.jpg?w=300)
There are many different ways to upgrade and create the perfect outdoor space. You can upgrade what you already have by adding simple things to it, you can accessorize, or you can overhaul the entire area by starting from scratch. It’s always a good idea to take these three approaches and use a mix of the strategies.
Sometimes many different types of patio furniture end up being a little stuffy and high maintenance. While these sets can be beautiful, they may not be practical to suit your needs. If you live in an area where you need to put away your furniture for the fall and winter season because you don’t have use of the outdoors, plan accordingly with the type of outdoor accessories that you buy.
You’re better off going for value and finding durable, yet stylish furniture that will stand the test of time. Otherwise, you’ll be replacing your furniture every year without fail. Go a bit more traditional than bold and work your outdoor style around that.
If you start with furniture, you’re left to figure out how to accessorize. There’s no rule that says you can’t find the accessories you want first before you begin to buy furniture. Find your cushions and outdoor rugs first. Then, move on to finding furniture that meshes well with those colors and styles.
Whether you’re replacing your existing patio furniture, or just looking to recreate your space, you can use more than throw pillows and an outdoor rug to accessorize. Find planters that match well with the style you’re looking to achieve. Add in greenery and flowers that will only accent the look. There are a number of options of the types of planters that you can choose from hanging plants to large pots to planters on pedestals. Get creative with your plants and spice up your space. Is your outdoor space near your vegetable garden? Be sure to highlight your hard work and use that as a sort of focal point for your entire outdoor space.
If you’re spending a lot of time outside grilling, you’re going to want a table and chairs available, so there’s no need to truck food in and out of the house each night for dinner. It also would be a good idea o have some storage for food prep items like grilling tools, extra plates, and more just to keep everything you need in one place. These storage items are an important piece to your outdoor space. Whether you are primarily using a deck, patio, or the pool area, thinking practically can really be a big help in decorating.
When a loved one needs a bit more help to get around the house, whether they have simple physical limitations or rely on the use of a wheelchair, you’re going to need to make some major changes both inside and outside the home. You may be overwhelmed with the idea that you need to overhaul your entire home in order to make suitable accommodations. The good news is that you can boost safety around the property and make your home easier for you or loved ones to get around without huge renovation projects that will take months at a time. Below, you’ll find some of the most important projects that will need to be completed in order to make a home handicap accessible as well as safe and healthy.
If wheelchair use is part of the accommodation, you’ll need to check the width of the doorways. Some doorways may need to be modified in order for wheelchairs to move freely about the home. Widening doorways can cost anywhere between $500-$1,000 to complete depending on where the throughway is in the home.
The safest way to make a shower handicap accessible to is make it a walk in tub or a wheelchair accessible tub. Depending upon the extent of the accommodations that are needed, you can go a cheaper route and install a bench seat in an existing shower. Hand rails can also be added to the tub for extra safety.
The simple addition of grab bars can make a big difference in the safety of a bathroom. Make sure that the bars are installed in easy to reach places. Also any supplies that are needed in the bathroom like soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste should be easy to reach. A toilet riser can also be considered to help people who have issues bending down in order to make the toilet easier to use.
The kitchen should be a place where accommodations for handicap individuals are definitely present. First, all supplies should be easy to reach. Next, appliances should be adjusted accordingly. Grab bars should also be installed in the kitchen to make safety a priority and accessibility easy.
Whether or not a disabled person uses a wheelchair, installing a ramp can make a huge difference in the home for a disabled individual. Converting stairways to ramps actually isn’t as expensive as you might think it would be, with costs starting at just $100 for a basic ramp. Custom ramps can run a bit more expensive- as much as $1,000. These make it easier for disabled people to get in and out of the home or around the inside of the home with ease. The total cost can vary based on the size of the ramp and the type of materials being used.
To make a home handicap accessible, thick carpets should be removed. Any types of flooring that make it hard to maneuver a wheelchair or walker should be modified.
An engaging home listing can play a key role in your ability to sell your house. If your listing hits the mark with potential buyers, the likelihood increases that buyers will set up showings to view your residence. And as a result, it may be only a matter of time before you receive multiple offers to purchase your house.
Ultimately, creating an engaging home listing can be simple – here are three tips to help you craft an effective listing for your residence.
1. Provide Accurate Information About Your Home
A home listing often introduces a buyer to a house. If a listing includes accurate information about a residence, a buyer may be inclined to check out a particular house sooner rather than later.
Remember, it is your duty as a home seller to help a buyer make an informed decision about whether to pursue your residence. If you include accurate information about your house's age and condition in your listing, you can make it easy for a homebuyer to determine whether your residence is the right choice based on his or her individual needs.
2. Include High-Resolution Photos of Your Home
An engaging home listing includes lots of relevant information about a home. At the same time, this listing should feature plenty of high-resolution photos that showcase the true size and beauty of each room of your residence.
If possible, take photographs that can help buyers envision what it is like to walk through your house. You may want to clean your home from top to bottom and remove clutter before you take these photos as well.
For those who want extra help with real estate photography, you can always hire a professional photographer. Because if you have a real estate photographer at your side, you can reap the benefits of top-notch photographs that can be incorporated into your home listing.
3. Keep Your Home Listing Simple
There is no need to use big words or complex phrases to try to differentiate your home listing from others. Instead, keep things simple, and homebuyers can decide for themselves whether to move forward with a home showing.
Lastly, if you need help crafting an engaging home listing, you can always reach out to a real estate agent for assistance. This housing market professional can provide expert guidance throughout the home selling journey and ensure you can achieve the optimal results.
A real estate agent will learn about your home and help you put together an informative home listing. He or she also will set up home showings and open house events to promote your residence to prospective buyers. And if you receive an offer to purchase your house, a real estate agent can help you review this proposal and determine the best course of action.
Ready to add your house to the real estate market? Use the aforementioned tips, and you can create an engaging listing to help your house stand out to dozens of potential buyers.
Photo by TeroVesalainen via Pixabay
Flipping a house successfully means keeping your ducks in a row during the rehab process--and that typically means communicating with several vendors to coordinate work, making sure everyone is on the same page, and dealing with delays when they (inevitably) occur. It's worth your while to build a project management strategy and skill set into your workflow, particularly if you aren't accustomed to managing multiple teams on a project.
When you get started on a project, you'll need a list of vendors (electricians, plumbers, landscapers, etc.) and a scope of work for each of them. In some cases, a general contractor will manage all of these for you; in others, you'll end up coordinating the different facets of the job yourself. Regardless of who's doing what, you need to know what your people are working on. Don't micromanage the people you've hired, do check in with your contractor often.
The best suggestion is requiring a report of who's on the job (general contractor, subs, other vendors) and what's getting accomplished each week. This keeps your contractor more accountable and keeps you informed of issues as they pop up.
House flippers use a huge variety of different online tools and apps to keep them on track, and the one that works best for you will be the one you find easiest to use. Many have had great success with Podio, Basecamp, and Asana as well. Learning one of these systems (or establishing your own) and using it to keep you and your team on track will make a huge difference in keeping your project running smoothly.
It sounds simple, but this is a big one. Before your contractors get started, talk them through your goals--in terms of timelines, budgets, and unforeseen issues that arise during the flipping process. Here are a few issues to address with your contractor before work even begins:
Many excellent books have been written on managing a house flip, so don't take this to be an exhaustive list by any means. But it's a solid skeleton of a jumping-off point as you plan out the most efficient ways to manage your projects.
