7 Home Maintenance Tips to Tackle This Fall

By the Experts at Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

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Fall is just about here, and it’s a great time for homeowners to tackle home maintenance items in and around the house. Doing these tasks will help protect their investment, too!

1. Caulk and seal around exterior door and window frames. Look for gaps where pipes or wiring enter the home and seal those as well. Not only does heat escape from these openings, but water can also enter and cause mold problems and even structural damage. Good sealing will also keep out insects, mice and other unwanted critters.

2. Use binoculars to check the roof for missing or damaged shingles. Water, wind, ice and snow can cause serious damage to a vulnerable roof, leading to a greater chance of further problems inside the home. If issues are spotted, have a qualified professional inspect and repair the roof.

3. Clear gutters of leaves, sticks and other debris. If the gutters can accommodate them, leaf screens can be real time savers and prevent clogging. Check the joints between sections of gutter, as well as between the gutter and downspouts, and make any necessary repairs.

4. In cold-weather climates, drain garden hoses and store them indoors to protect them from the elements. Shut off outdoor faucets and make sure exterior pipes are drained of water. Faucets and pipes can freeze and burst, causing leaks and increasing the potential for water damage.

5. A cozy wood-burning fireplace can be a real pleasure on a chilly fall evening. For safety, have the firebox and chimney professionally inspected and cleaned before use this season. Creosote, a byproduct of wood burning, can build up to dangerous levels and cause a chimney fire that can spread to the rest of the house.

6. Gas fireplaces should be inspected for proper venting and operation. Check glass doors for cracks and don’t use the fireplace if the glass is damaged.

7. Have the furnace inspected to ensure that it’s safe and in good working order. Many utility companies will provide basic, no-cost furnace inspections to their customers, but schedule early as there can be a long waiting list as the weather cools down. Replace disposable furnace air filters or clean the permanent type according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Using a clean filter will help the furnace run more efficiently, saving money and energy.

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is committed to ensuring confident home ownership. To learn more about how Pillar To Post Home Inspectors can help your clients, visit pillartopost.com.

 

4 Easy Staging Tips You Haven’t Thought About

Posted on Jul 1 2019 - 12:04pm by Liz Dominguez

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Editor's Note: This post was originally published on July 1, 2019. Housecall continues to share this piece due to ongoing requests and reader interest.

Selling can be overwhelming. You're packing everything up, trying to make the house look pristine when all around you is what feels like chaos. Since buyers want that great first impression, you know it's important to declutter—often that means cleaning until your home looks like it's never been lived in. And while you’re rushing around, trying to find a new place for your items, it may seem like an impossible task.

Related: The Five Golden Rules of Home Staging on a Budget

Take a breather—it's actually easier than you think. Here are four staging tips that are so easy they may not have even crossed your mind:

Decorate for the potential buyer. You know who this is because you were once this person! If you're in a starter home neighborhood, the buyer will likely be a younger individual or couple who is looking for more space after cramped apartment living. Pick some trendy paint colors like lilac gray or muted pastels and keep the decor minimalistic and modern. Forget decorating a kid's bedroom and opt for an office layout in the second bedroom instead.

If you're looking to downsize from a, say, four-bedroom house on a cul-de-sac, you're probably going to attract the family crowd. Emphasize your space by decorating according to their needs. Have a finished basement? Amp up the recreational feel with some movie theater loungers or make it a game room!

Think about your neighborhood as well. If you're in walking distance to a dog park, you may find that your buyer has a furry roommate. If your home is near a highly-rated school, that's also an indicator that kids may come with the package for whoever owns your home next.

Use resources. You don't have to take on this process all by yourself. Rent a storage unit so you don't have to worry about hiding away your must-keeps. This way, these items are already neatly packed away and ready for your new home, and they won't get in the way of a buyer who isn't looking to see how bad your shopping addiction is.

Additionally, hire a cleaning company. You can find some relatively affordable options, and this will help you stay stress-free throughout the process. Once it's clean, all you have to worry about is keeping it that way!

Focus on the small accessories. Take a tour of your own home, but with fresh eyes. What do you see that stands out as grungy, old and just a complete turn-off? This can be anything from a sticky, splattered garbage bin that needs a good cleaning to your shower curtain which has a dense layer of soap scum that's going to scare even the bravest buyers away. Replace any small accessories that won't cost you a fortune, and clean anything that can look like new with some TLC.

Use your nose. Again, take a tour of your home, but this time focus on what you're smelling. A better option might be to find a friend or family member who can volunteer to do this for you—someone who doesn't live with you or isn't over all the time. Identify the sources of odor in your home and figure out a solution. The last thing you want is for a buyer to come in and quickly be hit by an unpleasant smell.

The cleaning and decluttering should help with this, but there are other things you can do to ensure your home is a breath of fresh air:

• Open up the windows! Let your home air out for an hour or two.
• Light some candles to freshen up the rooms.
• Bake a cake or some cookies right before a potential buyer comes over.

Staging can be easy if you just put yourself in the buyer's shoes. It is, however, more than just moving around furniture and putting away the excess items. Think back to the tour you took yourself before buying this home. What stood out to you—both good and bad? Think about how it all impacts the senses. Of course, trends change, but the overall feeling of clean and tidy is always the first thing people notice. And customizing your home with some easy staging tricks can make a big difference!

 

10 Reasons Why Your Home Isn’t Selling

Posted on Aug 31 2021 - 3:57pm by Jameson Doris

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When you first list your home, you may be expecting a quick sale, especially in a hot market like the one we’re currently in. Other factors like a popular neighborhood or investments in home improvements, may lead you to believe that your property will sell in no time, but that isn’t always the case.

Although you shouldn’t panic if your home doesn’t sell immediately, you should start asking questions if the weeks and months start to fly by with no serious offers. If this happens, here are 10 reasons why your home may not be selling:

You overvalued your property. If your house is significantly overpriced, it's unlikely that it’ll sell. Even in the current market, most agents suggest pricing your home accurately and letting prospective buyers bid each other up. An experienced agent can give you an accurate value of your home. Additionally, don't make the mistake of tacking on the cost of any renovations you made; never assume that the cost of a renovation translates to added value.

Your listing is poor. If your home listing includes a poorly written description, many buyers will skip over it. Make sure you and your agent put an effort into creating a listing that attracts the attention of buyers. Be sure to include high-resolution photos of both the interior and exterior of your home, and don't forget to highlight unique features around your property!

You're present at showings. Let your agent handle your showings. Buyers don't want to see the seller lurking over their shoulder during showings, especially during an open house. This puts unwanted pressure on the buyer, which will likely make them uncomfortable. You don’t want potential buyers running away from your property. 

You're too attached. If you refuse to negotiate the price of your home at all, then there's a good chance that you've become too attached. If a part of you doesn't want to sell, or if you’re in love with your home, there’s a good chance you're going to have a lot of difficulty coming to an agreement with potential buyers on a price.

You haven't staged your home. If you've already moved out of your home, don't show an empty house. This can make it very difficult for buyers to imagine living in it. Stage your home with modern furniture and decor to give buyers a better idea of how big each room is and how it can be used. You want the buyer to feel at home when they’re touring your property.

You kept up all of your personal decor. Buyers are going to feel uncomfortable touring your house if you keep all of your family portraits and other personal effects around. Take down decor that is political, religious or specific to your interests, so that buyers can have an easier time imagining themselves living there.

Your home improvements are too personalized. You might think that the superhero mural that you painted for your child's room is amazing, but that doesn't mean potential buyers will agree. If your home improvements are too personalized to you and your family, it can scare off buyers who don't want to pay to get rid of features that they don't want.

Your home is too cluttered.  A cluttered home can be a major issue when it comes time to sell. Your home may be clean, but you could simply have too much furniture in one of your rooms. This will make the house feel smaller than it is. Also, be sure to have your carpets and windows professionally cleaned before you begin showing your house.

Your home is in need of too many repairs. The more repairs that are needed, the less likely a potential  buyer will be to purchase your home. Many homebuyers simply don't want to deal with the cost or effort of doing repair work, even if it's just a bunch of small fixes that need to be done, like tightening a handrail or replacing a broken tile. Have these repairs taken care of before you list your home.

You chose the wrong real estate agent. Choosing the right real estate agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when the time comes to sell your home. A good REALTOR® makes all the difference in selling your home within a reasonable timeframe for the price you’re hoping to get. Be sure to do research on different agents in your area.

Each of these 10 things alone may not be deal breakers for potential buyers, but once you identify them as issues, you should address them before listing. The longer your property stays on the market, the less likely it is that it’ll sell at listing price. One of the best ways to avoid making these common mistakes is by working with a real estate professional.