home improvement | The Prime Team

Part 1 of a 2-Part Series

Are you planning to buy or sell a home in 2015? Whether you are looking to purchase or sell a vacation home or a luxurious place you and your family can live year-round in the Lake Arrowhead area, our gift to you this year is help you keep your 2015 New Year’s Real Estate Resolutions.

If you’re a seller, the list will help you get started on home improvement projects so you can prepare your house for today’s competitive housing market. For buyers, it may be tough to find just the right place unless your agent helps you map out a strategy before you even get started. Whether you plan on securing a mortgage or if you plan to pay cash for your luxury locale in Lake Arrowhead, our 2015 Real Estate Resolutions will help you make your move.

This week, our post will examine resolutions for sellers. Check back next week, when we will conclude our two-part series by focusing on resolutions for buyers.

Real Estate New Year’s Resolutions:

For Sellers:

Check your entire house, top-to-bottom. Although you’ve seen the house time and again, you need to take time to look at it from a buyer’s perspective. But whatever the tour reveals, don’t think you have to every room at once. Start at the front door. Then, go room-by-room, pretending you are seeing it for the first time. Be honest and critical. And use the information to make a list of areas that need attention. Your real estate agent will be able to help you identify potential projects and even make recommendations about reputable service professionals who can tackle the jobs.

Clear the clutter. As you go through your home, organize the paper trail by creating piles in each room. Stow the paper. Then, sort items to keep, give to family or friends, donate to charity and sell at a garage sale or online. Put away everything that won’t help you sell. This includes personal mementos and family photographs. You will want buyers to picture their own family living in the space.

Spruce up the kitchen. Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. So make sure yours are spotless. Create an organized area for loose items like keys and mail, which often end up on countertops. Store small appliances out of sight instead of on the counter. And make sure absolutely everything is immaculate.

Bolster the bathroom. Clean grout, tiles, shower door and vanity, all of which can make a huge difference in the bathroom. Clear out the medicine cabinet. Throw away melted bar of soap, hang a new, crisp white shower curtain and replace worn towels with high quality white or other neutral towels.

Empty closets.All too often, closets become graveyards for belongings that homeowners don’t know where to stash. Interested buyers will likely open your closets. So make sure they aren’t stacked to full capacity, because that communicates a lack of adequate storage space. Spacious closets are a coveted feature among buyers. So make yours appear larger by keeping them clutter-free and well organized. If you haven’t hired a professional closet organizer, now may be the time to do so.

Clear bookcases. Even if you love holding on to paperbacks after you’ve read them, move them out of sight. Replace them with a few home decor items for visual interest. When in doubt, follow the “rule of three,” a practice of home stagers, by clustering items into groups of threes to create visual appeal. If you want to appeal to high-end buyers, you may want to hire a professional home stager, whose skills will help you get the best possible offer.

Purge basements, attics, build-ups and garages. Organization. Separate items to be stored in clear plastic bins, to reveal their contents. Do so by categories, such as holiday decorations. And be sure each one is clearly labeled. Also, make sure lids fit tightly, to keep pests out.

We will conclude our two-part series next week. So check back to read our recommended resolutions for buyers. Real estate investing can be tricky—whether you are buying your first home, purchasing a vacation home, or upgrading from a starter. If you are interested in buying or selling property in Lake Arrowhead, California or the surrounding area, don’t get caught in a Catch 22 — owning two homes or none at all. The Prime Team is the only group of real estate agents in the Lake Arrowhead area who stand by our services by offering a number of guaranteed sales and purchasing programs. So don’t miss a prime opportunity to take advantage of today’s market. We’ll answer all of your questions today, and you’re never under any obligation. Call 1-909-337-7653 and ask for a member of the Prime Team.