Are You Keeping Up? Home Systems and Routine Maintenance

Being a new-home owner or first-time buyer can feel a little overwhelming at times. Especially when you think about some of the maintenance, you’re in charge of now. To keep your new home running smoothly, you will need to know when to have certain systems serviced. Things like plumbing, heating and cooling, and other systems may need routine check-ups and maintenance.   Heating and Cooling or HVAC No matter what time of year it is, you want the temperatures in your home to maintain a comfortable level. This means it’s important to keep your HVAC system up to date. If you have one system for the whole house, you would be wise to have it checked out twice a year before the temperatures change. It’s also a good idea to change out the filters regularly which you can do yourself. If you do these things, it’s much less likely that emergency repairs will pop up and the system will run better.   Septic System If you have purchased an older home, or in an area where public sewer isn’t available you are probably on a septic tank. So instead of wastewater leaving the house through the town’s sewer system, it goes through the septic. It’s advisable to have the septic serviced once every other year to ensure there isn’t any back up. The previous owner should have kept a record of when it was last serviced.   Plumbing Issues First, being a homeowner means you need to know where the main shut of valve for the water coming into your house is. This will save you a lot of headaches should an emergency arise. Second, the big difference between one leaky faucet and all the drains in the house draining slowly is the faucet would be a localized problem only effecting one place, but multiple drains failing to work would be systemic. Although the leaky faucet needs to be repaired to avoid wasting water, something effecting the whole house will more than likely require you to get a professional involved. If drains aren’t working properly, it could be a block in the main sewer line, or something else entirely.    Electrical Needs Your home is powered though an intricate electrical system controlled by an electrical panel located in the house. When circuits trip, you would need to reset the breaker. If you notice a specific circuit has problems, you will want to have it checked out by an electrician. It’s possible the circuit is overloaded.     Being a homeowner for the first time is exciting, despite some of the new responsibilities it brings. But taking care of your property becomes much easier when you take the time to understand your home systems. So, if you want to avoid emergency repairs, keep up with a good maintenance routine to help your systems run more efficiently. And if there is ever something you don’t understand, call a professional. We at the Endsley Team have a list of professionals we work with regularly. Contact us today and we would be happy to share that list with you!  

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Before You Sell - Check Out These Six Essential Home Fixes

  When finding yourself in a buyer’s market (more properties available than there are buyers for them) it’s important to set yourself apart from the pool of options. We are going to discuss six home fixes we think are essential to preparing your house to sell. 1: Lucious LandscapingCurb appeal is where it starts, isn’t it? When people drive by your home and see the for-sale sign in the yard, what’s the first thing they are going to notice? Your curb appeal! Having the right landscaping makes a great first impression. Replace that missing mulch or relevel those pavers. If you have any dead plants, get rid of them! Trim away anything hanging over walkways or blocking views. Attract the eye with blooming flowers that compliment, not distract. 2: Exterior RefreshTake a walk around the outside of your house. Do you notice any faded, cracked, or peeling paint? Make add a fresh coat. Are there any broken or missing pieces of siding? It’s time to replace it. Cracked stucco? Get it repaired. Missing or ripped window screens? Replace any that are missing or damaged or remove them all. Is there any wood rot around the window or door frames? You may need to seek a professional to fix those items, however the value added to your home will be worth it. 3: Lighting Glow-UpWhen doing walk-throughs, buyers tend to favor homes with bright and cheerful light. Before your home goes on the market consider updating the interior lighting. Some simple ways to do this are just replacing old bulbs and cleaning domes or coverings thoroughly. Do you have a fixture that is especially dated? It might be time to replace it with something simpler and more complementary of the room. Something else that’s easy is replacing the switch and outlet covers. 4: Kitchen RejuvenationIt’s true that complete kitchen remodels aren’t always in the budget for home seller so instead, why not try to spruce it up a little with these cost-effective fixes: Fresh wall paint Replace dated backsplash with subway or mosaic tiles Refinish the cabinets (this is usually cheaper than replacing them) Clean up or update cracked or stained countertops Another easy update for cabinets (if they are already in good shape) is to replace the hardware. You can get a whole new look with fresh hinges and handles. 5: Beautify the BathroomsAlthough we highly recommend deep cleaning the entire house before putting it on the market, the bathroom is essential. Try using a steamer to clean the tiles, regrout bare spots, replace the shower curtain and any missing or broken towel holders, these are easy fixes, but they can make all the difference. 6: Freshen FlooringIf you have old, worn carpeting you might want to consider some of the low-cost options for updating the floors. With so many options, it could be worth the time and energy to replace the carpet. If you live in an older house then who knows, you might find hardwood underneath that carpet, just waiting to be revived. Restoring original hard wood floors could add more value to the home.   We know that everyone’s circumstances are different, and all these fixes may not fit into everyone’s budget. So how do you pick which ones are most important? Ones that will help sell YOUR house? Contact us at the Endsley Team today and one of our team members would be happy to discuss with you how you can get the most out of selling your home. Not ready to sell right now? No problem, just bookmark this page and reach out to us when you are!  

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Does Color Help When Selling Your Home? – Using Color Psychology in Real Estate

  Although color psychology isn’t an exact science, there are some basic ideas that pros in the marketing world use to help sell their products. So, in a way, yes, the colors of your walls and front doors may impact the sale of your home either negatively or positively. Being human, we have emotional reactions to things, especially color, and our sensory perceptions of color tend to be pretty consistent. While individual reactions may vary from person to person, it’s commonly known that some colors can incite positive or negative reactions. So instead of relying on trends, trust your feelings and try studying a color wheel, like the one pictured below. They are simple to read and show you which colors complement each other, and which ones cancel each other out. Color Hues Beginning with the basics, there are three primary color hues: blue, red and yellow. When they are mixed and combined in different ways, they produce all the other colors of the spectrum which are then divided into warm and cool tones. Now, this is where things can seem a little complicated: we as humans are able to recognize millions of different colors but subtle differences give us all unique reactions. So, the short answer to the above question, “Does color help when selling your home?” is yes, but there is a little more involved in it.   The Dynamics Both your exterior and interior colors play a vital role in attracting, or distracting potential buyers, so when thinking about refreshing the color scheme, take some time and study the basics of color psychology. Remember, when selling your home, the end goal is to appeal to as wide of a buyer pool as you can, this is why most real estate agents recommend you stick with “neutral” color tones because it’s “safe”.  But playing it “safe” isn’t your only option. In addition to learning more about how colors effect people, take a drive through a popular neighborhood, or pop into an open house or two. Pay attention to the exterior colors that are attractive. When inside a home, look past the decorations and imagine the rooms empty. Consider the different colors and take note that usually the most appealing homes are the ones that have a unifying theme. Now we aren’t saying that every room in the house needs to be the exact same color, but more simply that colors throughout the home should be compatible, not combative.   Make a Plan When you take time to reflect on your own reactions to colors, you can better help your real estate agent market your home. Let’s say you love the cool color of teal because it reminds you of our beautiful beaches, think about painting your front door teal and adding teal accents to other parts of the house.Or maybe you find warm earth tones like yellow and orange make you feel cozy, try to emphasize that comfort feel with different shades subtle oranges and yellows throughout the home.   For more about Color Psychology please visit ColorPsychology.org where you can learn about how certain colors affect us, what emotions they may be associated with, and which colors they relate to.If you are looking for expert guidance in real estate or have questions about utilizing color psychology to your advantage, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to assist you in making your home selling experience a successful and fulfilling one. Contact us today!

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