Author: Carlos Cummings

home for sale

Preparing Your Home for a Successful Sale

home for sale

Selling your home can be an exciting but challenging endeavor. To attract potential buyers and secure the best possible price, it’s essential to prepare your house effectively. This article will give you tips on how to stage your home for sale, from enhancing its curb appeal to creating an inviting interior that leaves a lasting impression.

And after you sell your home, these essential moving tips will make your transition much easier.

Declutter and Depersonalize

Before you list your home, start by decluttering and depersonalizing the space. Remove excess furniture, personal items, and clutter. This allows potential buyers to envision themselves living in your home, rather than feeling like they’re intruding on someone else’s space. While decluttering, be sure to keep those beautiful home decorations up so the house shows well.

Deep Clean Every Nook and Cranny

A clean home is a must when selling. Hire a professional cleaning service or dedicate time to deep clean every room, including carpets, windows, and appliances. Pay attention to details like baseboards, light fixtures, and grout lines. A spotless home is more appealing to buyers.

Make Necessary Repairs

Address any outstanding maintenance issues and make necessary repairs before listing your home. Fix leaky faucets, squeaky doors, cracked tiles, and any visible problems. A well-maintained home instills confidence in buyers and can lead to a smoother transaction. Another thing to figure out is when is the best time to sell your home. Listing your home at the wrong time can be a costly mistake. Thankfully, your real estate agent can guide you through this process.

Enhance Curb Appeal

The first impression of your home is crucial. Boost your home’s curb appeal by:

  • Mowing the lawn and maintaining landscaping
  • Power-washing the exterior
  • Repainting the front door or adding a fresh coat of paint if needed
  • Planting flowers or adding potted plants for a welcoming touch
  • Ensuring the mailbox and house numbers are in good condition

Repaint with Neutral Colors

Consider repainting interior walls with neutral colors to create a fresh and inviting atmosphere. Neutral tones like soft grays, warm beige, or light taupe appeal to a broader range of buyers and make rooms look brighter and more spacious.

Declutter your home

Stage Your Home

Staging can significantly impact the sale of your home. Arrange furniture to create an open and inviting layout that highlights the best features of each room. Add tasteful decor elements, such as fresh flowers, artwork, and strategically placed mirrors, to enhance the overall appeal.

Organize and Declutter Storage Spaces

Potential buyers will inspect closets and storage areas. Make sure these spaces are well-organized and decluttered to show their full potential. Neatly arrange items, and consider using storage containers to keep things tidy.

Complete Small Upgrades

While major renovations may not be necessary, small upgrades can make a big difference. Consider replacing outdated fixtures, cabinet hardware, or light switches for a more modern look. Upgrading faucets and countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms can also boost appeal.

Maximize Natural Light

Open curtains and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. Well-lit spaces feel more inviting and spacious. Ensure all light fixtures have working bulbs, and consider adding additional lighting to dark areas if necessary.

Highlight Energy Efficiency

If your home has energy-efficient features, such as insulated windows, a new HVAC system, or energy-efficient appliances, be sure to highlight them to potential buyers. Energy savings can be a compelling selling point.

Professional Photography

Invest in professional photography to showcase your home online. High-quality photos can attract more potential buyers and make a strong first impression. Capture your home in the best possible light to stand out in listings.

Conclusion

Getting your home ready to sell involves a combination of decluttering, cleaning, staging, and minor improvements. By following these tips, you can present your home in the best possible light, appeal to a broader range of buyers, and increase your chances of a successful and profitable sale. Remember that first impressions matter, and a well-prepared home can make all the difference in attracting potential buyers.

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How to Transfer Real Estate License to Another State

How to Transfer Real Estate License to Another State

Are you planning to move out of the state? What does this mean for your real estate license? Will you be able to transfer your real estate license to the new state? How do I get my real estate license? Do you have to take the real estate exam again? Can you get a real estate license in a state you don’t live in?

Real estate is generally a state-specific business. Each state has its own laws regarding real estate. Each state has its own licensing requirements. You must first understand the laws in the state before you can move to that state. Then, you will need your license as a real estate agent.

However, this doesn’t mean that you need to take the real estate exam again. It is easy to become a real estate agent within another state.

“License reciprocity” is a feature that many states offer. License reciprocity is when you have an active license to sell real estate in one state and can apply for a license in another state.

Colorado’s reciprocity program for real estate licenses offers reciprocity to all 50 states. You don’t have to retake any of your real estate courses if you move from one US state to another. 

The state section of the Colorado realty exam can be taken by anyone. You will be eligible to obtain your Colorado real estate license once you have passed the state section of the exam.

The process is not as simple in other states as in Colorado. It can be confusing to find out which states offer reciprocity for real-estate licenses because the process is different from one state to another. Some states, such as Texas, don’t offer reciprocity for licenses. 

You will need to take all required courses before you can get your Texas real estate license. Even if your license is in another state.

This article will explain which states allow reciprocity for real estate licenses. This will help you to understand how hard it will take for your state to grant your real estate license. No matter what state it may be!

State Full License Reciprocity

Full license reciprocity states permit anyone who has a valid real estate license in any US state to bypass the standard real estate courses. You can choose to skip any courses that you have already completed and instead focus on the state-specific laws. 

After passing the state-specific section of the real estate exam you will be eligible to receive your new license.

A few caveats are necessary. First, you must have a current real estate license. You will need to renew your license if your license has expired.

You must also be in good standing in your current state. Before applying for real-estate reciprocity, you must resolve any disciplinary actions against you or any questions regarding your business practices and ethical standards.

These two conditions must be met before you can apply for reciprocity in full reciprocity countries.

No matter where you are moving from, you can consider yourself lucky if your move is to one of these five full-license reciprocity states.

  • Alabama
  • Colorado
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • Virginia

You can bypass the general courses in real estate and focus on the specific laws and requirements of each state that has full reciprocity. After passing the exam, you will be issued a new license in real estate.

States with no license reciprocity

Some states do not offer license reciprocity, as we have already mentioned. If you move to a state without reciprocity in real estate licenses, it doesn’t matter where you are from. You will need to take your real estate courses again. This means that you will have to learn and license real estate from scratch.

It’s not all bad news. You’ll be able quickly and easily navigate through most of the course material. It will also give you a refresher course on topics that you might not encounter on the job.

If you are moving to one of the 17 states without reciprocity in real estate licensing, take a deep breath. This is a temporary inconvenience that will allow you to build a successful realty business in your new state.

These are the seventeen states that have no reciprocity in licenses:

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Delaware
  • Hawaii
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

States with Partial License Reciprocity

You may have noticed that we have only mentioned half of the US states. The rest of the states offer partial reciprocity for licenses. Your new state might offer partial license reciprocity to real estate agents who move from one state to another.

Each state with partial license reciprocity is unique, so it’s important to examine each one individually.

If you are looking for a pattern in terms of which states receive license reciprocity, there isn’t one. Some states only offer reciprocity for licenses to states that are near them. Certain states only offer reciprocity to neighboring states with very similar real-estate laws. Some states seem to have a problem with other states (we’re looking specifically at Georgia!) ).

Real estate license reciprocity may be offered to your state from the new state. However, you will still need to fulfill a few conditions in order to apply for your reciprocal license in your new state. You must ensure that your current license is still valid when you apply for reciprocity. 

If you are unable to be an agent in good standing due to any reason, you should resolve it before you apply.

Here are the 28 states offering partial reciprocity for licenses:

Arkansas: Arkansas offers license reciprocity to agents who are moving from Alabama, Colorado Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia.

Connecticut: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama to Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

Florida: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Rhode Island.

Georgia: Reciprocity licenses for agents who move from any state other than Florida.

Idaho: Reciprocity licenses for agents who move from Wyoming, Oregon, or Montana.

Illinois: Reciprocity licenses for agents who are moving from Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Indiana: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

Iowa: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Louisiana: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Alabama, Arkansas Colorado, Georgia Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Iowa.

Maryland: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

Massachusetts: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Minnesota: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Colorado, Iowa Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Nebraska: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama, Arkansas or Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Nevada: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

New Hampshire: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Tennessee, and Georgia.

New York: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

North Carolina: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

North Dakota: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Georgia, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Ohio: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

Oklahoma: Provides license reciprocity to agents who are moving from Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Oregon: Offers license reciprocity for agents moving from Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Pennsylvania: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and West Virginia.

Rhode Island: Agents moving from Connecticut or Massachusetts can receive reciprocity in their licenses.

South Carolina: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from North Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia.

Tennessee: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who move from Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota South Dakota Virginia, and West Virginia.

Utah: Reciprocity offered to agents who move from Georgia or Mississippi.

West Virginia: Reciprocity in licenses for agents who are moving from Alabama, Arkansas Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Wisconsin: Reciprocity in licenses for Illinois and Indiana agents.

Last Thoughts

Real estate license reciprocity agreements can change at any time. While this post can be a good starting point for general information you should always check with your state’s realty commission for the most current reciprocity rules.

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How To Save Money When Moving

How To Save Money When Moving

If you are planning a move to another city, state, or even move out of the country, it’s important to have all your ducks in a row. That way, once you’ve found your new home, you can get on with getting out of your old one. 

If you are selling your home before you move, a discount real estate broker can help you get the best possible price for your home.

Moving is never cheap. There may also be costs that you aren’t willing to pay. Moving is stressful enough without having to think about how much everything is going to cost you. 

It’s a lot to take in at once, but with careful planning and preparation, you can keep your moving expenses as low as possible. It just takes a little bit of forethought and planning so that you don’t end up spending more than necessary on your big day. 

There are always ways to save money when moving, even if it seems like there isn’t anything left to cut back on. From packing efficiently to driving instead of flying, here are some great tips for saving money when you move.

Don’t haggle your mover

Don’t haggle with your mover

A lot of people don’t realize this, but you should never try to haggle with your moving company. There’s no reason to try to negotiate a cheaper rate with the people moving your things because they’re not the ones who are going to be paying for it. You are the one who’s footing the bill, and you should never try to bargain with the company. 

Moving companies set their prices based on how much they need to make per job and how much they expect to spend on supplies and fuel. You don’t know what their other expenses might be, so it’s not fair to ask them to change their prices just because you want a lower rate.

Plan ahead and know exactly what you’re paying for

If you’re planning a long-distance move, a good way to save money is by planning ahead. In most cases, the farther away the moving company has to go, the more expensive the move is going to be. So if you have a long-distance move coming up, start planning it as soon as possible. This will give you enough time to find a more affordable long-distance moving company. 

It can also help you budget for the move, especially if you know exactly how far you have to go. This is especially important if you’re planning a move within the same state or city. Different neighborhoods can have different costs, so knowing exactly where you’re going to be moving to will help you plan accordingly.

Check your insurance coverage

Before you hire a moving company, make sure you check to see if the items you own are covered under your insurance. You’ll want to make sure that any items that are particularly valuable or sentimental are covered by your insurance, as well as anything you’re unsure about. 

If you are planning to use a moving company, be sure to check your insurance coverage and make sure that you’re not leaving anything behind. You never know what might happen to your things, so it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re well-covered.

Make a checklist and stick to it

One way to make sure that you don’t forget anything when moving is to make a checklist. You can make it as detailed as you want or as general as you want. You can also check off items as you go. This way, you’ll know for sure that you won’t forget anything. 

You may have a lot of items to pack and move, but you can keep them in order using a checklist. You can also make a separate checklist for the route your movers will take. This will help your movers know exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. It can also help you keep track of how the move is progressing. 

You can also use a checklist to make sure that you don’t forget anything when you arrive at your new home.

Bundle your move with other services

If you’re planning on hiring a professional cleaning company, landscaping company, or other service-based company, try to time your move with those services. This can help you save money on your overall moving expenses by bundling services together. You can also ask around and see if anyone else is also moving at the same time as you or in the near future. 

If so, you can offer to help them out with whatever they need help with in exchange for a small favor in return. You can also offer to help friends and family members who are moving nearby. This can help save you money while benefiting your friends and family members as well.

Drive instead of fly

Flying can be a fun experience, but it can also be very costly, especially if you are moving with pets. There are many moving companies that offer free moving services when you drive a truckload of your items. 

This is a good option for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on their move, but it’s important to keep in mind that driving a truck is dangerous. 

There are many risks associated with driving a truck, so make sure that you have the proper training and insurance coverage before you accept a moving truck job.

home sweet home

Conclusion

Consider a discount real estate broker to help sell your home before moving. Moving is expensive, and there are always ways to save money when doing it. From don’t haggle with your movers to driving instead of flying, there are many ways to save money on your move. 

Planning ahead, checking your insurance coverage, making a checklist, and bundling your move with other services are great ways to save money on your move.

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Florida Discount Realtors

What are Florida Discount Realtors?

Florida Discount Realtors

BusinessWire reports that US homeowners are sitting on home equity windfall of $26,300 on average. To tap into this cash, some may refinance their homes or get home equity loans. Others are looking at selling. This is a great time for a move due to the low interest rates. Many are now rethinking where they live because of the new tax bill.

However, not all people are excited to pay full Realtor commissions. Are there other options for people who are thinking about selling their home in 2021 or beyond? What do they compare to the traditional real-estate business model?

Traditional Real Estate Brokers In Florida

Florida’s traditional real estate brokers charge a 6% commission. This is 6% of the sale price of the house.

If you were to list with an agent and make a sale for $500,000 gross, you would be paid $30,000 in commissions.

The listing broker is responsible for the commission. Any money received by a Florida real estate agent can only be accepted in writing. Any cooperating brokers will be paid by their brokerage. A 50/50 split is common. The broker will then take their share of the 50%. For an average agent working for a large franchise, it is normally 50/50. The agent who worked for your $30,000 would receive $7,500.

This is before they pay any additional office fees, license fees, or association dues. Insurance, taxes, and all marketing costs that were involved in selling the home. This is a decent amount of money for the amount of work required. Agents may find that they spend more than they make at a half-price.

Florida discount realtors

FSBO (For Sale by Owner)

Some choose to not pay commissions, by going with the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route. Go to your local home repair store and grab some yard signs and Sharpies. Then, go online and search for free websites that allow you to list your house. Create flyers and contact a real estate attorney to screen potential buyers. Invest in home upgrades that increase the value of your home. Finally, try to make a deal.

According to the Florida Association of Realtors

  • Only 10% of Florida’s home sales are FSBOs.
  • There are far fewer FSBO sales now then when record keeping began in 1981

You can become a FSBO if you have a friend or family member who is interested in buying your house. This could save you some money if you are looking to sell your home on a budget. You may be able to save some money by calculating a lower sale price and closing costs. If there are personal relationships between you and your buyer, the bank may not consider it an ‘arm’s-length’ transaction.

Florida Discount Realtors

Flat Fee Real Estate Services in Florida

Florida offers several flat-fee real estate services. These services are offered by a brokerage, a flat fee real estate agent, and a budget Realtor. They charge homeowners a flat fee for their property to be listed on the MLS. This could also include syndication on other popular Realtor websites. These services offer a range of advertising options, ranging from $100 up to $700.

You can do this by getting your house on the MLS. But, this alone will not sell your house. You will need to pay a commission to buyer’s agents in order to get any interest in your property. They will likely charge between 2.5% and 3% of the sale price. However there are some that are as low as 1%.

You can expect to pay more if you are determined that you need any assistance. Lockboxes to hold contracts, flyers, listing for longer than three months, and contracts for showings. You may need to negotiate a flat fee with an agency if you decide that you require more assistance in negotiations, showings, or managing the transaction.

If you are an expert in a hot market, this can be a viable option to sell. You should be aware that FSBO doesn’t provide the same protection as an agent to limit your liability.

Florida Discount Realtors

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Top 3 Things To Look Out For In International Deals

Back before the Word wide web actually existed, brokers went through a problem gaining interested investors from outside the country.

As it is the case within any business, when opportunity presents itself such as it has in international real estate, it cannot go overlooked.

International home buyers purchased $153 billion of U.S. domestic real estate in the twelve months thru July 2017, a jump of nearly 50% through the previous twelve months and above 10 percent of the market by sales volume! All the numbers earlier mentioned procured from NAR (National Association of Realtors) and are deemed to be valid.

A really interesting component to sourcing one’s own foreign real estate buyers is how profitable it can be for the agency.” states Gina, a realtor with vast experience in international real estate dealings and realtor with the renowned Costa Rica Real Estate dot COM

Image courtesy of Intricate Group

Then there’s the statistic stating that of all foreign prospective buyers, many of them are well-off individuals wanting to grow their riches in international real estate markets.

Never assume this is simple to find and break in to, the foreign real estate investor segment.

The biggest difference between working with the domestic populous rather than internationally, would be the language concern. In spite of this many foreign home buyers employ people to break down the language concerns anytime seriously considering investment in another nation.

China rules the headlines all over the world in relation to foreign business and in real estate the same holds true given the information indicates that of the complete sales volume in the USA to international buyers, China maintains half of this. All even with barriers including language and cultural distinctions.

With such a highly profitable marketplace in existence, exactly how do you break in to it?

CPROP is a blockchain-powered electronic transaction control platform intended to help real estate professionals improve and manage long distance deals.

Image courtesy of Intricate Group

The start-up employs blockchain to confirm and document actions pertaining to deeds and closing documentation. Additionally it plans to build a robust, user created specialized network by supplying its utility tokens to buyers and sellers who will also leave rankings and analysis of the broker, agent or agency they choose on the system.

Armando is another well-known realtor in Lo de Marcos, Mexico who deals regularly with foreign investors, and he had this to say…

Once we began using this amazing technology that ensures the security of any international – or domestic – real estate transaction, we knew we’d never look back.

Innovation is definitely vital for virtually any purchase from start to finish. We’re going to lay out a few ways any brokers can maneuver in to this market component.

Be A Part Of A Trustworthy International Base

Choosing to focus on international real estate investors and sellers in one thing but making a success out of it is another thing altogether. Agents thinking about penetrating the sector of catering to international investors and sellers really should think creatively and search segments of the World Wide Web where these focused forums may congregate.

Keep in mind also that given your platform also provides automated translations, this might also be a large bonus.

Think Trust And Security

Remember the flick Lost in Translation? Actually in the case of international real estate transactions this is undoubtedly the case whilst the two parties are involved in talking different languages.

Planning is vital to productive international real estate opportunities and included in preparing one must think trust and security.

Technology shifts at a remarkable pace and nowadays blockchain technology has entered the mix and everlastingly changed the way real estate brokers conduct business over the internet. Blockchain tech makes way for protection at ranges not accomplished previously. Real estate deals when composed using this technology, are forged eternally in the encrypted shield and eliminating any changes to the contract from going undiscovered.

Kelowna Condos, an agency situated in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada, has been advancing over the past few years with respect to utilizing blockchain technology for their international investors of condos in Kelowna and surrounding areas.

Block-chain technology is also advantageous to the buyer by creating a protected trusted way to store money in escrow.

Seek Trustworthy, Streamlined Cooperation

The first thing is closing contracts inside of the country however it can be an entirely different thing when completing international deals and these deals call for much more care to ensure a smooth closing.

Can you tell your transactions state in real time, what’s left to finish and who should next do what in the process?

Consider this though, as an agent working in global transactions, wont it be good to have a SaaS tool that handled all the online digital areas from start to finish for any kind of international real estate deal? Procedure transparency simplifies communications, loosens realtor time and relieves everybody’s mind.

Don Halbert is a seasoned software developer who has developed a number of advanced SaaS applications that help realtors perform transactions with confidence and security throughout the process.

Since 1997 my company [Triton Systems dba The Real Estate SEO] has provided reliable solutions to security concerns of those within the real estate vertical.

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Decorating Your Home on Budget

Decorating is a way of adding coziness and charm to your house. Everyone likes to live in a house which is well decorated but sometimes it can prove costly and heavy on the budget. So let’s see what are the things you can do to decorate your home on budget.

Coloring Walls

Adding color to the walls is probably the best way to decorate your home, and it’s easy and inexpensive and it gives an instant lift to the overall look of your house. You can opt to decorate an entire room in an attractive shade or you can go for a two-tone scheme which always looks stylish and classy.

Artwork

One of the most effective and inexpensive way to decorate your home is to fill the walls with artwork, posters and prints. A bare wall always look boring and you can select the artwork which aligns with the color scheme of the walls. Nature photography, a painting or a family picture are the most used for decorating walls.

Updating Pillows

When you are on a budget and can’t afford a new sofa, the best way to bring the old one to life is my changing the pillows. You can match them with the color of the walls or of the floor.

 

Lighting

A house with less lighting looks boring and unappealing so another way to add life to your house while maintaining the budget is to add lighting to your house. You can always ditch the boring lights with the creative lighting options that are not expensive. The primary source of light should match the general style of the room. Small lamps can be used for lighting purpose and they also look elegant and increase the overall appeal of the room.

 

Transforming Dull windows

You can add beauty to your house by transforming the dull windows by adding a floral pattern or statement stripes. Another thing that can be done is a roller blind which is never expensive and can be easily installed.

Rugs

Rugs can be used to cover the unattractive flooring and can also help in adding attractiveness to the floor. If you are unable to purchase the expensive rugs, you can purchase cuts of carpets and use them to create your own rug.

So these were some things that you can do in order to decorate your house while staying on a budget.

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4 Quick Cost-Effective Home Upgrades to Increase the Value of Your Home

You have listed your house with multiple realtors and no-one has even bothered to make an offer. More often than not, houses that are well looked after, maintained and even completely renovated sell much quicker than others. If you’ve hit a wall, and don’t know how to get your home looking spiffy without spending top dollar, we’ve got some handy tips right here for you. All these activities can be done by yourself, and won’t cost an arm and a leg.

Upgrade That Horrible Tiles

How do you do that? With some paint and simple color coordination, of course! If you have some nasty tiles that are still in a good condition, and you can’t re-tile, simply paint it. Whether you want them all one color or a black-and-white diner look, there is a world of possibilities with a bucket of paint!


Get Some New Handles and Knobs

Whether you like them swanky or antique, adding a special spunk to your house with new door handles and knobs will already give your home a polished look, without breaking the bank! While you are at it, you can even paint cabinets and doors in statement colors just to make it pop! Nothing looks and feels better than something with a new coat of paint!


Do a Major Cleanup

Less fun, but also necessary if you are serious about selling your house. If you have not paid any attention to your garden or the exterior of your house, maybe it is time to just review and see what the state of affairs are. Clean up the garden, give the exterior some paint, you should always try to impress prospective buyers by what the house looks like from street view.


Ask Our Friendly Advice

Who better to ask about what buyers are looking at than Tallahassee real estate agents? If you feel like you are stuck in a rut and you have done everything you could to improve the appearance of your home, just ask an expert. A professional real estate agent will be able to tell you exactly what buyers like and dislike, giving you an advantage.

If all else fails, why not list your property with Move 2 NJ Realtors? We are pretty sure that your property will sell in no-time. But, if you just start out on some of the tips mentioned above, you should already be making an improvement.

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Moving-In 101: How To Move House With Pets in 4 Simple Steps

Moving into a new home is exciting as much as it is hard work. The packing and unpacking and finding a place for every piece of furniture. As stressful as it is for you, it is for your pets too. Many people struggle to get there pets to settle in easily after a move, with some dogs and cats just running away. In this post, we look at ways you can make the transition a little bit easier for your furry friends.

Image source: House Hunt

#1 Do everything you can to let them feel safe and assured

Moving causes a lot of anxiety for animals and humans alike. Try your best to make the move for your fur babies as simple as possible. If possible, have them stay with someone they know for the day of the move and once all your smells and furniture is in place, take them. If you can’t do this, stay close to them and observe their needs.

#2 Prepare a designated room with all their stuff for the day of the move

Take all their toys and blankies and maybe a sweater of your own and put it in a room where they will be for the duration of the unpacking and unloading. This will make them feel a little more at ease knowing all their things and their human’s scent is right there.

#3 Slowly introduce them to the new surroundings

Once everything is settled and you’ve unloaded and unpacked, take them for a walk around the yard and inside the house. Let them roam free and explore. Just be sure that there is no way that they will be able to get out and run away if they tend to be anxious by nature. Just remember, it may take some time for them to get used to it, but sooner or later they will.

#4 Add some extra loving and TLC

Depending on the temperament of your pet, a little extra attention and tummy scratches are sure to go a long way. Make them feel as much part of this new home as the one you just left. Besides, who doesn’t love some extra cuddles from their fluffy friend?

We hope we’ve added some helpful tips here to ensure your move goes smoothly and without any mishaps or runaway pets! As stressful as the process might be, it can also be a fun adventure for you and your pets.

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Moving Abroad? You Simply Cannot Leave Before Knowing These 4 Things

There is a lot of planning involved when you decide to move abroad. A lot of decisions also needs to be made, like whether or not you should bring the pets along. Will you take all your furniture? Should you take everything you own or just a couple of things. Moving, even if it is from one house to another in the same street, can be quite a headache. Let’s take a quick look at 4 things you should know before jumping in and packing for your move overseas.

1. Do a Spring Clean

Never has the opportunity been better. Take stock of all your things and organize them. Decide what you cannot live without and chuck the rest. You can even hold a yard sale if needs are, or donate things not going with you to a charity.

2. Smart Storage

If you have an heirloom that you don’t want to move with you, and you just cannot part with it, put it in storage for the time being. Even if you’ll have your furniture and belongings sent over later, storage is the way to go to keep things as simple as possible.

3. Paperwork to be Done

Make sure all your personal documentation are up-to-date and that you have original copies of them on your person when making a permanent move to greener shores. Paperwork includes your original ID, qualifications, police checks and so on.

4. Financial Matters

There’s a lot of things on the financial side that you have to get in order before you can set foot on any plane. Firstly, you need to ensure that you have enough funds available for settling in and moving into a new place. Then, you need to decide whether you will keep your current bank account or if you will open up a new one in the country. Speak to your financial advisor before making any hasty decisions!

And that’s a wrap. There are plenty more things one has to take into consideration before moving overseas. Are you an expat? Do you dream of moving to another country? Can you add any neat tips to this list? Let us know in the comment section below!

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