Spring Cleaning Checklist

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

With Memorial day around the corner and the busy days of summer hot on it’s heals now is the perfect time to check spring cleaning off your to do list. We are blessed with a very short winter and the winter blues don’t really have enough time to settle in. The day after Valentine’s we start planning for Spring and spring cleaning is tradition in more places than the south.

Whether you are getting ready for the summer or getting ready to sell your home this checklist will take you beyond the regular cleaning routines. Spring cleaning is about going deeper.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

De-clutter. It will make cleaning a lot easier. Use the natural flow of spring to let go and lighten up. Donate to charity or plan a garage sale.
Clean ceilings, walls and baseboards, don’t forget the corners. Time to bring out all those attachments that came with your vacuum cleaner.
This is also a good time to vacuum the air vents. If it’s been a few years you might want to have your air ducts cleaned by a professional, this can cut down on the overall dust in the home and help with allergies.
Give attention to your other appliances, clean dryer vents, refrigerated coils, and disposal units.
Use furniture markers to repair wood scratches or nicks.
Wash or dry clean the drapes and curtains. Dust blinds and the window sills.
Wash both the inside and outside of your windows and rinse off the screens.

The check list wouldn’t be complete without heading outside to clean the porches, decks, grills, gutters, and of course the landscaping. All before your Memorial Day cookout!

Do you have spring cleaning traditions?

For more information about our property listings please contact Melanie Kramer at 912-658-1390 or melaniekramer@kw.com.

Melanie Kramer Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

3 Tips to Attain a Higher Home Appraisal

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Attaining a higher home appraisal is crucial when refinancing or selling your home.

Although nearby properties will affect the market value of all homes in your neighbor, there are activities you can do to help attain a higher home appraisal.

3 Ways to Increase Your Home Appraisal

Pull Together Your Information

You have about 30 minutes to make a good first impression. We suggest putting together an information packet the appraiser can take back to the office.

What should go in this packet?

Facts about your home. Include the number of bedrooms and bathroom, your street address and the year your home was built. Your appraiser has access to all this information but confirmation from you can’t hurt.
We can print out a list of recent sales in the neighborhood. We specifically look for comparable homes and comparable prices to help support the price you’re asking.
Include any inside information you may have. Maybe you know that your neighbor recently sold his home at a reduced price because he was relocating for a new job.
Create a list of any improvements you’ve made to the home. Include the date and the name and contact information of the contractors that performed the work. Include any floors, windows and major systems you’ve replaced. Have you finished the basement? Include that too.

Spiff Up Your Home

“… overgrown landscaping, soiled carpeting, marks on walls — those do affect value and are part of the property’s overall condition rating,” Dean Zibas of Zibas Appraisal in San Clemente, Calif., told the Wall Street Journal.

You don’t need to stage your home for an appraisal, but it is important to showcase a well maintained home.
Cleaning the clutter, even if it’s just putting excess items into a box and storing them until after the appraisal, will help show your home in the best light.

Make Repairs

Your home will be assigned an ” effective age” which is directly correlated to the condition of the home and any improvements made.
Appraisals tend to be done in $500 increments. A broken window could mean a $500 deduction.
A good rule of thumb is to make any improvements that would age the home in the eyes of the appraisal. There may be fairly simple improvements like replacing a window screen, or more substantial ones like a coat of paint or updating your floors.

It is true that the sale prices of comparable properties are heavily relied upon when assessing a property’s value, but appraisers do not solely depend upon them. Some intangible aspects of the data collected will help determine the closest estimate of the value of a property. And these are often the aspects of the appraisal process that you can have an influence on.

For more information about living in the Richmond Hill Georgia area please contact Melanie Kramer at 912-658-1390 or melaniekramer@kw.com.

Melanie Kramer Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Melanie Kramer Realtor

Believe it or not the Holidays are not a horrible time to sell your home.

Life happens – even in the middle of a busy family season! January is a popular time for relocations. Company’s often transfer people to start new jobs or positions the first of the new year. Children are on break in December and free to travel to help their parent’s house hunt.

And this time of year I find myself talking to southern living enthusiasts tired of the cold weather and ready for a warmer winter. Recently I spoke with a resident of New Jersey who has been hunting online for a home in the Savannah / Richmond Hill area. I’m always happy to help our friends that are “over the ice and snow” find the perfect home here in the Coastal Empire.

Buyers during this time of year:

tend to have more time to look for houses
are often serious and highly motivated

Sellers during this time of year:

have fewer houses to compete with
must be motivated to sell, the holidays are stressful enough

Tips for selling your home during the Holidays

Decorate your home but be careful not to overdo it. Homes often look their best during the holidays but it is important not to add clutter. Use smaller decorations and simple color schemes. Less is more.

Curb appeal is important this time of year. When the leaves fall and expose more of the home it’s a good idea to do a little fall cleaning when you’re hanging the wreath.

Flameless battery operated candles will create a warm and homey feel. Placed around the home they offer an extra glow that is both safe and welcoming. If you have a fireplace, these candles displayed in the hearth can make a beautiful impression.

Use scents sparingly, especially before a viewing. What smells great to you may not to another and allergies can also be a concern.

Using video to share your home is a great way to capture interest from those house hunters with limited time during the holidays or living out of state and hunting online. This is where I come in. I have a professional photography session for each of my listings and use the images to create a video to showcase your home.

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, or maybe both, I can help lift the weight from your shoulders and make sure you have enough time to enjoy the season.

Please call or email me today for more information or questions about selling your home during the holidays.

Melanie Kramer
Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners
912-459-5001 Office
912-658-1390 Cell Direct

Home Staging Basics

Posted on January 30, 2014 by melaniekramerrealtor

Home Staging Basics to Help You Sell

What to do before you sell your home!

“Home Staging” is more than just preparing to sell your home by making it look the best it can. It’s really the art of first impressions. For many home sellers and real estate agents, the concept of “home staging” is being more frequently recognized and used to effectively promote and market a home in the marketplace. If you are in the process of, or thinking about, selling your home, you may want to consider hiring a professional home stager to assist you. They work with the “flow” of a home, eliminate clutter, arrange furniture, and even assist in enhancing curb appeal. Or, if you’re more the do-it-yourself type, below are some tips on what you can do to improve your home’s “first impression.”

Start at the Curb

Curb appeal is the first step to selling your home. No one wants to buy a previous owner’s dirty house. Powerwash 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’ve removed everything that isn’t necessary, add touches such as large, lush flower pots or hanging planters to welcome visitors.

Lighten up the Inside

If paint is showing signs of age, repaint. Neutrals often work best. Clear out closets, cupboards, and drawers. Strip the kitchen down to the necessities. Counters, however, should be clear, except for a decoratively placed bowl of fruit or bouquet of fresh flowers. Open the curtains to allow natural light to fill the room.

Some home stagers also use scents to put the best face on a listed home. You can appeal to a buyer’s sense of smell. Hot apple cider, cinnamon rolls, or fresh baked cookies add a homey sense and are very inviting. The opposite of course is true, strong odors such as garbage or pet odors can quickly turn people away!

In home staging, simplicity and comfort is your ultimate goal!

Melanie Kramer,

10221 Ford Ave, Suite 1

Richmond Hill, GA 31324

9124595001

9126581390

melaniekramer@kw.com

melaniekramer.com