What buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a La Jolla home.
By Dan Johnson | February 12, 2011
What should buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a home in the La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe California areas? This article will help sellers look into some important aspects of selling their home and what potential buyers look out for as well.
The way you live in your house is not the way to sell your house. So, what makes a house a home for sale on the market, and one that soon has a “SOLD” sign out on the front lawn? And what aspects are important to look at because potential buyers will ask the question, “How much work are we going to need to do prior to moving in and beyond?” The appearance and cleanliness of the home are significant. Always have your home ready to be shown at a moment’s notice with us, your agents Dan & Brenda Wyatt, because this is what buyers are looking for. And a tip- burned out lights need to be replaced; classy lighting and upgraded fixtures can ameliorate the value of a home. Also, buyers said they would be willing to pay more for a home with a renovated kitchen.
Here are some things a buyer will look out for when dealing with the purchase of a home. The buyer will consider the following:
- Exactly what property is included in the sale? Lighting fixtures, drapes or blinds, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and dryers are often problem areas.
- Is the neighborhood quiet, friendly? Are the homes well kept?
- Are there any development plans that will affect the property?
- The inspection report – are there any substantial problems with the house?
- Real estate taxes – what are the current property taxes, and what impact will your purchase have on the taxes?
Another issue that raises concern regarding buyer appeal is that sellers often mistakenly think that viewing empty properties will give the buyers an accurate sense of the space available. On the contrary, it is more difficult to really judge the size of a room without furniture and other objects as reference points. An empty room even allows buyers to focus on negative details instead of getting a sense of the overall space and the flow of each room to the next. Buyers need to ask themselves the question, “Can I see myself in this home?” Therefore, staging really helps buyers envision themselves in the space.
The idea of “staging” a home to make it look alluring to buyers has become popular during the last decade, as manifested by the proliferation of numerous home staging companies offering advice about how to make the house more attractive to buyers. Check out next’s months article about “Staging a Home.”
When selling your home with us, Dan & Brenda Wyatt, your agents keep in mind what buyers look for, or look out for before coming to look at your home in the La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe California areas.
Check out our friends at Prurdential
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Finding and Purchasing an Eco-Friendly Home in La Jolla California
By Dan Johnson | February 8, 2011
These days, buying a home in La Jolla is about more than finding the right square footage, number of bedrooms, and price range. While these factors almost always make up the primary concerns for any home buyer in CA, the truth is that there is so much more to a home than the numbers and figures you see on an advertisement. In fact, La Jolla and Del Mar are part of a growing trend of buying homes that are not only an investment in your future, but an investment in the future of the planet, as well.
What is an Eco-Friendly Home?
An eco-friendly home is any house that strives to reduce energy usage either during the building process or for average, everyday use. Green Home Building Standards have been established by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), which strives to ensure that ecologically sound building practices meet structurally sound ones no matter where you live.
Some of the components of a “green” home include:
- Energy-efficient features, including appliances and windows with the Energy Star rating. This can also be accomplished by doing simple things like using more efficient lighting fixtures and light bulbs.
- Water-efficient features, including Energy Star ratings on toilets, showers, faucets, dishwashers, and washing machines. At a more advanced level, this can include water recirculation systems and on-site wastewater treatment systems.
- Resource-efficient features, which generally come from structural changes that have to do with house size and layout, window placement, heat conservation efforts, and even using fast-renewing resources (like bamboo) for the floor or other building materials.
- Quality air features, which provide good ventilation without introducing toxins into the air either inside or outside the home.
- Outdoor features, including landscaping that contributes to the local vegetation, and the use of permeable materials for driveways and walkway. Water waste should also be reduced wherever possible.
Purchasing a Green Home
One of the greatest things about eco-friendly homes in the La Jolla region is that most of the costs are figured in during the building process. This means that if you’re in the market to purchase a green home, you will only have to help maintain the work that’s already been done. While this can increase the initial price tag of your new CA home, chances are that it will save you large amounts of money as the years progress.
In an age where it’s becoming increasingly more important to give back to the environment, more and more homeowners in the La Jolla area are loCAing for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. It doesn’t matter whether you purchase a new home in Rancho Santa Fe or an older building with recent renovations in Del Mar, Dan & Brenda Wyatt can help you find a way to combine your love of the environment with the home of your dreams.
Check out our friend at Getaways in Mt Hood
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10 ways to boost a home’s sale price in La Jolla CA
By Dan Johnson | January 18, 2011
The market still benefits the buyers, but there are a few simple ways to get a better price for your La Jolla California home.
10 ways to boost a home’s sale price in CA
1. Retouch the front shell:
If the exterior of your home isn’t appealing, no one is going to want to go inside and see all the upgrades you’ve made in there. You want your home to project a cozy feeling. The outside front of a house is the most important area for improvement. New paint outside makes the house more inviting.
2. Trim the Trees:
Making sure that the lawn, garden and trees are well maintained helps make your home more alluring to buyers. It doesn’t matter if you hire a professional or do it yourself, also try adding some color to the flower beds.
3. Paint Interior:
New paint inside is a cost effective way to make the home more appealing to buyers. Be sure to stick to neutral colors, like light cream. This will make the house look crisp and fresh.
4. Floors:
Improving floors is a great move. Simple things like buffing hard wood or having the carpets cleaned can help boost sales, and you don’t need to replace the carpet or refinish the wood.
5. Make Major Repairs:
No one has extra money anymore, there is no cash left for the buyers to make major repairs like fixing the leaking roof. This will make your house stand out from the others that need repairs.
6. Get Warranty for appliances:
Put your appliances under warranty to give buyers confidence that they wont break down quickly, and if they do, they are covered.
7. Make your home Energy Efficient:
Energy Efferent homes are more attractive, getting new windows and better insulation are small changes, that make a big difference to potential home buyers.
8. New Light Fixtures:
You can add value to your home simply by replacing old or broken light fixtures. Pay particular attention to the entry way of the home, if it’s inviting, buyers will want to see the rest of the house.
9. New Stove:
Instead of upgrading the entire kitchen, just a new stove helps potential buyers take interest in the kitchen. You get the look of a new kitchen to entice buyers without shelling out too much extra money.
10. Freshen up the Bathrooms:
Mildew stains aren’t attractive, it makes potential buyer think you didn’t take care of your home. Replace the caulk with new mildew-resistant caulk. And replace the sink if it’s cracked.
Making these small, affordable changes can really boost your sale price in Del Mar. Simple touches show a potential buyer how much you have cared for your home. If you would like a few more suggestions ask Dan & Brenda Wyatt, they would be happy to give a few pointers. It doesn’t matter if you’re in La Jolla, Del Mar or Rancho Santa Fe small upgrades can help you get the sales price you want.
Check out our friends at Windsor
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Do-It-Yourself Real Estate Marketing in La Jolla
By Dan Johnson | January 16, 2011
Marketing a La Jolla home to make it attractive to buyers isn’t just about staging the house or putting a For Sale sign up in the yard. In today’s real estate market, it’s important to reach out to a larger audience through various types of media. After all, buying and selling a home in the Del Mar region means tapping into everything that people use on a daily basis: computers, newspapers, magazines, and more traditional real estate routes.
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
The majority of home buyers in the CA region begin their search online. The Internet is becoming an increasingly viable way to present homes from both an interior and an exterior vantage point. Although Dan & Brenda Wyatt will help you to understand the best angles for presenting a photographic display of your house, you can help by pointing out what it is you love best about the home. A great backyard garden, a cozy front porch swing, a spacious kitchen, the tile on your bathroom floor – no matter what it is, use it as a way to entice buyers into contacting your agent for more information.
Virtual tours are becoming a very popular way to showcase your home online, as well. Allowing viewers to “walk through” your home gives them a stronger connection to it.
Signs and Advertisements
The more traditional California home selling options include putting up a sign or placing an ad in the newspaper, in your local real estate magazine, or even on direct mailing advertisements. These steps have long been a part of the buying and selling market, regardless of where you live.
The truth of the matter is, there’s a reason these actions are relied upon so heavily: no one will know you’re selling your La Jolla home unless you post it somewhere! While decisions related to where you place the signs and advertisements will most likely be made with the assistance of Dan & Brenda Wyatt, you can help by finding additional ways to spread the word of your sale. Online home selling postings for Rancho Santa Fe or Del Mar are fairly common, and oftentimes, simply letting your friends and family know that your La Jolla home is on the market can go a long way in spreading the word.
Rely on Dan & Brenda Wyatt
Of course, the most important home marketing step you can take is trusting Dan & Brenda Wyatt to work hard to sell your home as quickly and efficiently as possible. Like any real business partnership, selling a California home is all about finding someone you can trust and working together to get the best possible results.
Check out our friends at Real Estate in Portland Oregon
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