Seller Information

Prepare Your Home’s Exterior For Spring

April 8, 2013 by admin

Wallingford PA Real Estate - Wallingford PA - Spruce Up Yur Home's Entrance

Make Sure Your Entrance Is Welcoming!

Now that Spring is upon us, it is time to spruce up your home’s exterior after winter, especially if your home is on the market. A little work goes a long way in making that important first impression.

Pay special attention to the entrance by which potential buyers will enter your home.

– Clean your exterior lights. I am sure you have noticed all those bugs and their remains that have collected in your exterior light fixtures. Take out the bulbs, remove any critters and clean the glass panels

– Polish exterior door hardware, or consider replacing if it is pitted or worn

– Does your doorbell light up and work? Check it because others will

– Check you house numbers. They should be visible from the street. Also check with the municipality that you live in. Some municipalities require a certain size for house numbers in order to issue Use and Occupancy permits when the home sells

– Spring is a perfect time to wash you windows, hire someone if you can not do it yourself

– Put away winter related items such as snow shovels, sleds and snow blowers

– Rake the lawn to remove debris left over from the winter

– Clean and mulch your flower beds, and add a splash of color via plants when the weather permits

– Sweep your driveway and walkways of debris

– Bring out your outdoor furniture. It maybe too cold to use it yet, but show buyers your outdoor living space potential

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

The Importance Of Color Selection In A Home

March 4, 2013 by admin

Wallingford PA Real Estate - Wallingford PA - Personalised Clors May Not Appeal To All Buyers

Colors Such As Yellow Are More Suitable For Road Signs

The choice of a color scheme is a home is a very personal decision, sometimes too personal. Research has shown that the colors in a home greatly effect a potential buyer’s opinion about a home. One of the most offending home color choices is bright lemon yellow.

Bright lemon yellow is the most fatiguing color. Why? The answer comes from the physics of light and optics. More light is reflected by bright colors, resulting in excessive stimulation of the eyes. Therefore, yellow is an eye irritant. Yellow in abundance can have a negative effect on people’s mood. If it is to be used at all it should be used sparingly, as a accent. Since yellow is the most visible of all colors it is used in situations where eye catching is the goal, in traffic signs, and yes in Weichert Realtors yard signs.

Some once trendy colors, such as dark red, which seems to be a favorite color of dining or living rooms, is fading in popularity. I have always thought it was a poor color selection since it definitely tends to make a room appear smaller.

An all white kitchen can look fresh and clean but can come off as a bit to sterile for some people’s tastes. If you have such a color scheme, liven it up with some darker accent colors to create visual interest.

Most sellers make the statement that it is only paint and it is easy to change, but I would say that I have seen some very negative reactions to vivid and personal color schemes, that indicate the buyer can not see past the color.

You do not have to shy away from color in your home, but keep in mind that color in a buyer’s eyes can be quite different that color in your eyes.

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Is A Stucco Home A Cause For Concern?

December 28, 2012 by admin

: Stucco Replacement – A Costly Undertaking

Stucco has been in existence for more than a thousand plus years. A modern stucco mixture consisting of sand, Portland cement, water, and lime creates an exterior building surface which is durable and requires little maintenance. In-and-of-itself stucco is an excellent choice as an exterior building surface.

So why do we have such an widespread issue with a building material that is so tried and true? The one word most associated with the majority of stucco issues in modern construction is installation, or more properly two words – improper installation.

Stucco itself is not a problem, the methods and shortcuts used to install it have become a big problem.

A traditional hard coat stucco is typically applied in three coats, the scratch coat, brown coat, and a final top coat. The stucco is applied onto a wire lath which in turn covers a weather/moisture barrier, such as felt paper that is installed on the exterior sheathing of the home. Sounds simple enough – so what is the problem?

There have been numerous studies as to why homes built in the past 20 years with stucco exteriors are experiencing such a high degree of moisture related problems, and the majority of issues stem from one or more of the following issues:

– Improper flashing of windows, doors, and roof lines.

Flashing refers to an impervious material which is installed to prevent the passage of water into a building from an angle or joint in the structure. Improper or lack of flashing and sealing can result in water leaking down behind the underlayment material and into the sheathing surface. Rather than repel water, incorrect flashing can actually channel the water into the wall cavity. A notable missing component known as “kickout flashing” is often observed in homes with stucco related moisture issues. A kickout flashing is an angled piece of metal installed at a roof/sidewall intersection to divert water away from the wall surface.

– The absence of caulking around windows and roof/wall intersections.

Whenever stucco meets a dissimilar surface such as a window frame, care must be taken to allow for the difference in the expansion and contraction properties of each surface. If not sealed with the proper material this joint creates a gap through which water will penetrate. It has been observed that in homes with major moisture damage, exterior walls with no windows or openings in the wall surface, generally sustain little or no damage, when compared to their counterpart walls with windows and doors.

– Changes in the properties of building papers and water resistant barriers (WRB).

Some modern building papers and WRB’s can bond to the stucco and prevent the proper drainage of moisture between the WRB and the stucco. Over time this lack of drainage and drying of the moisture can lead to the rotting of the plywood or oriented stand board (OSB) sheathing behind it. There are also issues with some newer WRB materials and their properties of moisture permeability.

Moisture damage caused by an improper stucco installation to a home can go undetected for a long period of time. A telltale signs of a moisture issue can be found around windows where dark streaking is present at the corners of the window, which can indicate the deterioration of wood surrounding and behind the window, but in many cases there are no visible signs of moisture damage.

The use of infrared cameras to detect the presence of moisture in interior walls is an option, but can produce unreliable results. The definitive method to determine if there is moisture intrusion to the building is to perform what is know as an invasive moisture test.

An invasive moisture test involves the drilling of 1/4″ holes through the stucco surface at suspect locations. A moisture probe is then inserted into the hole through the wall to the exterior wall sheathing. Readings are interpreted to determine if there has been any damage to the wall surface. The holes are sealed after the readings are taken. This method of testing is not inexpensive, but well worth it when considering the extreme cost of full home stucco replacement.

If you are considering buying a stucco home, especially one that has been constructed in the past 20 years or so, make sure you do your due diligence. Not all homes with stucco exteriors have issues, but be prudent and start with a qualified home inspector who can counsel you on the next steps to take if further stucco evaluation and testing is applicable.

Wallingford Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Sellers Need To Avoid These Common Mistakes

December 22, 2012 by admin

There are many things to consider when you are considering listing your home for sale. The following are some mistakes that sellers need to avoid:

Not Taking Your First Offer Seriously

In the vast majority of cases your first offer is your best offer. I have seen and experienced this numerous times. Generally the potential buyer who makes the first offer is motivated and ready to do business. The first offer might be lower than you would like, but that is the reality of today’s marketplace.

You can hold off in hopes of better offers, but many times properties sit on the market too long growing “stale” because the seller did not work with the first buyer. Remember time is the ally of the buyer and the enemy of the seller. As the Days On Market number increases, your chance of getting a higher offer correspondingly decrease – akin to a shark feeding frenzy when blood is in the water. You do not want to wind up negotiating a offer months later at a lower price, after answering questions inquiring as to why the first deal fell apart. By this time, that first buyer has already bought and moved on. Do not be kicking yourself later for not making the first offer happen.

Offering Credits For Work You Prefer Not To Do

Do your back steps have dry rot? Do you know some plumbing issues or a few windows that won’t open or close properly? Does the HVAC system act up sometimes? Then invest the time and money needed to make your home as problem-free as possible before you put it on the market.

Buyers are busy, too. They don’t want to deal with repair or maintenance work after they close. What they will do is call out these faults, either with a lower offer price, or in asking for credits after their home inspection.

Invest some money up front and get the work done yourself. Your home will sell faster. And most likely, you’ll get your money back and then some, in the form of a higher price. Money spent prudently on repairs prior to listing your home will serve you well.

Making Highly Personal Changes To Your Home

Do not assume that potential buyers will fall in love with your favorite paint color scheme, or the expensive floor to ceiling mirrors you installed in your living room.

Think carefully about any home project before selling. If you need to make choices on colors or styles, go with something neutral. If you’re not sure, discuss it with your agent. Most buyers expect to add their own touch to the home once they close. Do not try to do it for them.

Overpricing Your Home

When you price your home too high, you’re not fooling anyone. The rationale of “trying” a price for a few weeks is likely to backfire. Buyers are looking for the newest listings at the right price, and you only have that distinction of being new to the market for a brief time of three to four weeks. Rarely does a buyer ask to see what homes have been reduced, they almost always inquire what is new. Informed buyers know the comps in your neighborhood, and if they do not, their agent will. If your asking price is too high, your home will sit on the market longer.

The longer your home is on the market, the staler it becomes to the marketplace. You may end up having to reduce the price – sometimes more than once. As agents or buyers flip through listings, they may simply ignore yours because the Days On Market is too high. With a longer exposure to the market buyers begin to assume something must be wrong with it and move on to the next listing.

If you price your home right from the beginning, the odds are in your favor that the final sale price will be higher than if you’d priced it too high and reduced it a few times. Plus, you’ll have saved yourself months and months of carrying costs, including mortgage payments, maintenance, utilities, and property taxes.

Making Your Home Difficult To Show

Selling your home is inconvenient, period, but you are among many in the marketplace with a product to sell, and you must make that product accessible to potential buyers with the least amount of inconvenience to them. Buyers are looking online all the time for new listings to crop up. If your home is priced right and looks good in the photos, chances are you could get showing requests within hours of listing the home, so you must be ready from the start.

A serious seller must make the home easy to show to potential buyers. This means agreeing to open your home to broker tours and caravans up front and open houses right from the beginning. Turning away prospective buyers or making it difficult to show sends a negative message – that you’re not motivated or serious about selling. Forget about requiring 24 hour notice, that is a sure fire appointment killer. Appointments only at night or weekends, forget it! You can impose reasonable restrictions, but I suggest you need to be able to show your home with a 2 hour notice.

The market is changing gradually and the general consensus among area agents is that 2013 will see a modest increase in buyer traffic and sales, and a leveling of prices. If have been on the sidelines waiting for the right time to sell, this could be your chance at getting that number you need. But it is not as easy as just putting your house on the market. If you’re serious about selling, be wary of these mistakes.

Let’s talk about getting your home ready for the upcoming Spring market!

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Decorating Your Home During The Holidays

November 30, 2012 by admin

: Tasteful Decorations Create A Festive Greeting For Holiday Visitors

Decorating the house for the holiday season is a time-honored tradition for many families, and also provides the opportunity to make lifelong memories. Sellers with their home on the market during the holiday season may feel the need to give up their holiday traditions.

However, quite the opposite is true: Sellers should not forgo decorating their home for the holiday. People expect some decorations this time of year, plus they add warmth to a home that can enhance a potential buyer’s visit.

The most important thing for sellers to remember is to decorate in a way that won’t distract buyers, and the following tips will help them strike a good balance:

– Too many decorations mask a home’s selling points: architectural details, condition, location and price.

– Avoid too many personalized decorations. The goal is for buyers to visualize themselves celebrating the holidays in the home.

– Choose an elegant, neutral palette of fresh greens, silvers, golds and classic whites. Avoid too much red and green.

– Take down decorations within two weeks after the holidays.

Make your home look it’s best during the Holidays!

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

« Previous Page

Not Taking Your First Offer Seriously

Offering Credits For Work You Prefer Not To Do

Making Highly Personal Changes To Your Home

Overpricing Your Home

Making Your Home Difficult To Show

S. Clark Kendus