Whether you just purchased a home right up the road from your current residence or across numerous state lines, you undoubtedly have a lot of items that will be packed up and transported to your new location. However, if you’re looking to make your move a little easier—or your new home simply doesn’t have room for all your belongings—a garage sale is a great way to get rid of items that you’ll be leaving behind.

When it comes to hosting a successful garage sale, it’s crucial that you think beyond simply throwing stuff on tables in your yard. For a truly successful sale, you need to advertise, organize and create a shopping experience that will entice people to stop in and buy.

If you’re planning on having a garage sale, the first thing you should do is go through every room in your house and decide what items you won’t be taking with you. Any and everything not going should be sold at the sale, even if you only get small change for the item. Keep in mind that planning for and hosting a garage sale isn’t something that can be done in a day or even a weekend. Start getting things ready about a month before you plan to hold your sale.

As you find items, start grouping them into different sections. For instance, place all items for the kitchen together and then create separate piles of clothes, toys, books, etc. It’s crucial that everything stay organized so that you don’t end up with a mish-mash of things that will make people think you just threw everything together.

Once you’ve collected everything you plan to sell, it’s time to tackle the key to any garage sale: pricing. People love bargains, so make sure you take emotions out of your pricing decisions and make things very affordable. Use stickers for pricing so people aren’t constantly asking how much something is. It’s also a good idea to offer buy-one-get-one-free options or three-for-a-dollar type pricing to compel people to buy more. When people try to bargain for a lower price (and they will!), let the items go. Remember, this is more about disposing of your things than making a quick buck off of them.

Whether you live in an area that gets a lot of traffic or on a quiet street, make sure you take to social media to announce your sale. You may also want to think about taking out an ad on Craigslist or putting an ad in your local circular, school or church bulletin. Don’t forget to hang up plenty of signs around the area a few days before your sale so people can make plans to drop by. If you have big-ticket items like furniture, musical instruments, lawn equipment or something unique or antique looking, mention them in the ads and take photos, as this is a great way to really entice people to come.

For the sale itself, be kind, offer up water or lemonade and be ready to make some deals.

If there are any large items left over after the sale that you don’t plan on taking with you (be it a pool table, couch, piano, dining set, etc.), offer them up for free on Craigslist or Freecycle. Not only will this save you time and money, it will also save you the hassle of having to lug these items to the dump.

For more information about holding a successful garage sale, contact our office today.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Is there mold in your home? What about termites? Do you have an old heating tank buried in your yard? If you’re in the process of selling your home, it’s necessary to disclose these problems—in most cases—to a buyer before a sale can be completed.

While disclosure laws differ from state to state, in most cases, it’s against the law to fraudulently conceal any major problems in your home. This includes everything mentioned above to whether your basement floods during heavy rains or if part of your foundation is crumbling.

Property disclosure plays a very important role in a real estate deal. Today, it is almost standard for written disclosures to be included in the contract. And when you sign one, it must be truthful. If not, you’re looking at costs and possibly a lawsuit.

When it comes to property disclosure, you should always talk with your real estate agent and/or attorney about what’s required to disclose. You can also check with your town’s City Planning Department about local ordinances and disclosures that can come into play.

Generally, you’re only responsible for disclosing information that you personally know about, so it’s not necessary to hire an inspector to come look for problems regarding conditions that weren’t brought to your attention when you purchased the home.

However, some states do require more investigation on your part. In fact, there are laws on the book in certain states that require a homeowner to search for some of these major problems—especially mold and lead paint—whether you see problems or not.

In California, sellers are required to disclose any possible risk that could result from natural disasters, such as the home being in a flood plain, earthquake zone or its susceptibility to wildfires. A disclosure like this will enable potential buyers to understand the financial risk and danger they could face, plus warn about problems they may experience in buying insurance for the home.

If you’re buying a home, regardless of your state’s laws, you should demand a disclosure statement be part of the contract. This will protect the buyer in case something shows up after the sale.

Asking a seller to disclose material facts means you’re asking them to disclose anything they know about the house that might be problematic. While you can’t force someone to sign a disclosure (again, depending on the laws in the state), you always have the right to leave any deal, and you might end up forcing a buyer’s hand.

If a seller does refuse to sign a disclosure, and you still want the house, it should send up a red flag that something might be wrong. This should encourage you to invest a little more when it comes to an inspection and do your due diligence about the neighborhood. In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to making sure the home of your dreams doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

To learn more about disclosures, contact our office today.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When it comes to preparing a home for sale, one of the last areas sellers often think about are the closets. However, closets are an important selling point for any home, as space is something that potential buyers can always use more of.

One of the easiest ways to make the closets in your home more appealing is by clearing out the clutter and making them seem larger than they really are. This applies to closets in your bedroom, bathroom, hallway and even the kitchen. If you really want your closets to stand out as a selling point, spend a day getting rid of everything you don’t need—you’ll be surprised how many things you come across that you haven’t used in years.

Once you’ve cleared out all your closets, it’s time to organize them. For closets with clothes, stagers recommend using wire hangers to keep everything organized. It’s also a good idea to group shirts and items by color, with darks on one side and lights on the other. This will make the closet “pop” and provide a more eye-catching impression.

Additionally, nothing should ever be on the floor of the closet. Use shoe racks to organize any footwear and small drawers and shelves to hold sweaters, socks and other items that you can’t hang. Simple and inexpensive shelving can do wonders and are easy to install. If your budget allows, utilize a professional closet organizer and have him or her do their magic. This will really make your closets stand out among prospective buyers.

When it comes to linen closets, make sure each shelf is neat with the newer towels and sheets in front. You also want to do away with any old bathroom fixtures, bath toys or hotel shampoos that may have found their way into the closet over the years. Again, space is the desired effect.

In the kitchen, discard food that’s been sitting around for ages, make sure baking items aren’t spilling out of their bags (use old bread bag containers if they are) and clean up your spices.

You should also think about what a closet says to a potential buyer. For instance, if a bedroom closet holds clothes for just one, it might suggest a recent divorce or death, and that could lead to a low-ball offer. On the other hand, if closets are jam-packed with stuff, it can be interpreted that there’s just not enough space in the house, sending potential buyers out the door.

The main key with closets is to allow buyers to see the true size and functionality of the space. You don’t need to have a walk-in closet to impress people. You just need to treat each closet as if it was another room in the house.

For more tips to prepare your home for sale, contact our office today.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Homeowners insurance is a great way to protect your home and belongings, however, with many policies, some common occurrences might not be covered. While policies differ from state to state, it’s crucial that you understand what’s included in your policy before signing the dotted line.

Typically, a homeowners insurance policy will cover the actual dwelling and some of the other structures on the property, like a fence, garage and driveway. Personal property is usually covered as well. This includes the contents inside the home, although you may need to pay a bit more in premiums for high-value items like jewelry or antique furniture. When getting a policy, it’s important to be sure that these items are covered. The last thing you want is to find out you weren’t covered if your house is robbed or destroyed by fire.

Policies also normally include coverage for injuries incurred by those on your property where you are liable. For instance, if someone slips on your driveway or falls while making repairs to the roof, you’re covered. However, this coverage is usually limited to a certain dollar value, so you need to know how much coverage you have and exactly what’s included.

One area that often confuses people when it comes to homeowners insurance has to do with natural disasters. It’s important to remember that not everything is covered and you often have to buy separate flood, hurricane or earthquake insurance—especially if you live in an area that is highly susceptible to these disasters. You may be able to save on these premiums by better protecting yourself against damage by adding storm shutters, reinforcing your roof or buying stronger roofing materials.

If items are stolen from your vehicle while it sits on your property, this may or may not be covered by your insurance. Normally, this is covered by auto insurance, but there are some homeowner policies that will include these items, so it’s good to know if yours does.

Additionally, many first-time buyers think they need insurance to cover the entire cost of the house sale. However, since the land under your house isn’t at risk from theft, windstorm, fire or other perils covered in your homeowners policy, it’s not necessary to include these when deciding how much insurance you should buy. Before choosing a policy, talk with your agent and determine the best number so that you have enough coverage, but not too much that you’re paying premiums for what you don’t need.

To learn more about homeowners insurance, contact our office today.

Published with permission from RISMedia.