Selling Your Home

Preparing for Appraisal When Selling a Home

Preparing for Appraisal When Selling a Home

You are in the final stretch of closing on the sale of your home. You have approved an offer and set a move-out date, now it is time for the buyer’s due diligence. One of the items in the due diligence process is the lender’s mandatory appraisal.

Here is a seller’s “cheat sheet” to help an appraisal go more smoothly

Understand the Process

The lender is usually the one requiring the appointment to be made for an official appraisal to be conducted by a licensed appraiser. The appraiser will conduct an in-person valuation of the property.

The appraiser conducts their valuation by using local comparable sales and a visit to the property to check out a premade list of external and internal value factors. The appraiser will take into account features like upgraded materials, the overall condition of the property, and location.

Be Flexible in Setting the Appointment

Appraisers are in high demand right now and as such, they try to schedule appraisals back to back for the same area. If you are only able to let the appraiser in on certain days this can slow down the process.

Research Your Home’s Value on Your Own

If you want to ensure the appraiser is giving a good evaluation of your home, you can do some things to look at the factors that go into property value on your own. You can check online tools, have your agent help you with comparable values, or get your own pre-listing appraisal to ensure the appraiser is working in your best interest and not the buyers.

Make Minor Repairs

Though the appraisal...

A Clutter-Free Approach to Unpacking a New Home

A Clutter-Free Approach to Unpacking a New Home

Moving to a new home is a perfect opportunity to de-clutter your belongings. It is a great time to dump off all of the unneeded stuff and not have to haul it into a new home. The very best time to get rid of items you no longer use or need is while you are packing, but unpacking can be another great opportunity to edit your belongings even further.

Using the unpacking process to de-clutter can come in handy if you needed to pack in a frenzy and move things quickly. It could also be a strategy if you hired someone else to do the packing and moving for you.

Here are some tips for de-cluttering your life while unpacking after moving into your new home

Unpack one room and start with the essentials

Challenge yourself not to just unpack a little bit here, a little bit there. Take some time to go one room at a time. Limit yourself to staying within just the one room and getting it done start to finish.

Make sure to start with the very essential items needed to make the room function. Such as if you were in the bedroom, starting with bedding and all of your clothes.

Purge as you unpack

Even if you feel like you have done a lot of sifting through, unneeded and unwanted items while you were packing it is good to do a double check of these things as you unpack.

You want to make sure that you are ruthless in editing what comes out of the boxes and stays in your new home. Set aside some empty boxes for tossing items you know have no place in your new home. Either if they don’t fit or you truly know you will not be using them.

That way these items are ready to go right to the donation center. You may...

How to Finish Your Kitchen with Metal

 Mixing Metals: Finishing Your Kitchen’s Look

You will want to stick to a max of three different finishes total; anything more than that quickly clutters the kitchen and disrupts cohesion. Of these, you want one finish to be the one you use most. This dominant metal will be your primary pick throughout the kitchen, with one or two others accenting it. Keep in mind, too, iron acts like a neutral compared to shiny metallics, and it can provide an additional anchoring and industrial component that works with anything.

Also, think you can’t mix cool and warm metals? Think again. One of the best ways to warm up cool metals such as stainless steel is with accents of copper, gold or brass. These metals bring a welcoming and enlivening pop of color.

Another guiding principle is to consider the color scheme of your kitchen. In a room with warm beiges, creams or browns, for example, warm brass, nickel or copper naturally fit. In a room of cool greens, blues or grays, cooler chrome or silver may work best as your dominant material. Metals can also balance room temperatures, with copper finishes brightening a neutral space or dark finishes complementing a light one. Whatever pairing you choose, avoid grouping different finishes into separate parts of your kitchen, which can make the room feel uneven. Instead, equally distribute and space them out for balance.

To keep these tips handy, check out the below resource, which highlights important guidelines to help you mix metals beautifully.

Infographic created by Gerber.

For more information on Central Ohio real estate...

Tips on Organizing and De-Cluttering Your Closet

Declutter Your Home. De-Stress Your Life.

A cluttered or disorganized home simply makes it harder to find items you need, and you are more likely to misplace your cellphone or keys — causing stress and wasting time. Studies have also found that simply being exposed to a chaotic or messy environment makes you more likely to overeat fatty or unhealthy foods, which can result in weight gain. Other research has found that if you find the inside of your home stressful, you’re more likely to feel depressed and to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that is linked to a higher risk of poor health.

Graphic created by Closet Works.

For more information on Central Ohio real estate including homes for sale in Columbus and all North Columbus properties, contact our office today. 

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Bathroom Organization Tips

Keeping an orderly bathroom is much easier when you’ve chosen storage locations for your bath and beauty essentials. Floating or open shelves add a modern touch over traditional cabinetry. Everyday toiletries could be kept on them — including lotions, toothbrushes, shaving creams and towels. Over-the-toilet and corner shelves also make great use of bare wall space. However, if you choose to store items above the commode, it’s best to get in the habit of keeping the toilet cover closed. This prevents toiletries from falling inside and minimizes contamination. Avoid storing medications on open shelving for bathroom guests to see.

Are toiletries cluttering your countertop? Corral them with a shallow, decorative tray. This keeps necessities such as skin care products, contact cases, perfumes and colognes, and jewelry in sight yet neatly contained. Avoid storing large items such as hair styling tools and bath linens on trays. Elegant glass canisters let you attractively display cotton balls, cotton swabs and bath salts. Glass containers are easily accessible, which makes them handy when guests use your bathroom. If you’re looking for a more stylish solution, get creative and hang a row of jars on a piece of wood to enhance your decor. They double as small storage containers for cotton swabs and makeup or toothbrushes.

No matter what size your bathroom, these savvy storage ideas could help add valuable space. For more ways on how to designate storage locations for items, see the accompanying resource. 


Graphic created by ...

What Does it Cost to Sell A House?

If you are ready to sell your house you may be left with a long list of questions, one of the more popular being what you will actually end up profiting off of the sale and how much you will have to pay in order to get your home on the market and then close the deal. There is no set amount of costs associated with a Real Estate sale, however, there are a few fees and percentages that you can generally follow as a good rule of thumb.What Does it Cost to Sell A House?

Agent Commissions

The commissions that will be paid out to the agents are where you will see the largest price tag. This is generally 6% of the sale price and that amount is then divided between your agent as well as the buyer's agent. For example:

  • Sale Price: $400,000
  • 6% of Sale Price: $400,000 x 6% = $24,000
  • Total Commission Paid = $24,000

Closing Costs

In some cases, buyers and sellers can come to an agreement to split closing costs or assign them to one party or the other, however it is always recommended planning to pay them as the seller so that you don’t run into a hurdle during the selling process. Closing costs will generally cost 3% of the sale price. For example:

  • Sale Price: $400,000
  • 3% of Sale Price: $400,000 x 3% = $12,000
  • Total Closing Costs Paid = $12,000

Other minor costs may be required in order to sell, such as a home inspection or needed repairs and upgrades throughout the house. The average home inspection currently costs $350 on average, and while it may be different pending on each company and your specific location, you can expect to pay somewhere around the $350 price.

In conclusion, when selling your home, you should plan to pay...

Why Do Sellers Have to Pay the Closing Costs?

Closing cost is expensed over and above the seller's property cost before completing a real estate transaction. Examples of typical closing costs include fees related to the origination, underwriting of mortgage, real estate commission, insurance, and record filing. A big question that has been chiefly asked is, "Why should sellers pay for buyers' closing costs?"Do Sellers Have to Pay the Closing Costs?

Before we dive deep into why sellers should pay closing costs, we can give a simple explanation. You as a seller should pay the closing costs because it will translate to selling your home faster and even putting in more money to your account. If that does not sink deep, here is a full explanation from the genesis so that you can understand why home sellers have to pay closing costs. Nevertheless, before that, below are situations when you will be pushed to pay for buyers closing costs. 

  • If you reside in a hot area whereby prices are upscaling, inventory is low, and competition is raging.
  • When your property has overstayed in the market due to poor condition or higher prices quoted.
  • When you want to list and sell your home faster.
  • Helping the cash strapped who find it hard to raise down payment and close on closing costs at a go.
  • When you are in a buyers' market, and competition is stiff.

Sellers incur few expenses, but they spend a lot during closing. They deliver a real estate commission of 6% of the total purchase to buyers and sellers' agents. They also...

6 Great Tips for Selling Your Ohio Home

6 Tips to Increase Your Home Value with Upgrades and Updates

 When it comes to selling Columbus, Ohio homes, we’ve found that a few strategically planned upgrades and updates can help to increase the value of a house.

Are you planning to sell your home soon and searching for updates you can complete to demand a higher price? Or maybe you want to build equity in it? Either way, you can use the tips we’re sharing below to improve your home and increase its value. 

6 Ways to Improve the Value of Columbus, Ohio Homes

Let’s explore possible renovations and updates to your home by “walking through your home” with the eyes of a buyer.

1.      Invest in Landscaping

Check out your curb appeal by looking at what you already have. Do your bushes or trees need trimming? Does the garden require weeding?

If you have bare areas, opt for established plants that will continue to come back every year. Another way to make your yard look like less of a responsibility to possible buyers is to opt for native trees that require little attention.

 2.      Complete Imminent Repairs 

Unless they’re buying a house with plans to renovate, no one wants their new home to come with a to-do list. If the roof, water heater, or air conditioning unit is coming due for replacement soon, handle it before placing the house on the market.

A fresh coat of exterior paint is an affordable aesthetic improvement that you can take care of too. A new buyer will feel more comfortable knowing that it won’t need to be done again for a few years. 

3.      Add More Space

Open up the floor plan by removing non-load bearing walls that can make the home feel confined. You could also finish your Columbus,...

Selling in the Winter Attracts Serious Buyers

Selling in the Winter Attracts Serious Buyers

A recent study of more than 7 million home sales over the past four years revealed that the season in which a home is listed may be able to shed some light on the likelihood that the home will sell for more than asking price, as well as how quickly the sale will close.

It’s no surprise that listing a home for sale during the spring saw the largest return, as the spring is traditionally the busiest month for real estate. What is surprising, though, is that listing during the winter came in second!

“Among spring listings, 18.7 percent of homes fetched above asking, with winter listings not far behind at 17.5 percent. While 48.0 percent of homes listed in spring sold within 30 days, 46.2 percent of homes in winter did the same.”

The study goes on to say that:

“Buyers [in the winter] often need to move, so they’re much less likely to make a lowball offer and they’ll often want to close quickly — two things that can make the sale much smoother.”

Bottom Line

If you are debating listing your home for sale within the next 6 months, keep in mind that the spring is when most other homeowners will decide to list their homes as well. Listing your home this winter will ensure that you have the best exposure to the serious buyers who are out looking now!

The study used the astronomical seasons to determine which season the listing date fell into (Winter: Dec. 21 – Mar. 20; Spring: Mar. 21 – June 20; Summer:...