How Do I Stage My Home ?

One of the best ways to increase the interest in a house for sale is to stage it. Before the showing process starts, before any potential buyers enters the home be sure to walk through the entire house with your agent to complete the staging process. 

The main idea behind Staging is to make the home as attractive as possible with the understand that the potential buyers can see themselves living in it. It can be easy to focus on the inside of the house but the outside is important too. You want the outside of the house to invite them closer. You want the outside to be a good first impression. Here are some of the things that can be done outside to bring them in:

- Be sure to walk the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans and any other clutter and take them to the dump. Make sure the outside is free and clear of all clutter.

- Check the gutters and roof for any leaves, moss or dry rot. Make sure the roof is swept and neat looking.

-Make sure all plants are manicured. Don't let any plants block any of the windows. You have to be able to see the house to buy it ! Remove any dead plants and weed all planting areas.

-Make sure your lawn and freshly cut and fertilized for the growing season. 

- Make sure your patios and decks are free and clear of all small items such as little  planters, charcoal (the grill is ok) and toys.

-Be sure that the condition of paint on your home is good. Especially the front door and trim. This is very important.

Staging can sell your home faster and for more money. ASP states that on average 95% of Staged homes sell 11 days faster and for 17% more.

Should I Rent or Buy a Home ?

How do you choose between buying and renting?

Home ownership offers tax benefits as well as the freedom to make decisions about your home. An advantage of renting is not worrying about maintenance and other financial obligations associated with owning property. There also are a number of economic considerations. If you would like to talk get in contact with a realtor click HERE. Unlike renters, home owners who secure a fixed-rate loan can lock in their monthly housing costs and make prudent investment plans knowing these expenses will not increase substantially. Home ownership is a highly leveraged investment that can yield substantial profit on a nominal front-end investment. However, such returns depend on home-price appreciation.

"For some people, owning a home is a great feeling," writes Mitchell A. Levy in his book, "Home Ownership: The American Myth," Myth Breakers Press, Cupertino, Calif.; 1993. "It does, however, have a price. Besides the maintenance headache, the amount of after-tax money paid to the lender is usually greater than the amount of money otherwise paid in rent," Levy concludes.

As for evaluating the risk associated with home ownership, David T. Schumacher and Erik Page Bucy write in their book "The Buy & Hold Real Estate Strategy," John Wiley & Sons, New York; 1992, that "good property located in growth areas should be regarded as an investment as opposed to a speculation or gamble." The authors recommend that prospective buyers spend a few months investigating a community. Many people make the mistake of buying in the wrong area. "Just because certain properties are high-priced doesn't necessarily mean they have some inherent advantage," the authors write. "One property may cost more than another today, but will it still be worth more down the line?"

For any question or comments contact:

Sherri Melton - Realtor

2013 KW Quadruple Gold Sales Award-Over 11 Million in Sales in 2013

Associate Leadership Council Member 2007 - 2014

Accredited Staging Professional - IAHSP Member

Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners

3633 Wheeler Rd., Suite 125

Augusta, GA 30909

Cell/Text 706.495.1135

www.LiveLoveAugusta.com

www.RealEstateinAugusta.com

www.SherriMelton.info

What Is My Home Worth ?

What’s a house worth?

A home ultimately is worth what someone will pay for it. Everything else is an estimate of value. To determine a property’s value, most people turn to either an appraisal or a comparative market analysis. To find out what your home is worth go HERE.   An appraisal is a certified appraiser’s estimate of the value of a home at a given point in time. Appraisers consider square footage, construction quality, design, floor plan, neighborhood and availability of transportation, shopping and schools. Appraisers also take lot size, topography, view and landscaping into account. Most appraisals cost about $300.  A comparative market analysis is a real estate broker’s or agent’s informal estimate of a home’s market value, based on sales of comparable homes in a neighborhood. Most agents will give you a comparative market analysis for free.  You can do your own cost comparison by looking up recent sales of comparable properties in public records. These records are available at local recorder or assessor offices, through private real estate information companies or on the Internet.

What are the standard ways of finding out how much a home is worth?

A comparative market analysis and an appraisal are the standard methods for determining a home’s value. To find the value of your home click HERE. Your real estate agent will be happy to provide a comparative market analysis, an informal estimate of value based on comparable sales in the neighborhood. Be sure you get listing prices of current homes on the market as well as those that have sold. You also can research this yourself by checking on recent sales in public records. Be sure that you are researching properties that are similar in size, construction and location. This information is not only available at your local recorder’s or assessor’s office but also through private companies and on the Internet. An appraisal, which generally costs $200 to $300 to perform, is a certified appraiser’s opinion of the value of a home at any given time. Appraisers review numerous factors including recent comparable sales, location, square footage and construction quality.

For More Information Contact:

Sherri Melton - Realtor

2013 KW Quadruple Gold Sales Award-Over 11 Million in Sales in 2013

Associate Leadership Council Member 2007 - 2014

Accredited Staging Professional - IAHSP Member

Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners

3633 Wheeler Rd., Suite 125

Augusta, GA 30909

Cell/Text 706.495.1135

www.LiveLoveAugusta.com

www.RealEstateinAugusta.com

www.SherriMelton.info

Marketing Your Home to Sell

Moving Checklist for Our Military Members

Checklist for Our Military Service Members

It can be challenging to pick up and move to another location. Here at Melton Associates we take pride in our service members who serve this country and we want to do anything we can to help them out during a move. Here are some good tips to do before a move:

-For an active service members, it is important to get a counseling session at the base transportation office.

-Make a decision on whether it is best to make a DITY move or have the government handle it all for you.

-It is definitely a smart move to start saving for non-reimbursable moving expenses.

-Moving can be tough, be sure to discuss the moving process with you family to work through any apprehensions of relocating.

-If necessary contact and notify your landlord that you will be moving but do not give a specific date.

-Be sure to make arrange to move your vehicle if necessary.

-It is important to keep track of all tax deductible moving expenses.

-Be sure to make an inventory list of all possessions an valuables and get all antiques appraised.

-Be sure to start organizing all personal papers like birth certificates and insurance papers or warranties.

-Be sure to change mailing address for bill and etc.

-It is important to have a Power of Attorney or Letter of Authorization drawn up just in case of any unexpected circumstances that could pop up.

-Don't place any additional mail order purchases

If you have any questions or could use any assistance don't hesitate to contact me :

Sherri Melton - Realtor

Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners

3633 Wheeler Rd., Suite 125

Augusta, GA 30909

Cell/Text 706.495.1135

www.Liveloveaugusta.com

Simple Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home

Whether you are wanting to grow your investment in your home or are thinking about putting your home on the market, here are some simple ways you can increase your homes value.

-Declutter and Inspect: On of the simplest ways to make a room appear bigger is to declutter. Remove the photos and knick knacks and other clutter that serve to make the room appear smaller. Also you want to regularly inspect the home and take care of any problems that pop up along the way. This is helpful when buyers request an inspection.

-Replace Light Fixtures: Often light fixtures can be mounted and then forgotten about so it is important to be aware of old lighting and to replace them with more modern fixtures which will give the room a more modern feel.

-Paint the Kitchen Cabinets: Sometimes in the want to give the kitchen a new look sellers will buy all new cabinets for the kitchen.  This is costly. Simply give the cabinets and cupboards a fresh coat of paint to spruce them up.

-Add Seating: It's important to showcase the potential space of the rooms of the home. This equates to a perceived higher value. This can be achieved by adding searing. Any area where there is open space think about putting chairs or a table.

-Highlight Storage: Highlighting the storage capabilities of your home lets the potential buyer visualize where their things will go which helps them to want the home. Even a small shoe wrack in the closet is a good way to highlight the storage space.

Before wasting precious time and money to increase the value of your home, try these tricks of the trade.  

A Staging Professional

 

We have explored what staging can do to help get get your home sold. Its one thing to read up on staging but it means more to hear it from a  professional. Check out what an accredited staging professional, Sherri Melton, said in the Augusta Chronicle.

CLICK HERE FOR SHERRI'S STAGING ADVICE

For more tips or advice on staging, don't hesitate to contact:

Sherri Melton - Realtor

2013 KW Quadruple Gold Sales Award-Over 11 Million in Sales in 2013

Associate Leadership Council Member 2007 - 2014

Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners

3633 Wheeler Rd., Suite 125

Augusta, GA 30909

Cell/Text 706.495.1135

www.Liveloveaugusta.com

www.SherriMelton.info

The Upsides of House Hunting During the Off-Season

Traditional wisdom often says that once winter hits, you might as well wait to get serious about looking for a house but that is not always true. There are upsides to house hunting during the off-season. House hunters will experience less competition in finding there dream home. With fewer buyers out there to put a bid on a home, the chances are lower of being outbid. Who would of thought that you have a better chance finding your dream home during the winter. Another upside to house hunting during the off-season is that sellers are more motivated. Sellers who are willing to move the family out of the house for showings during this season are highly motivated to get their home sold which means they will be highly motivated to entertain your offer to get it sold. Don't let the cold weather and winter season deter you from buying and selling a home. 

Have any questions or comments ?  

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Augusta GA Real Estate

Are you looking for a home ?
Looking for a home in Augusta or Columbia County. When you are looking for a new home it is crucial to understand what
the local market is doing ? Here in Augusta, Sherri Melton
is an expert at the Augusta Real Estate Market. Sherri and her staff can help in any way when it comes to Augusta
real estate.
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