Energy Conservation

It’s more important than ever to look for ways to conserve energy and reduce its use in your home.  Conserving energy not only help the planet stay healthy, it can also keep your budget healthy in difficult times.  When you are shopping the Summit NJ listings for a new home, take the opportunity to look for energy saving features and practices that will reduce your bills and your carbon footprint. 

Proper Insulation

Insulating above the requirements of your local building codes can cut your energy usage by a significant margin.  Especially here in the Northeast, an extra layer in the attic can make a big difference.  It can also help your roof last longer.  Have your home inspector check the R-value for all the insulation in the home you are considering.

Sealing the Cracks

Check for drafts around doors, windows and outlets when you’re touring homes with your Summit NJ realtor.  Sealing cracks around windows and doors with weather stripping keeps out those cold drafts and makes air conditioners work more efficiently.  Spray foam takes care of the spaces around outlets.  Make sure heating and air conditioning duct work is well taped and sealed as well.  A small leak in a duct can turn into a big utility bill.

Grab a Blanket

Keeping warm with blankets isn’t just a good practice for people; it’s also a great idea for the water heater.  Ask your Summit NJ real estate agent to find out if the water heater in a prospective property is wrapped in an insulating blanket.  This simple step can reduce your water heating costs by 4% to 9%.  If the home doesn’t have one, you can usually install one yourself for a nominal cost and minimal effort.

Appliances

Most Summit NJ real estate buyers are looking for updated kitchens and laundry rooms.  Updated appliances aren’t just valued for their good looks.  Up-to-date, Energy Star rated appliances will help your family use less power on a daily basis.

Get Smart

Certain “smart home” technologies are now within reach for the average home buyer.  A small detail like a programmable thermostat can make your new home a little smarter.  These devices can be set to adjust the temperature during times when the home is not in use, like while you are at work.  There is no need to keep the house toasty warm while no one is there. 

Check out the US Department of Energy’s website for more tips on reducing the amount of energy your use and conserving where you can.  You can save money and help save the planet at the same time.

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Absentee Policy

There is always some measure of inconvenience when placing your home in the Summit NJ listings.  The tidying up at a moment’s notice, the removal of personal touches, the repainting and rearranging of furniture can all grow wearisome.  On top of all this, your realtor won’t even let you to stay home during the showings and the open houses.  As the proud owner, why should you be the one scuttled off to a coffee house or shopping mall while your agent stays to show off your home?

It may seem counterintuitive to leave the showing of your home in someone else’s hands.  After all, who knows your home better than you do?  Who else knows all the small wonders of living there if not you?  So why is it such a common practice among the Summit NJ real estate community to ask the seller to vacate the premises for showings?

When selling your property, the focus should primarily be on the buyer.  The buyer wants to really see the home, all its quirks and irregularities in complete detail.  It’s not like giving a new acquaintance an admiring tour of the house during a party.  The potential buyer will be looking at every detail, both good and bad.  He will want to talk it over with his agent or spouse and be able to speak frankly about perceived problems. 

Basic good manners prevent most people from speaking so freely in the presence of the current owner.  Not wanting to insult, the buyer would likely not speak of anything negative if you are within hearing.  With little to say, they will likely leave your home much more quickly than if you were not present.  You want them to stay and linger in your home.  The longer a buyer stays the better. 

Once you have decided that your Summit NJ real estate agent is right and it is best that you not be at home during a showing, there are some things you can do.  Make an album of your home’s best selling points to keep on the kitchen counter or coffee table, anywhere a buyer could sit and peruse it for a while.  Or, if you are of a technical mindset, make a presentation to be displayed on a notebook computer or digital photo frame set in an obvious spot.  Highlight special features of the home, the neighborhood and the surrounding town.  These will help your realtor show the home from your perspective.

Have a plan for the times when your Summit NJ realtor makes the call and asks you to clear out for a bit.  Investigate local spots where you can spend some time without spending a ton of money.  Libraries and book shops are good spots to while away an hour or two along with museums and parks. 

If you feel that you’ve contributed to the process and you’ve planned a spot to spend time, you’ll be much more comfortable letting your realtor take over the task of showing your home.

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If you are selling a Summit NJ real estate property, you know this market is competitive. Sellers are pulling out all the marketing stops, often doing outlandish things to attract buyers. While crazy stunts might get some attention, they probably won’t get you a serious offer. Wild schemes will make you look nutty at best and desperate to sell at worst. There are some cool ideas to try that are only a few steps off of the beaten path.

Tech savvy?

Most buyers begin their home search on-line. If you are technologically gifted, why not create a website for your house? It’s an inexpensive way to give buyers tons of information. Your Summit NJ realtor will, of course, be posting pictures of your home on her own site. But she has more than one listing and only so much bandwidth. Use your web design skills or a good template to show dozens of photos and maybe even a video of your home. Keep it simple and professional, no flashing fonts. Include photos and videos of the home and grounds, a tour of the neighborhood or even nearby attractions. Post a link to the site on your Summit NJ real estate agent’s site, put the address on your flyers and you could even post it on your social media sites.

Offer some extras

Sweetening the pot a bit can give your home the edge it needs to sell before the competition. Maybe throwing in the TV that fits the spot over the mantle just right will give a buyer the necessary motivation to make an offer. Perhaps offering to pay the closing costs will free up enough of a buyer’s cash to make the deal happen now. Everyone likes to feel as though they got a great deal, something for nothing as the saying goes. If you sell fast and a t the right price, you’ll have plenty left over to find a TV that fits in perfectly in your new home.

Lease to Own

With the economy in its current state, many would-be buyers are not able to finance right now. However, in a year or two, they’re situation may be very different. You might consider offering a lease to own option on your property. You would have to take on the duties of landlord for a while, but you would have a much more invested tenant living in the house. This type of tenant usually takes far better care of the home as they hope to own it in the near future.

Be creative in marketing Summit NJ listings. Just don’t go too crazy.

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When you place your house in the Summit NJ listings, you’ll have plenty of new tasks on your agenda. Packing, staging, painting and creating curb appeal will all go to the top of your “to-do” list. Before you get too busy, you should consider making an appointment with a home inspector.

Many people reading this will be thinking “Wait. Isn’t that something you do once you have a buyer and an offer?” In truth, most home inspections are done near the end of the selling process. Inspections are usually arranged by your Summit NJ real estate agent or by the buyer’s agent once a contract is in place. It’s a way for the buyers to protect themselves from problems that are not obvious to the untrained eye. A home inspection prevents a nasty surprise from popping up after the closing day has passed.

As a Summit NJ real estate seller, a pre-sale inspection can save you from a nasty surprise as well. An inspector will go over your home from top to bottom in great detail. He can show your where problems lie hidden. He can point out things that you may not have noticed over the years or issues that have arisen since you purchased the property. Older homes are particularly prone to problems that result from deferred maintenance and the ravages of time.

It’s better to know right away that the roof need to be replaced or the pipes fixed. Finding out when you’re almost through the selling process can be painful. You may have already made an offer on your next home by then and will be counting on a fast closing at the offered price. Learning that there’s an expensive repair to be made can delay or even kill your sale. Even smaller fixes give your buyer an opportunity to renegotiate and whittle down the final price.

After you’ve had your inspection, consider getting estimates from a trusted source on any trouble spots that have been noted. Count on your Summit NJ realtor for referrals to tradesmen and contractors. Even if you do not plan on having the repairs done yourself, it will give you a better understanding of how to price your home. It also gives you some leverage when a buyer wants to shave dollars off your asking price. You will have a much better negotiating position if you know for sure what the project will cost.

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We’ve all been told never to judge a book by its cover. House hunters, however, do it all the time. If one of the current Summit NJ listings has a distinct architectural style on the outside, buyers will expect to see similar details on the inside. Selling is all about meeting, and exceeding, they buyer’s expectations. This is an important point to remember when staging to sell and when renovating.

Staging

If you’ve enjoyed the contrast of your Victorian home and your ultra-modern furnishings but are ready to sell, you might need to do some staging first. Buyers usually want to see something with a particular look, style or feel. That contrast you think is so interesting could leave a buyer unimpressed. If the inside and the outside don’t mesh well together, you’ll lose their interest. Have your Summit NJ real estate agent look at your home and give you some idea of what buyers look for in your neighborhood. Are they looking for a warm family home with charming details or a sleek urban loft?

If your property’s interior and exterior don’t make a good match, think about ways you can bring the two together. It may only be a matter of adding or subtracting some accessories, like ditching your loft’s lace curtains for a contemporary panel. In some cases, you may need to store your furnishings and rent something more appropriate to the style of your home.

Renovating

A Summit NJ realtor can be a great source of advice on renovations that maintain the resale value of your home. She can let you know exactly what buyers expect when they look at homes in your price range and neighborhood. She can also tell what the competition looks like. If other homes on the market are sporting restored original moldings and refinished hardwood floors, you might want to consider investing in some similar renovations in your Summit NJ real estate property.

If you are renovating, think about long-term style, not current trends. Major installations like bathroom tile should be fairly neutral. We’ve all seen at least one disaster room that should have long ago been reno’ed, whether it was an avocado kitchen or a Pepto pink bath. In a decade or two, your favorite style might look just as dated.

This doesn’t mean you can’t express your own style in your own home. Live the way you like, just remember you may not always be the one living there. One day, you’ll face the critical eye of a buyer.

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The Internet has made open houses a little less popular with some sellers. But holding an open house is a tried and true method for your Summit NJ realtor to find leads and meet people interested in your house. Open houses attract other realtors who may have just the right buyer for you. If you’re holding an open house, here are a few things to check off your “to-do” list before you set a date.

Minimize Furniture

Buyers only need a basic idea of a room’s intended use. A loveseat and chair with a small coffee table will say “living room” as well as a 5-piece set. Leave enough room for people to walk around, imagining their things in the space. Excess furniture visually shrinks the room so rent a storage unit and leave only the basics.

Organize & Clean & Paint

Once you’ve cleared the rooms, make your home orderly and spotlessly clean to set it apart from the other Summit NJ listings. Buyers will look in your closets and medicine cabinets and underneath the sinks, too. If these are cluttered and jammed full, buyers will think the house has too little storage. Be sure every inch of your house looks its best. Include a fresh coat of paint as you’re cleaning up to make the walls look new.

Make Repairs

Leaking faucets, wobbling ceiling fans and dented walls will leave your potential buyers with one thought: “I’m not paying for THAT.” Every minor repair you’ve been putting off must be finished before your open house. The Summit NJ real estate market is competitive and buyers will offer less if they see much deferred maintenance.

Spruce Up the Outside

Yes, curb appeal is that important. Your house should look as good outside as inside. Buyers make a decision about whether or not they like a property within seconds, usually front the front door. You and your Summit NJ real estate agent will have a hard time changing a poor first impression so put out some fresh flowers and shape up the shrubs.

Make Arrangements for Fido

Dogs and cats should not attend your open house. Buyers could be fearful or allergic to animals so make arrangements with a friend or kennel for the day. Plus, you won’t have to worry about Mr. Whiskers sneaking out.

Your agent will help you create your own checklist prior to your open house. Help make it successful by making sure every item is checked off.

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Some home owners just can’t leave a wall white. It seems like the kitchen get the worst of the color wheel abuse. Glaring blues, brilliant greens and nearly neon yellows are popping up on kitchen walls all over the country. Of course, we all want our Summit NJ real estate to reflect our unique tastes and personalities. But is a bright wall color the best choice when you’re selling your home?

Staging professionals will tell you to neutralize wall colors before including your home in the Summit NJ listings. The pros always prefer beiges, tans and other neutrals, for good reasons. Staging is all about appealing to the potential buyer’s tastes, not you own. When prepping a home for sale, we try to play down the personal aspects of the space and make it seem as if anyone could live there. Many homeowners have a difficult time letting go of their own paint and wall covering choices in order to sell their homes. But staging doesn’t have to mean painting the entire house beige. There are a few other shades you can choose if you simply can’t live without color in your kitchen. Just be sure that the color you choose emphasizes the space and compliments you cabinets.

Yellow

Think butter, not lemons. A soft, light shade of buttery yellow can make a kitchen seem lighter and brighter than even a neutral grey. It’s a cheery color that maximizes available natural light by reflecting it. This is a great choice for kitchens without a lot of windows.

Green

Again, keep greens to a light shade. Look at your favorite dried herbs for inspiration. Sage is a excellent choice as it is neither too warm or too cool.

Brown

A shade of latte or café au lait with crisp white trim is a clean and contemporary look. This may not be your ides of “color” if you’ve been living with a brighter hue, but buyers will love the updated look. Ask you Summit NJ real estate agent to suggest other fashionable choices.

Colors to avoid

Blues are relaxing and make most people think of water. This makes it a good choice for a bath, not for a kitchen. It’s so relaxing it may actually decrease appetite. Oranges are, in general, to jarring and harsh for staging. Purple and lavender are too taste-specific and lack a broad appeal.

Ask your Summit NJ realtor for suggestions when it’s time to stage your home. She’s heard what buyers say when the seller isn’t around so she knows what colors will look like a liability when you’re selling.

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Smart, well-planned renovations will almost always upgrade a home’s selling power. Updated homes show better and usually sell for more than their more dated counterparts. If you are thinking of placing your home in the Summit NJ listings, now or in the near future, you may want to consider renovating the less attractive features of your home. And there’s no better way to renovate than with eco-friendly methods and products.

“Green” renovations are the newest trend in home maintenance and for good reason. They can decrease your cost of ownership, increase your resale value and lessen your personal impact on your planet. Green improvements made to your Summit NJ real estate property can be divided in to two categories: the seen and the unseen. If you are thinking ahead for resale value, you’ll want to strike a good balance between the two.

Visible “green” touches will grab the attention of observant buyers. Bamboo is a popular and eco-friendly choice for flooring. It’s also quite beautiful. It lends a modern and stylish touch to a home with its warm golden tone and linear look. Bamboo grows at an incredibly fast rate and is considered one of the most easily renewable choices for wooden surfaces. Recycled stone, composite or concrete countertops make a green statement, too. Details like this tell buyers that yours is a responsible home. Ask your Summit NJ real estate agent to mention these options when showing the home and on any printed materials.

Perhaps even more important than the obvious eco-friendly options in your home are the unseen green choices. An upgrade to your furnace or water heater can produce a much larger energy savings than even replacing widows. Small choices all over the home add up to a big difference. New weather stripping in doors and windows will reduce heat loss and keep nasty drafts from chilling your buyers. Changing to low-flow shower heads and toilets will conserve water and keep bills lower. Attic fans will reduce the need for air conditioning by keeping the upper reaches of the home cooler. An automated thermostat can help you control heating and costs by regulating temperatures while you are not at home. This little feature is very popular with buyers.

Make sure buyers know about the commitment you’ve made to creating an eco-friendly home. Your Summit NJ realtor will have some ideas to highlight these important selling points and ensure your buyers know about both the visible and hidden green features of your home.

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A safe neighborhood is the first thing we look for in a Summit NJ real estate property. We might be willing to sacrifice a little square footage or live without the hardwood floor but skimp on safety? No way. Finding out what areas are safe can be a tricky process. It’s hard to know if what you’re being told is fact or opinion. It’s doubly difficult if you are relocating to a new city or state and are completely unfamiliar with the surroundings. How do you find a neighborhood that’s safe?

One obvious source of information is your Summit NJ realtor. A good realtor will be able to point you to parts of town where you’ll feel comfortable and secure. An experienced agent will have a thorough understanding of her town. She’ll know what areas are up-and-coming and which are in decline. She should know something about the direction that city leaders are taking in order to deal with problem neighborhoods. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions about safety.

The Internet is another go-to place for data on safety. A quick search of the National Sex Offender Registry will help you double check any address for the presence of offenders. Local and national law enforcement offices also post data on-line. Many local police departments, especially in metropolitan areas, have searchable data bases. The FBI also has one. Looking through theses public records can help you narrow down which Summit NJ listings you want to examine more closely. Be aware that areas in close proximity to public places like malls may not fare well on data sites. The arrests on public grounds may make a neighborhood look worse than it is. You can also talk to school resource officers and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) offices at the local schools for more details about a particular neighborhood.

Once you’ve chosen a few neighborhoods to pursue, have your Summit NJ real estate agent give you a tour. Drive around and let her point out streets and areas she thinks are best. Go back later and revisit the area at night. (Just don’t go all alone.) Look for signs of neglect and deterioration in the home and streets. Broken or burned out streetlights, graffiti and vandalism are all sign telling you to steer clear. On the other hand, people out walking, children playing outside, clean streets and well maintained homes are signs of safety.

Walk the neighborhood in the daytime and talk to residents. Talk to the cashier at the grocery store and the desk clerk at your hotel, too. Just remember to take opinions with a grain of salt. It’s always best to do your own research.

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Realtors expect you to call. We need you to call. It’s difficult to buy or sell home we don’t stay in pretty close contact with one another. You should expect us to contact you with frequency as well. Different types of sales require different levels of frequency, as do different people. Home sales require more contact than the purchase of a small plot of land. One client may want to hear from their Summit NJ real estate agent twice a week while another may only want calls prior to showings. As the client, how often your agent calls is up to you.

This issue is best discussed when you are choosing your Summit NJ realtor. Ask how often she usually contacts clients. Find out what her favorite methods of communication are. If you agent loves to Tweet or text and you are still figuring out how to make a call on your cell, the relationship may not be a good fit. On average, most realtors like to touch base with their clients about once a week by phone or e-mail.

You should also discuss what information you wish to receive during these chats. Tech savvy clients often want to know how many hits their on-line Summit NJ listings have garnered over a specific period of time. You may want to keep tabs on recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood, as they will often affect your pricing. Most clients want to know when an appointment for a showing has been made. You and you agent should have a set protocol for appointments. A potential buyer may make a last minute request but most agents will try to give you at least an hour’s notice before showing your home. Think about setting “open” hours, like when you know you’ll be at work, where your agent can show the home without calling first. Be sure to update your agent if you are taking time off or staying home sick.

When you are thinking about calling you agent or waiting for her to call, keep a few things in mind. A large office with many assistants can accomplish more phone calls than a one- or two-man operation can. The more time you agent spends on the phone with you, the less time she has to market and show your Summit NJ real estate. Complex issue may not be easily handled by phone or e-mail; a personal appointment may be required. Try to call during business hours unless you have an emergency. Your agent wants to be in close contact with you so if you’re wondering “Should I call?” the answer is probably “Yes!”

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