Sunday, February 25, 2018

Spring Break

Travel Tips for Spring Break Trips

Pack up the car, print out the boarding tickets and stash easy-does-it clothes in your suitcase: It’s spring break travel time. But before you lock up and wave goodbye to your home for a week (or even a weekend), brush up on your spring break travel safety prep.

Don’t broadcast your plans on social media

Of the more than 2.5 million burglaries that happen each year, about two-thirds of them are home break-ins. If potential thieves have access to your spring break travel plans, they may target your home or your car when you’re gone. Forgo the social media posting until after you return. Consider setting your lights on timers and asking a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail. And arrange for someone to check on your house while you’re gone.

Notify card companies before you leave

Make a quick call to both your bank and your credit card companies to alert them of your travel plans, particularly if you’re going out of the country. This helps ensure that neither puts a hold on your account because of perceived suspicious activity. You’ll also be able to check on potential fees for charges and withdrawals. You may even be able to notify your bank of your travel plans through its mobile app.

Know your rental car insurance coverage details

Contact your auto insurance agent to verify coverage based on your existing policy and your destination. If you’re traveling in the United States, you may not need additional coverage — and if you charge the rental, your credit card may offer rental car insurance. However, many domestic vehicle insurance policies do not cover cars rented abroad, so you may need additional in-country coverage.

Have your insurance information handy

Health insurance is similar to rental car insurance: If you’re traveling domestically you’re probably covered, but a call to your agent is a good way to double check what’s covered and what’s not. The latter is especially the case if you’re headed out of the country, where you may need a secondary health policy. In addition to carrying your health insurance card, download your insurance company”s mobile app so your finance and insurance info is always at the ready.

Check the news for your destination

If you’ve booked your trip with a travel agent, ask for any insider updates on weather or local events that may impact your plans. If you’ve booked the trip yourself, find the local newspaper online for information. And if you’re going out of the country, always check the U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings website and plan accordingly.

Get your car road trip ready

Visiting the next town over or the next state? Then your timely oil and fluid changes probably cover you. But for longer road trips, arrange for a once-over by your mechanic to check tire pressure and wear, brakes, fluid levels and conditions, and wiper blades. Stock your car with a car charger and portable jump-starter, as well as emergency supplies. And make playlists or check out e-books from the library so you have what you need to help pass the miles before you ever pull out of the driveway.

I have a lot of connections within the Northern Colorado area. Please don’t hesitate to call and ask me any questions you might have. This process is all about you and your needs. Real Estate is a big investment and I understand that. One thing you will get with me is a personal relationship, In the end, that goes a long way.

Northern Colorado is a great place to live! For more information, please give me a ring or email me today. I would love the opportunity to earn your business and partner with you in regards to your Real Estate needs.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

Sign up here to get on our mailing list for our quarterly newsletter with seasonal home advice & tips!

SOURCE:

https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/family/travel-tips-for-spring-break-trips?&cmpid=4854:21099000050020180201&C=TQ4LH3M533P&A=0C5C989R6GF

Saturday, February 24, 2018

PET EVACUATION PLAN

CREATE A PET EVACUATION PLAN AS PART OF YOUR HOME EVACUATION PLAN

An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered A PET EVACUATION PLAN for their pets. Take these steps to add your PET EVACUATION PLAN to your home evacuation plan.

Assign pet evacuation to an adult.

Everyone should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one parent or adult to the PET EVACUATION PLAN. This allows the other parent and the children to focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a high-stress moment when time is of the essence.

Keep evacuation maps and pet carriers readily accessible.

If you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. If you pets require carriers, keep them in a place that you can access easily.

Practice your plan.

Include your PET EVACUATION PLAN in your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be as simple as you think!

Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets.

No matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or a GPS-compatible tag can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to the area.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

Saturday, February 17, 2018

TOOLS FOR HOMEOWNERS

MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR HOMEOWNERS

When you own your home, things are going to break and, unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you’re going to need to fix them yourself. Luckily, you don’t need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes. These five tools will cover most of your basic projects.

Cordless drill

A cordless drill is a must-have for installing cabinets, drawer pulls, hinges, picture frames, shelves and hooks, and more. Whether it’s for do-it-yourself projects or repairs, you’ll use your cordless drill just about every month.

Drain cleaners

Shower and bathroom sink drains are susceptible to clogs because of the daily buildup of hair and whisker clippings. You can use chemical clog removers like Drano, but they’re expensive and the lingering chemical scent is unpleasant. Instead, buy some plastic drain cleaners that can reach into the drain to pull out the clog of hair and gunk. You can purchase them on Amazon or at a local hardware store for a low price.

Shop-vac

No matter how careful you are, spills and accidents will happen and there are some tasks that just can’t be handled with paper towels or a standard vacuum, like pet messes or broken glass.

Loppers

Even the minimum amount of care for your landscaping will require some loppers to remove damaged branches, vines, thick weeds, and any other unruly plants in your yard.

Flashlight

You’re going to want something a little more powerful than your iPhone flashlight when you’re in the crawlspace!

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

For more Homeowner insights, subscribe to my newsletter

SUBSCRIBE

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Successful Open House

Home Seller Tips To Having A Successful Open House

Holding a Successful Open House for your soon-to-be-listed or newly on the market home is a lot like being on a game show where edging out the other contestants in a short period of time is key. In TV game shows, such as “Jeopardy,” the contestants don’t automatically know answers to so many trivia questions; they study and they plan and they make it appear to viewers like they walk around with that body of knowledge every day. Open houses need to be thought of similarly. Once your home is on the market, an open house is your opportunity to plan and strategize how you are going to win over buyers in very short time.

Even in a strong real estate market where houses sell quickly, it’s still important to ask your agent to hold as many open houses as possible until the home sells. One reason is that even buyers with agents still like to look at homes on their own without feeling the pressure of a home tour. Sometimes their agent is out of town when your house goes on the market. Many buyers are not represented by an agent and the only way for them to tour a home is through an open house. Your agent will plan the open house to include everything from signage to freshly baked cookies. As a seller, you should take the following steps:

Depersonalize for a Successful Open House

Back to the game show analogy, think of depersonalizing as studying the answers and questions before trying out for “Jeopardy.” Your house is lovely for how you live in it, but buyers don’t want to see you in your house. In fact, the more your house makes it difficult to guess who lives there (age, religion, gender etc), the better. Take down personal photos, religious emblems, the cute collection of mini ceramic frogs, etc. Analyze your stuff for whether it’s morally, politically, or otherwise socially objectionable and remove all of it. You don’t want to eliminate buyers because they are turned off by your personal tastes.

Declutter

While you are depersonalizing it’s also a good time to declutter as the two go hand in hand. The more simple and understated your home is, the more likely buyers can see the home for what it is and imagine themselves in it. When you have too much stuff cluttering walls and counters and shelves, buyers turn their focus toward those things and sometimes even make the assumption in logic that if you are cluttery, then you are disorganized, which means maybe you don’t take care of the house as well or as on time as you should. A good rule of thumb is to box up or store at least half of the smaller items displayed in your home.

For example, how much is on your kitchen counter right now? Now imagine reducing that number to just three things. What would you choose to keep versus store? Some sellers are benefited by going to other open houses in their area and looking at how other people have decluttered and arranged what is left. Online pictures, such as what is found on Pinterest, can help too. Often you can get some good ideas on what works visually just by seeing how others do it. When you are all done decluttering, clean your home like never before because buyers notice dirt and grime. Hire a maid service if you have to.

Lure Them In

The outside of your home is as important as the inside, especially the front entry area. Before an open house, take care of simple yard maintenance such as mowing, edging and weeding flower beds. A fresh layer of mulch adds color especially in winter months when not much is blooming. At your front door, clean off spider webs, blown leaves, and place a large, colorful pot of annuals or anything you can buy in season.

Complete Your Honey-Do List

While you have the yard power tools out, dust of your workbench and take a walk around your house inside and out. Make a list of all maintenance issues such as wiggly door handles, missing fascia, paint that has chipped, etc. and repair them before the open house. Buyers see even the smallest of maintenance issues as an extension of the condition of larger items such as roofs, plumbing and major appliances and assume you haven’t taken care of the home. You might talk to your Real Estate agent about a pre-inspection to deal with all home maintenance and problems upfront, before you get into contract with a buyer.

Be Cautious

Once you have taken the above steps and you are ready for the actual open house, there’s one last thing to plan. Protecting your valuables and identity. It might be rare, but criminals do use open houses as a way to case a house or to find collateral to steal identities. Make sure indoor safes are locked and hidden. Store heirlooms, checkbooks, prescriptions, and valuable jewelry away from prying eyes. Utilize a reliable, trustworthy, identity theft protection service to see you through the entire listing and sales process.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

SOURCE:

https://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/sellersadvice/item/1015173-20180215-home-seller-tips-to-having-a-successful-open-house?rtmpage=paulrosssellsnoco

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

BARN DOORS

Are Barn Doors Here To Stay?

If it seems like what was dismissed as a flash-in-the-pan trend has stuck around a lot longer than many of us predicted, you’re right. Barn doors are now becoming a staple in homes from new construction to renovations for their unique appeal and space-saving properties. If the word “barn” is turning you off, rest assured that there are a variety of styles that can bring a fresh look to your home along with new function. Not only that, barn doors can also bring increased value – important if you’re thinking of selling your home or just want to make smart renovations.

“It’s official: Barn doors are incredibly hip,” said Pro Remodeler. A recent study “found that these contemporary yet rustic sliding doors can help a home sell as many as 57 days faster and at a higher price point. The study analyzed descriptions on the listings of more than 2 million homes sold between January 2014 and March 2016 to see how certain keywords affect a home’s sale. Of all the terms analyzed, ‘barn doors’ brought the highest premium, with homes whose listings mentioned this door type selling for an average of 13 percent above expected values.”

pilotproject.org

According to Google Trends, interest in barn doors “quadrupled between 2012 and 2017,” said Victoria Advocate. Another advantage of barn doors: they’re easy to install, and are even DIY friendly for the average person.

“In addition to their powerful visual appeal, barn doors can also be an effective way to partition open spaces,” said Pro Remodeler. “Many homes today have two larger rooms, such as the kitchen and living room, connected by a wide opening. While a barn door added to such spaces will likely stay open more often than not, it can act as the perfect feature to suggest spatial separation.”

sandtownmillworks.com

These oversize, reclaimed wood barn doors look great in a commercial space, creating privacy for a conference room in the same way they would in a living space.

sebringdesignbuild.com

These more traditional doors set off a private living room.

slidingdoorco.com

Black-framed, glass-paneled doors are on trend and bring a modern look to the space. Plus, you can close off the kitchen without losing light.

Instead of more traditional doors

A little bit rustic with contemporary flair, this barn door has some heft to it, which gives it a substantial feel and the size required to slide past a wide bathroom door opening.

luxurylivingfortlauderdale.com

Steel is another material that is being used for barn doors, and one that brings in an industrial feel. In this space, a steel sliding door looks is the perfect choice to separate the living space from the bedroom.

pinterest.com

There’s a bedroom tucked behind there. A swinging door may take a way from the flow of the room or impede into the living space. Instead, the blue door adds an architectural element to the space.

wayfair.com

This version looks like a decorative wall, but it’s actually a 12-foot barn door that slides away to reveal a hidden laundry room.

amazon.com

Beyond room-sized doors

Barn doors or even showing up in items like bathroom vanities, which are especially useful in a small space that might not allow for a swinging door.

slickdeals.net

They’re also being woven into furniture, like this entertainment unit.

dutchcraftfurniture.com

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

SOURCE:

https://realtytimes.com/consumeradvice/homeownersadvice/item/1014762-20180205-are-barn-doors-here-to-stay?rtmpage=paulrosssellsnoco