3 Quick Home Staging Tips
In selling a home, creating the proper atmosphere is just as important as pricing your home properly. Elegant furniture can enhance a room, or stifle buyers’ ability to envision themselves there if the placement is incorrect. Depending on presentation, beautiful flowers can appeal to a potential buyer or detract from the mood of the showing. Simple yet aesthetic additions can sometimes make all the difference.
When consulting with sellers, I help them determine what their home is worth in Yardley, Newtown or anywhere in Bucks County. I can assure that a more inviting home will result in a quicker sale and a better price. Here are three easy do-it-yourself ideas to quickly add some eye-catching appeal and dollar value to your home:
Proper furniture placement
There should be just enough furniture in each room to give the room a purpose. Remove all redundant furniture and move the large pieces away from the walls when possible. Make sure the furniture is the proper scale for the room (e.g remove a king size bed and replace it with a queen if it is too big for the bedroom.) Create appealing vignette groupings with furniture, plants, and artwork to create a mood and attract the buyer’s eye.
Use appropriate plants and beautiful pots
Add vibrantly colored flowers to a neutral-colored room to add some flair, and flowers with more subdued colors to a room that already has a bold color scheme. Use flowers and plants that match the décor of your home. Place plants or flowers in high quality containers near the outside entrance and in the foyer to welcome your buyers. Strategically placed greenery can guide the buyer’s eye as they navigate through your home. Plants can bring life to your home, but be sure to choose quality placement over quantity.
Add small tastes of home
Small details added to your simplified décor can stand out and give buyers the warm fuzzy feeling of home. Eye-catching bowls of shiny fruit on the dining room table, colorful cookbooks on the counter, a creative basket of bath salts and spa treatments in the bathroom all entice the buyer to make themselves at home. Try to focus on items that will universally affect the largest potential group of buyers. Sometimes the things that we think of as “homey” may not be for someone else.
Sometimes just a few small staging changes in your home can mean the difference between a quick sale and a long wait on the real estate market in Yardley, Newtown or Bucks County. Talk to your realtor or a staging expert to decide what changes might benefit your home. Depending on your budget, you can opt for some free or low-cost adjustments like the ideas above, or invest in the professional advice of a staging professional. Contact me for more information if you are interested in an evaluation of your property.
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Buying a Home in Yardley or Newtown, Bucks County? 10 Important Questions for Your Home Inspector
Maybe because the weather has been so warm and snow-free, it seems as though the so-called “spring” real estate market in Yardley, Newtown and all over Bucks County has started early. I have written a few recent posts on changes in the Yardley, Newtown area real estate market.
When working with buyers, I always stress how important it is to have a thorough and complete home inspection. For any buyer of real estate in Bucks County, it is critically important to know that any offer you make on a house, can be made contingent on the results of a home inspection. Over the years, I have worked with many area home inspectors. I thought it would be interesting to review what I think are 10 great questions to ask your home inspector.
There are a number of highly qualified, experienced home inspectors in the Yardley, Newtown area, and there is nothing wrong with interviewing more than one. Here are the questions:
1. What does your inspection cover?
At the time of the inspection, most home inspectors will give you a document to sign, that explains, among other things, the limits to what they will be inspecting. The inspector should ensure that their inspection and report meets all applicable requirements for Pennsylvania. They should also ensure that the report will comply with the local standards of practice and code of ethics. If you have specific concerns about something in the house, or an area in the house that you are concerned about, make the inspector aware and be sure that those things are covered in the inspection.
2. How long have you been practicing in the home inspection professions and how many inspections have you done?
This should not be a problem for the inspector to answer. You should be able to review their history in the profession, and perhaps get referrals.
3. Are you specifically experienced in residential inspection?
If the inspection is for a commercial property, you should ask the same question. The inspector may have a construction or engineering back round. but there is no substitute for training and experience in the unique discipline of doing home inspections.
4. Do you offer repairs or improvements based on the inspection?
In some states, this is specifically outlawed. Years ago, in Bucks County, inspectors often did work on repairs, and I never liked that idea since there was an obvious conflict of interest. For the most part, this is no longer an issue with home inspectors in the Yardley and Newtown area.
5. How long with the inspection take?
I have found that the average inspection in our area takes between tw0 and three hours. For the purposes of budgeting your time, you should have a general understanding of how long the inspection should take.
6. How much will it cost?
Costs can vary from inspector to inspector, and it is one of the questions that you should ask, so that you are not surprised the day of the inspection. There are also some variables in terms of what inspections are needed, that will impact the cost. If you need a septic and/or water and well inspections, the cost will be somewhat higher than if those inspections are not needed. When I meet with buyers, I include an approximate cost for the home inspection in my closing cost estimate.
7. What type of inspection report do you provide and how long will it take to receive the report?
I think it is a good idea to ask for samples of the inspectors report, so that you are comfortable with the format, and that you can understand the report language and style. You also need to be sure that the time parameters meet your needs. In our Pennsylvania agreement of sale, there is a time limit to the inspection contingency. It is critically important that the report be available to you in enough time that you can evaluate it and respond to the seller appropriately.
8. Will I be able to attend the inspection?
I always encourage buyers to attend the home inspection, and I would be highly suspicious of any inspector who did not encourage that. I have never actually encountered a problem with an inspector suggesting that a buyer not attend the inspection, but you should ask the question, just to be sure. The inspector will share maintenance information, as well as explaining any defects, and attending the inspection gives you a great chance to learn about the house.
9. Do you maintain membership in a professional home inspector association?
There are actually tw0 national home inspection associations, and in Pennsylvania, the inspector needs to be a member of one of them in order for their report to be used as a basis to negotiate with the seller as a result of an inspection report. There should be no problem asking the inspector whether they are a member of one of the organizations.
10. Do you participate in continuing education?
I think this is a good measure of the inspectors professionalism and service. The more knowledge an inspector has, the better they should be in evaluating any unusual or unique condition in a house.
I hope that these suggestions are helpful if you are considering a home inspector for a house in Yardley, Newtown or anywhere in Bucks County. I would love to hear your thoughts. I can be reached at 215-519-1399, or Marty@MartinMillner.com. If you are considering buying a Yardley or Newtown home, please let me know if I can help you.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Home Buying 101 in Yardley, Bucks County
I saw an interesting article this morning from MSNBC entitled, “What you should know before buying a home”.
The author of the article described the journey from moving 9 times in 9 years, from college dorms to various apartments, before deciding to look for something a bit more permanent in the form of a house. In 2009, the author purchased a home, and based on that experience, has suggested five important pieces of advice.
This story resonated with me, because I have three kids who, I suspect, are within a couple of years or so of the author.
Each of my three kids has already purchased a home, or is currently in the process of purchasing a home. I have learned first hand, from their experiences, how daunting and potentially confusing the home buyer process can be, especially for fist time home buyers.
Yardley, Newtown and the entire Bucks County area offers great opportunities for owning real estate. Especially now, with prices lower than they have been in years, and with interest rates at historic lows, it is a great time to buy real estate. However, if you have not been through the process before, it is scary!
I appreciated the advice given in the MSNBC article, and thought that these are five great suggestions.
1. Have a good realtor. I know that I am biased, because this is what I do. But personally, I love working with first time home buyers. I feel that it is my responsibility to be sure that first time home buyers are comfortable with the process, and at each step in the home buying process clearly understand their options and what is happening. I enjoy guiding and educating first time home buyers through the experience, and I know that as we move through the experience, they will understand the process completely.
2. Educate yourself. Again, I think this is great advice. There is a tremendous amount of information that you can find on-line. I actually have a book called, “Before You Buy”, that I can send to people who are interested while my supply lasts. It is a great book on buying a home. The National Association of Realtors also has a buyers guide. It is important to learn as much as you can.
3. Talk to neighbors. I think that this is a great suggestion, and it isn’t done often enough. Before finalizing an offer on a house, it is a great idea to speak with neighbors. Ask them what they like about living in the neighborhood, and ask whether there is anything they don’t like. You may be surprised by what you learn.
4. It is OK not to do everything in the house in the first month you own it. I have worked with buyers who become a bit overwhelmed by thought that they have to furnish, decorate and update an entire house. Remember, there is nothing wrong with taking on projects in stages. Start with rooms and spaces that are most important, and do not feel that it is necessary to everything at once. It will all come together, eventually, and that is fine.
5. Be aware of, and prepared for, hidden costs. When you are a home owner, unexpected costs will occur. Try and be prepared. Could be plumbing issue. Maybe the heater needs a repair. When working on a budget, try and allocate a reserve for these, sudden, and unexpected costs that will come up.
Finally, in searching for your first home, you should love it. It is exciting, it is a lot of money, but in the end, should all be worth it.
If you want a copy of the book, “Before You Buy”, send me your contact information, and I will get a copy out to you. I have about five or six copies left.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |The Real Estate Market in Yardley, Newtown and Bucks County is Changing. Find Out How…
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Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Last Post of 2011 from Yardley, Bucks County, PA
I’m posting for the last time in 2011!
Don’t know where the year went.
For me, it was a productive and successful real estate year. For that, I am totally grateful and thankful for the buyers and sellers who trusted me to handle their real estate transactions, and I am also extremely thankful and appreciative of the colleagues, friends and clients who referred real estate business to me. I work really hard at what I do, and feel truly blessed to have so many people allow me to be a part of their lives during the real estate process, and beyond.
My personal outlook for real estate in the Yardley and Newtown area, and for all of Bucks County, is cautiously optimistic. I have written previously about the fact that we have a lot less distressed property sales in Yardley and Newtown, and in most of Bucks County, than in many other parts of the country. There is clear evidence right now that prices for non-distressed homes are holding very steady.
While I don’t envision a sudden shift in the market, I do think that we will see, in 2012, in Bucks County, a market that becomes more balanced than it has been. I think that sellers who are realistic about pricing will not have difficulty selling in 2012. I think that there will continue to be excellent value in the market for buyers of homes in Yardley and Newtown in 2012, but I also think that buyers need to be realistic about our market, as well. What I mean by that is that I know that there are buyers who feel as though they can make virtually any offer they want, and often expect that sellers will take anything. Remember, the average discount from original asking price in Bucks County is about 8%.
More sellers are becoming more realistic about the market, and I think that will continue in 2012. If sellers price homes realistically, given the current market conditions, then it will take a much shorter period of time to sell, and it will reduce opportunities for low ball offers, as well.
I have been able to enjoy a bit of down time over the holidays, which I always appreciate. I have gotten in some basketball, which I do all year long. We have seen a number of movies, including, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “We Bought a Zoo,” and “Young Adult.” I loved “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” although I thought the books were better because they went deeper than is possible with a movie. We also totally loved, “We Bought a Zoo.”
Also had a chance to get into New York to see a show and have dinner. We saw Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which was wonderful. Amazing costumes, great acting and music. I love being so close to both Philadelphia and New York. It is one of the great aspects of living in Yardley.
Finally, I wanted to wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year! Enjoy New Year’s Eve celebrations, but stay safe, and I will see you in 2012!
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Yardley and Bucks County Real Estate Market Update
Hard to believe that we are just a week away from Christmas!
From a Yardley real estate perspective, we are now 11 months into data for 2011. Let’s see where we are, both with Yardley real estate and Bucks County real estate.
Bucks County real estate
Units Sold: Looking at numbers for all of Bucks County, the number of units sold this year is about 4% lower than a year ago at this time. For those who suggest that no real estate sells in Bucks County, although the number of houses sold is a bit lower, there have been 4,052 homes that have closed through November this year!
Pricing: The average price of a home for sale in Bucks County is down by 5.5% from last year at the same time.
Pending Sales: This is the best forward indicator of real estate activity, and the number of pending sales has trended up for several months.
Inventory: This is also an extremely important metric, when considering Bucks County real estate market conditions. The number of houses for sale in Bucks County is 7% less this month than last month, and more than 11% lower than it was at the same time last year! This still represents more than 11 months of inventory in Bucks County. We consider a market to be balanced when there is about a six month inventory, so you can see that factors are still favoring buyers. It is important to note, that the average days on market has also increased this year, from 88 to 101.
Observations for Bucks County real estate market
My observation from all of these statistics is that the market, while still favoring buyers, has stabilized a bit in Bucks County. I posted an article the other day comparing distressed and non-distressed real estate sales. In the article, I pointed out that both locally and nationally, prices of non-distressed properties appear to have stabilized. In looking at Bucks County real estate, it is important to note that we have far fewer distressed property sales than in many other parts of the country. Houses can and will sell, if they are priced correctly, marketed properly, and if appropriate steps are taken to ensure that they show as well as possible.
Yardley Real Estate Information
As I have pointed out many times in the past, real estate markets are very local, often varying from neighborhood to neighborhood. Let’s look at what is happening in the Yardley and Lower Makefield Township real estate market.
Inventory
- Inventory of homes Nov 2011 204
- Inventory of homes Oct 2011 226
- Inventory of homes Nov 2010 194
Although inventory is a bit less this month, compared with last month, it is higher by almost 10% from the same time last year. This is a bit of a contrast to the County as a whole.
Pricing
- Average price of a home for sale Nov 2011 489,000
- Average price of a home for sale Nov 2010 499,000
Asking price of a house for sale in Yardley/Lower Makefield Township is about 2% lower this year.
Units sold
- 261 homes sold through November this year
- 291 homes sold at the same time last year
It is also interesting to note that homes selling this year sold at an average of 92% of the list price, while they sold at an average of 93% of list price last year. Please note that when comparing the sold price to list price, we use the original asking price, where the price is reduced.
There is currently about a nine month inventory of homes for sale in Yardley. This is actually a bit better than for all of Bucks County.
Observations
There is no question that, looking at all of this information, it is still a buyers market. However, whether you are a buyer, seller, or just curious about real estate in Bucks County, or Yardley, houses are selling. Interest rates are at historic lows. Despite public perception, buyers are getting mortgages, and real estate is selling. If you are a potential seller, it is critical that you be realistic about pricing. It has never been more important to make sure that your house shows as well as it possibly can, and that it is marketed properly and thoroughly. I have a real sense that, especially for non-distressed homes, the market is a bit more stable right now, than it has been in quite a while.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Holiday Cleaning – Some Tips for a Guest-Ready Yardley Home
If you think wiping down counters and fluffing a few pillows in advance of the guest onslaught will land you on Santa’s “nice” list this holiday season, maybe you should check that to-do list twice. You can bring your home to sparkling guest-readiness without going overboard. Here are a few tips from the New York Times and HouseLogic that will keep your home merry, bright, and clean.
Scrub your entryway. Wipe down your front door, give the doormat a good shake, and make sure dust and dirt haven’t collected on floors and furniture legs. These are the first things guests will see when they arrive, so keeping them clean will guarantee a good first impression.
Focus on the kitchen. People tend to gather around the food during the holidays, so make sure your kitchen looks and smells nice. Don’t forget to dust the light fixtures and flush sink drains with boiling water.
Whatever you do, don’t neglect the loo. Don’t just wipe surfaces; break out the stiff-bristled brush and scouring powder to really scrub things clean.
Sniff out bad smells. If you clean your home and something still doesn’t smell quite right, brew some coffee. The aroma will cover it up.
Give your garbage disposal some love, considering how much it will “consume” this season. To cut down on odors, chop up a whole lemon — rind and all — and let the disposal gobble it up. Throw in ice cubes to sharpen the blades.
Make sure you can see the guests coming. Keep windows clean and streak-free on the cheap with an easy mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Wipe down windows with a reusable microfiber cloth.
With all your holiday cooking, stove tops and ovens are bound to get dirty. Baking soda and water make a simple scouring solution that can scrub off that baked-on gunk.
What are your tips for keeping your Yardley home guest-ready during the holiday season? Leave your comments below!
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Bucks County Home Prices Stabilizing (or not?)
There was a really interesting article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago, questioning whether home values are still falling. If you are curious about what is happening in the real estate market, check out this article at the following link, “Why Home Prices Are (and Aren’t) Stabilizing”
From a Bucks County perspective, why is this article so interesting?
There are always articles written that talk about how bad the real estate market is. I have written pretty extensively about the real estate market in and around Yardley and Newtown, and all over Bucks County. I have pointed out on numerous occasions, that our market is nowhere near as dire, as in other parts of the country, like Arizona, Florida, etc.
This Journal article is the first article that I have seen that makes a distinction between distressed sales, and non-distressed sales. I think this could be a critically important distinction, because, as the article points out, according to CoreLogic, an important emerging trend is that home prices are actually stabilizing after excluding distressed sales. If you are not familiar with the term, “distressed sale”, it essentially refers to bank owned properties, and/or short sales, etc.
It is clear, according to the statistics, that prices of non-distressed properties are actually stabilizing, even as the prices of distressed properties are still falling.
The reason this becomes so important to the real estate market in Bucks County, is because for Bucks County real estate, the percentage of distressed property sales, is very significantly lower than the national average. In fact, for all of Bucks County, the percentage of distressed property sales is about 13% or so, while the national percentage is 28 to 30%. I would actually suggest that in the Yardley, Newtown, Washington Crossing real estate market, that percentage is even lower.
In fact, many people are really surprised to learn that for the entire real estate market in Bucks County, following the height of the market, which was in 2007, prices fell by 6.7% in 2008, they dropped by 6.8% in 2009 and believe it or not, they actually went up by 4.3% in 2010. Those statistics are based on the change in the average sold price, each year.
So, if you live in or are interested in real estate in Bucks County, spread the word!
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Yardley, Pennsylvania Holiday Fun Time!
This Saturday, December 3rd, promises to be an interesting and exciting day in Yardley, Pa.
First, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy a “Lake Afton Holiday” at the Old Library building (see photo), situated on beautiful Lake Afton in the center of Yardley Boro. Run by the Yardley Historical Association, the Library will be open from 2:00 to 6:00 and, for holiday shoppers, there will be an opportunity to purchase a variety of Yardley themed gifts.
For more information about this, please contact the Yardley Historical Society at 215-493-6253 or email yardleyhistory@yahoo.com, or visit the following link, which will direct you to the Historical Association website.
Hang around town on Saturday, until 3:30 and enjoy the annual Yardley Olde Fashioned Christmas Parade. The parade will get under way at 3:30, from the American Legion building, which is on the South end of the Boro, and will proceed North on Main Street. Yardley Boro will be filled with sights and sounds of the holiday season, for sure.
Hope to see a lot of you out for both of these wonderful, holiday events. The weather is supposed to be crisp and clear, so it will be a really fun afternoon.
Continue Reading > Add a Comment |Dog Trouble in Yardley
For as long as I can remember, we have owned dogs.
Our lovable American Eskimo, Quincy
We have had Goldens, Burmese Mountain Dogs, and currently have an American Eskimo, Quincy. We are very fortunate in the Yardley area to have a wonderful array of very qualified, and caring vets to choose from.
We have recently been dealing with very troubling, and confusin,g symptoms with Quincy. Unfortunately, we learned firsthand about a local emergency care service, that does an absolutely amazing job caring for all sorts of pet emergencies and diseases.
Quincy had Lyme disease a number of months ago, and was treated without further incident. He looked and acted normally, until about 10 days ago. He suddenly became very lethargic and wasn’t eating the way he normally does. Our local Vet ran several tests, but we could not find a cause. We ended up taking him to a place called Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. I can’t say enough good things about how caring they are, and how amazing their service is.
Quincy had to stay there for a couple of nights, while they ran additional tests. All of the staff at VSEC are incredibly caring and respectful. We were able to visit Quincy whenever it was convenient, and they are wonderful about following up, and keeping owners informed about what is happening. VESC is a wonderful resource for pet owners in the Yardley, Langhorne, Newtown area, and for anyone owning pets in Bucks County and beyond. It is a place that you would like to avoid, but when necessary, it is just a fabulous resource.
At this point, Quincy is doing better, but we are still searching for a final diagnosis, although it is possible that his symptoms will resolve, and we will not know what caused his symptoms. We are hoping for that.
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