Tips and Tricks For Home Staging

Staging a home can end up being a valuable tool in selling the house. Not only can it assist in selling a house, but it can also help the seller get top dollar.

The amount of staging needed varies wildly from a small scale de-cluttering of a home to hiring staging professionals to the tune of several thousand dollars, but the goal is the same- creating a pleasant mood by making a house appear bigger, brighter and warmer while neutralizing the area so prospective buyers can visualize how their own furniture and belongings can be incorporated into the home.

In a good or bad housing market, some studies have shown that staged homes can add between 10 and 15 percent to the sale price of many homes. Sellers who don't take the time to properly stage may end up with their house on the market for longer periods of time, and agreeing to a lower selling price to a buyer who can see the potential the home has that other viewers did not.

Though professional home stagers may be needed if a home is completely empty, the majority of staging can be accomplished by the seller. A quick visit to some newly built model homes can help a seller get an idea of how interior designers and stagers prepare a home. There's a delicate balance between keeping the home sparse enough to appear as spacious as possible, and picking the right pieces to maintain a warm and livable space.

The first impression a potential home buyer will have of a house will be of the exterior, so nice curb appeal is important. A fresh coat of paint on the front door, a nicely trimmed lawn, and fresh flowers in a garden or on the front porch are easy and effective staging techniques. A brightly colored patio set in the backyard can help the home's exterior appearance when the buyer steps out the back door.

Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most important rooms in buyers' eyes. Kitchen counters should be clear of all small appliances and other items that tend to gather on them. When counter tops are cleared of clutter, the amount of working surface increases. A splash of color, such as a bowl of fruit is acceptable, but a refrigerator, covered in personal pictures and comic strip cutouts, is not.

Bathrooms should look as open and airy as possible, and above all clean. A new white toilet or tub, or a new set of sink faucets could be a worthy investment during the staging process. Personal toiletries, like toothbrushes, should be removed from sight, while the addition of scented soaps, lotions and clean white towels could give the room more of a spa type feeling.

For bedrooms, remove as much unnecessary furniture as possible, and keep it in the garage or in storage if need be. For smaller rooms, hang curtains high on the wall, and do not cover the actual window with them. Doing so will increase the apparent height and width of the room. Neutralize the rooms by removing all personal pictures and keeping wall colors a nice warm, clean color.

Tips For Green Home Construction

A well-designed green home construction requires consideration of several factors, which must be incorporated in the initial structuring stages. Using eco-friendly raw materials is an important management measure in the construction of green homes. This could include using high fly ash content cement instead of normal cement. Wood salvaged from old buildings and reengineered wood can be used in constructing a green home. It is best to incorporate the green features during the construction phase. Installation of a drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler system is one such measure. Investing in a rainwater harvesting system is yet another step toward going Green. Pathways, drive ways should be made of permeable paving so that rainwater can seep through the soil.

Using Forest Stewardship Council (SFC) certified wood for all wooden fittings in the house is favorable to a green house construction. Even employing no/low formaldehyde based paints for the interiors of the house helps in creating healthier living conditions. Harnessing the power of the sun by fitting solar heaters and photovoltaic cells helps reduce electricity consumption and lower bills. Greater reflectivity of light colored roofs as against dark colored helps in reducing heat buildup in the house. Also, they last longer because since the heat absorbed is less, they do not expand thermally as much as dark colored roofs.

Green Home Construction holistically handles both fixed as well as movable items in a house. It is best to use recycled wood furniture for the house interiors. Various companies advertise recycled plastic furniture for the garden. A green initiative gaining popularity is using cork or bamboo flooring instead of the usual hardwood flooring. Avoid using vinyl linoleum, natural linoleum is a better choice. Make sure that the ducting in the house is leak proof. Ducting leaks cause over 10% of energy losses in a house. Fitting flow reducers to faucets and shower heads and low volume flushes helps reduce 40% consumption of water without anybody noticing the difference. Use on insulation which does not contain formaldehyde helps prevent sickness. Cellulose insulation made out of recycled paper is one such good material for wall insulation.

In a green home construction, effective use is made of low emissive double paned windows. Double paned windows not only provide more insulation but also help make the house quieter. The frames of windows should be made of wood as these provide more insulation. The piping of the house should have a jacket to reduce loss of heat. Use these tips to make your home truly green.

Security Issues of Apartment Management

Staying in housing complexes is advisable compared to dwelling in solitary houses because of the greater safety assurance that one gets in the former case. This is because the condominium management takes some standardized security measures to keep the complex safe so that the owners can stay peacefully at nights. The owner of a solitary house may not have the capacity to engage a high standard security team, but by staying jointly with the people in a complex, he can pool in resources to get one of the best security manpower and automated systems available.

Here are some security issues that need to be addressed for ensuring greater safety to the individual houses in the complex.

• It is true that housing complexes are safer to dwell in than solitary houses, but there is another point also to be borne in mind. The security that is found in housing complexes is a combined one for all the units of the complex. This does not ensure hundred percent securities for the individual units. The security personnel appointed by the condominium management do not have the time to pay individual attention to the large number of units in a complex. Hence the individual units can still be vulnerable to thefts and burglaries. In such a case the individual units need to arrange their security settings by using burglar alarms and other security equipment.

• The housing complex might be making use of sophisticated safety equipment for the whole complex, but when it comes to individual safety the owners of the units can ensure safety for themselves in the most basic and inexpensive ways. The first thing they can do is to install efficient locking mechanisms at the doors and restricting entrance through the windows using window bars. The condominium management can ask the individual units to go for such safety measures collectively.

• The complexes that are very large can be divided into groups of three to five individual houses. The residents of these groups can take turns in safeguarding their premises. Generally it is seen that all people do not go to bed at the same time and throughout the day somebody or the other is awake. Hence security cannot be an issue in housing complexes. If the residents do not have the time to participate personally they can arrange for a paid watchman amongst themselves.

• Usually the condominium management is not very effective in providing personal safety. When it comes to security of life, one should not compromise in any way. It has become a common practice for the criminals to enter a household posing as salesmen or equipment repairing personnel. It is wise to keep the main entrances locked even during the daytime and admit people with genuine credentials. These days there are sophisticated visitor identification equipment that enables you to see and hear the visitor, with a video arrangement, before opening the door.

• The condominium management can be asked to adequately illuminate the driveways, pathways and parking lots to ensure greater safety. It is not advisable for a single person to walk through sparsely located areas during the night time. It is not all that safe to take strolls at late hours all alone. Carrying pepper sprays is a good idea for those who cannot avoid lonely travel during the dark and unsocial hours.

Do You Know the Benefits of Metal Buildings?

Today metal or steel is a much valued building material all over the earth and you can see metal buildings in different sizes and shapes. Lots of business organizations prefer metal buildings for their offices and factories because pre manufactured metal composition can be speedily raised so that they can save time and to some extent can cut the cost on manual labor. A steady increase in the production of steel started from 1855 and Henry Bessemer was the man behind this and again it took quite a few decades to become a well accepted or liked building material. Known as the Bessemer converter, it was first used in Sheffield, the UK.

Superior quality metal has chemical and physical uniqueness that craft it as a perfect building substance. You can recognize why metal can be equally strong and flexible if you look into the chemical content of metal. Iron is the main content in steel and you can see some minor or bigger carbon substances also. If the iron is unadulterated, then these formations will glide pass each other and craft the substance pretty flexible. The carbon molecules will slab these gliding actions and in this manner formulate the substance stronger. If you refer any book, then you can know that metal alloy produced from iron and carbon is more long-lasting than iron alone.

When people hear about metal buildings, then they envisage a large shopping mall or a big indoor stadium or something giant construction. But these are the past thing and metal buildings are much more adaptable and today you can see lots and lots of this type of buildings in the form of houses, offices and factories to name a few. Introduction of new technologies in this field have made it achievable to construct pre engineered metal buildings in different styles. If you visit any websites providing information about buildings, then you can see many designs of stylish buildings there.

If you have any idea to purchase metal buildings, then select a company that offers personalized services by their professionals. Collect details about the company’s reliability and their standings in the construction field. For this you can go through their previously completed projects so that you will get a clear picture about the company. There are plenty of companies doing mega projects and if you select these types of companies, then they will complete your construction works well in time. Before finalizing your bid, do not forget to collect maximum quotations to get an affordable rate.

The main benefit of constructing metal buildings is that the safeguarding of the buildings is less expensive compared to many other types of buildings especially while using wood. If you are using wood, then several types of pests will destroy the wood. If you are building a skyscraper, then you cannot do it without using metal. Earlier construction method will not handle with the weight of numerous stores on top of each other and only metal buildings can survive with this type of structures.

The Role of Estate Agents in Property Sale

In the UK the vast majority of property sales are made using estate agents. People looking to sell their home will use estate agents to advertise and attempt to find a buyer for their property. At the same time individuals searching for a new home will commonly visit their local estate agent. What is the purpose of estate agents and what are the benefits of using them?

The first stage in the sale of any property is to set a valuation. This is a crucial step in being able to find a buyer for the home. Most estate agents are able to carry out property valuations or at least able to find a professional to perform the valuation on their behalf. Valuation professionals can obtain qualifications from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors or from the National Association of Estate Agents. When valuing the property the price needs to be set at an amount low enough to attract a buyer but also sufficiently high the home seller isn't losing out.

Once the property has been valued the next role of the estate agent is to advertise the property. The agent will begin by creating promotional material for the home. This will involve compiling a description of the property that will include photos, measurements and floor plans.

Attracting buyers for the property through advertising is the most important role of the estate agent. To receive high levels of interest in the home the advertising must be of a good quality and should be targeted to reach the appropriate potential buyers. The type of advertising that is appropriate will vary according to factors including price and location. Typically the home will be advertised using traditional methods such as newspapers as well as more recent methods including the internet.

If the estate agent has been successful with the advertising of the home then the next stage will be to arrange viewings. Most estate agents will prefer to conduct the viewings themselves although some will leave this to the home owner. Different agents will have their own style of conducting viewings but whatever the approach the aim will be to achieve a sale.

Land Buying Scam

I highlighted back in December the existence of some very dubious land buying schemes. Whilst other less reputable landlord sites were promoting them and no doubt taking large commissions from these dodgy companies, Property Hawk advice was unequivocal "don't touch them with a 'barge poll'" we said. Now I have learnt from the BBC that Action Jack a company marketing plots of land is the third company to be wound up by the Insolvency Service for corporate abuse. This company acted as the broker for The English Land Partnership (ELP) the organisation that owned the land. The Insolvency Service now part of the DTI is currently taking action against another 21 companies involved in similar land marketing schemes.

Land as an investment
There is no denying that land like property land has been a fantastic investment over the last 10 years. The simple reason for this is that it is treated as a residual cost by developers when doing their development sums. This means that a developer will work out how much it costs to build a development, together with other associated expenses such as finance and profit. They then calculate the total value of the project.

The difference between the two is the amount they can afford to pay for the land. Therefore, as residential values have continued to soar and despite build costs also rising; it has meant that land values have largely continued to rise in line with house prices. In many cases they have actually outstripped house prices as eager developers compete with each other to get 'there hands on' more and more scarce plots of land. This scarcity factor is reflected in the varying proportion that land makes up of total costs in different parts of the country. In the north land costs will typically contribute 40% of the price of a new property. In London and the South-East where land is scarcer, this figure would typically be nearer 60%.

Value reflects use
The value of land however largely reflects what you can do or build on it. This is controlled by the planning system and means that there is effectively a dual pricing structure. Most land is without planning permission and is in agricultural use. The value of this land reflects the economic outputs of its use. In the case of agriculture this is not a high value economic use as only relatively modest profits can be generated from large areas. This is reflected in the current value of agricultural land of between £2-3k per acre.

However, where planning permission is granted for a change of its use for say housing development, its value is transformed in an instant to reflect its development value. Residential building land can be worth millions of pounds per acre, often over a hundred times its agricultural value.

Dual pricing
This dual pricing structure represents 'on the face of it' a great opportunity for speculators to make vast profits by buying land cheap and then waiting to receive planning permission. It sounds simple. It's not; as a town planner I have been involved in the whole tortuous process of land becoming zoned as development land.

The process can take 5 or more years to be included in the Development Plan for the area. Even areas of land on the edge of an urban area have no certainty of being included for development and political maneuverings means that land which is initially included can be removed as potential development right at the end of the allocation process.

Option agreement
All this uncertainty together with the amounts of time and money that is involved in promoting potential development sites through the process means that many sites are bought or optioned by house builders or specialist development companies with access to the necessary expertise and finance. An option agreement incidentally, is where a landowner agrees with a developer to give them the right to buy the land for a set period of time and sometimes at a pre-determined price. This gives the developer the potential to buy development land without tying up all their capital and also gives the landowner a capital sum irrespective of them being successful in their land being designated for development.

Land investment scams
This all brings me back to the reason for this article, which is two fold. Firstly, it is to educate you a little in the 'mysterious' ways of the UK planning and development system. Secondly, it is to warn you of the many land investment scams that are doing the rounds. I was recently alerted by an e-mail from another landlord site that has sent out a marketing e-mail of a land investment scheme being promoted by Leaders in Land. This scheme is not alone.

All you need to do is enter 'land investment' in Google to be bombarded by companies pertaining to offer irresistible opportunities for investment. The scheme in question is typical in that it offers to sell investors a plot of land for tens of thousands of pounds with the promise of large uplifts when it receives planning permission. The reality is that these schemes offer little or no chance of receiving planning permission and will stay in their existing or agricultural use for many life time if not for ever.

My advice - don't touch them with a 'barge poll'. If you want to buy land, why pay semi development value for sites which will never be granted planning permission when you can purchase the same type of land at a fraction of the cost at agricultural prices. Remember, a fool and their money is soon parted - so hang on to yours for a worthwhile property investment.

UK Property Prices Fall But Unaffordability Rises

It looks as though it's going to be bad news on the housing market for the next couple of years at least. Property economists at Capital Economics have said earlier this week that it was possible that the credit crunch, coupled with turbulence in the financial markets, and falling consumer confidence could knock 25% off the value of some houses, taking nearly £44,000 off the current average price for a property of £174,000.

The latest property survey indicates that house prices fell by 0.2% in March, with the average value now at £174,100 - a fall of £2,200 since last summer. Records now show a fall in house prices for six months in a row. Data also suggests that prices are falling in just under 29% of postcodes in the country, representing about 7.5m homes.

Other forecasts last week also suggested that house prices would fall in 2008, and experts are suggesting that the increasingly difficult mortgage market will only serve to drive house prices down even more.

However, despite the recent falls in house prices, a recent Housing Affordability Index shows that homes are far too expensive for most families in comparison to their disposable incomes. In quarter 3 of 2007, homes were found to be at their least affordable since the property crash of 1991, although there was a slight easing of the index as prices fell in the final quarter of the year.

Although there are predictions that house prices will fall by 4% this year, rising mortgage costs will keep houses just as unaffordable as they already are.

The influence of the current wave of immigrants on the economy has been in the news recently. Their impact on house prices has been to make them unaffordable for many British families, according to a parliamentary report. The House of Lords economic affairs committee says that immigration will help to push the price of a home to over 10 times the average wage in the next 23 years. By 2031 the British population will be up from 60.6m in 2006 to 71m, exerting 'a significant impact on the housing market.'

The effect of immigration has already pushed the price of a house up to over eight times the average wage. The committee calculates that it would be only 6.5 without the immigration effect.