How to Prepare Your House for Sale

Selling a home is a marketing game. It is no different from trying to sell a used car or sell that family antique you found in the attic on eBay. Image is everything. If you are preparing your home for sale, you have to make sure it stands out.

In the below paragraphs, we are going to take a look at some of the things you have to consider when preparing your home for sale.

Look at the Exterior

The exterior is the first area any prospective buyer sees when nearing your home. Compare it to the homes around you. If there is rubbish in the garden, or the flowerbeds pale in comparison to those of your neighbours, you have work to do.

On the other hand, you do not want your home to be the only one in the neighbourhood that has received heavy renovations. This will make it stand out in a way that is flashy, and not all buyers want something that is going to stand out so much. It should blend into the neighbourhood in a good way.

Depersonalise Everything

The chances are you have photos of your family and friends within your home. They may well make the home a warm and happy place for you, but this is actually a bad thing for potential buyers. These photos show the happy life you have made for yourself in the property.

Prospective buyers want to see the happy life THEY can make for themselves here.

Take them all down and file them away. Show them the template for what they can create. Do not show them your interpretation of the finished product.

Why You Need to Clear Clutter

People think that you have to clear up the clutter because it’s unsightly. Yes, it never looks good to have lots of children’s toys littering the floor, but there is another reason. It is about focal points. You want to draw the eyes of potential buyers to the right areas.

If you have an enormous bay window, you want them to look at it when they enter the room. But clutter can draw their eyes elsewhere. It can be as minor as having huge racks of DVDs sitting in a corner.

We are not saying that you have to empty the rooms of everything, but limit the number of items you have that are visibly on display. You want to give off the impression that there is a nearly unlimited amount of space. Full rooms take away from this illusion.

Control Your Pets

Pets have no place in a home that is up for sale. They shouldn’t be anywhere in sight when a buyer comes to visit. You don’t know if the potential buyer is allergic to animal hair, or whether they even like pets. Do not take this chance; remove the pets from the premises.

The same goes for any pet paraphernalia. Clean up any pet hair long before buyers arrive and remove those squeaky toys.

Some sellers prefer to leave their pets with a family member or friend during the selling process.

Go Away

Speaking of clutter, you are a type of clutter. Whenever someone comes to view your home, they will usually have an estate agent with them. The estate agent will be able to guide someone around the house without your input. In fact, your input is unwanted and only serves to get in the way.

It sounds harsh, but the customer only cares about the house. They are not interested in you or your life. Let the estate agent use his or her professional touch to market your home in the best possible way.

Make arrangements for the estate agent to contact you on an emergency number and give them a spare key. Try to be as flexible as possible.

The Number One Reason Homes Do Not Sell

Every house has an ideal buyer. The reality is so many homes do not sell because of the sellers. Whether it’s because they’re getting in the way or they are not preparing their home to go on the open market, it’s their fault. An estate agent can only do so much.

If you prepare properly, though, there is no reason you cannot get the best possible price.

Author bio: Kingfisher, in UK, is a professional manufacturer and Suppliers of Building Products like Block paving sealer, Wall sealant, Patio sealer and Roof coatings at very reasonable rates.

The Different Types of Damp in a House

Damp is a major threat to all homes. Having any kind of damp issues in a home can cause many health problems, particularly for those with asthma and other breathing conditions. It is also unsightly and generally unpleasant to have around the house. Thankfully, there are experts available who can eliminate all types of damp.

And that’s what you need to know about. There are so many different types of damp, and each type is slightly different from the other, requiring an alternate course of treatment.

In this article, we are going to discuss the various kinds of damp.

Rising Damp

Rising damp is quite rare. If it does appear, you will only see it in the basement or ground floor rooms. This reason is that rising damp occurs when moisture comes up from the ground. Some ofthe signs you will notice are:

• Rotting skirting boards
• White crystals on solid floors
• Plaster beginning to bubble horizontally.

This is mostly found in homes that have had floors converted to concrete.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp comes from the rain or moist ground touching the exterior of a home. It is caused because moisture entering the home has no means of escape. Sometimes it can occur just by moisture levels that are too high within the home.

It is most often characterised by:

• A powdery surface on plaster walls
• Patches of mould have a brown stain around them
• Can be found as often on the ceiling as it can on floors.

What is most interesting is that in olden times, penetrating damp was purposely encouraged. By creating penetrating damp in cellars, it offered a cold store to stop rising damp coming up to the main house.

Black Mould

While the above types of damp are not too harmful to human health, black mould is different. Black mould releases spores that can be breathed in by humans. This can create a burning in the back of the throat while long-term exposure can cause neurological problems. In short, black mould is an issue you cannot afford to ignore.

How can you find black mould?

• Follow your senses. If you can smell something musty, like the wet ground of a forest floor, this is black mould.
• Dark rings on the walls.
• Black mould is greenish-black, but it can also be grey and resembling soot.

You have to be careful when trying to diagnose black mouldas many professionals use the terms interchangeably. Just because something is toxic does not make it black mould. Likewise, just because something is black does not make it toxic.

If you have black mould growing in your home, you need to have it removed as soon as possible.

How are these Types of Mould Caused?

All types of mould need three things to survive. These are:

1. Food. Mould feeds on material such as cotton, lumber, and cardboard asthese contain high levels of cellulose.
2. Water. Areas with substantial amounts of moisture are candidates for mould growth – bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
3. Temperature range of between 5oC and 38oC.

Each type of mould requires slightly different conditions. Generally, those households in humid environments are most at risk. If you have recently been impacted by flooding or heavy weather, you will have a bigger risk as well.

Should You Call in an Expert?

There is always the option of taking care of the problem yourself. Go online and you will find any number of guides for dealing with mould. We wouldn’t recommend attempting it, though. Unless you are an expert, the chances are you’re only going to make the problem worse.

Contrary to popular belief, throwing gypsum over the walls is not going to solve your mould problem. It will always address the symptoms, but it doesn’t take into account the cause. You need an expert to diagnose the type of mould and then to address it.

Conclusion

Mould can cause a real problem for any homeowner. But if you call in an expert as soon as you notice signs of mould, you can stop it in its tracks. Some homes are more susceptible than others are. If you live in an area that is more susceptible to mould, be vigilant and know when to request the help of a professional.

Author bio: Kingfisher, in UK, is a professional manufacturer and Suppliers of Building Products like anti mould, anti mould paint, roof coatings and textured masonry paint at very reasonable rates.

5 Ways to Add Value to Your House

Adding value to your home is not as difficult as might first appear. If you are determined to add value, this article will hopefully show you the way.

Let’s take a look at the five best ways, in our opinion, to add value to your home.

1. An Extension

This is the ultimate way to boost value because, in some cases, you can substantially increase the living space of your home. Although it is one of the most expensive ways to improve the value of your home, it also gives you the most back; so it’s a trade-off of sorts.

The difficulty with extensions is financing the project. It may be a case of sourcing some outside funding to get this project off the ground.

Take note that extensions that drastically reduce garden space have to be carefully considered. A large house with no garden is not always better than a modest house with a modest garden.

You also need to consider the fact that some extensions may require planning permission. Check with the local authorities to ensure you are not falling foul of any regulations. If you go ahead without checking, you could be forced to pull the whole structure down if found to be in breach of the rules.

2. A Conservatory

Conservatories are always popular because these add a room to the home that any owner can enjoy for years to come. As detailed above, the major downside is that it takes up garden space. Homes with already-small gardens may decide against this option.

3. Add a Bathroom

Bathrooms are immensely popular right now due to the demand for en-suites. A new bathroom can cost anywhere from £2,000 to £6,000, depending on the various fittings and tiles you decide on. An en-suite bathroom, even if it reduces the size of a bedroom, can add up to 6% to the total value of a home.

4. Central Heating

Central heating is something many of us take for granted today. However, there are still homes with no, or antiquated, central heating systems. Today’s systems are cost-effective in terms of fuel efficiency and environmental impact.

In terms of a housing improvement, it will cost about £3,000-£4,000 to install a new system, but it can add a massive 5% to the value of a home. It practically guarantees a return on investment.


5. Sprucing Up

While the above suggestions are quite significant and require a tremendous amount of input in terms of time and finance, for those with perhaps no access to funding, a simple facelift could add thousands to the value of a home.

Here are some of our recommendations:

• Masonry paint. The outside of your home is that which catches the eye immediately. Make it look fabulous and you are more likely to get the price you want.
• Replace kitchen countertops.
• Buy new soft furnishings.
• Redecorate the walls.
• Clean up the garden.

In terms of tangible benefit, the above do not really change much of anything. They simply go toward making it more likely that you’re asking price will be accepted.

Bear in mind that selling your home and getting a good price is about appealing to the emotions of the potential buyer.

Working out Financing

Any home improvement relies on getting your finances in order first. For larger projects, you may have to approach a bank and obtain a home improvement loan. If you have a good credit record, this should be relatively easy.

We recommend using your own money when possible. This way you can avoid interest charges, and you will not need to wait for approval, etc. Also, you do not have to worry about making any repayments.

Conclusion

Adding value to your home isn’t rocket science. It is about working out what people are looking for at that particular time and then implementing it. If there’s a trend where people want big gardens, for example, you wouldn’t add an outward extension.

At the end of the day, as long as you do your due diligence before getting started, you will always find a good way to add value to your home.


Author bio: Kingfisher, in UK, is a professional manufacturer and Suppliers of Building Products like anti mould paint, block paving sealant, roof coatings, roofing paint, paving sealer and sealing block paving at very reasonable rates.

The Truth about Roof Coating "Scams"

Recently customers have expressed concern about various web articles and websites condemning roof coatings and "roof coating scams".  Whilst it is certainly true that there have been some questionable claims and selling practices by a few rogue traders, there is a real danger of "throwing the baby out with the bathwater".  After all the double glazing industry had a reputation for dodgy traders  but no sensible person would suggest that all double glazing is bad.  We therefore thought it was time to bring some "Kingfisher" common sense to this "debate" as a respected manufacturer of structural waterproofing products and trainer of installers.

Roof coatings are just another tool for home maintenance like masonry paint for walls, and as with all surface coatings correct preparation is essential to the success of the job. We are therefore careful to train our "approved applicators" to follow a system which delivers consistent results.  We appreciate that not  everyone buying our roof coatings is "approved" or necessarily experienced which is why we detail the procedures in our product data sheet published on our website for anyone to read. This covers pressure cleaning the roof, remedial repairs, surface biocide treatment and correct methods for coating.  You will find a good deal of commonality in recommended preparation across all manufacturers.

Some commonly asked questions and important points:

1.  Will pressure washing damage my roof tiles?

No, not unless they are in exceptionally bad condition to begin with, which is somewhat rare.  Of course there is a partially destructive element to all surface preparation whether it be sanding timber or abrading rusty steel and having embarked on the preparation it is naturally sensible to follow through and complete the job.  After all a car bodyshop wouldn't repair a rusty panel and leave it unpainted!

2.  How do I find a reliable roof coating contractor?

Approach a reputable roof coating manufacturer and ask for the names of a couple of contractors in your area.

3.  How much does it cost?

It varies according to the type, condition, pitch and size of roof, access and geographical location.  An average 100 sqm roof with normal access will typically take 2 operatives, 2 days to clean and re-coat weather permitting. There may be additional time for replacing any damaged tiles or re-bedding the ridges if required.  With material cost of around £250+VAT plus equipment overhead and trade labour rates averaging around £15 to £18 /hr a contract price of £800 to £1200 is perhaps a reasonable guide. As always if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!

4.  I have been told that I can get a "thermal" insulating roof coating, does this work?

No, this really is a scam.  Heat reflective coatings will only reflect heat away from the roof i.e the sun's rays.  Roof coatings applied on the outside of roofs do not insulate!   Avoid any contractor or salesperson pedalling this concept!

5.  How long does it last?

Kingfisher "Approved Applicators" can offer a 10 year guarantee.

6.  Will a roof coating stop moss growing on my roof?

Moss needs both moisture and a nutrient source to grow. Old saturated concrete tiles provide both but "Kolourseal" coated tiles resist moisture ingress and isolate the organism from the nutrient (sand in the concrete).   Over time of course wind-borne dirt accumulates in crevices on your roof so beware sellers who tell you moss will never grow on your roof again but be confident that your newly coated roof will retain its appearance for years to come.

To sum up, roof coatings are just another part of building maintenance.  They can provide cost effective water-proofing and a vast improvement in the appearance of your home without rippiing off tiles which are otherwise perfectly serviceable.  But beware the cowboys!

This article originally published at Kingfisher News here