Take the Dread out of the Home Inspection by Preparing Your Property in Advance

The inspection process doesn’t need to be something you dread. Today I would like to list just five of the many ways you can prepare your property ahead of time.

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As sellers move along through the listing process, they will inevitably reach one particularly dreaded step: the home inspection.

Is it truly necessary for sellers to fear this point in the transaction? Actually, no. As long as you take the time to properly prepare your property, the inspection process should go smoothly. 

There are a few easy steps sellers can and should follow while preparing for a home inspection.

1. Clean things up. Making sure your home is neat and tidy is a great first step. Home inspectors are more likely to give a positive review when you follow this step.

2. Remove clutter from around important home systems. Home inspectors are going to need access to certain points in your home, like your heating and electrical systems, that may be currently obstructed. If this is the case, it is important to clear the way so that they can carry out the inspection without such impediments.

3. Keep your utilities turned on. The inspector will need your utilities to be running in order for them to verify that everything’s in working order.

The more things you do ahead of time to get your home in tip-top shape, the more likely you are to pass the inspection with flying colors.

4. Leave out keys for the attic, basement, or other typically locked areas of your property. Once again, an inspector must be able to access all areas of your home in order to provide a thorough assessment.

5. Clean up the property’s exterior. Cleaning out your gutters, trimming back trees and bushes, and making sure the outside of your home is in a generally tidy condition will be critical to obtaining a positive report.

The more things you do ahead of time to get your home in tip-top shape, the more likely you are to pass the inspection with flying colors. Beyond the things we have listed today, my team has a checklist of items we recommend taking care of in preparation for this process. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please reach out. I would be happy to provide you with one.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How Can You Add Value to Your Home Without Breaking the Bank?

If you want to add value to your home without spending a lot of money, I have some great tips to share with you.

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I have some great tips to share with you that will help you add value to your home without spending a boatload of money.

If you’re lucky enough to have an unfinished basement in your home, finishing it is a great way to add square footage to the home. You could add a den, a workout area, an office, or perhaps another bedroom and/or bathroom. If you have an attic, you can use the same idea.

If your home has just one bathroom but there’s an area you can squeeze another one in, try adding a bathroom there. There’s a big difference in value between a 3-bedroom/1-bathroom house and a 3-bedroom/2-bathroom house. While it is expensive to add a bathroom, it’s much less so if you already have the space for it.

There’s a big difference in value between a 3-bedroom/1-bathroom house and a 3-bedroom/2-bathroom house.

Next, try opening up your floor plan. If you have a traditional living room that’s somewhere near your formal kitchen, open those spaces up and connect them to one another. That’s the kind of spacing buyers are looking for these days.

If you can afford to put more money into your home, there are some other tips you can try as well.

One of these is replacing your old-fashioned windows with double-paned windows. You might spend a lot to do this, but you’d get almost a 100% return on your investment. You can also add a centralized heating and air conditioning system to your home if it doesn’t already have one.

These are just a few options that can add value to your home, but there are plenty more you can consider, and we have a whole list of them that we’d be glad to send to you. All you have to do is give us a call or send me an email.

As always, if you have any other real estate questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well. I’d be happy to speak with you.

Repair Your Dream Home with the FHA 203K Loan

If you plan on purchasing a fixer-upper but don’t have the funds to make repairs upfront, the FHA 203K loan may be a great option for you.

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There are many great, creative financing options buyers may use to purchase a home. One of these options is the FHA 203K loan.

The FHA 203K loan is a little different from other financing programs. Specifically, this loan program is designed to help buyers purchase and renovate fixer-upper homes. With the FHA 203K loan, you can apply financing toward some repairs and upgrades, even if you don’t have the cash up front. Typically, we see up to $35,000 financed to cover repairs and expenses.

Let’s say you’re buying a home that needs to be repainted and have a few repairs done. At this point, a contractor who meets FHA standards will visit the property to assess the cost of fixing these issues. So long as the repairs fall within certain parameters, they can be included in the financing for the home loan so that you can begin the projects after closing.

While you cannot use these funds to put in a pool or outdoor entertainment space, the good news is that you can use them on things such as the roof, HVAC, finishing a basement, or a remodel on the kitchen or bathroom.

So long as the repairs fall within certain parameters, they can be included in the financing for the home loan.

The bad news is that this is an expensive way to finance repairs. If you are going to stay in the home for 15 to 20 years, you will be paying for these repairs for just as long. However, if you are only planning on staying in the home for five to 10 years, it is not a bad idea.

If you want more information about how this program works, feel free to call or email me so that I can connect you with one of our preferred lenders. And if you are interested in buying or selling, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.