Friday, March 30, 2012

A Kitchen Can Help Sell Your Home

It's a tool used by house flippers all across the nation. Stagers know its power. Real estate agents push its importance. What is this not-so-well-kept secret of real estate? A kitchen can sell a house.
A kitchen is the heart of a home. This is true all across the globe. The old saying that the "stomach is the way to the heart" carries a lot of truth. Kitchens are where we spend much of our time and most of that is with our families. It's the room where we nourish our bodies and our spirits.

Kitchens are integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they're a focal piece of many family rooms. It's because of this that kitchens play such an important role in the buying and selling process.

This one room is the showpiece of the house. You'll see it every day and your guests will see it during most visits. This means buyers want homes with up-to-date kitchens.

Kitchens, however, can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate. These projects can also be the most labor and time intensive of all home renovations. It's not just a new layer of paint.
   
Instead you find a complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinets, and counters. This means buyers may want a home with an up-to-date kitchen but they aren't willing to tackle this problem themselves. Most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use the day they move in.

What do buyers look for in up-to-date kitchens? A lot of this depends on what price range your home is in.

The main thing to remember as a seller is to not price yourself out of your market. If homes in your neighbourhood are selling for $100,000 with tidy, but not luxury kitchens, then this is no time to upgrade to granite, travertine, and marble at the price tag of $40,000+. You simply won't find a buyer.

Scope out the competition. Use open houses in your area or MLS listings to find out what your competitions' kitchens look like.

Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granite counters in today's designer colors? You'll be wise to consider making the same move. Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors?

Are you in a higher-end neighborhood? It's time to think high-end. Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel. If you don't want to put in the time yourself to make upgrades then you'll have to make concessions in the price.

Don't become overwhelmed, though. Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes. Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone. Get rid of any clutter. Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high-end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux-granite or lower end granite). You might even save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself.

The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home. Do a little research and find out what your kitchen needs to make it competitive with area listings.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

From Art Deco to Victorian - Do You Know the Different Home Styles?


Art Deco
A vertically oriented design includes flat roofs and metal window casements.
Neoclassical
Neoclassical homes exist in incarnations from one-story cottages to multilevel manses.

Bungalow
A forerunner of the craftsman style, you'll find rustic exteriors and sheltered-feeling interiors.

Prairie
Originated by Frank Lloyd Wright, this style can be house boxy or low-slung.



Cape Cod
A true classic, Cape Cod homes have gabled roofs and unornamented fronts.
Pueblo
Flat roofs, straight-edge window frames, and earth-colored walls typify Pueblos.
Colonial
An offshoot of the Cape Cod style, it features a rectangular design and second-floor bedrooms.
Queen Anne
Emerging in the Victorian era, the style features inventive floor plans and decorative chimneys.
Contemporary
Unmistakably modern, this style has odd-sized windows and little ornamentation.
Ranch
Ranch homes are set apart by pitched-roof construction, built-in garages, and picture windows.
Craftsman
Full- or partial-width porches are framed by tapered columns and overhanging eaves.
Regency
The style borrows the Georgian's classic lines, yet eschews ornamentation.
Creole
A front wall recedes to form a first-story porch and a second-story balcony.
Saltbox
Its sharply sloping gable roof resembles old-time boxes used for storing salt.
Dutch Colonial
German settlers originated this style, which features a broad, barn-like roof.
Second Empire
This Victorian style features mansard roofs with dormer windows.
Federal
This style arose amid a renewed interest in Greek and Roman culture.
Shed
A subset of the Modern style, Shed houses are asymmetric with sloping roofs.
French Provincial
Balance and symmetry define the French Provincial style, which has a steep hip roof.
Shingle
An American style that echoes Queen Anne, it has unadorned doors and large porches.
Georgian
With paired chimneys and a decorative crown, this style was named after English royalty.
Shotgun
Tradition says that a shotgun blast can trace a straight path from the front to back door.
Gothic Revival
English romanticism influenced this style, marked by Gothic windows and vaulted roofs.
Spanish Eclectic
This style has details from Moorish, Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles.
Greek Revival
Entryway columns and a front door surrounded by rectangular windows are characteristic.
Split Level
A Modern style, Split levels sequester living activities, such as sleeping and socializing.
International
The International style exposes functional building elements, including elevator shafts.
Stick
Decorative horizontal, vertical, or diagonal boards are typical of this Victorian style.
Italianate
This style has symmetrical bay windows in front, small chimneys, and tall windows.
Tudor
Tudors have half-timbering on bay windows and upper floors, and steep cross gables.
Monterey
The Monterey style updates the New England Colonial style with an Adobe brick exterior.
Victorian
Built during the rise of the machine age, Victorian architecture incorporated decorative details such as patterned shingles.
National
Rooted in Native American dwellings, the National style is rectangular with side-gabled roofs.