Staging Tips for Your Garage

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garage staging tips, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, staging tips, staging your home

Making a house on the market shine is all about attention to detail. If you’re going the extra mile to ensure your home is a stand-out, you’ll probably go beyond the typical touch-ups that refresh curb appeal. You might even decide to stage your home, especially if you’re not living in it while it’s for sale.

One “room” you don’t want to forget when you stage? Your garage!

Staging a garage may sound excessive, but it’s an important and frequently-used entryway to a home. While many prospective buyers may expect a dark, cluttered, unfinished concrete box, you can surprise and delight them by following these simple garage staging tips:

1. Clear out the clutter. Yes, it might mean renting storage space, but that can be a good idea anyway when you’re staging a home to impress. Weed through the junk, have your garage sale, and then store the balance off-site.

2. Enhance the floors. Cracked, stained, or otherwise shoddy looking concrete flooring can be a visual turn-off. If you’re not planning on sealing, priming, and painting the floor, at least get a suitable cleaning chemical or power washer to brighten up the flooring.

3. Organize what remains. A workshop area with hook boards for small tools can be appealing, especially if great care is taken to make the area look tidy and functional.

4. Create more storage space on walls or hanging from the ceiling. Provided your garage isn’t low-ceilinged or particularly tight, shelving and hanging racks can show your buyers how much room they’ll have to keep extra tools, seasonal decorations, or sports equipment handy.

5. Tune up the lighting. A nice hanging fluorescent fixture, plugged into outlets or existing fixture outlets can change your garage from a dungeon into a clean, inviting place. Besides, don’t you want to highlight all that hard work you’ve done?

Want to make your house stand-out in the greater Jacksonville area? We’re happy to share all the tips and tricks we have to give your home an edge. Let’s connect! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTOR Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

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Tips for Choosing a Reputable Remodeling Contractor

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hiring a contractor, home improvement, home renovations, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, Jacksonville FL Real Estate, remodel; return on investment; home office; renovations; remodeling projects; investment, renovating a house

With the number of foreclosed or bank-owned properties floating around out there, we often speak with folks who are preparing to embark on a renovation project.

Unfortunately, with a rise in remodeling comes a flood of disreputable contractors looking to cash in. We do our best to protect people by providing referrals to reputable contractors, but there are plenty of people out there we don’t get a chance to talk to.

If you know someone who is about to undertake a major renovation project, we urge you to share this excellent article published by the Federal Trade Commission, “Home Sweet Home Improvement.” It includes a PDF guide your friends and family will find helpful.

The guide covers:

* The types of home improvement specialists
* How disreputable contractors operate
* Questions to ask contractors
* How to check references
* Understanding payment options
* The “Home Improvement” loan scam
* …and several other useful points

Here’s the link to the article on the FTC website:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro20.shtm

Also, you can download the PDF file directly here:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro20.pdf

Do you need a referral to a contractor or two? Are you in the market for a property to fix-up and call your own (or use as an investment property)? We are happy to help. Give us a call or shoot us a message today: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

Training Magazine Names Keller Williams #1 Training Organization in the World – KW Blog

Training Magazine Names Keller Williams #1 Training Organization in the World – KW Blog.

Homebuyers need to act now

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buy now, homes for sale in Jacksonville FL, interest rates, interest rates rising, Jacksonville, mortgage rates, the time to buy is now

CHICAGO – Feb. 4, 2015 – Homebuyers need to move fast if they want to spend less, according to Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at realtor.com.

“Delayed purchases will only result in higher monthly mortgage payments as prices and rates rise,” Smoke writes. Realtor.com forecasts that affordability may decline as much as 10 percent over the year.

The Federal Reserve continues to remind the financial markets that it plans to raise its target federal funds rate this year, which will cause mortgage rates to rise. Many economists predict that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages will average near 5 percent by the end of the year.

For now, mortgage rates are near historical lows for homebuyers and homeowners. Freddie Mac reported last week that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.66 percent (last year at this time it averaged 4.32 percent), and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 2.98 percent (a year ago, it averaged 3.40 percent).

“Right now, the Fed is using the word ‘patient’ to describe its approach to picking the time to raise the target rate,” Smoke notes. “However, when the Fed ‘loses patience,’ rates will go up at least 20 to 40 basis points in anticipation of the target rate officially going up. … So, buyers beware: The clock on these low mortgage rates may be ticking.”

Source: “2015: Buy Now, Before the Fed’s Patience Ends,” realtor.com® (Jan. 30, 2015)

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