http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/finance/real-estate/10-ways-to-increase-your-homes-value.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/real-estate/10-ways-to-increase-your-homes-value.html Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600
Clean Up the Yard

First impressions are difficult to overcome. As such, you want to make sure the first impression of your home is a positive one. Therefore, be sure to take the time to make your yard more appealing. This can be accomplished by pulling weeds, trimming the hedges, and mulching your flowerbeds. If you don’t have flowers or bushes, spend a little money to liven up your yard. The price you pay will be well worth it when the value of your home goes up.

Make Outdoor Repairs

If the outside of your home looks unkempt, a potential buyer won’t even bother to go inside. Therefore, you may need to repaint the outside of the home if it is dingy or peeling. If you have siding or brick, use a power washer to get it clean and make repairs of trim is falling off or otherwise looks frayed.

Paint Your Walls

A fresh layer of paint on your interior walls will help to brighten up the room and make your home look fresh. While it is possible to simply wash the walls if they are still in good shape, repainting is often a good idea because it allows you to change the color. Ideally, your walls should be painted in a neutral color. This way, potential buyers can more easily visualize what they will do with the house. In addition, you don’t have to worry about scaring away potential buyers because of an unappealing paint color.

Shampoo the Carpet

Carpets can look amazingly better after being cleaned. You can hire someone to do the cleaning for you or you can rent a shampoo or steam cleaner for a relatively low price.

Update Your Kitchen

Giving your kitchen a facelift doesn’t have to be an expensive process. While it is easy to spend thousands of dollars on a kitchen renovation, you can keep the cost down by simply refinishing the cabinets. To make the kitchen appear brighter and larger, try using a light finish on the cabinets.

Make it Brighter

Potential homebuyers prefer homes that feel light and airy. To help create this feeling, increase the wattage of the bulbs throughout your home.

Change Light Switches

Speaking of lighting, changing out your switches and outlets can also go a long way toward increasing the value of your home. By installing new, modern-styled light switches and outlets, you make it appear as if the electrical work is also newer. In addition, installing dimmers makes a home more appealing.

Clean Up the Clutter

If you are still living in the home while you try to sell it, make sure all of the clutter inside is cleaned up when the house is being shown to a potential buyer. A tidy home looks more spacious and makes the home appear more elegant.

Change Your Blinds and Curtains

Blinds and curtains can become dull or faded from exposure to the sun. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a great deal of money to replace them. If you are going to paint your walls, choose the curtains to match the new color.

Add Trim

Adding ceiling trim and cornicing can really help make a room stand out and make an impression. Again, make sure the trim you select is painted so it matches the wall paint. Painting the trim with a high gloss white while painting the walls with a flat, neutral color is a great combination.

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This article was written by Shannon Kietzman (www.ShannonKietzman.com) on behalf of Regent Property Group (www.RegentPG.com), home and office real estate specialist in the Austin real estate market. Regent offers turn-key commercial and residential real estate services to buyers and sellers of homes in Austin, and to professionals in need of commercial space in Austin Texas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/finance/real-estate/saving-the-environment-while-saving-money.html http://www.articletrader.com/finance/real-estate/saving-the-environment-while-saving-money.html Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600
Saving Energy

The most obvious advantage to installing eco-friendly additions to your home is the fact that they save energy, which ultimately save you money. Of course, installing eco-friendly technology isn’t necessarily cheap. Therefore, it may take some time before you save enough money to compensate for the initial installation. If you plan on staying in the home for many years, however, the cost of installation will certainly be well-worth it. In addition, if you are building a new home, installing eco-friendly technology may not be much more costly than installing the alternatives. Nonetheless, the United States government has taken some steps to help offset the cost of going environmental.

Federal Rebates for Eco-Friendly Housing

The United States government has made it far more practical and attractive to install eco-friendly technology. Currently, the United States government offers energy-efficient rebate incentives such as:

· A tax credit of 10% toward the price of purchasing energy-efficient products, with a value of up to $500.
· Up to 30% tax credit for installation of solar panels, with a maximum credit of $2,000.
· A tax credit of up to 30% tax credit for installing a solar water heater, with a maximum of $2,000.

There are certain restrictions that must be adhered to in order to receive these credits, so it is best to check into these restrictions before making a purchase.

State Rebates

In addition to the federal rebates associated with eco-friendly technology, each state also offers its own incentives. In Texas, for example, home owners can receive a rebate for installing solar paneling.

California also offers an attractive rebate program. In fact, if they purchase a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine, they can receive a $4,1000 rebate. Not only will they save with the rebate, this turbine can generate anywhere from 30-80% of the power that a typical home requires.

In many states, a number of factors are used to determine the amount of the rebate you can claim for your eco-friendly additions. In New Mexico, for example, homeowners can enjoy a personal tax credit for installing a variety of energy efficient devices. These include solar water heaters, passive solar space heaters, and more. The amount of the credit, however, is based on the square footage of the home as well as on the certification level of the energy efficient device.

When it comes to saving money while installing environmentally friendly gadgets in your home, it is a good idea to check with your state in order to learn more about available credits and rebates. Although changing out your technology to make it eco-friendly can be a bit costly, these credits and rebates can make it far more affordable.

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This article was written by Shannon Kietzman (www.ShannonKietzman.com) on behalf of Regent Property Group (www.RegentPG.com), home and office real estate specialist in the Austin real estate market. Regent offers turn-key commercial and residential real estate services to buyers and sellers of homes in Austin, and to professionals in need of commercial space in Austin Texas.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>