Don’t Forget to Pack These Common Items

What are the Essential Items for the First Day?

On your first day, it's crucial to have a few first-day must-haves to start off on the right foot. Good organization is key, so bring a planner and a pen to jot down important information. Don't forget your ID or any necessary paperwork for a smooth first day experience. Comfortable shoes are also essential for navigating your new environment. Lastly, pack a positive attitude and an open mind for a successful first day.

Creating a Moving Checklist

Things to prepare

Once packing begins for an upcoming move, creating a moving checklist is important, as it will help to remain organized and ensure nothing gets forgotten. Listed below are some common items that often get forgotten during the packing process. These include: Valuables – If you have valuable jewelry, or other high value items, make sure they are packed and remain with you throughout the duration of the move. In some cases, it is common that items of value are stored in a different location, such as a safety deposit box. Medication – If you or any family members require medication, make sure to obtain enough to last until you are able to get a new prescription. Pack and keep them with you while your belongings are in transit. Documents – All personal records and documentation including: medical records, financial documents, bank and credit card statements, school records etc. should be packed and kept with you at all times. If you already have a destination address or somewhere secure where these can be sent, consider shipping them priority. Electronics – One very important item not to forget are chargers for commonly used electronics. Make sure to gather all chargers and cables. Having spare chargers and cables is advised. If moving internationally, make sure to have correct adapters for any country you will be in.

Can Cutting Costs When Moving Help in Avoiding Mistakes When Selling a House?

Selling a house can be a daunting task, but cutting moving costs can actually help in avoiding mistakes. By focusing on cost-effective ways to move, homeowners can divert their resources towards the selling process. This allows them to seek professional assistance, stage their house, and advertise efficiently, ultimately increasing the chances of a successful sale. So, managing expenses wisely during a move can have a positive impact on the overall selling experience.

17 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your House

  Selling your house can be both exciting and stressful, especially if it’s your first time. Regardless of why you decided to sell your home, there are a number of pitfalls you can easily fall into, making your home selling experience less than ideal. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the most common home selling mistakes people make so you can sell your home knowing you have your bases covered. Underestimating the cost of selling your house While you should ultimately profit from the sale of your home, many home sellers forget about the costs associated with selling a house. For starters, you should expect to use five to six percent of the total sale price of your home to cover the commissions of both the seller and buyer agents. For example, if you sell your home for $300,000 you could wind up paying upwards of $18,000 in commission. Furthermore, this hefty cost doesn't include possible concessions home buyers might want you to make during the negotiation phase, such as making repairs suggested by a home inspector. Not budgeting for your move When you consider the moving process, you have two options: hiring a moving company or borrow your buddy’s truck and doing it yourself. By hiring a moving company, rather than doing it yourself, you’re getting someone who will pack, move, and then unpack your belongings. This means that a full-service mover can be well worth the investment when you’re preoccupied with all of the other tasks associated with selling your home. Not to mention, when you hire movers your belongings are insured so you’re covered if anything breaks. Selling a house you owe more on than what it’s worth If you still have a remaining balance on your mortgage, you’ll most likely use a portion of the sale proceeds of your home to pay off the existing mortgage. Make sure you don’t owe more on your mortgage than what your house is actually worth or you won’t make enough money on the sale to pay off your mortgage. The best option is almost always to wait on selling your home so that it can build more equity. This way you can sell your home and buy a new one without having two mortgages at the same time. Pricing your home incorrectly If you price your home too high, your home may fall into seller’s limbo, sitting on the market for what feels like an eternity. On the other hand, if you price too low then you will likely sell your home quickly but you risk missing out on a significant amount of money. The first step to understanding how much your home is worth is utilizing a n online calculator. Afterward, meet with your real estate agent to discuss a good pricing strategy for your home.They will look at other comparable properties in your neighborhood that sold recently as well as bring keen insights into what the housing market is currently doing. Together, you’ll determine a good starting price as well as a pricing strategy that will incentives buyers if your house begins to sit on the market for too long. Skipping a pre-listing home inspection Selling a house is stressful enough, even when everything goes right. But if a home buyer hires an inspector who catches an issue like mold, pests, or a cracked foundation, then your stress levels will multiply as you risk losing a potential sale entirely. Given the affordability of home inspections, there’s not much reason to avoid them. Getting a pre-listing home inspection will put your mind at ease as you’ll either know that your home is in sound condition or you’ll be able to tackle problems before home buyers have the chance to bring them up during the negotiation phase. If an issue does arise, you can either fix it or you can let buyers know and then make a concession during the negotiation phase by reducing the price of your home accordingly. Not refinishing hardwood floors or cleaning your carpet If you’re reading this at home, look down. How do your floors look? Even if they don’t look terrible, there’s a pretty good chance they’re starting to show their age. Since potential buyers are going to be inspecting every aspect of your home, you should start thinking of refinishing your hardwood floors and cleaning your carpet. Whether you’re selling in Atlanta or Bend, the best time to have your carpet cleaned or hardwood floors refinished is right before you stage your home. Since you’ll already be moving most (or all) of your furniture to either a new home or a storage unit, this is a great time to get your floors done and make them a selling point to potential home buyers. Not staging your home for a quick sale The main point of staging your home is to allow potential home buyers the chance to picture themselves living in your space. They get to see a home with furniture and art that’s arranged in a way that highlights key features of your home, rather than an empty house that echoes every sound. Staging your home pays off too as 21 percent of agents told the National Association of Realtors that staging a home increased its’ sale price by as much as 10 percent, making it a worthwhile investment. Forgoing professional real estate photos With the advent of cameras on smartphones, everyone likes to think of themselves as a photographer these days. Even though that picture you took of your dinner last week looked like it could be featured in advertisements, you’re still probably not ready to take your own real estate photos. A real estate photographer will make sure that your home looks great when you list it because not only do they have the equipment, they understand the angles that best sell a home. If you have a large home, a stunning view you want to show off, or a large amount of land, you may also want to consider having aerial photos taken of your home. The views that drones are able to capture are impressive and can help show off your home in a way that will make sure it stands out from other houses in your area that are on the market. Even better, drone technology makes this option more affordable than ever before, allowing you to get a lot more bang for your buck. Trying to sell a poorly lit home You want to show your home in the best light, so take the time to really gauge the quality of your lighting by closing your curtains/blinds and looking at each room as though you’re a potential home buyer. Make a note of any rooms that are poorly lit or just seem dark and then call an electrician so that you can have some additional lighting installed. Even worse than a poorly lit room, however, is when the lights don’t work at all. Sometimes the light bulb is just burnt out, while other times the socket itself is in need of repair. Consider calling an electrician before you begin showing your home to make sure it’s shining its brightest. Potential buyers (and your bank account) will thank you for the investment. Not making your home energy efficient If you’d like to spend less on your utility bills, you aren’t alone. A study by the National Association of Realtors found that 33 percent of home buyers see high-efficiency HVAC systems as an important factor when looking at a new home. If you have an older home, you should look into either retrofitting or replacing your HVAC unit altogether as your current system might be using a lot more energy than it needs to be. This will ensure that you have a system that is meeting your home’s needs, while also lowering your utility bill. If you’re committed to energy-efficiency then there are a few extra things you can do. These options include making sure your home is properly insulated, ensuring that you don’t have any leaky air ducts, and buying a smart thermostat. Whichever route you pursue, having an energy-efficient HVAC system will make your house stand out from the competition. Not cleaning your house before trying to sell it Most of us would probably be lying if we said our homes weren’t overdue for a good cleaning, so don’t forget to check this box before listing your home for sale. There’s nothing more off-putting during a home tour than realizing the house is dirty, and potential home buyers may wonder what else you’ve been neglecting. By hiring a professional cleaning company, you’ll guarantee that not only is your home spotless but that you’re going to make a great impression on home buyers when they tour your house. Not addressing the exterior of your house Over the years, your home’s exterior has taken a beating from the elements. With everything mother nature throws at it every year, the paint on your home’s exterior and the stain on your deck have likely lost a bit of their luster. So before listing, be sure to pressure wash your house first. In addition to making sure your house looks its best in the listing photos, you will also enhance the overall curb appeal when buyers eventually show up for a tour. In addition to pressure washing your house and deck, you can also take the time to pressure wash your garage door, fence, patio, driveway, and any walkways you may have. You never got around to repainting One of the first things a potential buyer will notice when they pull up to your home is the paint. If you want to make a good first impression, then you’ll need to ensure that your home is painted an inviting color and that the quality of your paint job is top-notch. While the job of repainting your house might take a few days, the value of painting your house before selling will be well worth the effort.  A recent study found that painting the exterior of your home has a 51 percent return on investment. Don’t stop with the exterior though! We’ve all seen some pretty questionable color choices on the walls of homes. If you happen to have a lime green or bright purple wall, you’ll want to repaint them to be a more buyer-friendly neutral color. Doing so will make it easier for buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your home as it makes them think of your walls as a blank canvas.

Selling a home with a yard in need of some TLC

The other way to make a great first impression is by wowing potential buyers with your yard. Start by cleaning up anything that may be cluttering your yard, porch, or pathways (things like gardening equipment or a child’s bicycle). Then you can move onto mowing the lawn, weeding your garden, and planting some new flowers. If your yard has a damaged pathway, you may also want to think about fixing or even replacing it as well. If these touch-ups seem like a lot to tackle while you’re trying to sell your home, don’t be afraid to hire a landscaper as the cost is well worth it. A study by Turf Magazine found that a home’s value tended to increase by as much as 10 to 12 percent after making upgrades to the landscaping. You have mismatched appliances Maybe your black stove died a couple of years ago and you replaced it with a brand new stainless steel one. Or maybe you swapped out that white kitchen faucet you always hated with a copper one that caught your eye. Either way, the result is mismatched appliances. While it won’t necessarily impact the overall sale price of your home, many home buyers are going to find the mismatched color scheme off-putting, so consider making some changes before you sell. The best way to proceed is to decide which kitchen appliances are your favorite and base the color scheme off of them. So if that fancy new stove you bought last year is stainless steel, then make sure your other appliances are too. Luckily, many appliance manufacturers offer discounts if you purchase multiple appliances with them at once. Lingering during a home tour Nobody likes a lingerer, especially when they also happen to be the owner of the home you’re currently touring. If you don’t leave the home during a showing, then potential buyers feel awkward as they attempt to discuss what they like and dislike about the house. You also prevent your listing agent from being able to do their job to the best of their abilities as you’re naturally going to want to answer any questions the buyers have rather than leaving those questions to your agent. So instead of staying in your home during a showing, try taking the opportunity to go shopping, run errands, or visit some friends instead. Your agent will thank you. Taking a Lowball Offer Personally Regardless of your reasons for moving, the fact that you’ve probably lived in your home for years means that you have a lot of strong feelings attached to it. So when you receive a lowball offer, it’s natural to be offended. Instead of walking away, send them back a counteroffer that you and your real estate agent think is fair. If they really are interested, then you’ll be glad you didn’t let your emotions get the better of you. Originally published on Redfin

9 Tips for Selling Your Home During Coronavirus

  The coronavirus has affected so many aspects of our lives – from how we work to how we exercise, communicate, and so much more. It has also affected the housing market and how we now buy and sell homes. If you’re thinking about listing your home you may be wondering what you can do to attract homebuyers during this unprecedented time? While executing on curb appeal ideas and implementing strategic home staging are all still worthy endeavors in appealing to homebuyers, an ideal home office or an entertainment-worthy backyard may have found renewed interest for today’s homebuyers. Here are 9 tips to help you sell your home during coronavirus.

Start by prepping your home to sell in a virtual world

Due to coronavirus, developments in virtual home tours, 3D walkthroughs, and the ability to close remotely with online notaries have made home buying and selling process easier than ever. Along with these advancements in real estate technology, services such as virtual staging, virtual home inspections, and even virtual interior design have grown in popularity.

1. Make your home shine online with virtual staging

Whether you’re listing a single-family home for sale in Atlanta, GA or a duplex for sale in Sacramento, CA, staging your home is one of the most integral parts of the process. It gives potential buyers an opportunity to visualize themselves living in your space, which can make or break a deal. So, unless you have experience staging homes, consider consulting with a professional home stager. Given the current climate, however, not everyone necessarily wants a professional stager to enter their house. That’s why virtual staging services have become such a popular alternative. The advent of virtual staging has allowed stagers to create comfortable and aesthetically pleasing atmospheres for potential buyers to view a home without ever setting foot inside. While in-person staging will likely return post-coronavirus, virtual staging will remain a convenient and favorable option that should be considered when getting your house ready to sell.

2. Organize your interior with a virtual organizing and decluttering service

As with virtual staging, many have found virtual organizing services to be an affordable and convenient way to receive advice on how to organize and declutter their space. Some organizers even claim that working virtually allows them to have longer organizing sessions with their clients, resulting in more in-depth appointments. However, one of the most compelling reasons to try a virtual organizing session is that you get to work hands-on with your space. By allowing a professional organizer to virtually guide you through the organization process, you can practice and integrate your new skills long after your session has ended, and having a functional space will give your home a leg-up when it’s time to sell.

3. Invest in professional photography to help your home stand out

Nowadays, with the ability to buy and sell almost entirely online, it’s more important than ever to make sure your home’s online appearance is top-notch. While it may be tempting to forego the expense of professional real estate photos and do it yourself, it’s important to note that your house will likely sell faster and for more money, if you go with a professional. Investing in a real estate photographer will ensure that your home is presented in its best light when you list. In the case that your home is located on a large plot of land or has a spectacular view you want to show off, consider having aerial photos taken of your home. With advancements in drone photography, this service is more affordable than ever and is able to capture your home’s most prominent features from a whole new perspective.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when selling your house during the coronavirus pandemic?

When selling your house during the coronavirus pandemic, there are key mistakes to avoid. One common pitfall is overpricing your property, as buyers may be cautious due to economic uncertainty. Neglecting virtual tours or low-quality online listings also hinders success. Furthermore, failing to adapt to safety measures like social distancing and sanitization can deter potential buyers. To ensure a smooth sale, avoid these selling your house mistakes.

How Can I Make Moving Less Stressful During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Moving during a global pandemic can be overwhelming, but with these tips for a smooth relocation, you can minimize stress. Start by creating a detailed plan, utilizing virtual tours to find a new home, and packing strategically. Research local guidelines and hire professional movers to streamline the process. Prioritize your health and safety by practicing proper hygiene throughout the move.

Make sure your home addresses all the needs of today’s buyers

4. Turn unused space into a home gym or office

For many people, things like working and exercising from home have been a completely new experience that they weren’t entirely prepared for. Prior to coronavirus, many hadn’t considered the importance of having a dedicated workspace that promotes productivity while remaining separate from their day-to-day lives. However, now people have begun to recognize the value of additional space. If you have an unfinished basement, a spare bedroom, or an insulated garage, take the time to transform it into a usable and desirable space. Whether it functions as a home office, gym, indoor garden, or something else, having a bonus area that buyers can customize to their individual needs will certainly provide value to your home in the eyes of today’s homebuyers.

5. Make your backyard a horticulturist’s dream

As many may have noticed, when the coronavirus initially struck, produce and even proteins were in short supply at the local grocery store. This shortage ultimately gave people a greater appreciation for being able to grow their own food from the comfort of home. Taking the time to build a garden bed in a previously unused part of your backyard will bring life to your outdoor space and be an added bonus in the eyes of the buyer.

6. Create a space to grow food indoors

Why limit your gardening to the outdoors? Indoor gardening has also seen a rise in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic. Having a proper place for an indoor garden within your home can be a bonus from a buyer’s perspective. Not to mention, building an indoor garden can be a fun, rewarding, and educational project for the whole family to be a part of. Start by finding the right space in your home. Keep in mind that the ideal location for an indoor garden receives a lot of natural light and has an average temperature of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, choose vegetables and herbs that thrive indoors such as lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, arugula, etc.. For more in-depth instruction, refer to these expert tips on how to create the ultimate DIY indoor garden.

Turn your backyard into a personal getaway

With all the time that’s been spent at home, a beautiful space for outdoor entertainment has taken on a whole new level of importance. Investing a little time and money into your outdoor space will provide a range of benefits to you as a homeowner while adding value to your home when it comes time to sell. Create the ultimate gathering space in your backyard by incorporating elements like a wooden porch swing, lawn games, outdoor lighting, or even a DIY fire pit. Originally posted at selling Your Home During Coronavirus