Downsides of carpet allowance in lieu of new carpet

Sellers often ask if they can just provide a carpet allowance on a listing in lieu of installing new carpet. In their mind, this is a benefit to the buyer since it allows the buyer to choose their own color and style of carpet. The benefit to the seller is they don't have to deal with the inconvenience of a carpet installation. In my experience a seller is much better off to install new carpet themselves BEFORE listing the home - if new carpet is needed of course. Why? Fresh new carpet makes the home show much better. Buyers often have a hard time picturing new carpet in a home. All they see … Continue reading...

Inexpensive updates to your home can help it sell fast

You don't need a big budget to update your home for a faster sell. There are a number of relatively minor updates you can do yourself that will have a big impact when it comes time to sell your home. Interior designer Carriann Johnson talks about seemingly small (and inexpensive) projects that have a big impact on your home's appeal. Create a strong first impression by painting or replacing your front door. Reface or paint worn kitchen cabinets rather than replacing. Update the hardware on your kitchen cabinets and bathrooms help freshen up and modernize the look. Add a fresh coat of … Continue reading...

9 Common Misconceptions about Green Homes

Although most folks know green homes pack plenty of eco-friendly benefits, there are some pesky misconceptions that need correcting. Here are 9 myths busted. 1.  Myth: Green Homes are Expensive Fact: Eco-friendly homes come in different types, sizes, and price tags, from a green-minded prefab that can cost less than $150,000 to an eco-urban condo for $690,000 or more. The big difference is in resale value: Eco-friendly homes fetch higher prices compared with conventionally built homes. 2.  Myth: Green Homes Look Kooky Fact: Not all green homes look like grass-roofed hobbit holes or … Continue reading...

Organize your Mud Room

When living on an acreage or if your family is outdoor oriented, a mudroom can be your best friend. It is a great place to catch mud, dirty shoes, and wet outdoor clothing before it enters your home. Ideally a mudroom should be big enough to house lockers for the family, a place to clean hands, and benches to remove or lace up boots. Many people combine their mud room with their laundry room. However, with some great organization even a small laundry room can become a great space to keep the rest of your home clean. Here are a few tips for creating an awesome mudroom that will help keep your … Continue reading...

Landscape with native Oklahoma plants

The recent droughts in Oklahoma has meant homeowners are concerned about water conservation. One way to save water is to landscape with native drought resistant plants or plants that are bred for the Oklahoma weather. As anyone who has lived through an Oklahoma summer knows, the afternoon summer sun can turn green garden into a burned-out brown weed plot. Summer shade can have a huge effect on your planting. Think of your house as having four micro-climates - east, west, north and south. A plant that does well on the north side of your home may not fare so well when planted to the south. … Continue reading...

The Best Way to Load Your Dishwasher

Who actually reads their dishwasher manual? Certainly not me. I would have to dig it out of some drawer somewhere. Normally we just fill it up as best we can and hope the dishes all get cleaned. But there IS an optimal way to load your dishwasher so that it works most efficiently and most importantly, the dishes actually get cleaned. This short video shows you how. … Continue reading...

Decorate Your Home with – Mason Jars!

Remember all those mason jars your grandparents had left over after eating the canned goods in the garden?  They make great iced tea glasses but they also have another use, with just a bit of ingenuity and some low-cost on-line purchases. First up is the Mason Jar Pump Kit.  You can use these pumps for soap, hand sanitizer or other liquid, and they look way more interesting than the plastic squeeze bottle the liquid comes in. Cost $18.00 Next up is the Mason Jar Flower Frog from Colonial Tin Works. This lid allows you to easily place fresh flowers in your decorative mason jars. Perfect for … Continue reading...

Preparing Your Home for Sale

There are several steps you can do to your home to get it ready to sell. Most of these are fairly simple, but can have a big impact on both the sales price of your home, and how long it takes to sell. We sell hundreds of homes each year and we consistently see the positive reactions of buyers when they walk into a properly prepared home that is ready for sale. Make an Entrance You know the saying: You never have a second chance to make a first impression. The outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers see. And like it or not, the outside speaks volumes about what's inside - and … Continue reading...

Selling your home with sizzle

In the Saturday NewsOK real estate section, there is a great article about preparing your home for sale by making it "sizzle". This article makes great sense and goes right along with our article "Preparing Your Home for Sale". It talks about 5 things you can easily do to show your home in the best light: Buy a Paintbrush - Paint is the most cost effective way to spruce up your house and make it ready to show. Declutter - Either give away or sell superfluous "stuff" so your home is not jam packed with YOUR knicknacks.  Buyers don't want to see your grandma's teacup collection. Place excess … Continue reading...

Photographing Your Home

Stunning, high quality pictures of your home is the first step in creating demand and in turn, showings. Most buyers today begin their home search on the Internet, and buyers often browse dozens or even hundreds of homes on the web prior to visiting them in person. A series of high quality photos that show off your home in it's best light will make it stand out from the crowd and increase the number of potential showings, and hence potential buyers, that see your home in person. You might think "I have a high megapixel digital camera, aren't those good enough for the Internet?" Ask any … Continue reading...