West End, VA

Winterizing Your Home

Whether you are buying or selling a home, you should have a professional home inspection performed by an experienced inspector.

A home inspection will look at the systems that make up the building such as:

• Structural elements, foundation, framing etc
• Plumbing systems
• Roofing
• Electrical systems
• Cosmetic condition, paint, siding etc

If you are buying a home, you need to know exactly what you are getting. A home inspection, performed by a professional home inspector, will reveal any hidden problems with the home so that they may be addressed BEFORE the deal is closed. You should require an inspection at the time you make a formal offer. Make sure the contract has an inspection contingency. Then, hire your own inspector and pay close attention to the inspection report. If you aren't comfortable with what he finds, you should kill the deal.

Likewise, if you are selling a home, you want to know about such potential hidden problems before your house goes on the market. Almost all contracts include the condition that the contract is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory inspection.

And most buyers are going to insist that the inspection be a professional home inspection, usually by an inspector they hire. If the buyer's inspector finds a problem, it can cause the buyer to get cold feet and the deal can often fall through. At best, surprise problems uncovered by the buyer's inspector will cause delays in closing, and usually you will have to pay for repairs at the last minute, or take a lower price on your home.

It's better to pay for your own inspection before putting your home on the market. Find out about any hidden problems and correct them in advance. Otherwise, you can count on the buyer's inspector finding them, at the worst possible time. Old Man Winter is settling in for a long chilly season. Before the temperatures dip too far south, follow these simple guidelines to winterize your home and save money on utilities.

Inside Your Home

• Have your furnace system serviced to ensure it's working efficiently and not emitting carbon monoxide.
• Clean permanent furnace filters and replace paper or disposable filters.
• Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• If you have a wood stove or fireplace, have your chimney swept thoroughly. It should be cleaned before the soot build up reaches one-fourth inch thickness inside the chimney flue.
• Check your hot water heater for leaks and maintain proper temperature setting (120 degrees recommended by Department of Energy). On older water heaters with less insulation, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit you lower the temperature, you save 6 percent of your water heating energy.
• Check the attic to see if insulation needs to be added or replaced. This is the most significant area of heat loss in many homes, so it is also important to see that it has proper ventilation. Inadequate ventilation could lead to premature deterioration of the insulation materials. You may also need to check insulation in exterior walls, crawl spaces and along foundation walls.
• Check all windows and doors for air leaks. Install storm windows and putty, caulk or add weather stripping as needed.
• Check basement and cellars for seal cracks or leaks in walls and floor.
• Make sure all vents are clean and operating properly.
• Clean and vacuum baseboard heaters, heating ducts and vents.
• Remove or winterize air conditioning units.

See the following chart on common air leaks:

Click here to find the US Department of Energy's web site on saving $$(energy):

Outside Your Home

• Store or cover outdoor furniture, toys and grill.
• Purchase rock salt for melting snow and a shovel or snow blower if you don't already have one. Make sure you have the right kind of gas and oil on hand for your snow blower in the case of an unexpected snowstorm.
• Caulk joints and minor cracks on exterior walls and siding.
• Look for deteriorating finishes. Minor problems can be patched to preserve the wood. Put bigger jobs, such as scraping and refinishing painted or stained areas, on the calendar for next spring or early summer.
• Drain and shut off sprinkler systems and other exterior water lines to avoid frozen and broken pipes. Leave all taps slightly open.
• Insulate exterior spigots and other pipes that are subject to freezing but can't be drained or shut off.
• Rake and compost leaves and garden debris, or put out for yard-waste pickup.
• Clean storm drains, gutters and other drain pipes.
• Check the foundation for proper drainage. To do this, spray yard with a hose to see if water runs away from the house. A little shoveling to reshape the earth next to the house may make the water run away from the foundation.
• Make sure dirt or piles of wood don't come into contact with or touch siding, inviting termites and carpenter ants into the house.
• Seal driveway and walkway cracks, if needed, before ground freezes regularly.
• Inspect the roof for loose, damaged or missing pieces.
• Check attic vent openings for nests or other blockages.

I started something new today and I am excited about the future!

Thinking that more businesses are open seven days a week, making weekends difficult for some to come to open houses, I started my Lunchtime Open Houses. Starting at 11 and ending at 1 these are in different locations throughout the week, allowing people to come on their lunch hour! And today, first day out,someone loved the house and is bringing the spouse back to see it!

The reasons for coming to an open house during the week include:

• Parents are often running around after work and on weekends with their children activities
• College sports take up Saturdays, and National sports take up Sunday
• Children are in school so parents can come without children if they desire
• Something different to do!
• Because you can!

Hope to see you at my Lunchtime Open house tomorrow! Go to my website www.BettySellsHouses.com to see what is open this coming week!

One of my first time homeowners asked a really great question - How does a Realtor get paid? And another client, who had not purchased a home in quite a while, asked a similar question "Is a Realtor still paid by the seller? "

The majority of Realtor's work on commission. The rate of commission is determined, and agreed to in advance of a sale, or transaction, by the Realtor and their client. This should be a signed agreement so there is no confusion in the future!

Most Realtors are paid their commission by the seller's closing costs after the closing of a home. BUT, if a buyer of a home, and their buyer's agent, have agreed to pay their agent a certain commission, and the seller does not agree to meet that commission price, the buyer's closing costs may reflect the difference. The seller does not have the right to change the commission offered in the Multipe Listing Service (MLS), after an offer is made by a potential buyer.

Buyer's agents may work with For Sale by Owners (FSBO) in finding the right house for their client. In doing so many FSBO's may not pay a commission to an agent. This is when a buyer's agreement would kick in and the Realtor would be paid by the buyer's closing costs.

Realtors' are not allowed to be paid directly. Closing attorney's send all checks commission checks to the brokers, who in turn pays the agent.

That's right, it is curb appeal that entices a potential buyer to want to come in and preview your property over the neighbor's down the street. Many homes that are beautiful on the inside never get viewed because they lack curb appeal. Don't fall into this trap and neglect curb appeal. Keep these simple tips in mind when preparing your home for the fiercely competitive real estate market and rest assured that you'll be sure to attract potential buyers for showings. Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression!

1. Remove and store any tools, lawn ornaments, toys and general clutter. Potential safety hazards should be eliminated.

2. Crop and trim all plants, shrubs, trees and flower beds. Remove any dead plants or those about to die and replace with new plants. Everything should look neat and orderly.

3. Give dirty siding and decks a good power washing or paint, as needed. Be careful of damaging the siding.

4. Remove weeds along the sides and between the cracks of sidewalks and driveways.

5. Wash off the walkways and porches with a hose. Make sure that the ceilings of all porches are clean and in good repair.

6. Get the leaves hauled away, mow the lawn, edge the walkways, and weed the garden. Replace old mulch with new to brighten up the garden. .

7. Repair, paint, or replace old or damaged mailboxes.

8. Remove all stains from the driveway or hire someone to do it.

9. Remove mold, mildew or other unsightly stains that may be visible anywhere on the home's exterior, including the roof.

10. Make sure the street in front of the home is free of debris. Look up and down the street for any other litter and have it cleaned up.

11. Check the gutters and downspouts. Replace, clean or repair as needed.

12. Make sure that your 'welcome' mat at the front entry is welcoming. It should be clean and in excellent condition. If your mat is personalized with any message other than 'Welcome' invest in a new one.

13. A new or up to date light fixture by the front door is mandatory. They are pretty inexpensive and have a huge impact.

14. Make sure the house numbers are in excellent condition and are visible from the street.

15. Door hardware should gleam. Make sure the doorbell is attractive and that it works.

16. If space permits add potted plants in attractive urns-preferably with color-right beside the front door.

17. Polish the wood on the front door or add a new coat of paint. The front door should be an attractive and welcoming focal point.

18. Give all of your windows a thorough cleaning so that they sparkle like new. Remove the screens and store them in the attic or garage. SO easy and the impact to curb appeal is HUGE!

19. Do a visible inspection of your roof. Repair flashings & replace damaged or missing shingles. If the roof is in poor condition hire a professional to replace it before listing.

20. Many potential buyers ride by at night. Be sure to turn outdoor and indoor lighting on at dark to create extra curbside ambiance.

Exercise these tips prior to listing your home with a professional real estate expert and you'll be sure to draw potential buyer's through your door for showings. Also,since it is hard to be objective when you live in a home, be sure to hire a certified home staging professional to assist with transforming your home's interior into an environment that will appeal to everyone. With fewer buyer's in the market for housing it is more important than ever that your home be staged to compete and win!

If you live in the Greater Richmond area we would love to assist. For more information, visit us on the web http://www.richmondstagingandredesign.com/

Don't list your house and SEE what happens-STAGE IT TO SELL!

This is the market report for zip code 23233. The report will give you a more realistic picture of the market in the area closest to your home.

Currently, there are 184 Single Family Homes For Sale.

42 Single Family Homes under contract.

The sales figures in this report are for the month February 2008, This data was provided from the Richmond area MLS.

Homes sold Average List Price Average Sales Price List Price/Sales Price Days on market

20 Homes $341,175 $325,802 %95.49 96 Days

For additional local real estate information, information about me and my services, to request home listings by E-Mail, to request a market analysis on your current home, or to tour the MLS Listings please visit my web sites at http://www.richmondvahomes4sale.com/ or http://www.e-richmondhomes.com/.