BELLEVUE REAL ESTATE WEEKLY MARKET UPDATE- JAN 17, 2020

Here's a quick and reliable market report from the month of November, 2019.

 Here's a quick and reliable market report from the month of October, 2019. 

Not enough room. Too much room. Retired. Divorced. Moving. Living in an unsafe neighborhood. Ready for change. These may be a few reasons to SELL your home. 

2020 is TWO days away! As the new year approaches, you probably have goals and dreams that need to be accomplished. One of your goals may be to sell a house, however, we know it’s not as easy as it sounds. That’s why we’re here to help!

3 Quick Tips to Better Prepare your Home for SALE

1. DECLUTTER! Decluttering your home will not only make it easier for you when moving out, it’ll make it more appealing for potential buyers who are interested in your home. 

Western Washingtonians spend an average total of 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced stuff. That's nearly 60 hours we lose each year, searching for things! We know you’re busy, we all are so take it a day at a time. Get rid of clothes or items you haven’t used in months! Recycle or donate your items. If you have valuables that you haven’t used in months but want to make some cash, sell it on Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp. Do whatever you can to free up your space.

Decluttering will not only save you a lot of time in the long run, a clean, organized house can also benefit the sale since having less stuff in your house will make it look bigger. 

2. REPAIR!

There are always small things you can do to maintain your home to keep it fresh. 

 The following are a few things you can do yourself:

• Buy and change a broken or missing cabinet handle
• Add felt pad bumpers on the bottom of your chairs so they don’t scratch your hardwood floors 
• Repair a cracked or broken light switch wall plate 
• Remove a ceiling stain with Hide tough ceiling water stains with a spray-on product called Upshot by KILZ
• To avoid cold air from coming into your home, buy rubber foam weatherstripping. Click here for easy tips on how to seal leaky doors and window sills (scroll to the middle of the page).

For bigger renovation projects such as replacing a door or a broken heating system, hire a professional.

3. PAINT & POLISH!

Walls: Color impacts emotion and behavior. Psychological research on the effect of color shows that more people prefer white or beige walls. A fresh coat of neutral paint on every wall is deal for attracting a buyer. A fresh coat of paint will also fix up marks or scuffs on your walls.

Baseboards and Vents: Dust on baseboards and bathroom vents accumulates quickly. You can use a baseboard mop, a duster or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and to keep your baseboards and vents clean and shiny.

Check out RexMont Real Estate for a reliable home evaluation or insight into some of the most competitive lenders. Whatever the circumstances are, feel free to let us know how we can assist. 

We have a large network of contractors who are reliable and willing to exceed your expectations, competitive on pricing, and will back up their work 100%.

It's easy to find ourselves bundled up by the fire, drinking a cup of hot cocoa with our friends and family instead of keeping up with routine household winter maintenance. Fortunately, winter maintenance is pretty straightforward and there are things you can do yourself that reduce your utility bill and protect your home investment.

Here are 8 tips to help prepare your home for the cold winter season

Prepare for Winter Storms 

Winter storms are becoming increasingly intense and can cause a significant amount of damage. It can bring icy conditions and even blizzards in some areas. Heavy snow builds up on trees and can cause branches to break off and fall onto your home. Brush off the limbs each snowfall with a broom and make sure to keep a snow shovel, gloves, and window scraper on hand.

If you have a generator, make sure it works. Keep batteries, flashlights, candles, and lanterns in the event of a power outage, as well as a battery-powered radio in case you lose a cell phone signal. You will be able to stay up to date with news and weather from your local news station. 

Make Sure your Heating System is Ready

Winter is here, which means it's time to prepare your heating system for the long, cold days. Test your thermostat by switching on the heat. You should hear it click right away. Change the battery in the thermostat at the beginning of the season and it will run all winter. It's a good idea to have an expert perform a routine maintenance check of your heating system to ensure it is working properly. Consider installing a timed thermostat that keeps your home cool while you are gone or sleeping to save money on your utilities.

Seal Leaky Doors

As the temperature starts to fall, the last thing you want to deal with is cold air coming through your windows or doors into your home. Save on your electric bill by purchasing a draft stopper off Amazon. Door stoppers prevent cold air from entering your home and warm air from leaving. It is an inexpensive way to seal your doors and keep cold air where it belongs-- outside. They come in different sizes and are easy to install to meet the needs of your home.

Check Window Sills

One easy way to save money this winter is to seal and insulate your windows. There are many types of window strippings available at your local hardware store. We recommend high-quality silicone rubber weatherstripping for a better-looking solution. Once you choose the weather stripping that works best for your windows, make sure the area is clean and dry before installation.

Protect Entryways

We can all enjoy a beautiful blanket of snow outside, whether it means working from home or building a snowman with the kids. Protect your floors by keeping the area around the door clean and dry to protect against moisture, ice, and mud. Even though the wood has been dried out and processed, wood absorbs moisture and causes it to stain or expand. Place floor mats both inside and outside of your door to avoid moisture soaking into your beautiful flooring.

Check Gutters and Drainage

Clearing your gutters from built-up leaves and debris is a chore that isn’t an enjoyable way to spend your time.Gutters keep the rain off your head and out of your garden or lawn. They put the rain where you want it and keeps it from pooling around your house and leaking into the foundation. Gutters are an important part of your home maintenance routine to minimize damage from built-up leaves during the fall months. 

Avoid Ice Dams

Ice dams form at the edge of your roof and prevent melting snow from draining properly. They can look like large frozen lakes or icicles hanging from your roof. The water can leak into your roof, ceilings, and walls and causes damage like mold and mildew.

To avoid ice dams, keep the entire roof at the same temperature by increasing ventilation and adding insulation to keep warm air from forming under your roof. Also, make sure to seal off every leak that might let warm air under the roof. Immediately dry portions of the house that are wet, to get rid of the moisture.

Inspect the Chimney 

Winter is the best time to bring friends and family together and sit around the fireplace. Safety comes first when it comes to building a fire. An unattended fire can easily get out of hand and cause devastating destruction to your property. If you are unsure, hire a professional and they will come in and tell you exactly what to look for. Here are a few things to check for to maintain a safe home for you and your family:

1. Sweep your fireplace to remove a build up of ash or soot.
2. Make sure your fireplace does not contain any loose bricks or cracks that can cause an uneven air flow or water damage.
3. The cap to the chimney should be secured to avoid animals, rain, and other debris from entering your house.
4. Check your alarms. Make sure to replace and test any smoke or carbon detectors.
5. Check your fireplace guard. Your fire should be protected by a glass or metal screen to protect you against embers shooting out of your fireplace.

As always, make sure to check out RexMont Real Estate for a reliable home evaluation or insight into some of the most competitive lenders. Whatever the circumstances are, feel free to let us know how we can assist.

We have a large network of contractors who are reliable, wiling to exceed your expectations, competitive on pricing, and will back up their work 100%.