Can New Flooring Add Value to Your Home?

Flooring is one of the most noticeable features of a room. It has the potential to affect your home’s look and feel, which is especially important if you are thinking about selling your home. You can greatly enhance your home’s overall look with a floor upgrade without a total home remodel.
Flooring such as bamboo and hardwood floors are surefire bets to give your home value a boost.

The thing to keep in mind when considering new flooring is whether or not it would add perceived value or not to your home’s appraised value. If an appraiser says that the overall condition of your home will be raised from average to very good, then new flooring is a fantastic addition. If you are selling your home, it’s also important to keep in that buyers can be picky when it comes to flooring, and it can affect their overall decision to buy or not to buy.
 

The perfect flooring additions are visually impressive while providing considerable ROI. The perfect combination in a home would be laminate wood flooring in living areas, high-grade marble in bathrooms, and Berber carpet in the bedrooms. But the key is to choose flooring that fits your home’s style.

What types of flooring can add value to your home?

If you are replacing your flooring and budget isn’t an issue, does a specific type of flooring add more value? Of course! Here are a few types of flooring that are great investments to your home:

·        Hardwood- Hardwood floors have a natural beauty that serves as a great addition to a home’s interior. Any living area, kitchen, or bedroom can benefit from hardwood flooring. They are a smart investment that has the potential to give a home a polished look as well as boost the overall value.

·        Bamboo- For sustainable flooring that is durable and requires a low amount of maintenance, bamboo flooring is a great choice. They have the ability to give your home a modern appearance, and they are naturally resistant to moisture and bacteria.

·        Cork- Cork flooring is environmentally friendly since it is sustainably harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree without harming it. Cork floors are antimicrobial, sound-resistant, and great for providing a soft and cushiony feel.

·       Parquet- Parquet flooring is a wonderful way to add contrast and texture to a floor. Popular woods for solid parquet flooring include oak, walnut, cherry, and pine. Stains and finishes enhance the contrasting colors and grains of the different woods.

It’s a good idea for homeowners to know the true value of your home before and after your new flooring is installed. You can obtain a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ to find out how much a property is worth, especially after your fall and winter home improvements and maintenance projects are completed. Also, the Home Loan Advisor can analyze your property, current market conditions, local market comps, and other variables in our proprietary algorithm, and match you with potential lenders.

 

Ways to Keep Your Home Warm this Winter

Depending on where you live, winter can unfortunately mean a cold home and less comfort. It can also mean that it’s the time of year for sky-high energy bills. This is especially true if your house has lots of air leaks, poor insulation, and dirty air filters, to name a few things. Luckily, there are things that you can do to keep your home nice and warm, and you do them while promoting a greener environment.

This winter, keep your house warm, your energy costs lows, and your comfort level high with our tips:

Seal gaps and cracks. One of the main reasons for heat loss in your home is gaps and cracks in your windows and doors. They are especially evident if you own an older home. You should seal and plug all of the gaps and cracks by using weather stripping. Try using a gap filler to seal any cracks in the walls. You can also seal the edge of all window sills with a water resistant sealer. Also, use door snakes at the bottom of doors. A rolled-up towel can suffice for an effective door snake.

Install insulation. A home that is well-insulated can save almost half as much for heating and cooling your home, so it makes sense to install insulation. You can either do it yourself or hire a home contractor to do it for you. It will be well worth it since insulation will pay for itself in the form of low energy bills.

Cover windows with heavy curtains. Since a great deal of heat escapes from your home through uncovered windows, use heavy curtains. Lined curtains work even better to insulate the windows and keep the warmth in your home.

Replace air filters in your central heating/cooling system. Dirty air filters and dust accumulation around the filter slot can make your system sluggish, and it will have to work harder. To reduce energy and extend the life of the heater, replace the air filter and clean around the filter slot.

Insulate the pipes. In temperatures that are below freezing, it is crucial that pipes that carry water be insulated. You can wrap external hot water pipes with fiberglass insulation or lagging. You can also use pre-molded foam rubber sleeves to wrap the pipes.

Invest in heater maintenance. You should get your heater professionally services every two years. This will keep it running efficiently and extend its life. Or, invest in a replacement heater if it’s time for a new one.

Improvements to your home’s insulation and comfort level during the cold and hot months can raise your home value. Be sure to consider the advantages of knowing the true value of your home! You can obtain a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ to find out how much a property is worth. Also, the Home Loan Advisor can analyze your property, current market conditions, local market comps, and other variables in our proprietary algorithm, and match you with potential lenders.

Similarities between Buying a First Home and the First Day at College

Do you remember your first day of college? The excitement, setbacks, and anxieties you experienced? Remarkably similar emotions are experienced by first time homebuyers. 

Buyers are always looking out for a perfect home. The sky is the limit as far as expectations are concerned. They hope to find an affordable home with the best schools nearby, a huge yard, and many more things.  

New college students have great expectations. They’re motivated to use money judiciously, tackle the challenges of higher education, attain high scores, and work hard to subsist. 

There are some additional similarities in the experiences of first-time homebuyers and first-time college goers:

Milestones

Students beginning college move out of home into new environments away from friends and family.  They take on additional responsibilities and get set to enjoy their freedom.  It’s a huge transition phase.

New buyers consider purchasing a home as a transition into adulthood.  Homeownership involves a major commitment with regards to money and time.  With a home purchase, buyers get set to plant roots in a new community.  They can now finally unpack all boxes and settle into a place called home.  They get ready to accept responsibilities related to home payments and maintenance.

Buying a home and going to college are both major accomplishments which represent maturity.

Lengthiness

The process of getting admission into a suitable college sometimes takes months.  Teenagers are required to prepare for qualifying tests, apply, and wait for acceptance.  Then there’s paperwork and orientation. On the day college begins, they’ve got to move around an unfamiliar campus in search for their classes. Getting into college and adjusting to it can be a really stressful process likely to test both confidence and patience.

Buying a home is a time-consuming process too which requires a lot of patience.  Buyers need to get their loan pre-approved before beginning their house hunt.  Focusing on the correct home requires great persistence in attending to open houses, searching online, and staying connected with realtors.

Bids can be turned down.  Even after the offer is accepted, a lot of work is required to complete the buying process.  There are inspections, loads of paperwork, and a lot of communications with the lender.  Buyers feel quite exhausted and long to hold the keys of the home in their hands.

There are hordes of stressful steps involved both in getting into a home and into a college. Both processes require tremendous persistence.

The Learning Curve

Students new to college struggle to remember acronyms which refer to classes, departments, buildings and books and keep referring to their orientation manuals. They face many other newbie challenges. Eventually they get familiar and then things aren’t quite as tough.

First-time homebuyers also often get tied up in knots when they meet their lender to discuss loan options and interest rates. All the numbers and real estate jargon can be truly mind-boggling. Making long-lasting decisions without being clear can be a real challenge. It takes a while for everything to get sorted out smoothly.

When you’re new to college or to the home buying arena, it’s of utmost importance to study the topics and processes as best as you can. And ask questions – lots of them. Speaking to experts is one of best ways to get the right direction pointed out.  This helps in getting the confidence to move forward.  

Be sure to consider the advantages of knowing the true value of your home. You can obtain a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ to find out how much a property is worth, especially after your fall and winter home improvements and maintenance projects are completed. Also, the Home Loan Advisor can analyze your property, current market conditions, local market comps, and other variables in our proprietary algorithm, and match you with potential lenders.

The Costs of Buying and Owning Investment Property

Buying and owning investment property is a lot like buying and owing a residence. While you want to get a good deal on investment real estate, you should avoid cutting back on the property simply because you are not going to be living there. You don’t want to have unhappy tenants who call you for repairs all of the time. Also, you could very well end up living in the residence yourself. The point is not to skimp.

Before you sign on the dotted line, you should get a professional home inspection so that know every flaw the property has. Whether you are purchasing a house, condo, or small building with a few rental units, you’ll want to get an inspector that specializes in the type of property you want to buy. Remember that the bigger the property, the more potentially expensive problems you may face.

In addition to mortgage and real estate taxes, here are some costs that you may have to pay when you buy and own investment property:

Homeowners association fees and monthly maintenance fees: If the rent you are charging does not cover these fees, they are ultimately your responsibility.

Utilities: While your tenant will pay most of these directly, other utility costs will be included in your tax bill. You also may be responsible for paying the water bill and other costs.

Landscaping: Be sure to list what the tenant is responsible for if you are renting out a single-family house. If you are renting out a condo, the landscaping probably won’t be your responsibility. You’ll pay a maintenance fee every month for the management company to take care of it.

Repairs/maintenance to the exterior and interior: This includes repainting in between tenants, carpet cleaning, and any damaged parts of the unit.

Getting the property in rentable condition: Perhaps the biggest cost of buying and owning investment property involves the repairs that are necessary to get the property in rentable condition. You should take a lot of time to figure out the cost of repairing the unit after getting a professional home inspection.

Be sure to consider the advantages of knowing the true value of your home. You can obtain a free home valuation report from Neighborhood IQ to find out how much a property is worth, especially after your fall and winter home improvements and maintenance projects are completed. Also, the Home Loan Advisor can analyze your property, current market conditions, local market comps, and other variables in our proprietary algorithm, and match you with potential lenders.