08/28/08

Clean, Mean, and Oh So Green

One of the latest trends in home staging (preparing a property to get a quicker sale and the best possible price) is to include eco-friendly practices.
“Introducing green staging elements plays into my overall objectives of presenting a clean, organized, and functional house,” says Nancy Matchen, a real estate broker and professional stager (IAHSP) who lives in Ossining. Staging, according to Matchen, involves removing the owner’s tastes so prospective buyers can mentally move in. “I look at the home from the eyes of the buyer. In a matter of seconds a buyer decides if he or she likes a given house. A misplaced piece of furniture or a showy paint color can immediately turn someone off.”
Matchen says initially most of her staging clients...

Posted at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1

08/21/08

Home Hibernation: the “Bear” Essentials of Preparing Your Home for Winter

After Labor Day, we know it’s mostly downhill weatherwise. Sure there’s Indian summer, but once the kids are back in school it’s not long after that the sun disappears until about April and Joe Rao is giddily talking about whopper snowstorms and messy commutes.

What about your home during these rougher weather months?

Last week’s Speculator included tips on extending the life of your home from house restorer and real estate agent Carolyn Okay of Larchmont and contractor Don Holohan of Mount Kisco. Being rather Chatty Cathys, Okay and Holohan have additional advice on ways to avoid pricey contractor invoices by winterizing your home before the white stuff hits the shovel. And it’s not quite Labor Day so even you procrastinators will have no...

Posted at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

08/14/08

Tips for Extending the Life of Your Home

You eat an apple a day, swim laps, and get a full night’s sleep, all in an effort to help keep your body fit and healthy. What about your home? House restorer and real estate agent Carolyn Okay of Larchmont and contractor Don Holohan of Mount Kisco offer the following advice.

Raising the Roof

The roof is one of the biggest lines of defense to maintain the health of your home. And at $25 a square foot to replace one, you want to take care of it. A roof inspection ($150 for a smaller home) every year or two is a good idea, especially if trees are broken near and around the house from a storm. Broken tree branches can crack tile and slate. Once a puncture occurs, water can easily trace inside and become trapped causing wood rot, mold, and mildew. If ignored...

Posted at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0

08/07/08

Desperate Times Call for Motivated (Desperate) Sellers

Study enough real estate listings and you’ll eventually come upon one marked “motivated seller.” A motivated seller is someone who considers a quick sale more important than a highest possible price sale. There are numerous reasons why a person wants to sell quickly and you always want to ask your agent as to why (if the answer is, the house could slide into the Hudson River during the next big rainstorm, you may want to consider other homes). Following are four properties with “motivated sellers.” Do any of them motivate you into making an offer?

Seller is Motivated...