4 Costs You’ll Need to Be Prepared For When You Sell Your Home

It’s always better to be prepared for the costs ahead of you so you can budget properly. Selling your home is no exception. Though the point is to be able to make money before moving on to your next home, selling is itself quite an investment, and there may be costs that you weren’t aware of beforehand. Here are a few that you’ll want to keep in mind.

Repairs and Updates

Are your appliances outdated and, well, quirky? Do you need to make repairs to your home’s roof, electrical wiring, or flooring before you put it on the market? These repairs and updates will help increase your home’s value on the housing market, but the costs can rack up, so you’ll need to be prepared for them.

Landscaping

It’s not just the inside of your home that matters. Curb appeal is crucial when it comes to making a good first impression on prospective buyers. If you’ve neglected your lawn in the past few months, now is the time to invest in landscaping. Even if you typically do a good job of keeping the lawn mowed and raking up any leaves, landscaping can help to take your curb appeal to the next level.

Closing Costs

Closing on the home sale itself has costs, usually about 2-5% of the sale price of the home itself. Escrow fees are split between the buyer and seller, property taxes, and HOA fees may all come into play. In some cases, sellers might cover closing costs for the buyer if they desperately want to close on the sale. However, most sellers will refuse to do so and in most cases, your realtor will advise against it.

Realtor Commission and Attorney’s Fees

Once the sale is finalized, you’ll owe your realtor a percentage of the sale as commission. This percentage is typically agreed upon beforehand, so this isn’t a cost that’s likely to sneak up on you. It’s for this reason that some sellers consider skipping realtors altogether, but the realtor’s housing market and local expertise can be invaluable when it comes to selling your home. You may also hire a real estate attorney to help mediate the closing, and in this case, you’ll have to cover their attorney’s fees, as well.

Need help managing the costs and knowing what’s the best investment when it comes to selling your home? Talk to a College Station realtor today for more information on getting the most out of your home sale.

4 Tips to Make Staging A Success

Essentially, staging is fashioning it to look as though it’s no longer your home so potential buyers can start to see it as their home. It can be challenging to step back and look at your home from someone else’s perspective, but if you stage your home effectively, it will go a long way towards selling your home. Your realtor can help with tips for reaching a broader market or covering staging costs. Here are a few tips to make sure your staging is a hit and helps potential buyers fall in love with your home:

Start Outside

When people think of staging, they often think of the living room, entryway, or maybe the kitchen and dining area. But the first thing potential buyers will see is your curb, so you want to work on curb appeal first.

Keep your siding and walkways clean and neat, power washing if you need to. If you have a flowerbed, make sure it’s neatly trimmed and cared for. If not, consider planting a few flowers to stand out. Mow the lawn and repaint if your paint is starting to fade a bit. Add friendly, welcoming elements like potted plants or a welcome mat to your porch. Perhaps most importantly, take a look at your house numbers. Are they easy to read from the street? If not, fix that right away. Buyers need to be able to find your home in order to consider it.

Clean House

Before you give the interior of your home a makeover, you want to clean. Wipe down all surfaces, pick up any toys, put any dishes in the sink or dry rack back where they belong, and make sure every bed is made. And keep the house clean throughout the selling process. This is also a good time to remove any personal items like family photos or make any cosmetic repairs that you might have let slide while you lived in the house.

Opt for Lighter Colors

When you’re designing the room for yourself, it’s only your personal taste that matters. If you like deep burgundy walls or darker curtains, suit yourself. When staging, however, you have to think of the wider audience. Lighter colors typically go over more successfully because they help the room to look lighter, airier, even larger. If you have dark curtains, you especially want to make sure to replace them with lighter curtains to let in as much sunlight as possible.

Keep It Uncluttered

Every room in your home should have clear walkways for potential buyers as they tour, and it should feel spacious enough for them to move through comfortably. Removing personal elements like family photos and toys will go a long way. So will removing any unnecessary furniture. Your realtor may pay for new furniture to be brought in for staging and for old furniture to be removed. You may not need to go with a fully minimalist look, but the more space, the better. It will not only make buyers more comfortable but make your home appear more spacious.

Your best resource when staging your home is your realtor. Contact a College Station Realtor today to get started on the process of making your home ready for its new owners and making you ready for a successful sale.

How to Make Yard Work Easier

Few homeowners enjoy doing yard work. It can be tedious and, in the hottest days of summer, uncomfortable to say the least. And if you have to untangle your equipment every time, you may find yourself dreading yard work day. But it’s important to keep your curb in good shape, both while you live in your home and especially if you plan to sell at some point. Fortunately, we have a few tips to make yard work a little easier to manage.

Organize Your Shelves

Do you find yourself wasting time sifting through gardening tools, garage supplies, and old equipment you no longer use every time you go to do a little yard maintenance? Then you may need to start by organizing. Invest in some vertical shelves so you can see everything you need as soon as you step into the garage or shed. Next, separate tools based on their use: gardening tools here, car maintenance there, kids’ outdoor toys on their own shelf. You may want to use labels to make the organization even clearer. This will cut down on your time by precious minutes.

Utilize Modern Technology

Yard work has come a long way with modern tools and technology. No longer do you have to get on your knees with a spade and a bucket to pull weeds out of your garden. Now there are standing weeders that allow you to root out weeds effectively without so much as squatting. Raking and bagging leaves is much easier with open funnel bags. So if you’re looking for a way to make your yard work less tedious and stressful, maybe you simply need to look into more modern yard tools that can take much of the weight off yourself.

Use a Garden Cart

Rather than going back and forth for garden supplies, why not keep them all in a handy garden cart that you can take with you? You can find a garden cart with two or four wheels and a handle for easy transportation. Place all your gardening equipment inside, as well as new bulbs or plants that need to be relocated. When you’re finished, simply wheel it back inside your garage or shed near your shelves.

Dress the Part

Everyone knows that it’s important to dress practically when doing yard work. Your clothes should be comfortable, something that’s easy to wash and that you’re not precious about. But that doesn’t mean you have to put on your ugliest outfit. Wearing clothes that make you feel good can go a long way when it comes to changing your attitude. A favorite t-shirt or most comfortable pair of jeans may even make you look forward to doing yard work.

When you find your dream home, you want to make sure that it stays your dream home, both inside and out. Yard work may not be the most fun task, but it can be worth it for the neat finished product. Still looking for your dream home? Contact a College Station realtor today to help you find what you need within your budget.

Places to Go Swimming in Bryan-College Station With the Kids This Summer

Summer is here, and the kids are out of school. It can be a blessing as well as a challenge. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time in your new home and community with your family, but you also want to make sure that your kids stay entertained so that they’re not going stircrazy at home. Swimming is a perfect summer activity that the whole family can enjoy, both at a pool or at a lake surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Bryan-College Station has several options to choose from, but here are a few of our favorites:

Lake Bryan

Lake Bryan is surrounded by a 125-acre park, so if you’re looking for a calm day to enjoy the flora and fauna of nature, this is the perfect place to go for a swim. It’s perfect for the whole family. Kids can go swimming or play on the beach, and adults who want to can take a boat out or jetski for something a little more exciting. You can even enjoy RV camping here with a reservation, so you can make a few days of fun in the sun and the water out of it. Of course, if you live locally, you can take a day trip whenever the weather and your summer schedule permits. You can also grab a meal at the Lakeside Icehouse nearby.

Bryan Aquatic Center

But if you’re looking for something a little more controlled and structured, check out Bryan Aquatic Center. The pool is heated year round so even in winter, you can still visit this spot, but it’s busiest in summer of course. There’s something for everyone here: an Olympic-sized pool, a massive swirling water slide, a kiddie pool, lap swimming, and two diving boards. It’s a popular spot during the summer, so this is also a great place for your kids to make friends — and maybe you’ll even be able to make friends with other parents yourself.

Adamson Lagoon

Can’t afford a tropical vacation this year? Stop by the tropical-themed Adamson Lagoon Pool, a mini-water park that might just have everything you need to cool down. Here you’ll find another Olympic-sized pool, water slides, “lily pads” and rafts for kids to play on, and a baby pool for the littlest ones. As a water park, they’re also fully equipped with a bathhouse where you can change and shower as well as concession stands to keep you refreshed.

Cindy Hallaran Pool

This College Station pool is smaller than the others, but an excellent option for new swimmers. 25 yards in length, this pool has a gentle decline of depth that, at the deepest, is just 4 feet. However, there’s a water slide, poolside amenities, and they even include a “Doggie Day” in August, where you can take even the furry members of your family to check out the pool.

Looking for a dream home in Bryan-College Station close to places where you can take the family swimming? Talk to a College Station realtor today about the perfect place for your moving wish list.

Getting Your Porch, Deck, and Patio Ready for Summer

Summer is the perfect time of year to entertain at your home, both indoors and outdoors. When you have a great porch, deck, or patio, you can carry the parties and family gatherings further. But are your outdoor entertainment spaces ready for summer the way that your indoor space is? You want to make sure they’re in good shape and that they look great, too, before inviting guests over to start the summer festivities. Here are a few ways to ensure that your porch, deck, and patio are ready for the summer.

Take Care of the Landscape

It’s not just the material of the porch, deck, or patio itself. It’s the surroundings. Is your lawn unkempt and full of weeds? Or are there too many bare dirt spots due to rambunctious pets? Take some time to trim bushes, mow the lawn, and do a little landscaping so that the view surrounding your deck, porch, or patio looks as nice as the rest of your home. You might even consider some upgrades, like planting a flower garden or installing a water fixture.

Make Any Repairs

Next, take a look at your porch, deck, and patio themselves. Are there any repairs that need to be made? Especially in the case of porches and decks, make sure the flooring is strong and that boards don’t need to be replaced anywhere. If you have a porch swing, make sure it’s secure. Deck or patio furniture? Check that they’re still in good shape. Even simple cosmetic changes such as repainting or staining can make a big difference as you settle into summer.

Add Some Decoration

It’s not enough for your outdoor entertainment to just be in shape. Now add some decorations to draw the eye and make the space more interesting. This may mean a few potted plants to enhance the natural scenery, or adding more furniture to give it some extra comfort. Wind chimes can have a pretty effect, or maybe you want to add a small table to the space so you can enjoy drinks with friends or play a game of cards. Porches, decks, and patios are typically pretty colorless on their own, so your decorations should add a sense of color and aesthetic to the place.

Give Some Shade

This may not be a problem for your porch, which is usually covered under an eave of the home, but if you have a deck or a patio, you may benefit from adding an awning to protect guests — and yourself — from the severe heat and sunlight that often comes with College Station. You can also install a gazebo or pergola to offer partial shade as well as style for hot summer days. These features will not only protect you and your guests from harsh sunlight and heat but can ensure that stormy days won’t slow you down.

Still looking for that perfect home where you can entertain this summer? Talk to a College Station realtor about available homes in the area, especially those with porches, decks, or patios.

Are You Ready For Your Open House

Open houses aren’t for every home seller, but if you have the right location and a housing market that works in your favor, it can be a great advantage when it comes to selling your house. Talk to a College Station realtor about whether or not an open house is the right choice for your listing. If so, however, it’s not a process you want to rush. How can you be sure that you’re ready for your open house? Follow these tips before you start to promote the big day.

Is Your Home Upgraded?

Before you even start listing your home, you should make sure you’ve repaired everything that needs to be repaired and made upgrades that will give you an edge in the market. Swap out your outdated kitchen and bathroom appliances for more modern ones. Invest in energy efficient windows and doors. Is your exterior paint fading? Time to repaint for a fresh look. Keep your lawn in trim shape and maybe add a few attractive features to boost your curb appeal.

Have You Staged Your Home?

Staging is an important step whether you plan open house or private viewings. It can also be a painful process for homeowners. Essentially, you have to remove the personal elements that made your house your own from view so that prospective buyers can see it not as your home but, hopefully, as their future home. Photos, toys and trinkets, and anything personal to your family should be removed. You may also have to rearrange your furniture to create a layout that appeals to more people, and may even need to remove some of your furniture for the time. If you have pets, you’ll want to keep them with friends or at a kennel for the day, and make sure to clean up any dander. Your realtor can help you determine what needs to stay and go when staging your home.

Have You Picked the Best Time?

Timing is everything when it comes to planning your open house. If potential buyers have to even consider taking time off work to view your house, there’s a good chance they’ll decide to skip it. The timing should be convenient to the most potential buyers. Sunday afternoon for about 2-4 hours is usually the most popular time. You also want to keep an eye on the weather. If it’s rainy or there’s some other adverse weather, you might have a smaller showing than you’d like. Better to have to reschedule for a fairer weather day than to stick to the original date and expect potential buyers to brave cold or stormy weather.

Once your house is staged and upgraded and the date is set, time to start printing out flyers with pictures of your house, posting social media events, and spreading the news. Of course, your realtor will be your best resource when it comes to marketing your open house and the listing in general. Talk to a College Station realtor today to get ready for your open house.

The Best Remodeling Projects That Add Value to Your Home

Thinking of making updates to your home before you put it on the housing market? Or maybe you’ve just bought your dream house and you want to put your own stamp on your home. Even if you’ve just moved in, you want to start thinking about things like home value so that you know you can get your money’s worth from your new home. These remodeling projects will not only make your home more comfortable to live in, but will help to optimize your home value.

Bathroom

An outdated bathroom can be a turn-off when viewing a home. It makes a clean space feel dirty, whether it’s simply old tiles or it lacks some of the most recent conveniences. On the other hand, a modern, updated bathroom feels sleek and clean, making an exciting impression on prospective buyers that justifies a boost in value. You can simply update existing features with newer versions, or add extra storage, better shower heads or upgraded faucets.

Landscape

Not all remodeling projects have to take place inside. Taking care of the scenery around your house is a critical part of boosting your curb appeal and thus, your home value. If your front lawn is too overgrown, time to trim those bushes to improve your view from the front window and start to mow the lawn regularly. Does your backyard look a little bare? Start planting a garden, whether it’s a traditional flowerbed or a more eco-friendly succulent garden. You can organize the landscape by creating a serene walkway or, if you feel like adding a water feature like a man made pool or a fountain.

Kitchen

Does your kitchen leave something to be desired? Maybe you need to add more lighting or update your countertops. Maybe you need more child-safe storage or more compact storage to leave a little more open space in the kitchen. A modern kitchen, like a modern bathroom, is an impressive draw to homebuyers and can make your home much more enjoyable and comfortable. You may also be able to make small changes that make a big difference, such as sanding and repainting your cabinets rather than buying new cabinets or changing the backsplash rather than repainting the entire wall.

Door and Window Replacement

This is a fairly small remodeling project, but makes a big difference. Your windows and doors not only add style and function to your home, but they have a strong impact on your home’s insulation and energy efficiency. If your windows and doors let in too much air, they can cause drafts and spikes in your heating and cooling. Consider replacing wood windows and doors, which require heavy maintenance, with more durable, energy efficient options like fiberglass. Fiberglass and steel entry doors, especially, are seeing a boost in home value.

Want to learn more how to get the most out of your dream home — or out of listing your home on the College Station housing market? Contact an expert College Station realtor today to help you through the process.

How to Know When It’s Time to Sell Your Home

It can be hard to know when you’re ready to sell your home. Maybe you’re eager to move and find a change of scenery. On the other hand, maybe you’ve lived in your home for years or decades and it’s hard to objectively tell when it’s the right time to let go. However, timing when it comes to selling your home is as important as timing in buying a home. If the housing market is wrong when you list your home, it may be on the market for months. If your finances aren’t ready, you could easily find yourself overwhelmed. Here are a few ways to know that it’s time to sell your home.

You Have Positive Equity

Don’t even consider selling your home without first figuring out how much equity you have. Equity is your home value less the amount of money that you owe on the home. In a housing crisis, many homeowners have negative equity, which means that paying off their mortgage would cost more than they would be able to get for the home. This is obviously not ideal unless you’re simply desperate to move. Ask a real estate agent to come up with an estimate for your home’s market value and compare that with the amount you still owe on your mortgage. Are you in the black? Then you’re probably safe to sell your home.

You’re Prepared For Obstacles

Everyone would love their home sale to go off without a hitch. They find the right real estate agent, list their home, and find the perfect buyer who makes a fair offer almost right away. However, it’s most likely that you’ll run into one problem or another when trying to sell your home. Maybe you struggle to find the right buyer. Maybe you need to make major renovations before you can list the home. Or maybe you receive an offer that seems perfect right away or multiple offers at the same time, but you want to ensure that you don’t rush into things. Do you know how you’ll respond to these obstacles? Discuss with your realtor common problems that might come up when selling your home and how to approach them.

You’re Emotionally Ready

Your feelings do matter when it comes to selling your home. After all, selling can be a stressful process, as well as a draining one. Your home is full of memories, and sometimes it can be hard to let go of those memories, even when you have to. Take some time to make sure you’re emotionally ready to let go of the home. If you live there with your family, sit everyone down and discuss the move so that you can know how everyone feels. You can discuss where to go in the next chapter of your life together, and you may find yourself excited about what comes next. Selling your home may not ever be easy, but you can be sure that you’re ready to move on before you do.

So is it the right time to sell your home? Talk to a College Station realtor today about how to ensure you’re ready and the steps to take to ensure a successful sale. How to Know When It’s Time to Sell Your Home

Taking on House Painting DIY

You’ve closed on your dream house, and it’s now yours to do with as you will. But even the perfect house for your family might need a fresh coat of paint. You can hire professional painters to do the job, but many homeowners opt to take on house painting themselves in order to save money on the cost of labor. Fortunately, house painting is a DIY project you can take on fairly easily. There are, of course, missteps that can be made, as well as tips that can make things a little easier.

Paint Before or After Moving In?

Some homeowners prefer to paint before they move in. This gives the paint time to dry and clears the overpowering smell from the house before your family actually starts to live there. However, some interior design professionals warn against this, as you want to be sure that your paint color goes with the colors of your furniture and home decor. If you know how you’re going to fill a room, you may be able to take pictures of your furniture and decor with you when picking out your paint color. This is a choice that has advantages and disadvantages on both sides, so it’s really up to you.

Paint On Dry Weather Days

Yes, this still applies when talking about interior house painting. On humid days, that humidity can get into your home and cause paint to drip or dry more slowly than you’d like. If you can’t get around painting on a humid day, you may want to use a dehumidifier to make sure that it affects your interior walls as little as possible. On the bright side, slow drying paint due to humidity will give you an opportunity to fix any mistakes you may have made or spots you may have missed. But ideally, a dry day is best for painting.

Take Your Time With Prep

Most people know that you can’t simply paint a new coat of paint over the old paint and consider the job done. First, you have to apply primer for a more neutral coat that won’t interfere with the new color you’ve chosen. But before you apply primer, you also have to prep the walls. Are there any spots with cracks or peeling paint? Sand the walls first to smooth out these areas, and rinse to clean it before applying primer. If you don’t take care of the issues with the current paint job first, those same peeling and cracking spots will appear on your new paint job. This is also a good time to start taping the boundaries of your wall so you know where not to paint.

Pour Paint Cans Into One Large Bucket

Even when you buy several cans of the same color, the vibrancy of that color might be a little different from can to can. Many homeowners start with one can of paint only to find when they open the next can and begin to paint that the color on their wall doesn’t quite match. You can get around this problem by pouring all the cans of paint you bought into a bucket — 5 gallons is usually a safe size — and mixing the content. From there, you can paint with a consistent color.

One of the best things about home ownership is that you have the ability to make the house your own, truly turning it into your dream home. But to find the right house in the first place, contact a College Station realtor today.

4 Things to Know About College Station Before You Move

When planning a move anywhere, it’s a good idea to do your research, especially if you haven’t spent much time there in the past. Even if you have relatives that live in the area and you’ve visited once or twice, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with the culture, the amenities, and what you can expect from your new home.

College Station is a wonderful place to move, whether for work or simply a change of scene. The home of Texas A&M University, there’s enough to do that things won’t get boring, but it remains laid back and friendly compared to larger cities. Here are a few things to know about College Station before you move.

Bryan? College Station? Both?

Once you move to College Station, you may start to hear the term “Bryan-College Station” or simply BCS. Bryan and College Station are technically separate neighboring cities, but they’re often lumped together to form one greater area. Those in Bryan often enjoy watching football games at College Station’s Kyle Field, and those in College Station will often stop over to Bryan for the farmers market or to see what’s going on downtown.

First Friday

Speaking of Bryan, one thing you’ll want to check out when you move to College Station is First Friday in downtown Bryan. Throughout the year, downtown Bryan is a center of culture and charm, full of cute cafes, restaurants, and shops. On the First Friday of every month, the streets are closed after hours and open to a night of live music, art, and an excellent opportunity to get to know your neighbors and local businesses. You may not need to go every month, but this can be a great way to help you get to know your new home.

Transportation

There is public transportation in College Station, but it may not be the best decision to rely on it, depending on where you live. Most of the public transportation is centered downtown or in the college area, and the city and surrounding area are rather spread out. Most residents of College Station rely on their on personal vehicle. However, if you want to save gas during the work week or reduce your carbon footprint and you’re able to take the bus, this can be a great option.

Nightlife

College Station is ultimately a college town, so if you like to go out at night, you’ll find something for you here. There are a number of great restaurants, bars, and clubs in the heart of the city and students or young, single professionals often enjoy the Northgate District as well. However, College Station is home to a number of families, as well, and you’ll be sure to find family friendly amenities as well. The city offers a nice blend for a variety of demographics.

Want to learn more about College Station before your move? Make sure you have an experienced realtor from College Station who can tell you everything you need to know about the area. The more you know before you move, the sooner the city will start to feel like home.

How to Start Your Home Garden

A garden can be a great way to make a new house feel like home or breathe life back into an old home. They can be useful, giving you fresh vegetables and herbs for cooking, or purely aesthetic, full of colorful flowers and gentle scents. Gardens take meticulous care and planning, however. If you’ve never had a home garden before, there are certain things you’ll want to consider and steps you’ll want to take carefully for the best results.

Choose a Type of Garden

This is the first question you need to ask when starting a garden at home. There are various types of gardens that you could plant. If you’re looking for a way to boost your curb appeal, a flower bed could be perfect. If you want something that’s practical as well as aesthetically pleasing, you might prefer a vegetable garden or an herb garden. Succulent gardens have some of the aesthetic appeal but require less maintenance. Chances are, if you’re thinking of planting a garden, you already have a few ideas of what you’d like to do with it, but this is the time to solidify them.

Choose a Location

The next thing to decide is where to plant your garden. For instance, vegetables and flowers need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. In the case of a vegetable garden or flower bed, you’ll want to pick a particularly sunny area that’s not obstructed by shade. However, you may be able to find flowers or plants that thrive in shaded conditions. You’ll also want to consider what best suits your curb appeal. And don’t rule out a sunroom with an indoor garden, if that’s something that could appeal to you.

Plan the Time

You should also get an idea of when to start your garden. Because your plants are dependent on the elements, different seasons will yield different results. Your best bet is spring or autumn. Autumn is a good time of year to plant bulbs, trees, and perennials. Spring with its soft, fresh soil is perfect for digging and nurturing the garden, while summer is mostly spent waiting and pulling weeds to protect the garden. Winter with its snow and storms isn’t ideal for gardening, but with Texas’s warmer climate you may be able to start planting a little before spring actually arrives. You can also look into planting vegetables and plants that thrive in winter.

Get the Right Tools

Finally, for the upkeep of your garden, you want to make sure you have the right garden tools. It’s more than gloves and a good spade. You should also have pruners, possibly pots, and twine can’t hurt. You may not be able to think of all the garden tools you’ll ever need, but get them as needed and hold on to them. Your idea for your garden may change over time, and that will require new tools.

Starting a garden is a great way to put your own statement on your new home. But to find the right new home in the meantime, contact an experienced College Station realtor.

The Dos and Don’ts of Moving Long Distance

Moving to a different home within your city is one thing. Moving to an all new city, or even a new state or country, is a different challenge altogether. It can be an exciting adventure but also a taxing journey. There are a lot of things to keep in mind when you’re moving long distance — both things to do an things not to do. Here are a few of our tips:

DO Start Packing Early

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The earlier you start to pack, the less trouble it will be. Give yourself plenty of time to pack your things and organize them in the right boxes. You can get boxes from a local liquor store, a friend, or even from work. The cost of the move will be expensive enough. If you can take care of your packing yourself, you’ll be grateful for the savings. And if you can do most of your packing before the big day, you’ll save yourself pounds of stress.

DON’T Take Everything With You

Again, moving is expensive enough, and the more you move with you, the more time and money the trip will cost. And the truth is, you probably don’t need to take everything with you. Now is a great time to start decluttering. Host a yard sale to get rid of old or unwanted items. Decide what furniture you want to take with you and what you can replace when you get to the new location.

DO Take an Inventory of Your Home

The longer the move, the more chance that things could get lost along the way. That’s why it’s important to take an inventory of everything you’re taking with you. In fact, your inventory helps not just in terms of security but also organization while you’re unpacking. Label each box with a number and keep a list that says what exactly is in which box. Once you get to your new place, you’ll be relieved to be able to know exactly where everything is.

DON’T Do it Alone

This is true for every step of the process, not just the actual move. Often homebuyers or sellers think that it will be easier to buy or sell a home solo rather than hiring a real estate agent. But if you want to really get the best deal and have your interests be truly represented, you need the help of an expert realtor. The same goes for moving. Moving is always a hassle done alone, but if you’re moving cross country, it’s nearly impossible. Whether you accept the help of friends or a long distance mover, it’s better if you rely on others to help you get everything settled into your new home.

If you’re moving to Bryan-College Station from far away, welcome. You’ll love the friendly, laid back atmosphere, enthusiastic sporting events and excellent schools and parks. Talk to a Bryan-College Station realtor about finding the perfect home in your new location.

House for Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

3 Ways to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

When homebuyers go on the house hunt for the first time without knowing what to expect, they may find that a year or so later they’re left to face their buyer remorse. Often, first time homebuyers are eager to find the perfect home, the one they have in their heads, and when they find it, they’ll bend over backwards to secure it. When you do so, you may find that you end up paying more than you can afford or missing glaring issues with the home. This buyer’s remorse can be avoided, however, if you’re careful to know what to expect and what’s important beforehand.

Make a Wants and Needs List

When you’re searching for your first home, there’s probably a whole host of things you would love to have in your home. But chances are, there’s a much smaller list of things you need in your first home. Do you need that fireplace, or do you need an extra bedroom for a growing family? Do you need a gas stove or do you need a laundry hook-up? There’s nothing wrong with seeking out your wants, but make sure your needs take priority and that you don’t settle for a home that has plenty of wants — but few of your needs.

Be Prepared to Wait

The housing market is always precarious and competitive. If you have a picture in your head of starting your house hunt and closing on the home of your dream within a week or two, you’re going to have to adjust your expectations. It’s great to see a house and click with it, but be prepared that you may have to take part in a bidding war — or even multiple bidding wars — before you finally find a home you can close on. And even when your offer is accepted, then you have to wait on the bank.That doesn’t mean your dream home isn’t out there or that you can’t close on it, but it’s always better to be prepared for the long haul.

Hire a Realtor

As you’re starting out on the house hunt, you may be tempted to skip hiring a realtor. You may have heard misconceptions from friends and family about realtors that paint them as someone only out for a commission, trying to get you to pay as much as you can for a home. In reality, realtors are very careful to represent their clients well, because word-of-mouth greatly impacts their livelihood. In actuality, not having a realtor can put you at a disadvantage when it comes to knowing the community and negotiating the price. Without a realtor, it’s easy to be taken advantage of.

That doesn’t mean you should hire just any realtor. Make sure you interview more than one. You want someone experienced, with a successful track record, as well as someone who knows and loves the area of Bryan-College Station.

If you have more questions about avoiding buyer’s remorse, talk to your College Station realtor. They can make sure you buy a home that you don’t just love now, but continue to love as time goes on.

House For Sale In College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

Preparing For A Home Inspection as a Seller

If you’re planning to sell your home, at some point a home inspection is likely to happen. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, if your home is in good shape, a home inspection will only inspire confidence in the buyers. But it can be nerve wracking for sellers to have their home under so much scrutiny.

You may have had a home inspection in the past as a buyer, but it can be a different experience when you’re preparing to leave the house than when you’re planning to move in. At the very least, your mentality towards your home inspection is different. Here’s how you can prepare for the big day.

Clean Up

You know that all-too-common worry about needing to “get in shape” before hitting the gym? It might not make much sense when it comes to gym membership, but in the case of home inspections, there is some merit. In the years that you’ve lived in your home, you’ve probably become immune to all its little quirks. Your home inspector hasn’t, and they’re going to go over your entire home in as much detail as possible. As a buyer, your priority wasn’t to get a good home inspection necessarily so much as an honest one. As a seller, you want to pass this inspection with flying colors, so do your best to get the house in the best shape possible before the home inspector shows up.

Be On Time

We all have lives, and you might not be at home the whole day on the day the home inspection is scheduled. However, you want to make sure you’re ready on time — or ideally, early. Home inspectors have busy schedules and don’t like to waste time, so they may even show up early if they’re able. The inspection will start on the outside of the home so if you’ve just woken up, you can take that time for a quick shower or to make your morning coffee. Just make sure the shades are down until everyone’s decent.

Organize Your Paperwork

So you’re ready for your home inspection and even have a little time to kill before it starts. Do you have all your paperwork together? When we say “all your paperwork,” we really do mean all. Any maintenance or repairs you’ve had done on the house since you’ve lived there, any insurance claims, any paperwork relevant to your house should be kept together in a neat folder that you can present when necessary.

Consider a Pre-Inspection

Remember taking ACT or SAT prep tests in high school? It took a little bit of the edge off taking the actual test, because you knew what to expect and knew what your strengths and weaknesses were. A pre-inspection does the same thing. If you’re worried you might be shocked by some surprises in your home, you can hire an inspector yourself to go over the home before the buyer’s home inspector comes into play. If they notice something less than appealing, you may have time to fix it before the official home inspection.

Have any more questions about what to expect from a home inspection as a seller? Ask an experienced realtor who can offer insights as well as tips for acing your home inspection.

House For Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

4 Places To Volunteer in Bryan-College Station

Volunteering is more than just a way to give back, although that’s an excellent reason to volunteer. It’s also a way to get involved in your community. If you’re new to Bryan-College Station, volunteering can help you become more familiar with the culture, the people, and the city in general.

So for residents new and old looking for ways to volunteer, here are some of our favorite organizations.

Bryan Animal Center

This is both an adoption facility and an animal center that aims to reunite runaway pets with their owners. Besides the need for volunteers to keep the shelter clean, they also host events throughout the area which require volunteers.  It’s hard to volunteer at this shelter and resist the urge to adopt every furry little friend you see, but if you can resist, Bryan Animal Center is a great place to start. To volunteer, you can fill out a volunteer form at the City of Bryan’s website.

Brazos Valley Food Bank

When we think of volunteering, we often think — and rightly so — of lending a hand to those less fortunate. If that’s your aim, Brazos Valley Food Bank may be the place to go. They work to end hunger in Brazos Valley through mobile food banks, senior outreach, nutrition education, and children’s programs. As a nonprofit, many of their helpers are volunteers, everyday residents like you. Check out their website to get involved.

BCS Habitat for Humanity

Let’s say you just found and moved into your dream home. Maybe you just fixed it up. While the momentum is rolling, why not volunteer with Bryan-College Station’s Habitat for Humanity? Habitat for Humanity is well known nationally — even internationally — for building homes for those in need. However, if you’re not much of a builder, there are other ways to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity. They can also use clerks at their ReStore, committee members, and translators. Visit their website to learn more about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

Experience Bryan-College Station

Have you really fallen in love with Aggieland since you moved here? Share that love with others! Experience Bryan-College Station knows that BCS has so much to offer as a destination, and they’re dedicated to showing off our over 30 attractions, like the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the Brazos Valley African American Museum. Because football is such a major draw for Bryan-College Station, often Experience BCS volunteers get exclusive access to major sporting events. Apply to be a volunteer at Experience BCS’s website.

Bryan-College Station has a thriving, giving community, and there’s no better way to fall in love with it than to volunteer with these or other organizations in the area. Of course, the first step to getting involved in this community is to find your perfect Bryan-College Station home. For that, you need an experienced realtor who knows and loves this region. She can help you find the right home. How you choose to get involved in the community after that is up to you.

House for Sale in College Station

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

Kitchen Trends of 2018

One of the first ways to make your new house feel like home is to put your stamp on the kitchen. On the other hand, updating your kitchen before you sell your home can be an excellent way to add value to it. But to do so successfully in either case, you’ll want to look at the trends of the year. You might only find a handful of trends you enjoy, or you might remember trends of the past that you liked better, but it’s always good to have a frame of reference.

Granite is Gone

Once upon a time, this was on the wish list of every new homebuyer. Granite countertops were as trendy as it got, and no one seemed interested in accepting any substitutes. This trend would last for several years, but it seems it’s finally on its way out. Instead, homeowners tend to look towards marble — and even better, quartz. Both are higher end counter surfaces, but quartz is significantly lower maintenance than granite and marble and it lasts longer, so in the end, it’s worth a better value.

Two-Tone Color Schemes

Similarly, until recently all-white kitchens were very much in vogue. All-white kitchens gave the room a cleaner, airier look, and held more of the natural sunlight from the window. However, it can be tricky to make all the whites in the room match, and all-white kitchens require more cleaning. They can also look, well, a little dull. So instead, two-toned kitchens are becoming more popular, usually incorporating a deeper, darker color against white. Black and white, navy and white, or deep green and white kitchens are a massive trend of 2018.

Kitchen Islands That Do More

Kitchen islands have long been the focal point of kitchens. Sometimes, with the help of surrounding stools, they can even serve as your dining table. But homebuyers now are looking for kitchen islands that serve as more than just a place to gather. Because kitchen storage has long been a problem that has plagued home cooks, kitchen islands have started to offer more storage options. Some kitchen islands even have an oven attached. The more function, the better — and the more value for your home, of course.

Flooring

Common sense dictates that a kitchen should have a smooth floor. It’s easier move around and much easier to clean. (Can you imagine the nightmare that might exist with a kitchen over carpet?) Hardwood floors are usually the favorite, but ceramic tile is gaining in popularity. Both are low maintenance options, and these days, ceramic tile can even be made to look like wood. But for those looking for a budget option, linoleum is probably still the way to go, and good linoleum can be made to look like either wood or tile.

A new kitchen can give your entire home a new feel, whether you plan to live in it for years or put it on the market next month. In the latter case, trust a local real estate agent to help you stage your home and get the most out of your sale.

House for Sale in College Station 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley! Sarah Miller, Associate RE/MAX BRYAN COLLEGE STATION 3030 University Dr East Ste 100, College Station, TX 77845 License #: 500065

How to Get a Competitive Edge in A Buyer’s Market

When you decide to sell your home, you first need to find out whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. A seller’s market is a real estate market in which the demand is higher than the homes available in an area. The seller has their pick of buyers in a seller’s market. On the other hand, a buyer’s market occurs when there are more homes on the market than buyer’s searching for homes in the area, thus giving buyers their pick.

It’s easy to sell your home in a seller’s market, but how do you make your home stand out in a buyer’s market? It’s important, especially if you have a limited time in which to sell, to grab the buyer’s attention and really hook them on your home.

See What The Competition is Doing

Before you list your home, look at what current listings are doing right. Look at the pictures they post on their listings, and the way they stage their home. Did you notice that their appliances seem new? Did they take down personal touches to their home before taking pictures of the interior, and what effect did that have on the home? Look at the competitive prices so you have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Then think about what your house has that those listings don’t. Do you have a larger yard? Is your home three stories instead of two? Are you within walking distance of a grocery store or popular restaurant? Take out a notebook and write down what stands out to you.

Staging is Everything

We’ve talked before about the importance of staging your home. If you want a competitive edge in the housing market, staging is the best way to do it. Take pictures that show the best aspects of your home for the home listing, but work on the house itself, too, for home tours. Remove personal effects — family photos, pet beds or children’s toys — so that buyers can see themselves in your home. Make sure everything is clean and well-lit and that any updates have been made.

You also need to stage the curb appeal of your home as many buyers have already formed their opinion of the home before they go inside. You may need to get the lawn in shape and throw a fresh coat of paint on the house.

Work With a Real Estate Professional

Expertise is essential when you want to sell your home quickly and effectively. A real estate agent can help to optimize your online listings as well as offer advice for staging your home. They can show you your home’s best assets and have your back to ensure that the best price for your home is negotiated. Real estate agents have a knowledge of the market that the rest of the world doesn’t, as well as with the way it can change. While you might be tempted to do your home sale all on your own, the way to get the best results is definitely with a real estate agent.

In a buyer’s market, you want to play to your home’s strengths as much as possible. Accepting the help of an expert to enhance those qualities is never a bad decision. When looking for a real estate agent, don’t just choose anyone. Find a realtor with years of experience in your community, someone who loves the community and knows it inside out.