeal. If your grass is looking a bit dull green it up with some lawn food and water. Make sure to get rid of the crab grass.
•          Make your home stand out- Upscale your mailbox with some new paint or decorations. Adding new architectural house numbers or address plaques will make it easier for people to see the address from the road. Add interesting colors to your home; such as, if you live in a cozy neighborhood paint the bench on your porch pink if you want.
•          Most of all- Maintain your property. Grab your toolbox and get ready to repair- broken, cracked, and damaged parts of your home will take away its true value while turning potential buyers away immediately. If you have sagging gutters, re-hang them. Those chips in the fence that you keep putting off- don’t! If it’s minor repairs to the fence do them. Having a fence that is good quality and clean will add value to your home. If your asphalt on your driveway has cracked reseal it yourself or hire a contractor that can do it for you. 

If you’re on a budget, that’s okay. Just make sure you grab the most important pieces that are needing help first and get to the rest when you have time. J

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What to do to get your home prepped for showing day

You’re ready to show your home to potential buyers, but you’re not sure what to do to make it show ready. We’ve compiled a small list of things to help you out.

• Detach yourself from the home- Now that the property is on the market for sale it’s best to start calling it your property instead of home. By doing this you’ll be able to separate from the home and sell it. This is leading into the next tip: depersonalize your property.
• Depersonalize the property- Remove family photos, religious items, trophies, artwork from your children, etc. When a potential buyer is looking at your property they’re going to be imagining what it would be like as their home. By having any personal items removed it will make it much easier for them to imagine it as theirs.
• Remove any signs of a pet- Your pet’s bed/ litter box has a distinct smell that could turn away potential buyers. Stow them away inside the house somewhere, though it’s probably best to remove them completely from the property.
• Make sure it looks clean- If a potential buyer walks into your property and notices that it is dirty they will probably walk back out. This is the time to SUPER CLEAN the house from top to bottom- steam the carpets, mop & wax the floors, clean your windows inside & outside, and make sure your appliances are scoured. Make sure to have fresh garbage bags in your trash cans. Really clean those handrails, stair banisters, and any other items that have a “Touch Me” texture to them.
• Make sure it smells clean too- Now that your property is clean make sure it smells clean too. Air your home out to get rid of any odors. Make sure to remove pet items as well. Your pet’s bed/ litter box will leave a lingering smell. A good way to make your property inviting is appealing to their nose. Bake a fresh batch of cookies, some bread, or even brew some coffee. Not only will the house smell nice you’ll also have something to offer your guests. If it’s cold outside make some hot cocoa or some cider it will have a nice affect to your guests.
• Clean out those closets!- If a potential buyer sees all the closets jam packed with a bunch of stuff they’re going to worry about space. Clean out and organize your closets to give them the illusion that there is tons of room.

These are only a few tips of many that can help you prep for showing day. Check out Pintrest and other social media sites to get some ideas. 

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Top Tips for Feng Shui Throughout Your Home

When setting up your home with different colors of paint, furniture, and other accents you probably don't realize that later it can affect the mood of your family and yourself. Many real estate bloggers and other bloggers talk about home decorating, landscaping, etc. and about how the flow of your home will affect your daily life. Feng Shui is a practice in China that is made up of spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy. 

Below is a small list of how color placement in your home can affect the energy around you.

Red: Passion, power, stimulation, and high energy. (Suggestions: dining room, bedroom, or upholstery)

Orange: Creativity, happiness, enthusiasm, and communication. (Suggestions: accenting, throw-overs, or pillows)

Yellow: Cheerfulness, light-heartedness, and mental stimulation. (Suggestions: kitchens, not bedrooms)

Green: Growth, harmony, nature, safety, peace, and healing (Suggestions: bedroom, bathroom, or office)

Blue: Trust, loyalty, confidence, faith (Suggestions: accents around the house and in bedroom)

Purple: Romance, luxury, nobility, wealth, spirituality, and motivation (Suggestions: bedroom)

Black: Power, independence (Suggestions: picture frames)

Brown: Stability, humility (Suggestions: living room)

White: Cleanliness, vibrancy (Use sparingly; too much white can feel cold)

<this small list was used from TinyBuddha's website.>

• Make your front door inviting. If it is confusing to find your door it will be hard for opportunity to happen. If you're not sure if it is confusing to find, think of it this way- if a trick or treater can't find your door then how is opportunity to happen? Add some fresh paint to your door such as a mid-tone red, put some potted plants out, make sure your lights illuminate your porch, and make sure your doorbell works.
• A common misconception is to put the furniture flush against the walls. Don't. By doing so it cuts off the flow of energy throughout that area and it makes it difficult to show open communication.
• Add family photos throughout your home. However, only put pictures of the couple in the master bedroom instead of family ones. By putting pictures of the happy couple it creates a loving energy that will help improve and keep their marriage well. Do put family photos anywhere else though. It will give your guests a positive energy.
• If you're looking to start a relationship put doubles of furniture and such to open up the energy of partnership. By setting up your home for an individual it blocks the partnership energy and will make you feel not ready for a relationship.
• To bring in prosperity create a vibrant, healthy, inspiring, and clutter-free home. By bringing in plants and flowers it gives out vibrant life forces. Put some fountains either in your yard or your house to stimulate prosperity, energy, and symbolizes money.
• Finally, if the space in your home is big, people tend to live further apart emotionally. Bring everything closer to get rid of the negative energy.

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