Your home’s square footage doesn’t end at the garage door. This once neglected, disregarded and, dare I say, abused space is among the largest rooms in the house. For decades it has slid into cluttered oblivion, too jam-packed with “stuff” to even park a car inside. But things are changing. Homeowners are expanding their organizing and remodeling zeal to the garage, which has become an extension of living space that has moved beyond its utilitarian origins. The garage plays an increasingly important role and can be a help or a hindrance when selling your home.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Americans spent $2.5 billion on garage remodels in 2005. The number one garage rule: turn it into a garage. Buyers aren’t interested in garage conversions. If they needed an extra bedroom or family room, they’d look for a bigger house.

You don’t have to turn it into a show garage, but a finished garage will help sell your house. The garage is simply too big and too valuable to let its space go to waste. Function and organization are the key elements of a garage that will be an asset when you sell.

1. Capacity. The two-car garage is outdated. The trend for three-car garages began around 1992 and these days, four-car garages aren’t uncommon. Many home buyers have project cars, classic cars, RVs or boats to store. Some have teenagers who are driving. Others just want the extra storage space. Whatever the need, the added square footage is as important in a garage as it is inside the house.

2. Size. A standard-sized garage measured about 21 ft. x 21 ft. and was about 7 ft. high in the 1980s. Today’s SUVs, oversized pickup trucks, RVs, boats and trailers demand a larger garage. To accommodate bigger vehicles, the dimensions should be at least 22 ft. x 22 ft. by 9 ft. high.

3. Space. When it comes to garages, it’s all about size and space. Extra space is a bonus that can be used for storage, as a workroom or even as a playroom for the kids, especially if the home doesn’t have a basement.

4. Location. The trend for placement has come full-circle, with many garages now being located at the back of the house and even detached garages on an alley. While that creates better curb appeal out front, many home owners don’t want to sacrifice backyard living space. If the lot is wide enough, the side-load garage is still popular and can be easily disguised to look like a wing of the house.

5. Storage. Because storage is always at a premium, the garage offers another opportunity for stashing seldom-used items or tools and items for outdoor use. Organizational products can cost anywhere from $100 to $10,000, but are well worth the investment. At the minimum, add wall hooks or pegboard for hanging up garden tools and bicycles. Shelves keep clutter from accumulating on the floor. Closets are great for hiding coats and boots. Cabinets and workbenches are bonus features that can close a sale.

6. Lighting. Replace that single center bulb with an 8-ft. fluorescent light strip. If you have a workbench or bonus space, additional lighting will be necessary and can include LED task lighting, spot lights or more fluorescent strips. Don’t forget outside lighting. Place two fixtures on either side of the garage door and additional fixtures by every outside access door.

7. Flooring. The garage floor should stand up to dirt, oil, salt, paint and other debris. Flooring not only upgrades the look, but also increases resiliency to stains and tires marks and hides imperfections. Choices range from epoxy resin-based paints to rubber mats and tiles. Paints and coatings come in a limitless range of colors and are now available with a gritty element for more grip, less slip. Mats and tiles provide a vapor barrier and cushion your feet. They also reduce the amount of dirt tracked inside and act as insulation and noise reduction.

8. Access. Oversized garages benefit from a walk-through door to the back or side yard, which also increase air circulation or reduce heat loss, depending on the season. Drive-thru garage designs are convenient for moving lawn tractors, trailers and other equipment out of the garage and for families with multiple cars.

9. Doors. Particularly if the garage faces the front of the house, the door should be an attractive complement to the house’s style. Design, color and materials can make this a stylish aspect of the home’s exterior. Doors should be lightweight, secure, functional and should enhance your home’s appearance. The first automatic garage door opener became commercial in 1954. These days, the door opener is practically a must and often considered a standard feature.

10. Finished walls and ceilings. Finishing a garage makes it look clean and “complete” and prepares the space for customization. It’s one less thing a buyer will have to do. Make sure the garage is insulated before you finish it off; that will save on heating and cooling bills. Don’t expect to get 100 percent return on investment with all these garage upgrades, but these amenities are sure to make your home more appealing to buyers.

Lori Lovely is a real estate contributor for the Indianapolis real estate website of ICON Realty Partners, LLC. The website, located at www.indyhomespecialist.com, features helpful information about buying and selling homes in any market.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/top-10-garage-features-that-help-sell-a-house-1576339.html

In real estate, many opportunities exist for making money but one in particular was devised in 2006, known as the sell and rent back scheme, as a means of helping out homeowners at risk of losing the property. The concept was to get away from repossession or foreclosure by selling and renting the home back. For instance, the homeowner having trouble making payments could work with an investor to have a quick sale done on the home but instead of moving out, the homeowner would remain in the property but pay rent to the investor that purchased it.

This scheme continued for about a year at which time it evolved into a different type of plan for helping the homeowner. People that had owned property for years usually had a significant amount of equity and with homeowners not wanting to lose this money, the sell and rent back scheme headed in a new direction. At that time, the homeowner having financial issues would have the option of buying their home back after getting debt under control, which meant most of the equity was untouched.

While this sounds great, homeowners interested in this type of plan need to use caution. Below are several problems that might arise from this type of arrangement so anyone considering a sell and rent scheme should know how to identify and avoid them.

Fees

With this particular real estate scheme, associated fees would be the responsibility of the buyer, which might include things such as inspection, solicitor expenses, and surveys. Since the buyer pays these and other fees, if the now renter were ever asked to pay for something, they should be wary in that if the sale were to fail, fees would never be recouped.

Rent Increase

Obviously, the buyer and now renter would sign a contract but all of the information needs to be carefully read before anything is signed. For the rent contract, close attention should be on monthly rent payments. If the contract states that the buyer can increase rate twice a year, this means they are taking advantage of this situation. Unfortunately, dishonest buyers or companies will set rent payments for six months and then increase them so high that the renter cannot afford the payments, forcing them to move.

Home Sale

The new homeowner would have right to sell the home if wanted, which would again put the renter in a bad position of needing to move with little notice. If the sale of the property were covered in the sell and rent back contract, then certain restrictions need to be outlined. This way, the buyer would not be allowed to sell the home unless the renter provided written authorization.

For the sell and rent back scheme, negative aspects exist, but there are also positive features of this situation too. Most importantly, the homeowner at risk of losing the home to foreclosure would be safe. While the owner could put the house on the market, the challenge there is with the current economy and real estate market, prices are low and property is moving slowly. Therefore, the homeowner should put pen to paper, looking at the numbers to determine if a normal sale makes sense.

In addition, the homeowner is not at financial risk for this kind of scheme since the buyer has the responsibility for paying fees. This transaction is private, a situation that could save the homeowner embarrassment. Since the homeowner would remain in the home as a renter, nosey neighbors would have no idea that a sell and rent back scheme had occurred.

Sadly, in the past two years, millions of people have lost homes to foreclosure. While not for everyone, the sell and rent back scheme does protect homes, making it a possible solution. However, anyone in this situation should not wait until things have become too bad, instead taking action.

Allison Clarke is a real estate investor based in Texas. He is a former estate agent and writes widely about issues related to real estate and finance. He is currently studying the latest developments in the UK national home buyers market and how it’s been progressing during the recession.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/success-for-the-sell-and-rent-back-real-estate-scheme-1570524.html

People who approach me would usually want my help and advice on how to sell their homes fast.  I have been selling Sun City Arizona Real Estate for quite some time already and in those times, I have followed mostly these two principles that I will be sharing here.  Prices in Real estate nowadays market are coming down.  Homes are sitting on the market longer compared to the past few years.  For me to be able to sell my listing fast, my listing must stand apart from the other houses in the neighborhood.  If possible, I would like to have the best looking house with the  most affordable price. My house must be well maintained and cleaned.  Buyers in today’s market are pickier than ever.  Selling today in this economic climate will require a great deal of marketing effort.  As I have mentioned, there are two things that I usually do so you may also do this for you  to be able to sell your house.

ADVERTISE- I usually advertise property early.  I advertise the property for a full week before the open house.  Chances are there will be a good possibility that it can stir up attention to the property.  If buyers call me, I take their names, phone numbers and email addresses inform them about the date and time of the open house and tell them that there are also other buyers that are interested  in this property.  This may motivate buyers.  And human nature is if a buyer sees a competition, they want to be the first to get the good deal.

PRICE- If I want to sell the property fast, I must price the house right. Selling a house is a tremendous undertaking.  It becomes more challenging when the real estate market is more favorable to buyers like right now.  You must have the patience to weather the storm.  So first of all, I check and see what other homes are sold for in Sun City Arizona Real Estate, and how long they were on the market.  Then I find the closest most comparable house to what I am selling.  Then I price the house that I am selling sometimes lower than the other comparable homes.  Of course there are still a lot of things to do to sell your property.

These two tings will only be applicable if you are ready to sell your house.  After all the house makeover of course.  Because these two things could not be applicable if the property you are selling is not yet ready in the first place.  So be confident and start dressing up your house now so that in no time you can start advertise and get it ready to sell.

Nikolai Riasnianski is a Real estate Top Agent and Certified International Property Specialist who will work with you in fulfilling your Sun City Arizona Real Estate goals. Visit http://www.nikolairealtor.com for more info.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/selling-your-house-fast-1567527.html

Open houses are never going out of style even in this age of the internet. Buyers still want to look at the properties they’re interested at buying in person; and they should. And if you’re visiting Miami homes open houses for the first time, see to it that you know these three important things to help you keep your eye on the real prize.

Ask questions 

Even if you’re are going to be guided by a real estate agent when attending Miami homes open houses, don’t give them the control. They are just there to guide you through the home and let you look at the definite features of the property. Being a good host is one of the most important tasks of an agent, but yours should be inquisitiveness. 

Once you’re done with the walkthrough, go at it again the second time and ask all the questions that are relevant with the purchase. It’s easy to get your attention carried away with a narrated walk through, so another one can help you concentrate on the features the agent was talking about. 

Confirm the description 

Many real estate agents are adept in embellishing the description of probably all the Miami homes you’re interested in checking. They sometimes even exaggerate the square footage of each room as well the entire house. Be a wise buyer and carry your own measuring tape, if possible. You cannot be too sure if your future plans will actually fit your new home. And before you end up getting disappointed, always get the numbers correct during your visit. 

Try to compare the property you’re visiting with your current one. What are its advantages over your current residence? What features does it have that your present home is missing? Always see to it that you see every nook and cranny of the prospective home and ask questions about them later. 

Always look at the bigger picture 

Sellers are famous for staging lively and extravagant open houses. While this is to ensure that their properties are going to get notice from buyers, this shouldn’t keep you from looking at the bigger picture. 

Don’t let the fancy charade or the fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen fool you into buying the property outright. As much as possible, see yourself and your family living in every Miami homes you visit. Try every light switch to make sure that everything works, and draw the curtains to see if the view works for you. You owe to yourself and your family to make sure that the new property you’re about to purchase will be a step-up from your current one. 

Mark Michael Ferrer 
Miami Homes

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/things-to-keep-in-mind-when-attending-miami-homes-open-houses-1556858.html

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 39 percent of U.S. households have at least one dog and 34 percent have at least one cat. More than half of the feline-friendly households are home to more than one cat. In total, there are 74.8 million dogs and 88.3 million cats sharing our homes.

Americans love pets … until they’re house hunting. Don’t take it personally. Even pet lovers can be less than enthusiastic to see someone else’s animals in the surroundings they’re trying to envision as their future digs.

Selling a home where pets live can be challenging, but before you kick Fido and Fluffy to the curb, there are steps you can take to minimize the negative impressions they leave behind for potential home buyers.

Some real estate agents advise sending your pets on “vacation” while your house is on the market. Boarding them at a kennel is usually not a financial or fair option, but you could consider letting a friend or relative keep them until you make the sale. However, while this does reduce odors and fur balls and makes showings more convenient, often it’s still not a practical solution.

During showings and open houses, if at all possible, take the pets with you. These events last only a few hours at most, so enjoy a long walk or some playtime at the park with your pal. If you must leave them home, place them in a crate or carrier with a note asking that they not be disturbed. Since you never know how they’ll react when confined in the presence of strangers, this will reduce their stress and keep everyone safe.

With a security plan in place, it’s time to think about removing signs of pets in your home. De-cluttering applies to pets too. Just because you have pets doesn’t mean potential home buyers want to be reminded of it at every step.

* Put away food and water bowls when it’s not feeding time, or at least during showings.

* Remove photos of pets.

* Vacuum daily. Use lint brushes when and where necessary.

* Remove stains from furniture, rugs and carpets. Hire a professional and then spot clean as needed. If stains can’t be removed, replace the flooring where damage is severe or cover small stains with a throw rug or furniture, as appropriate.

* Repair damage from chewing and scratching.

* Put pet toys and all other animal paraphernalia (carriers, leashes, brushes, beds, etc.) away.

* Clean up dog waste in the yard.

* Keep litter boxes clean and out of sight.

One of the biggest complaints from potential home buyers involves pet odors. Nothing turns off a buyer faster than the smell of urine. Air fresheners don’t do a good job of masking odors, so try enzyme cleaners such as Simple Solution or Nature’s Miracle or hire a professional.

Most home buyers realize that your house is your pets’ home, too, and they’re usually tolerant of reasonable wear and tear. But when your house is on the market, it’s a good idea to put your best paw forward by presenting a clean, odorless and for the moment, pet-free environment.

Lori Lovely is a real estate contributor for the Indianapolis real estate website of ICON Realty Partners, LLC. The website, located at www.indyhomespecialist.com, features helpful information about buying and selling homes in any market.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/how-to-sell-a-house-with-pets-1551898.html

If you looking to sell your house in the next couple of months have a think before you do so.

When looking to sell my house I had a big question to ask myself, will I get the price I want, and if not am I likely to get it iint he next year?.

When selling a house its always difficult to know what to do. Historically prices have always gone up, its peaks and troughs and all about timing, however with the restriction on bank lending at the moment I cant see how prices will contain to climb over the next 12 months. The only people selling property are those with enough equity to fund the next purchase, remember based on the lending criteria today most banks require a minimum of 25% deposit.

The case rich buyers will only last so long and when looking to sell my property this was the biggest factor. Most young buyers do not have £50000 as a deposit, and generally first time buyers and the buy to let industry sustained house prices. The number of private property sale have gone up because people want to save money on Estate Agent fees and quite rightly.

Prices are on the rise slightly but beware this is a false economy, unemployment is still rising, the result of large redundancies has not been fully realised, and Britain is up to its eyes in debt.

Whether selling a house or renting choose carfully when and where.

Craig Baldwin
sell home with sell my house with sell property

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/selling-your-house-the-real-cost-1541688.html

Are you looking to sell your Galveston house fast? If you want to sell your house quickly, there can be many options available to you. The important thing is for you to come up with a good choice. But how would you know if you’re in the right track and is doing a deal with the right people? This may not seem an easy task especially if this is your first time, and this is where the help of qualified real estate investors come in. However it is significant to determine who to deal with and make sure that you arrive at a decision that will benefit both of you.

Many homeowners think of selling a house as quickly as possible and most probably end up being tempted to do the deal right away. But this does not mean that you have to spend so much time deciding on what to do and what should be the key steps in order to get started. If you do it alone you might confront a difficult situation. You are fortunate if you get hold of the most reliable real estate investor who would be willing to help you to get through the process. You may be asking what this entails and how would it aid you exactly so that you don’t have to face all the rough-and-tumbles in going through the whole process, the transactions etc. The point is for you to be able to make up your mind when selling your Galveston house. If it is something that you would like to be done sooner then you need someone who could help you out, if you are not knowledgeable enough to do it on your own then better get some help and contact them right away. With the help of an expert, you will be able to deal it ahead of time.

If you simply need help to sell a Galveston house, real estate investors in your area can purchase it and cash you out in a short period of time. Likewise, they will manage the repairs and the house renovations. You will also find real estate investors who are looking for all kinds of single and multi-family houses. So you don’t have to worry much if your house is not in a perfect state. They may also provide different options to which you can choose from depending on what suits best to your situation. Furthermore, they may even assume the financial hassles by paying the monthly mortgage payments. Some real estate investors in your local area will offer to take charge of the rehab or house maintenance needs, whatever condition or  in other words no matter how minor or serious the case may be.

To Sell Your Galveston House Fast or to Stop a Galveston Foreclosure You Need To Contact Us Today Before It Is Too Late!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/sell-a-galveston-house-quickly-1538378.html

Many sellers are experiencing difficulties in selling their properties. Even though the National Association of Realtors shows that there has been increased in sales of properties for this year, it is still not a proof that home selling could be easier in the next years. The increased in sales was very dependent on the implementation of the first-time homebuyer’s tax credit. In addition, if this program were not to be extended, for sure home selling will become more difficult. 

If you have been experiencing many difficulties in disposing your properties, it may be time to venture into another activity. For the meantime, renting may be a good option. 

How does renting benefit you? First, this gives you time to earn income using your property. Instead of allowing it to sit in the market and continually lose its value, you might as well be getting some cash. Second, this is the wisest thing you can do while waiting for the market to pick up. Third, if you have to pay mortgage, this will help you lessen your burden. You have the ability to pay your expenses in maintaining the home coming from the rental income and not out of your pocket. 

Rental opportunities are not exclusive for those who have been unsuccessful in selling their homes. Other hints for renting out a property are the following: 

1. People who are emotionally attached to their properties and are not willing to dispose of it. 

2. For those people, who have been temporarily re-assigned for work, but still have plans on coming back. 

3. Those who have second homes yet are not ready to dispose of the property because they want to use it as a vacation home. 

4. Those who know exactly how to be a landlord. 

5. For those real estate investors, who wants to diversify activities other than selling properties. 

As you can see, rental is the best option when you just have homes that are eating your budget. Homeowners will still be responsible for maintaining the property even not used to maintain its value at all times. When it is not in use yet you feel you have some need to keep it, then use it to extract additional income. Besides, you really do not have to push for sale right now. Renting out your property is the best strategy to use if you want to play the market right. 

However, as far as being a landlord is concerned, you cannot rent out a property unless you know exactly how to run such business. This activity may involve legal concerns and if you are not able to meet the demands for renting, then it is best not to jump on the opportunity unless you have learned what needs to be learned. But no worries. If you have seen hints that you are up for renting out your homes but you just do not have the knowledge, you can always learn it. Just look up your state or local rental laws and know them by heart.

Discover the best rental properties and great rental tips in Aviano Phoenix AZ Houses for Sale, Phoenix AZ Homes for Lease and Houses for Rent in Sun Lakes AZ.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/hints-for-renting-your-house-1531755.html