Hi! It's been awhile. I've been busy selling houses so haven't had
much time to write one of my super exciting blogs. But, I'm back and
this time I have some tips for securing your home for the holidays.
Many of us travel during the holiday season. We travel to see family,
we travel to get away from family, we are gone doing our shopping for
gifts and groceries. In all that hustle and bustle, the simple things
like securing your house can fall to the wayside.
Here are some handy dandy tips that I have come across that may help.
1) Lock the doors - You would think it would be a simple task.
However, with all the craziness of family, travel, shopping, kids,
pets, gift lists, parties and all the other things that come along in
the holiday season, you would be surprised on how easily you might
forget. Get into the habit of double checking all of your doors before
you leave the house. Better to check twice than leave the door unlocked
for Mr. Burglar to come on in and have a cup of coffee.
2) The Lights are on but no one is home - Again another simple one.
Leave your lights on. If you're leaving for the night or a holiday
trip, leave a few lights on. If you're worried about the expense on
your power bill, don't. It would be a lot more expensive to replace
stolen goods, broken windows and the hassle of being burglarized than
the few extra dollars it may cost you on your monthly bill.
3) Put it in the hole - Sliding glass doors are a burglars best friend.
This is the number one place that homes get broken into. It's pretty
easy to lift a sliding glass door off its rails and get it open. (I've
even had to do it myself, don't ask). Get a security pin. You can pick
them up at Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-mart etc. for a few dollars.
Definitely worth it!
4) Out of sight, out of mind - Put your crap away. Don't leave the
keys to your car visible on a table. Don't leave your laptop out. Put
your jewelry away. Anybody could come along and look through your
windows. Personally, unless it's Mark Wahlberg or Channing Tatum, I
don't want anyone peering through my windows checking out my goods. Put
away all of your valuables somewhere out of sight and keep your blinds
closed.
5) Locking up your junk - Garages and sheds. Those places where you
keep your hammers, ladders, axes and anything else that would be helpful
to your friendly neighborhood burglar. What a messed up story if the
guy burglarizing your house uses your tools to do it. That's almost as
crazy as forgetting to take your son on your family Christmas trip and
he has to stay home by himself and defend the house against 2
burglars...
6) Like a good neighbor... - If you will be gone for more than a few
days, let your neighbors know that you're leaving. Not the annoying
neighbor that you maybe don't get along with but the other ones (unless
you're the annoying neighbor that nobody likes then you're SOL with this
one). If your neighbors know you'll be gone, they will know that
nobody is supposed to be at the house. Then if they see someone around,
they can report it.
7) Facebook is not your friend - I find it amazing how many of my
Facebook friends update their status with the fact that they are leaving
to go on vacation or are "checking in" from some awesome beach resort.
You are basically letting everyone on earth know that you are not home
and that your house is free and clear for a visit. Sure, you want to
brag to your friends that you're on an awesome trip to an awesome place
and they aren't, but don't forget, anything you put online is out there
for all to see. Oops.
Anyways, these are the tips that I came across that stuck out as
important and easy to do. You can never be too careful if you ask me.
Some of them may seem like common sense and ridiculous but again, with
all the craziness that surrounds the holiday season, you may not be
thinking about things like this. If you are and your house is locked up
tight like Fort Knox, well then I'm sorry you just wasted several
minutes reading this blog. If not, then you're welcome and Happy
Holidays :)
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
How Big is Yours?
Your homeowners insurance policy that is! How many people think to
check their policy each year? I do, I do! I started doing this a few
years ago. I would call up my wonderful insurance agent and have her
check and see if I could get a lower rate or if I had the right amount
of coverage. One year I actually saved $800 by doing this. Granted, I
had to get a 4 point inspection which cost me $99 but I was still ahead
of the game after that.
There are so many factors that can affect your insurance that you may not even think about. Did you know that if you do any renovations or remodeling, you may need to increase the replacement cost on your policy? Or that you can get a discount for having a security system? Or that your insurance carrier can cancel your policy if they find out you have a certain breed of dog? One of my insurance pros even told me that in the insurance "slow season," which apparently is in the fall, insurance companies send out their employees to do random drive-bys of your house to check on things. They are looking for that cute little puppy you adopted a few months ago who is now an 80 lb "vicious breed." Or the big one, the dreaded trampoline (dun, dun, dun, duh!). If you want to get your home owners insurance policy canceled faster than you can say "jump," go ahead and get one of those things. You may see fun times in the yard watching your kids bounce around like kangaroos, but your insurance company sees a bunch of broken necks and lawsuits.
So my advice to you is, have your insurance agent check your policy once a year. Be sure to tell them you are looking to get a lower rate and have them shop it for you. Feel free to contact me if you need a good agent. I work with several that are excellent and would be happy to help you review your policy.
As always, you can reach me at:
Nicola Hughes
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
HughesHomesRealty.com
There are so many factors that can affect your insurance that you may not even think about. Did you know that if you do any renovations or remodeling, you may need to increase the replacement cost on your policy? Or that you can get a discount for having a security system? Or that your insurance carrier can cancel your policy if they find out you have a certain breed of dog? One of my insurance pros even told me that in the insurance "slow season," which apparently is in the fall, insurance companies send out their employees to do random drive-bys of your house to check on things. They are looking for that cute little puppy you adopted a few months ago who is now an 80 lb "vicious breed." Or the big one, the dreaded trampoline (dun, dun, dun, duh!). If you want to get your home owners insurance policy canceled faster than you can say "jump," go ahead and get one of those things. You may see fun times in the yard watching your kids bounce around like kangaroos, but your insurance company sees a bunch of broken necks and lawsuits.
So my advice to you is, have your insurance agent check your policy once a year. Be sure to tell them you are looking to get a lower rate and have them shop it for you. Feel free to contact me if you need a good agent. I work with several that are excellent and would be happy to help you review your policy.
As always, you can reach me at:
Nicola Hughes
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
HughesHomesRealty.com
Monday, April 21, 2014
Paying Junk Fees? I Pity The Fool...
Ever go to the store to buy something for $5 only to take it to the
register and it rings up for $10? No? Don't like to be overcharged and
price gauged? Then why would you put up with it when buying or selling
a house!?
Here's what I mean: Most real estate companies whether they are big or small charge junk fees. A lot of the time they won't let you know this in advance until it's too late and you're at the closing table, surprise!
They'll tell you that it's an "Administration Fee" or "Processing Fee" or I've even heard "Filing Fee" cause you know, it takes a lot of work to file something in your filing cabinet, I mean I'm exhausted when I get up and take 2 steps, open a drawer and place a file in my filing cabinet...
They should be called BS fees because that is basically what they are. It's the greed of most real estate companies tricking their clients into paying extra for absolutely no reason. I've seen the amount range anywhere from $200 to $600 and I don't know about you but I don't like to be ripped off.
I'm proud to say that my company, Hughes Homes Realty DOES NOT charge these fees. We never have and never will. We are one of the few companies I have seen that doesn't. So next time you are thinking about buying or selling a home, try not to get scammed. Call Hughes Homes Realty where we work 7 days a week, always answer the phone and don't steal your money...
Nicola Hughes, Broker/Owner
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
Here's what I mean: Most real estate companies whether they are big or small charge junk fees. A lot of the time they won't let you know this in advance until it's too late and you're at the closing table, surprise!
They'll tell you that it's an "Administration Fee" or "Processing Fee" or I've even heard "Filing Fee" cause you know, it takes a lot of work to file something in your filing cabinet, I mean I'm exhausted when I get up and take 2 steps, open a drawer and place a file in my filing cabinet...
They should be called BS fees because that is basically what they are. It's the greed of most real estate companies tricking their clients into paying extra for absolutely no reason. I've seen the amount range anywhere from $200 to $600 and I don't know about you but I don't like to be ripped off.
I'm proud to say that my company, Hughes Homes Realty DOES NOT charge these fees. We never have and never will. We are one of the few companies I have seen that doesn't. So next time you are thinking about buying or selling a home, try not to get scammed. Call Hughes Homes Realty where we work 7 days a week, always answer the phone and don't steal your money...
Nicola Hughes, Broker/Owner
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
Monday, March 10, 2014
How To Improve Your Property Value
When someone asks me how to improve their home value for the purpose of selling, refinancing or just because, I always offer the exact same tip: Start small. What I mean by that is don't go ripping out your kitchen and bathrooms and redoing them. Chances are you won't get your money back. Here is the list of things that are most important and what is most noticeable to someone entering your home whether it be a potential buyer, an appraiser or a friend coming to visit:
1. Trim trees and bushes. Let's be real, no one likes an overgrown bush. This will give the exterior a cleaner, fresher look, make the house look bigger, and give it a manicured appearance. Also, plant some colorful flowers out front. It is spring time so it's the best time of year to do so. Curb appeal is what attracts a buyer to the house from the get go. It's kind of like dating. First impressions count!
2. Clean and De-clutter. Ever see the show "Hoarders"? if not, look it up. Clean your house people! When I walk into a house and it's dirty and cluttered and looks unkempt, I immediately think that if the people that live here don't care what a mess it is, then they probably don't care about the rest of the house either. They probably don't care that the sink leaks a little and that little leak will eventually lead to mold. They probably don't care that there is a small brown spot on the ceiling and that spot means the roof is leaking, and so on and so on. When I say clean, I mean really clean. Don't just dust and vacuum. Make an effort to clean everything. I'm talking blinds, baseboards, fan blades, EVERYTHING! I do not want to see an inch of dust sitting on every blade of every fan in every room.
3. Wash your windows inside and out. This will make everything look cleaner and brighter. The cleaner the windows, the brighter a room will look.
4. Replace your light bulbs. Again with the brightening thing. Rooms that have a bulb or two out are going to look dim. Not the romantic kind of dim either, just dull and ugly.
5. Paint. Paint goes a long way when you are trying to spruce up a house. To me, it is one of the cheapest yet effective things you can do. You may be able to get away with just doing touch up in certain areas. If not, pick neutral colors. Yes I know, that really cool color you saw at such and such's house, the deep red looks great on their walls and you absolutely love it. Stop, think and reevaluate. Just because you like it, is not a guarantee that everyone else shares your love for that shade of red. The most appealing color palette to most buyers are calm and neutral. Shades that are easy to match with furnishings, beige, off white, taupe etc. Yes it's boring, yes everyone else has it and yes, obviously there's a reason for that! Oh and don't forget the baseboards. I just painted them at my house and it made a HUGE difference in the overall appearance. It's one of those spots that you don't typically clean but you do notice the scuff marks, dings and dirt.
6. Fix the little things. All of those little nagging things that you have been meaning to get around to fixing but haven't had the time to. The broken doorbell, the cracked window on the back door, the drywall where little Timmy who's now in high school rode his tricycle into when he was three. These are usually inexpensive, small things that are going to make a difference when someone looks at the house and particularly when the inspection takes place. It will be the difference between a few things that come up on an inspection report and a whole page of things!
All of these items are inexpensive and easy to do. Just tackle each one at a time, go room by room so you don't get overwhelmed. Think about what you would like or not like to see in a house if you were out looking at properties.
As always, you can call or e-mail me at my office anytime with questions or tips!
Nicola Hughes, Broker/Owner
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
www.HughesHomesRealty.com
1. Trim trees and bushes. Let's be real, no one likes an overgrown bush. This will give the exterior a cleaner, fresher look, make the house look bigger, and give it a manicured appearance. Also, plant some colorful flowers out front. It is spring time so it's the best time of year to do so. Curb appeal is what attracts a buyer to the house from the get go. It's kind of like dating. First impressions count!
2. Clean and De-clutter. Ever see the show "Hoarders"? if not, look it up. Clean your house people! When I walk into a house and it's dirty and cluttered and looks unkempt, I immediately think that if the people that live here don't care what a mess it is, then they probably don't care about the rest of the house either. They probably don't care that the sink leaks a little and that little leak will eventually lead to mold. They probably don't care that there is a small brown spot on the ceiling and that spot means the roof is leaking, and so on and so on. When I say clean, I mean really clean. Don't just dust and vacuum. Make an effort to clean everything. I'm talking blinds, baseboards, fan blades, EVERYTHING! I do not want to see an inch of dust sitting on every blade of every fan in every room.
3. Wash your windows inside and out. This will make everything look cleaner and brighter. The cleaner the windows, the brighter a room will look.
4. Replace your light bulbs. Again with the brightening thing. Rooms that have a bulb or two out are going to look dim. Not the romantic kind of dim either, just dull and ugly.
5. Paint. Paint goes a long way when you are trying to spruce up a house. To me, it is one of the cheapest yet effective things you can do. You may be able to get away with just doing touch up in certain areas. If not, pick neutral colors. Yes I know, that really cool color you saw at such and such's house, the deep red looks great on their walls and you absolutely love it. Stop, think and reevaluate. Just because you like it, is not a guarantee that everyone else shares your love for that shade of red. The most appealing color palette to most buyers are calm and neutral. Shades that are easy to match with furnishings, beige, off white, taupe etc. Yes it's boring, yes everyone else has it and yes, obviously there's a reason for that! Oh and don't forget the baseboards. I just painted them at my house and it made a HUGE difference in the overall appearance. It's one of those spots that you don't typically clean but you do notice the scuff marks, dings and dirt.
6. Fix the little things. All of those little nagging things that you have been meaning to get around to fixing but haven't had the time to. The broken doorbell, the cracked window on the back door, the drywall where little Timmy who's now in high school rode his tricycle into when he was three. These are usually inexpensive, small things that are going to make a difference when someone looks at the house and particularly when the inspection takes place. It will be the difference between a few things that come up on an inspection report and a whole page of things!
All of these items are inexpensive and easy to do. Just tackle each one at a time, go room by room so you don't get overwhelmed. Think about what you would like or not like to see in a house if you were out looking at properties.
As always, you can call or e-mail me at my office anytime with questions or tips!
Nicola Hughes, Broker/Owner
Hughes Homes Realty
407-557-8775
nicola@hugheshomesrealty.com
www.HughesHomesRealty.com
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