Carolina Life ~ your experts in Raleigh area home sales

Carolina Life & Homes Realty Raleigh area buy/sell home experts

Sellers

Ways to Optimize Your Mudroom and Entryway

Assign a home to all your belongings in your mudroom and entryway. Don’t let an important area of your home become a bigger version of your designated “junk drawer.” Here are a few tips to keep this space organized.

Brighten it up

Make a mudroom and entryway pop with the perfect color! Though the name may not suggest it, it’s probably the first part of your home guests see. A tranquil color can be just the thing your mudroom or entryway needs to give off a relaxing vibe and for your guests to feel welcome.

shelving unit with folded fabrics

Decide what belongs in this space

Pick and choose what you want in your mudroom. Items like umbrellas, book bags, coats, shoes, and maybe laundry, are all well-suited for this room. Once you decide what items you do and don’t want here—stick to it! If laundry is done upstairs, make a point of not leaving any dirty jackets or clothes in this area of your home. Have a designated spot for everything you own, that way you can avoid clutter.

Entryway organization shelving unit

Utilize wall space

More often than not, mudrooms and entryways are a small area of the house to work with. So, instead of thinking how limited your floor space is, start building up!

Utilize your wall space with hooks and decorative holders for items you don’t need to have on the ground. Hanging coats, keys, and other items can help you optimize the space you are working with.

Hallway with wall featuring wainscoting

Wainscoting

This is a type of strong paneling that can be applied to the bottom of any wall, but can be particularly helpful in a mudroom where shoes and bags go flying about. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing as a look for your home, but it also plays defense against the messiness and unpredictability that comes along with kids and pets running around the house.

Clothespins clipped to a washing line

Laundry

Many people often have a washer and dryer in their mudroom. Consider a stackable washer-dryer combination to make the most out of the space you have. That way, where your dryer once was can now be a storage space for laundry baskets and other items. You could even consider hanging a drying rack from the ceiling!

children running through the front door returning home from school

Space for the kids

If this is the first room your kids hit as they walk through the door, chances are whatever they have on hand will land in that area and stay there. Make a space to call their own, that way they have something to be excited about while you are also keeping them organized! Assign or create cubby areas for each member of the house. That way there is an organized space for shoes, coats, and backpacks to be stored after school.

Don’t avoid walking through your mudroom or entryway to avoid the clutter, manage it by implementing these tips!

10 Questions Everyone Selling A Home Should Be Asking

When you are getting ready to put your home on the market, you may be lying awake at night wondering about the logistics and the financial ramifications of your decision. Here are ten questions that you should ask an agent in order to set your mind at ease and feel more prepared for the road to the closing table.

1. How will you determine what price we should charge for my home?

A real estate agent will look at recent comparable sales in your area as well as your current competition among active listings. Agents will probably throw out unusually high and unusually low prices as these are generally considered outliers. That will give you a good baseline potential valuation for your home.

2. What improvements should I make to optimize my home’s resale value?

An agent will conduct a thorough walk-through of your home and look for any needed repairs or extremely out-of-date fixtures or finishes that might deter a buyer. Beyond that, you’ll discuss updates that can add value while offering a solid return on investment.

You don’t necessarily want to put in a whole new kitchen or all new baths, because you probably won’t get the money back in the sale price. However, if your home is severely out of date, you may need to give it an overhaul in order to realize a sale price comparable to those of other, more updated homes in your area.

3. Is bigger always better when it comes to pre-sale home improvements?

Actually, no. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), some of the most cost-effective improvements with the highest ROI include those items related to curb appeal. A new front door or a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the way that the home is perceived. In addition, interventions like deep cleaning or decluttering cost little or nothing, yet can have a big impact on potential buyers.

Don’t forget the outdoors, which offers some of the most affordable improvements with the highest ROI. Get your lawn in check, plant a new tree, and spruce up the landscaping to improve both curb appeal and the home’s value at sale time.

4. What if I don’t want to make any improvements to my home before listing it?

For a variety of reasons, you may be unable or unwilling to make changes or improvements to your home, or you may not be in a financial position to do so. You are certainly not required to make any improvements and an agent can list your property for sale as-is, indicating to potential buyers that you do not intend to negotiate on repairs or damages.

Keep in mind that an as-is sale can affect your ability to get top dollar for your home, even if it is in good overall condition. In addition, many mortgage lenders require certain baseline repairs to major systems, so if there are plumbing, electrical, or structural issues, you may be required to make needed repairs in order to get your home sold.

large wooden front door with hanging lights and topiaries

5. How will you pre-market my listing?

The home sale doesn’t start the day the listing goes live in the MLS. Generally, an agent will start helping you get your home buyer-ready before the first buyer or agent arrives. This may involve staging the home, bringing in a professional photographer, and otherwise advising you on preparing the home for sale. The home may be put into the MLS as a Coming Soon listing and an agent may use yard signage and direct mail to let people know that about your listing.

6. How will you market my listing?

An agent may market your listing in many different ways, depending on the norms for your area, your property’s unique features, and other factors. Marketing may be as simple as signage, photography, and a well-written property description or as elaborate as print and TV ads, drone videography, and outreach to international buyers.

The agent should have a plan for marketing your property and should be able to articulate that plan to you. Do your part to support the marketing plan by properly cleaning and decluttering the space in cooperation with the agent’s recommendations.

man with headphones waving on laptop

7. Can you market my listing without bringing lookie-loos through the home?

If you are interested in limiting access to your home, you have a number of options. Talk to an agent about qualifying buyers who are brought into your home in person. In addition, you may want to avoid open houses, preferring instead to offer a video tour of the home to satisfy curious neighbors and others who just want a peep inside.

8. We’ve agreed on a price and gone into escrow. What happens next?

The buyers will bring in a home inspector to check out the home and recommend any needed repairs or improvements. The inspector may identify a major problem and the buyers may ask for a more in-depth inspection. The inspector may identify only minimal issues and the process may proceed.

An agent may recommend that you absent yourself from the home during the inspection process. If you have some special features you would like to show the buyers or if you want to provide them with service records and information about the home’s systems, ask the agent if you can do so at the beginning of the inspection, then leave for the remainder of their time in the home.

woman using a calculator pointing to a graph

9. The buyers submitted a list of requested repairs. Can I say no?

You are free to say no to any repairs that are requested from your buyers with the understanding that they may choose to walk away from the deal based on their home inspection contingency. Discuss with an agent whether or not you should make some, all, or none of the requested repairs, whether you would be willing to provide a credit at closing toward the repair costs, or whether you should put the home back on the market.

Remember that if the repairs requested are legitimate, the next home inspector will likely identify them as well. Ask a real estate agent how the identification of needed repairs will affect your disclosure and the price of your listing going forward if you decide to put the home back on the market.

10. We did some damage during the move-out. What will happen now?

Accidents happen and it is not uncommon for there to be scuffs on the flooring or paint after the movers have finished clearing out the home. If you notice that this has occurred, or if your buyers see damage during their final walkthrough, the closing can still occur. In most cases, you can either provide additional funds at closing to cover the damage or you can prepay a reliable contractor or repair professional to make the needed repairs on your behalf.


Ready, Set, Sell: Checklist for Home Sellers

When home buyers drive your neighborhood, or when Realtors are previewing for their clients, what do they see? You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure your home has the the WOW factor. Take a walk around your property right now—front to back. Pretend you’re a prospective buyer. Do you like what you see?

Here are eight quick tips for creating a visual impression that makes them want to see more.

  1. Start at the door. Get out your paintbrush and spruce up the front door. A bright color will attract attention from the street, if that fits with your overall exterior. Replace doorknobs and hinges with something new and shiny. A seasonal wreath on the door adds a welcoming touch. If your screen door squeaks or sags, get a new one or just remove it to make an attractive door more visible.
  2. Under pressure. Rent or buy a pressure washer and go over the entire exterior, top to bottom. Pay special attention to any white or light-colored areas, which tend to collect dust and dirt. Use it on porches, stairs and decks. And by the way, power washing is equally effective on concrete, and can really lighten up sidewalks and driveways.
  3. Spit and polish. Anything that’s metal on the outside of your home should sparkle and shine. Start with the house numbers. A good metal polish might work, but if not, replacing them is relatively inexpensive. Exterior light fixtures should all be working order and should shine brightly, both in daylight and dark. Check for burned-out bulbs while you’re at it. How’s your mailbox? New owners might appreciate one of the new models with a security lock.
  4. Hide the kids and dogs. You want your home to have the broadest possible appeal. Not all prospective buyers have children so if you do, it’s best to keep the evidence out of sight. Put away the bikes and balls. If you have play equipment such as swings or a basketball goal, remove what you can or move items to where they are less visible. Be sure someone in the family is assigned to pick up after Fido and Fluffy too.
  5. Plant a garden. You don’t have to have a green thumb to add seasonal color to the outside of your home. Think containers. Placing a few colorful pots on the front steps or by the door is a great place to start. Visit your local nursery and buy whatever is in season. Replace as needed—nothing dead or dying, please! Keep the grass mowed and edged too.
  6. Light up your life. Good exterior lighting improves both appearance and security. In-ground spots can accent landscape elements or the house itself. Make sure the front walkway and drive are well lit. If wiring is not an option, solar fixtures are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, although they may not be as bright as wired fixtures.
  7. Look out the window. Or in, which is what your prospective buyers will be doing. While you’re power washing, make sure the windows get their share. Use an inexpensive vinegar and water spray, and wipe down with old newspapers. Give them the same treatment on the inside and the whole house will sparkle.
  8. Shutters are a plus. Shutters add a cozy feel, so if you don’t already have them, you might consider installing some. If you have shutters, reattach anything that looks saggy. Make sure they are freshly painted. Depending on your home’s exterior, choose a contrasting color that stands out. Dark green looks great with yellow or cream. Black is great on stone or brick, and white is almost always a good choice.

Contact Carolina Life and find out what your home is worth. Carolina Life will give you a free home evaluation and also a market report on the other homes in your neighborhood. We can walk you through expenses, the selling process, the local market, home staging and more! Also which upgrades would add the most value to your home. Before you start call Carolina Life for your free consultation.

Carolina Life & Homes Realty LLC

12400 Wake Union Church Rd #3-18

Wake Forest NC 27587

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