All in the Details

The details are what make a house a home.  Little touches and features can capture your heart and stick in your memory long after you’ve moved.  It’s easy to get caught up in the more practical features that our Summit NJ real estate agent is pointing out and we forget to look for those things we will come to value over the years.  Let’s look at a few of the detail you can look for when you’re buying your next home.

Kitchen
Well, this is one room that is necessarily focused on the more practical aspects of life.  Of course you want to look for updated appliances, plenty of storage space and good materials.  But you’ll also want o look for things like cabinet that go all the way to the ceiling.  As your collection of china and serving pieces grows over the years, you’ll appreciate the extra few inches for storing the pieces you use only on Thanksgiving.

Would you like a truly unique but incredibly handy feature in your next kitchen?  Look for a pot filler.  That’s a faucet installed directly above the stove top.  This will save you many trips between the sink and stove toting heavy stockpots of water.  It’s a feature you’ll come to love on pasta night.

Family Room
In the family room, technology reigns supreme.  You’ll want to make sure there is a cable hook up in a convenient spot.  If you can fit in connections for the Internet you’ll be able to use the room for more than just TV viewing.  Look for handy storage for games, toys, books and all the other things that collect in this room.  Make sure the room isn’t too drafty or too hot since you will likely spend more of your time at home in this room than any other.

A rally great feature to fin in a family room is a built-in storage and TV unit.  This will save you money.  You won’t have to buy an expensive piece of furniture to fit the space.

Bedroom
The bedroom will get the next largest chunk of you time at home.  Be sure this room is large enough to be comfortable.  If you can fit a comfy chair or chaise in your bedroom, it will serve as a mini-retreat as your family grows.

Advice is never in short supply, especially when you’re selling a home.  There are websites that inform and co-workers who advise, but some of the information you receive will be little more than myth.  Here are a few of the myths you might hear.

Set the price high so you’ve got room to negotiate.
Pricing is one of the toughest points for a Summit NJ real estate agent to discuss with a client.  A good price that is competitive in the market will drive buyers to your home.  A price set too high will drive them away.  If a buyer sees several listings similar to yours with much lower price tags, why would they bother looking at one that is overpriced?  Be a tough negotiator but don’t alienate your buying pool.

It’s the inside that really counts.
The kitchen may sell the home but the curb appeal will get buyers inside to see the kitchen.  Don’t count on a great floor plan and upgraded appliances to do all the work.  The exterior of you home gets buyers’ attention and set the stage for what they will see inside.  Unkempt yards, dated details and peeling paint always make a bad impression.  You’ll be fighting an uphill battle to sell your house.

The next owner will take care of the repairs.
They might be willing to take on a few repairs but they won’t be willing to pay full price.  Buyers looking for “fixer” will typically offer significantly less than asking price.  Make the repairs and you can list your home as “updated.”

You love your décor; so will buyers.
Your taste is just that - yours.  Don’t expect buyers to like the same colors or fabrics that you like, especially if you like to walk on the wild side of the color palette.  Try to neutralize bright colors and keep the décor simple.  Pare down your furnishings to maximize the space and allow the buyer some room to see their own things in the space.

Sell it yourself and you’ll pocket the commission.
You Summit NJ real estate agent will make a commission from selling your home; that much is true.  A good agent will also earn that commission by selling your home fast and for the best possible price.  He will help you set a price, market the home and show it, print all the flyers, place all the ads and generally do the work you don’t want to do.  Your agent is your advocate in this process and he’ll help you sell as quickly as possible.

Any Summit NJ real estate agent will tell you that there are few things that can turn a buyer away from a home faster than gaudy, dated, dirty or chipped paint.  It sounds like a small thing to consider but it is truly vital to a fast sale.  When the paint is loud or in poor condition, all potential buyers can see are time-consuming, messy projects in their future instead of a new life in a wonderful home.

Usually, a bad paint job is a sign of worse things.  Lumpy paint may get the buyer thinking that there could be mold underneath.  Crumbling or flaking paint practically yells out “moisture problem.”  Out of date paint choices just make a home seem old and worn. 

Even if none of this is true, bad paint still creates a bad impression.  The usual thinking says that if the owner hasn’t kept up with small tasks like paint, he hasn’t likely maintained the home well at all.  Just like you’d never wear a dirty or threadbare suit to a job interview, you shouldn’t let your home be “interviewed” by prospective buyers wearing anything less than a fresh, new coat of paint both inside and out. 

Like any job, preparation is key to a good paint application.  You may have to do some scraping and sanding to achieve a smooth surface, but the end result will be well worth the effort.  Priming is not a step to be skipped when you are preparing to sell your home.  A tinted, stain-blocking primer might seem like an added step but it will actually save you time.  You won’t need as many coats of the new paint to cover the old color and you won’t have to keep painting over problem spots like crayon marks or water stains.  Your local paint store or home improvement center can help you choose the right one for your home.

Talk to your Summit NJ real estate agent about color choices for the interior and exterior of your home.  He or she can tell you what shows and sells best in your neighborhood and price range.  Neutral colors are almost always the answer.  Take some cues from the flooring.  For example, if you have golden honey-toned hardwood floors, stick with warm colors.  If your carpet is charcoal, you should pick cooler colors to complement it. 

You’ll be surprised at the difference a little paint can make.  When you’ve finished painting, be sure to ask your Summit NJ real estate agent to add the words “freshly painted” to your listing.  Your buyers will love those two little words.

You’ve been following the advice of your Summit NJ real estate agent: ruthlessly decluttering every room, painting every wall and scrubbing every corner in preparation to sell your home.  Suddenly you realize that the holidays are right around the corner.  You’re faced with a dilemma:  forgo your usual holiday decorating spree in order to maintain an uncluttered, neutral home or pull out all the lights and garland in spite of the impending open house? 

There is a comfortable middle ground between the Spartan décor of a perfectly staged home and a holiday gingerbread house.  While you want to avoid clutter, there’s no need to deny your family a beautiful holiday season just because you’re trying to sell.  Just apply the same staging principles you would use during any other time of year to your holiday decorating.

Less is More

Holiday decorations can make a house look its most welcoming and friendly, if they are thoughtful and well placed.  Pick one color that harmonizes with your year-round décor instead of a cacophony of holiday hues.  For instance if you have light, cool colors in your rooms like blues and grays you might want to use pine green with white.  You may need to scale back this year’s tree to prevent crowding a room.  A simple wreath on the door or a few strands of white lights on the shrubbery is enough to charm a potential buyer.  Don’t do anything to compromise your home’s architecture or restrict its space.

It’s Nothing Personal

The holidays are usually when the cherished personal items come out of storage and are displayed in a place of honor.  However, you might not want your great grandmother’s priceless porcelain Santa on a wobbly table in a room full of strangers during an open house.  Your valuable and sentimental items should probably stay in storage, just for this year.  The same applies to your gifts.  It’s just not wise to leave such tempting packages in plain view when your home will be on display to the public.

Holiday Treats

The tastes and smells of the holiday are just as important as the sights.  Leave your potential buyers with a warm, comforting impression of your home with subtle scents like evergreen.  Use a scent diffuser, especially if you have an artificial tree, to infuse your home with a holiday aroma.  Avoid harsh sprays or heavy perfumes as some buyers could be allergic.  You might consider having your Summit NJ real estate agent offer a tray of holiday cookies or a pot of simmering cider for your buyers.  The cider will double as air freshener if you drop in a cinnamon stick or two.

There is no need to give up your holiday in order to keep your home ready to show.  Just make a few calculated refinements to your décor and you’ll soon be celebrating in your new home.

Green living is at the forefront of the minds of many these days, even those buying new homes. From trying to decide whether your neighborhood association might allow solar panels to carefully evaluating your carbon footprint, buying Short Hills NJ real estate may mean making a fresh start, ecologically speaking. Luckily, this area is one of the most environmentally responsible in the country.

A recent Summit NJ Recycling Advisory Board Meeting only serves to demonstrate the area’s overall commitment to the cause. Over the course of bi-monthly meetings for the last three years, a myriad of programs have been implemented to help make the area a bit greener. From extensive Earth Day programs to recycling cans sponsored by city merchants to the famed Green Fest events, the board is attempting to change the way Summit and the surrounding areas look at their impact on the earth.

Even the public library is getting in on the act. By hosting energy expert Dr. Phillip Eisner to discuss the “Science of Sustainability,” not only can the community learn more about what’s currently being done, but also what should be done to make certain both new and old residents are continually working to build a better future.

As you select the right Summit NJ real estate to meet your needs, maybe it’s time to think about your carbon footprint as well. What can you do to pitch in?