January Issue

These Do-It-Yourself Improvements Help Sellers Maximize Sales Prices

Wondering what home improvements will benefit you the most when you sell your home? HomeGain.com, a Web site that provides home value estimates, recently released a list of the top 12 do-it-yourself home improvements that cost under $5,000 and benefit sellers the most when they go to sell their homes.

The list is based upon the responses of nearly 1,000 real estate agents nationwide. According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that agents recommend to sellers, based on cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI), are:

1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost/$1,700 price increase/872% ROI)
2. Home staging ($300 cost/$1,780 price increase/586% ROI)
3. Lightening and brightening ($230 cost/$1,300 price increase/572% ROI)
4. Landscaping ($320 cost /$1,500 price increase/473% ROI)
5. Repairing plumbing ($385 cost/$1,250 price increase/327% ROI)

Cleaning and de-cluttering always rank near the top of suggested home improvements for sellers. In fact, 99 percent of real estate agents recommend that their clients do so, HomeGain says. And it.s easy to see why.for a cost of about $200, cleaning and de-cluttering add an average of $1,700 to a home.s sale price, an 872% return on investment.

“Many Realtors agree, especially in a buyer’s market, that sellers who make these recommended home improvements often get their homes sold faster and at higher prices,” says Louis Cammarosano, a general manager at HomeGain.

Rounding out the top 12 of the list of projects: Updating electrical; replacing or shampooing carpets; painting interior walls; repairing damaged floors; updating the kitchen; painting the exterior; and updating bathrooms.

For more information about low cost do-it-yourself improvements that will help your home sell faster, call Nancy Orlando today.

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Easy Home Improvements for Healthier Living

Americans are more health conscious than ever before-or at least they should be-and the desire for healthy living is extending more and more to the home. Home is where we sleep, spend our spare time and raise our children, so the home should be a healthy environment for all.

It’s good to know that you can improve the environmental health of your home and improve its air quality with some quick and easy fixes. Here are some ideas:

• Select “green” paint. Paint may make your home seem fresh, but it has the opposite effect on your indoor air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paints and stains are the second largest source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) after car emissions. By using a low- or no-VOC paint, you’ll breathe easier.
• Reduce allergens and asthma by repairing water leaks and ventilating rooms properly. If mold is present, have it professionally removed. Change air filters on a regular basis. Install allergen barriers on mattresses.
• Consider installing a water filter or reverse osmosis unit to purify water and improve its taste.
• Try limiting the use of toxic cleaning chemicals. Instead, use more natural products to clean, such as vinegar for glass, or steam clean floors and bathrooms.
• Test your home for radon, and install a mitigation system if the level is 4 pCi/L or higher.

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What is America’s Fastest-Recovering City?

Warren Buffett made a good bet when he chose Omaha as the home for Berkshire Hathaway. According to Forbes, Omaha weathered the recession better than any other American city, due to low unemployment and foreclosure rates. Rounding out the top 3 of fast-recovering cities: San Antonio and Austin.

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