How to Get the Outside of Your House Ready to Sell

 moneyinstructor.com

Selling a house is not high on the list of things people like to do.  If you have called it home for many years, the task of getting it ready to sell can seem downright ugly.   There are certain areas of the lawn that need work, some weeds you have ignored for years and trees that need trimming.  To make the exterior of your house ready for sale, especially if you are in a hurry, there are ways to make the job easier.  The exterior of the house is what is captured for all of the ads and listings, so it needs to have maximum curb appeal.

Section your yard into sections.  

Consider the garage the exterior since it contains the outdoor equipment.  Depending on your yard size also determines how many sections you may have.  Each section will then get a list of the work needed in that area.

Yards of less than an acre usually only require a section for each side, the garage, the front and the back of the house.  If you are an elaborate gardener, flower beds and special landscape details may need their own list.  A pool area or fence can be considered its own section too if they have an extensive to-do list.

Start with one section, and have a pen and paper to make notes.

Garage

If you have a garage, make sure your car fits in it.  The garage is meant for cars, but when people look at them, they are really envisioning how much "junk" it will hold.  The garage shelves need to be as organized and clutter free as the interior of the house.

Remove any evidence of "critters."  Hide the bag of mousetraps.  Put away the bottles of weed killer.  Give the appearance your house is perfect inside and out.

House Exterior

The outside of the house is what is pictured in an ad to draw a potential buyer in.  It needs to be sparkling clean to get the best results for you!  Make sure the windows are clean and in working order.  Replace any screens that have been damaged.

Other exterior points to do:

• Clean the rain gutters out
• Remove leaves and debris from landscape rocks or woodchips
• Hang a welcome sign on the front door
• Wash any dirt, mold or mildew from the siding
• Check the roof and soffits to make sure all pieces are secure
• Fix any shutters, porch railings, steps and doors that are broken

Yard

Make notes if there are specific bushes to trim, grass to be edged or trees to be pruned.  Keep any flowers deadheaded and fresh looking.  The yard will need to be as weed free as possible, and cut while the house is being shown to potential buyers.

Other things to keep in mind for the exterior sections include fences, sheds, walkways and pools.  Are they all in good repair, with no cracks, paint chips, rot or missing pieces?  I they have any of the above, put them on the list to fix.

Appearances are everything when selling a house.  The outside is the first thing people see, so spruce it up.  Keep everything neat and tidy, and your house will sell fast!

Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial or legal advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.

Visit Your House Like A Buyer...

Written by Norm Werner on Friday, 15 November 2013 6:19 am 

realtytimes.com

 

An educational technique that I often use with would be listing clients is to take them on a visit to their own home, through the eyes of a would-be buyer. I haven’t yet gone all the way to loading them up in the car and driving around the block to get to the visit; but, I do normally start outside in the driveway, where a Realtor and his client(s) might park. Sometimes we have to start discussing things right there, if the driveway has been neglected, is cracked and has grass growing through the cracks.

One of the most often neglected places in a home is the front walk and front door. As side-entry garages became prevalent, more and more homeowners got into the habit of popping the garage door open and driving in. They then make their way into the house through the garage door, which often opens into a mud room. Many can’t even remember when the last time was that they used the front door; and it shows. Realtors don’t bring visitors in through the garage; they use the front door.

Overgrown front walks and neglected front stoops or porches and front doors are very common. People put in all sorts of cute little bushes or plantings along the walk or beside the porch and then forget about them. Often one has to step off the walk to get around the overgrowth from the those cute little bushes that have now grown into monsters. Porches or stoops are also often left with little attention, even when they start to deteriorate. Often that bright brass coach light that looked so cute when it was installed is now dull and rusted and is cocked off at a slight angle, just to call extra attention to itself.

Just getting to the house up the walk may be a challenge, especially in the coming winter months. If it’s not uneven concrete flags to trip over; it might be icy spots on the walk or porch. Since the homeowner doesn’t use that entrance sometimes they forget to shovel it off when it snows or to spread ice melter when it is cold.  Don’t make a visit to your house a survival course.

The next challenge is often the Realtor struggling with the lockbox. As we get into shorter and shorter days, showings will more often fall in period of darkness. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve struggled on a dark front porch trying to work the combination on a lockbox because the seller forgot to leave the front light on (yes, that same pathetic, rusty brass light). I carry a flashlight in the winter just for this case.

Once inside, especially if it’s snowy or rainy, you’ll probably be ask (or want to) take off your shoes. Many homeowners forget to provide a chair for shoe removal and putting them back on; so that can mean leaning against a wall while trying to accomplish this feat. Hopefully, they have provided a mat of some sort to put your snowy shoes or boots upon; so the snow doesn’t melt all over their foyer.

The entrance foyer can set the tone for the rest of the visit. Visitors will make note of what they see just inside the door; even if it only views of the stairs and a couple of rooms off to the side. The worst that I’ve seen is a foyer with a view up a straight set of stairs right into the bathroom at the top, with the toilet prominently on display. No sale on that one!

If you’re doing this “visit” with a Realtor watch were their eyes go. They will be looking at or looking for things that you just may not notice any more. They will scan the ceilings in every room, looking for any evidence of water stains that are clues of leaks somewhere. They will scan the walls looking for plug and switch covers and for extra amenities, like wainscoting or ceiling molding. They will be looking at the lighting fixtures – types, how many and do they work. They will note the paint job in each room, looking for evidence that it was a badly done DIY job. They will note the condition of the kitchen – appliances, cabinets, countertops and layout. In baths they will note the condition of the grout around tubs and in tile work and look for signs of rust staining that indicates iron in the water.

Of course the Realtor will be seeing and noting any issues with clutter and cleanliness, so that they can discuss that with you, too. He/she is not trying to make you feel bad about your house or your housekeeping. They know that people fall into patterns of comfort about how they live in a house. The Realtor just needs to get you out of that comfort zone enough so that you see the house as strangers will see it when they visit. They may suggest hiring a cleaning service for a one-time deep clean.

After the visit, you should sit and discuss the results. Let me give you a hint at a line not to use with the Realtor – “Well, it’s good enough for me, so it should be good enough for them.” Maybe you should turn that thought process around and think, “If I make it good enough for them, it will be great for me.” You may rediscover something that you surely had at one time; but, which might have gotten sort of pushed aside for a while – pride of ownership. Once you have that again, it will shine through to visitors and help your house sell itself.

Even if you aren’t about to sell your house, make a visit to it every year, so that you can see the stuff that you need to get to in order to keep it up. I guarantee you that once you’ve gone through this experience with a good Realtor, you’ll never walk into any house again without noticing more than you’ve ever seen before.

Elimina el moho de las paredes

>

12 de Noviembre del 2013 | Editorial Metroscubicos

El moho es un tipo de microorganismo que se desarrolla en lugares húmedos debido a la carencia de ventilación, o bien, en un ambiente con muy poca exposición a la luz solar. Este problema común suele afectar principalmente las paredes del baño, el cuarto de lavado o las paredes exteriores.

¿Cómo eliminar el moho en paredes interiores?

• Lava la superficie con una solución de agua con cloro en relación de 1:3, es decir, una porción de cloro por tres de agua.
• Espera 15 minutos y déjala secar.
• Una vez que esté limpia el área, aplica una capa de sellador acrílico reforzado diluido en agua 1:1.
• Sigue las instrucciones para la utilización de este producto y no lo mezcles con ninguna otra sustancia.
• También es recomendable un sellador con propiedades que retrasen la formación de moho.
• Finalmente aplica pintura resistente a la formación de este, como una pintura vinílica o esmalte acrílico que permita retrasar su aparición.

¿Cómo eliminar el moho en paredes exteriores?

• Lava la pared con cloro comercial a relación de 5 partes de agua,  por una de cloro.
• Deja  actuar 15 minutos y lava con agua frotándolo con un cepillo para eliminar el moho y las algas.
• Repite la operación al menos una vez más para asegurar su eliminación total.
• Una vez seca la superficie, aplica un recubrimiento impermeable según el acabado de tu pared, ya sea una pintura impermeable para paredes lisas o un recubrimiento impermeable con textura. Tambié sirve en caso de que quieras un acabado que te permita dar color y decorar con una apariencia texturizada, o un recubrimiento repelente base agua  si cuentas con paredes exteriores de piedra o cantera.

Estacionamiento en condominio

>

14 de Agosto del 2013 | Editorial Metroscubicos

 

¿Compraste un depa pero tus escrituras no especifican si tienes o no derecho a un cajón de estacionamiento? ¿Te dijeron que tu casa tenía un espacio para dejar auto y ahora no te quieren cumplir?

Tener un espacio de estacionamiento puede ser –para muchas personas- un factor determinante para elegir vivienda. Sin embargo, es un tema que con frecuencia genera confusión y controversia.

¿Sabes si eres dueño de tu cajón de estacionamiento? ¿Crees que eso debe incluirse en las escrituras? ¿Qué pasa si el departamento que te interesa tiene un compartimiento elevado?

Existen tres regímenes de propiedad

"Los condominios tienen la característica de que implican dos tipos de derechos de propiedad: el derecho de propiedad privativa (en el que se incluye el departamento o vivienda) y el derecho de copropiedad sobre las áreas comunes, en la que puede entrar el área de estacionamiento", explicó Alfredo Ruiz del Río Prieto, secretario de la Comisión de Comunicación del Colegio de Notarios del DF.

De éstos, se desprenden tres regímenes de propiedad para los estacionamientos. Si compras casa y quieres evitar sorpresas en el futuro, debes pedir el título de propiedad y una copia de la constitución del régimen de propiedad en condominio.

Caso 1.Unidades de propiedad privativa

En esta modalidad, los cajones de estacionamiento tienen el mismo tratamiento que un departamento. Es decir, si un edificio tiene 10 viviendas y el mismo número de lugares de estacionamiento, el edificio tendría 20 unidades privativas.

"A veces los desarrolladores inmobiliarios optan por esta opción porque pueden comercializar de manera independiente los lugares de estacionamiento y las viviendas", expuso Alfredo Ruiz del Río, especialista del del Colegio de Notarios del DF.

Si te encuentras en este supuesto, debes tener una escritura por cada unidad privativa, es decir, si compraste un departamento y dos cajones de estacionamiento, deberás tener tres escrituras con folios independientes, explicó César Romero, gerente jurídico de Arcano Administraciones.

Caso 2. Área común con uso exclusivo

El artículo 23 de la Ley de Propiedad en Condominio de Inmuebles para el Distrito Federal, establece que el estacionamiento es objeto de propiedad común, salvo que se especifique como propiedad privativa.

En este segundo caso, el estacionamiento forma parte de las áreas comunes, pero se le asigna a cada departamento el uso exclusivo de un lugar, por ejemplo, el cajón uno para el departamento del mismo número, el cajón dos para el departamento dos, etcétera.

En este caso se tiene una sola escritura pero debe hacerse una especificación de que asigna el uso exclusivo (no la propiedad) de uno o más cajones de estacionamiento para automóvil. Es muy importante que se establezca el número de cajón, su superficie y colindancias.

Caso 3.Propiedad común, sin uso exclusivo

Aquí, el estacionamiento es área común, no se asignan usos exclusivos y son los condóminos quienes se encargan de la asignación de los espacios. En este caso, las escrituras podrán decir que se tiene derecho al uso de un espacio de estacionamiento sin especificar límites o colindancias.

"Si nada más dice sobre el uso de un cajón de estacionamiento, entonces quiere decir que es un área de propiedad común sin uso exclusivo. Por ello, son los condóminos lo que se organizan", abundó César Romero.

Esto puede generar mayores conflictos porque la distribución podría obedecer a los intereses de cada condómino. Lo que puede acentuarse en condominios donde el número de cajones es menor al número de departamentos.

Prevenir es mejor que lamentar

Revisa los siguientes documentos para conocer la situación del estacionamiento en el condominio que te interesa:

• Acta constitutiva, donde se verá el régimen de propiedad y el número de cajones que tiene el condominio.
• Mapa de estacionamiento para saber dónde está ubicado -en su caso- el espacio que te corresponde.
• Documento de promesa de venta donde se especifica cuáles son las áreas que se están negociando.
• Coteja físicamente los espacios: departamento, cajón de estacionamiento, bodega, espacios de azotea, etcétera.
• Es necesario hacer una revisión antes de firmar la escritura definitiva y antes de que se inscriba en el registro público de la propiedad para asegurarte de que todos los espacios que compraste están incluidos en el documento con todas sus especificaciones de superficie y colindancias.