Author: Connie - Gadget Girl

When you are selling a home there are a lot of details to pay attention to.  Buyers can be picky and many complain about a lot.  But there are several simple aesthetic fixes that can stop buyers from being turned-off from your home.  The first is overgrown and/or dead landscaping.  Pruning and raking only cost a bit of time and can add some serious curb appeal.  The next thing that you can easily fix to appeal to a wider variety of buyers is paint.  Painting is a relatively inexpensive and simple fix to make.  Ugly wallpaper and paneling can also turn-off buyers.  Although it’s more difficult to take care of, replacing unattractive wallpaper with paint will make a huge difference.  If you have options to remove your paneling and paint those walls too, you should take it, although removing paneling can be very tricky, so be sure to consult an expert before you begin any projects.  Although there are many more buyer turn-offs that sellers can easily take care of, the final one I am going to mention are doors.  Make sure all of your doors are on, hung straight, moving freely, and working properly before you begin showing your home.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Staging your home is one of the best ways to help it sell.  Staging is about creating a mood giving the illusion that your home is brighter, warmer, and sometimes even larger than it might otherwise seem.  Done correctly, staging helps create an environment that makes potential buyers want to bite the bullet.  Staging is the final stage in prepping your home for sale.  It should follow de-cluttering, cleaning, painting, and making any necessary repairs.  To dress a room you can use a variety of items.  Some popular ones are mirrors, lamps, flowers and plants, area rugs, pillows, throw blankets, baskets, etc.  Most stagers recommend using sparse furniture and accenting to make the room’s purpose apparent.  For example, in your kitchen you can rub orange oil into dry cabinets to revive them and make them shine and put out large bowls of bright, polished fruit such as apples and oranges.  It helps your bathroom to add spa baskets with towels tied with ribbon, scented soaps and lotions, etc.  Stagers also recommend that you stage your yard too.  Add plants and flowers as necessary, and remember that potted plants work too.  You can also dress any patio furniture that you have with a fun tablecloth or other bright solution.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

I recently got over a nasty bout of the flu that had me out of commission for over a week.  (That’s the reason I didn’t update the blog at all last week!)  My doctor told me that the flu is hitting hard this year, and that about half of the individuals coming down with the flu have also received the flu shot.  Flu season is far from over, so here are a few tips my doctor gave me on flu prevention for yourself and your home:

• Avoid contact with sick people – this seems obvious, but many people think it’s okay if the other person “just has a cold.”  It’s not.  Limit your contact to prevent germs from spreading – what may not manifest in the flu in one person may turn into a raging case in another.
• Don’t just cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.  Cover your nose too, and do it with a tissue or hankie.  Then immediately throw out the tissue or wash the hankie.  Avoid covering your mouth/nose with your hand or arm unless it’s an emergency.
• Wash often.  Use a moisturizing antibacterial soap so you don’t dry out your skin.  Wash your hands all the time whether you’re sick or not.  If soap and water is not available, use an alcohol based hand sanitizer throughout the day.
• Disinfect surfaces that many people come into daily contact with such as doorknobs, faucets, countertops, television remotes, etc.  A disinfecting wipe makes this super easy although you can use traditional cleaners as well.
• Change your toothbrush.  My doctor told me this is the biggest thing that people forget.  Throw away your toothbrush or otherwise disinfect it so that you don’t re-infect yourself.
• Clean your cell phone.  There is a study I read recently that showed that cell phone surfaces are covered in more unhealthy bacteria than the inside of an average toilet.  How disgusting is that?  Cleaning your cell phone thoroughly at least once a day should become a daily part of everyone’s routine to promote good health.
• And of course, don’t forget to get as much rest as possible.  A rested body promotes a healthy immune system much more than a tired one.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Off season at the beach can be very relaxing.  If you’re looking for something to do in the Lewes/Rehoboth Beach area, check out the following activities:

1.  See a movie.  Check out Movies at Midway for a popular feature film, or check out rehobothfilm.com for a more artsy choice and schedule of events.

2.  Visit an Art Gallery.  Lewes and Rehoboth are both brimming with art galleries and many of them are open during the off season.  They are definitely worth a look.

3.  Visit Cape Henlopen State Park.  There’s a lot to do there and it’s always worth a visit!

4.  Shopping.  Route 1 through Rehoboth Beach is brimming with outlets that are much more pleasant to shop at when they aren’t filled with beach-going tourists.

5.  Walk on the beach or boardwalk.  Walking on the beach in the winter, when it is all yours to enjoy alone, is a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.  If walking on the sand doesn’t thrill you, you can stroll the Rehoboth Boardwalk instead.  The view is equally lovely.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you — 302-644-2266.

Just because the bank offers you a $400,000 mortgage doesn’t mean that it is wise for you to take the full amount.  Generally speaking, you should take at least 20% less than the bank offers you in order to protect your financial security.  By purchasing a home at the very top of your budget, you risk being in a tight financial position for very many years in the future if anything should go wrong.  Additionally, unless you are willing to take a risk, you should always go with a fixed-rate mortgage for a set period of time.  A traditional 15 or 30 year mortgage will protect you against a jump in your monthly payment in the future.  Finally, don’t get caught off guard by unexpected costs.  In addition to the down payment and closing costs be prepared to pay appraisal fees, broker fees, loan application fees, inspection fees, plus ongoing costs like property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, homeowner’s association or condo fees, and hazard/flood insurance in addition to your monthly mortgage payment.  To be best prepared for all of these costs, be sure that you keep a significant portion of cash available rather than using it all toward your down-payment.  This will help insure better financial security for your family and your future.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you –302-629-6693.

Improving your home is helpful if you’re trying to sell, but it’s also beneficial for you and your family if you intend to stay in your home for the long term.  An improved home helps you feel more organized and just all-around better.  If you’re looking for relatively easy and inexpensive ways then start by going around your home and fixing everything that’s broken.  Repair the broken leg of your coffee table, clean out your showerhead so that you get a complete flow, reseal windows and doors that are drafty, take your broken toaster to the repair shop (or throw it away!), etc.  Spend a week taking care of all the little things in your home that need some TLC and throw out what you don’t need anymore.  After you’ve done that, take it a little further and purge your home of the items you no longer need, want, or use.  By getting rid of all the excess in your home you will remove stress and create space that will improve your quality of life in your home.  If you’re not sure where to start, begin by donating clothes that no longer fit or you no longer wear, get rid of books that you’ve already read and movies that you’ve already watched, and move on from there.  Finally, as I’ve said a thousand times before, a good paint job really can improve the quality of your home.  There are studies that show that certain paint colors in certain rooms actually make people happier.  Do a little research and spend some time painting your home.  Begin with the two or three rooms you spend the most time in and see what a difference it makes!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Paying down your mortgage early is a great thing to do, and can be considered a good investment for many homeowners.  I, myself, am not a financial advisor, but I have culled several interesting articles that outline the pros and cons of paying off your mortgage early from several finance and real estate experts.  First, check out this article, which outlines the benefits of mortgage repayment.  Then, check out this article, which says basically the opposite thing!  Finally, check out this article, which dispels some confusion over whether or not paying off your mortgage early is a good idea.  Whether or not you should pay off your mortgage early is a personal decision that requires a lot of thought and discussion before it’s made.  I know what my decision is, what’s yours?

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Winter can be a treacherous time of year.  Ice and snow can lead to car accidents, falls and injuries.  Falling an ice can seriously injure anyone, but can be especially dangerous for children & the elderly.  But did you know that if someone slips and falls on your property, you are considered responsible and are therefore liable?  Exact laws vary from place to place, but homeowners are responsible to “mitigate risks to others on their property” which means that as a homeowner you are responsible to put forth a good faith effort to keep your property free of ice and other dangers.  Simply put, if you know about ice and snow you are responsible to clean it up.  During storms it is best to salt or sand driveways and walkways to decrease the chance for ice and especially to prevent black ice from forming, which can be the most treacherous since it is not easily seen.  If someone does fall on your property they may file a “slip and fall” lawsuit, which can cost you several thousand dollars (although your homeowners insurance may cover part of it).  To avoid this the best step to take is prevention, so if the temperature falls below freezing you should salt your driveway, sidewalks, and walkways as a precaution.  Laying salt before it snows helps to prevent ice from forming in the first place.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

If you’re putting your home on the market here are five cheap & easy fixes to increase your home’s sale potential.

1.  Declutter.  I’ve said it a million times before, and I will keep saying it… pick up your stuff, put half of it away, and if necessary, rent a storage unit while your home is on the market.  Especially stash collectibles, family photos, and personal objects.  Decluttering your house is the easiest and least expensive thing you can do to make it appeal to more buyers.

2.  Clean.  Deep clean, that is.  In addition to your normal cleaning have your floors cleaned professionally, remove scuff marks from walls and baseboards, pressure wash the outside of your home including the driveway, wash your window treatments, scrub tile, and clean your windows both inside and out.

3.  Paint.  This is another one that I’ve been a broken record about.  Repaint any walls in your home that are anything other than neutral in a neutral shade.  No buyer has ever said, “oh this wall is too tan” but plenty of buyers have said “oh, this wall is just so red” (or blue or yellow, etc.).  Neutral paint can literally sell your home!

4.  New Hardware.  Kitchens & bathrooms are the two rooms that buyers are most interested in.  By changing out the hardware, light switch & plate covers, towel/toilet paper racks, etc. you can give both rooms a mini makeover without shelling out too much cash.

5.  Curb Appeal.  Finally, take a look at your home through a buyer’s eyes.  If it could use a little curb appeal make over consider clearing dead plants, trim plants and bushes, and add some landscaping if necessary.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

If you’re planning on buying a house anytime soon, be sure to check out more than just the home!  Here are three tips to help:

1.  Do a drive by.  Drive by the home at several different times of day, and don’t forget to drive by a few times at night too.  Be sure to drive by during the week and on weekends.  Check it out and get a feel for the area at many different times to be sure that it “fits” you.

2.  Check out your neighbors.  Look at the properties of your immediate neighbors, but also of others in the area.  Check out any shops & businesses nearby too.  Pay attention to the details and remember that neighborhood affects property value.

3.  Look at ratings.  Go online to check neighborhood ratings, school ratings, and crime ratings for the neighborhoods you are considering.  Remember, knowledge is power!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.  The first is to find a real estate agent that you trust to represent you fairly and with your best interest in mind.  The other person you need to get in your corner before you start house hunting is a lender.  Your real estate agent should be able to refer several that they like, but you can also check your bank or credit union and ask friends and family members for recommendations.  Your lender will run your finances and set your maximum price for financing.  This will help direct your search to homes that you can afford.  After you have an agent and a lender in place educate yourself by talking to people with experience, reading books and articles, and talking to anybody you can who can help you understand the real estate purchase process.  Meanwhile you can begin your search!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

It’s been really chilly lately.  If your home is losing heat there could be many reasons: poor insulation, drafty windows, improperly sealed doors, and more.  These energy losses can add up to huge energy bills and a cold family!  In the meantime, check these offending areas of your home and fix any leaks for greater efficiency and less expensive heating bills.

The biggest areas of heat loss in your home are in the doors and windows.  Heat should not be escaping from your doors when they are closed.  If you are losing heat from your doors you can easily replace ripped, worn, or otherwise improper seals on your own by purchasing new seals and weather stripping at a home-improvement store.  When it comes to windows, heat can escape through both the glass and the trim.  Double-paned windows are better at keeping heat in than single-paned windows are.  Insulated blinds or curtains can also help slow heat loss.  If you do have single-paned windows consider replacing them with storm windows or thermal windows.

In addition to your windows and doors, if you have a fireplace it can be a huge source of heat loss in your home.  Be sure to keep your damper closed unless a fire is going.  If you leave the damper open when you’re not burning a fire you can increase your heating bill by up to 25%.  If it doesn’t close tight, consider having it repaired.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

If one of the things on your “to do list” for 2014 is to sell your home, here are three tips to help you, adapted from a list published by Zillow Real Estate Blog:

1.  Know what your home is worth.  In the neighborhood, that is.  If you are going to sell you definitely want to know the comps for your home.  Your real estate agent can help you with this.  You can always start going to open houses to see what’s selling in your neighborhood, and utilize online listings to help you learn more.  Just remember that “comps” are comparable sales, not comparable listings.  It doesn’t matter what people are asking for their homes, only what the homes actually sell for.

2.  Get inspected.  Of course, inspection falls to the seller, but if you want to give yourself a leg up consider paying for an inspection yourself.  If you do you will know what needs to be repaired before you begin negotiating.  If you can plan for repairs in advance you will be able to fix them for less money than they would cost you in buyer credit down the road, or you can price your home with the repairs factored in.  Either way you will save money for the long run.

3.  Stage your home.  By hiring a designer or stager, you will be able to show your home in the best possible light.  Again, even though this is an up-front cost, it will save you money in the long run!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

With January here, it’s time to start fresh.  Here are things that are “must do” projects that you should complete this month:

Pack up the holidays:  Whether you use store bought containers or do-it-yourself solutions, packing up your holiday decorations in an organized fashion is the first project you should take on in January.

Prep for ice & snow: If you haven’t already it’s time to service your snow-blower or dust off your shovel, stock every vehicle with a snow scraper and some salt.  Make a winter-readiness kit for your house too including ice-melt, a roof rake, flashlights, gallons of water (stored in a place where they won’t freeze) and extra blankets.

Service your furnace.  If you haven’t had a professional furnace check recently, now’s the time.

Thinking about buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to be more organized at home, here are a few tips for you:

1.  Create a plan of attack.  One easy way to plan is to create a monthly goal and follow through.  You can find a great list here for some ideas.

2.  Make the beds every day.  It sounds simple, but this one task can really make your home seem a lot more organized.

3.  Keep up.  Empty the dishwasher, load it with dirty dishes, take out the garbage, and do a load of laundry every day.  Keep up on the daily chores that, left undone, can make the whole house seem disastrous.

4.  Pick your project.  Do a project every week, or at least every other week.  Examples include organizing your linen closet, straightening your desk, clean out your junk drawer, etc.  Projects like these take a relatively short period of time and do a lot of good for your home’s organization.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Happy New Year everyone!  If you’re the New Year’s Resolution making type, here are a few great New Year’s Resolutions that you can make specifically for your home:

1.  Less Stuff.  Get rid of clutter, streamline your belongings, and resolve to go room by room periodically (monthly? quarterly? It’s up to you!) to clean out anything you don’t use or love and sell it or donate it.  Also resolve to think twice about the things you bring into your home.

2.  Go Green.  Cut energy usage, install compact fluorescent bulbs and low-flow showerheads, ditch the dryer and hang clothes to dry, turn off power strips when your technology is not in use, go paperless for billing and wherever you can, and other little changes can make a big difference in your home’s carbon footprint.

3. Create A Weekly System For Cleaning.  Make a daily & weekly system for cleaning your home and stick to it.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolutions are.  We hope that 2014 is a wonderful year for you.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

 

From all of us at Cooper Realty Associates, we wish you a happy New Year & hope that 2014 is a joyous & wonderful year for you and yours.

If you’re planning a quiet New Year’s Eve at home, here are a few ideas that might make your evening just a little more special:

1.  Movie Marathon.  Pop some popcorn, heat up some hot cocoa, and snuggle under a soft blanket while watching a few favorite or “must see” movies.  Turn on the TV at about 11:55 and watch the ball drop!

2.  Chinese Food & Puzzles.  Go out early in the day and purchase a puzzle that appeals to you.  Start building it when you get home with the goal of having it finished by midnight.  Order some Chinese food or other take out that you love for dinner and enjoy a night of relaxation.

3.  Share Resolutions.  Spend time as a family sharing your resolutions for 2014, making a plan to stick to them, and coming up with ways that you can hold each other accountable.

4.  A Nice Meal.  Cook or order out several courses of a nice meal, serve it up on your finest china and enjoy!

5.  Game Night.  Break out the board games and cards, or if you’re feeling brave visit Google or Pinterest for some “Minute To Win It” type games and have some fun!

6.  Party In A Bag.  This one is especially good if you’ve got little ones around.  Decide what time you’re going to begin your celebrating and label brown paper bags for each hour.  Plan a spec ial activity for each hour and don’t tell anyone.  Open each bag on the hour and follow the instructions inside.  This can be as creative as you’d like!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Real Estate Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

The New Year is quickly approaching, and it’s almost time to celebrate!  If you haven’t already made plans, consider some of these ideas for a New Year’s Celebration to ring in 2014:

1.  Attend a party.  If you weren’t invited to any, check out a list of local happenings and get in on the action.  Many restaurants, bars, hotels, and even some towns throw their own New Year’s Celebrations.

2.  Throw a party.  If you’re more of a do it yourself-er, throw together a quick New Year’s Eve celebration.  Invite some friends over and order take out of have everyone bring a dish for a potluck-style celebration.  Just call or text a few friends and have a low-key night.  You could play games, have everyone tell their favorite moments or lessons learned from 2013, have a movie marathon, etc.  There are lots of great ideas that don’t take a lot of pre-planning, just get a group together and celebrate!

3.  Dinner out.  Lots of restaurants ranging from family fare to super fancy have New Year’s Eve specials, so take a special someone out on the town for a dinner to remember.

4.  Night Away.  Book a hotel room for the night and sleep over.  Watch the ball drop and just spend time with your significant other.  Extra points if you bring some chocolate covered strawberries and champagne with you!

5.  Stay Home.  There are lots of great ideas for a making a quiet night at home something special.  Pick one and ring in 2014 in the comforts of your own home.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Real Estate Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

The time leading up to the holiday season is full of fun, family, parties, anticipation, joy, and even stress.  But after New Year’s has come and gone and the holiday season is officially over for another year many people feel a post-holiday let-down.  It’s understandable, and here are some tips to combat it:

Manage Expectations.  Once the excitement of the holiday season has passed and things have settled back to normal routine, you should expect to feel some sense of let-down because your adrenaline is most likely pumping far less often than it was throughout the past few weeks.  You should not expect to ride the wave of holiday joy forever.

Look on the Bright Side.  The break in routine that the holidays provides gives you a chance to rest and rejuvenate.  Even if your holiday season was crazy busy, the break from the norm was still enough to renew your perspective.

Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To.  A lot of the joy that comes from the holiday season comes because we are busy being out and about, enjoying friends and family, and creating memories and experiences.  There is no reason to stop that once the holidays have passed.  Giving yourself something to look forward to each week can help keep your spirits up.  Make a lunch date with a friend, join a co-worker for a cup of coffee, go for a manicure or massage, plan a low-key dinner party for a few friends or family, take a class, go to the movies, or whatever you’d like, just make sure you plan something each week that gets you out and about or around other people.

Exercise.  Shoot for 20-30 minutes a day of exercise.  Even if you just walk around the block a couple of times, getting out of the house and getting your blood pumping is healthy for both the body and soul.

Give Back.  Volunteer your time for a cause you care about, donate unwanted items to a shelter or charity, or offer your skills to an organization that could use your help.  Volunteering is a great way to both feel useful and connect with your community, both things that help reduce feelings of sadness.

Get Help.  If you are unable to cope and find that nothing helps you beat your post-holiday blues consider getting professional help.  You may be suffering from more than a slump, and getting professional help might be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you — 302-629-6693.