"The Home Specialist"

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"The Home Specialist"

Blog by Enid Beitzel

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Listing and selling real estate in Colorado Springs

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"The Home Specialist"

Buying Your First Home

Mar. 25, 2009

Categorized in: Miscellaneous

Tagged with: buying, colorado springs, home

Homeownership is such a privilege in our country. Now is a great time to consider owning a home. First you need get your loan in place. There are many programs for first time home buyers right now. Our biggest program is the $8,000 gift from the government this year. I have written about this in a previous post. The current interest rate has not been more appealing for many, many years.

There are lots of homes for sale in Colorado Springs so you have the privilege of making a good choice. Homeownership stabilizes your monthly payment for 30 years verses. There are also tax benefits to homeownership. If you have any qualms or questions about owning a home you can email me at any time.

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Home Staging Continued

Feb. 8, 2008

Tagged with: for sale, home, stageing

Staging the inside of your home.

The key to staging is to make it meaningful, set the tone and suggest countless possibilities. That means you need to remove everything that would distract the buyer’s attention. Keep only what you must to remain functional. If you don’t use something every day they should pack it for the move.

Clear out closets, cupboards and drawers.

Strip the kitchen down to the necessities. Counters, however, should be clear, except for a decoratively placed bowl for a bouquet of fresh flowers.

It’s not necessary for individual rooms to be used for their original purpose as long as the functions that they represents is logical and show the space off well. Remove anything personal such as family pictures and mementos. Edit books, CD’s and videos on bookshelves. Arrange furniture to enhance the strengths of the room and facilitate traffic flow.

Don’t forget the basement and other high traffic areas

It’s important to check your entry ways, laundry room, and basement have a well maintained appearance. Make sure that your floors are not warped, cracked, or peeling in those places where feet are frequently scuffing across the floor. This is especially important with wood floors.

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Home staging

Feb. 6, 2008

Tagged with: for sale, home, stageing

Home Staging

by Cari Pemberton

The Real Estate market changes. We’ve all heard it, seen it, and are currently experiencing it. In 2006, homes were flying from Active to Pending in days. Our clients were approaching us with the idea that it was easy to market and sell a home, even if it wasn’t in the best condition. Currently, clients are realizing that Real Estate professionals offer services and benefits that are invaluable to the home selling process. They are also realizing that home maintenance and curb appeal aren’t just buzz words—lack of these items are deal killers. Now, more than ever, it is essential to capture buyers’ attention and set your home apart from the pack.

The Art of First Impressions

Staging begins on the outside of the home and works its way inward. Here are some steps to creating a wonderful first impression.

Curb appeal is the first step in beautifying a home. No one wants to buy a previous owner’s dirty house. Power-wash the siding and wash windows until they shine.

Trees, shrubs, and flowers should be neat and tidy, the garden weeded and the lawn mowed and edged. Once you have removed everything that is not necessary, add touches such as large lush flower pots or hanging planters to welcome visitors. In the winter, snow should be shoveled and ice removed.

We will move inside on our next post.

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8 Home Organization Tips

Jan. 30, 2008

Tagged with: home, organize

1. Start with a plan.

Make a list of projects you want to complete during the year and prioritize them. You don’t have to do everything in January and February; pace yourself so you won’t feel overwhelmed.

2. Take three simple steps.

Every organization project starts with three basic steps: purge the items you no longer want or need, analyze what’s left to determine how you use it and measure the space you have to figure out what will fit where. When you’re organizing, use a three-box system: keep, discard, and don’t know. When you’re finished, seal the don’t know box and put it away. If you haven’t opened it in a year, you don’t really need whatever is in there. Throw it away without looking inside.

3. Clean out the closets.

Get everyone in your household involved by competing for the “cleanest closet” award. When organizing a closet, frequency of use is an important consideration. Things you reach for at least once a week should be stored at a height between your shoulders and your knees. Lowe’s has a variety of closet organizers to handle hanging garments, shoes, sweaters, and all types of accessories.

4. De-clutter the kitchen.

The kitchen is often a catch-all for clutter. Review what’s on your counters and move small appliances and cookware you use most often to easy-to-reach cabinets. Lowe’s has an Unfinished Oak Lazy Susan Corner Unit that’s perfect for maximizing your corner cabinet storage space.

5. Tidy up the bathrooms.

Clean out all the drawers and cabinets by tossing out expired products and items you haven’t used in at least a year. Then sort your products in a drawer organizer, such as the Real Organized™ Chrome Drawer Organizer, available at Lowe’s.

6. Make laundry day a breeze.

Keep a plastic shoe box in the laundry room to store items you find such as lipstick, buttons and money. Set up a three-basket hamper system in your closet or bathroom so you can sort your clothes the moment you take them off, making laundry day that much easier.

7. Organize your home office.

Customizable closet systems aren’t just for bedroom closets. Check out Lowe’s selection of shelves, drawers and hanging storage for your home office closet.

Lightweight storage bins are great for files you use often and come in decorative canvas, metal, wood and plastic styles.

8. Don’t forget the basement and garage.

Oil drips, grass clippings and tracked in mud make basements and garages a challenge to keep clean and organized. The best way to organize these areas is

to create “zones” and keep the tools and products you need in their respective zones, such as lawn care (mower, tools, potting soil), car care (antifreeze, oil, car

wax), sports equipment/toys, and general hardware.

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