Tag: of interest

Things You Should Always Ask Your Agent

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If you’re thinking of buying a home, here are five questions you should always ask your agent:

1.  Do you know a great _____________________.
Fill in the blank here with your desired expert.  Your agent should be able to refer you to a good mortgage broker and inspector for sure, but also painters, plumbers, electricians, structural engineers, and any other expert you may need or desire to work with during the home buying process.  Your agent should be a local expert, who will be able to guide you to other local professionals that can get the job done well.  In addition, professionals who often get referrals from your agent will usually treat you better than someone you found on your own because they want to continue getting business referrals from your agent!

2.  What should I expect?/What happens next?
These are questions you should ask continually throughout the home buying process, starting with your very first interview with your agent.  Your agent should be able to help you manage your expectations and guide you from the very beginning of the process until you’ve officially closed and have the keys in your hand!

3.  What are the possibilities here?
Again, you will probably ask this question more than once during your home buying process!  There’s really never a bad time to ask this questions, but particularly good examples would be when you are looking at a home that has a bonus room, unfinished basement, etc.  Your agent should have seen enough home to know what kind of realistic suggestions can be offered for the space.  Another great example would be in your home inspection turns up issues.  Asking your agent what the possibilities are opens up the opportunity for you to discuss requesting repairs, lowering your offer, etc. with an expert who can walk you through it.  My final example would be when it comes time to make an offer, asking about the possibilities gives your agent a chance to walk you through the various contract terms that you may or may not have thought of left to your own devices.  With these examples in mind, I’m sure you can come up with plenty of your own examples when asking this question would be perfect, so use it liberally throughout your home buying process!

4.  What do I need to know about this area?
When it comes to home buying each area is very different.  Again, your agent should be a local expert, so they should be able to guide you and help you with the ins and outs of the local you are considering.

5.  What else should I ask?/What else do I need to know?
This question relies on your agent to be your expert (which, they definitely should be!) and allows them the chance to share with you their extensive knowledge without relying on you to ask every single question.  Remember, your agent has gone through the buying process way more times than you have, so even if you are the type to ask a million questions, be sure to throw this one in there as well, because your agent definitely has expertise that you can and should rely on!

If you’re looking for an agent who can answer all of these questions and more, call us at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

Thank You Veterans!

vetthanks2Everyone here at Cooper Realty Associates would like to take a moment to thank all of the men and women who have served our country and are currently serving in the military right now.  Most members of our armed services make great sacrifices to serve our country, and so do their families.  If you are interested in truly thanking our nation’s veterans, here are two articles that offer some excellent suggestions.  The first article “9 Ways To Say Thank You” can be found here.  The second, “6 Ways To Thank Veterans Every Day” can be found here.  Now, go thank a veteran!

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.

Three Ways To Lower Your Insurance Premium

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If you’re looking for a lower homeowner’s insurance premium try one of these tricks:

Call competitors.  This can be time consuming, but calling several companies for rate quotes can end up saving you quite a bundle in the long-run.  Just make sure the quotes you are getting match the coverage your currently have, otherwise it’s not a good comparison.  In some cases, switching carriers could save you up to 10% annually!

Package it.  Depending on your carrier, you may be able to get a better rate if you bundle your homeowners insurance with your auto coverage.  If you currently have separate policies, call both companies and ask about package discounts.  Who knows, maybe you’ll even save some money on car insurance while you’re at it!

Raise your deductible – A deductible is the amount of money you will have to pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in.  If you’ve got some money set aside to cover unexpected expenses then raising your deductible can save you a significant amount each month.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Southern Delaware?  Give Cooper Realty Associates a call and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

5 Things To Know About Homeowner’s Insurance

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Homeowner’s Insurance is something that everyone has to deal with, but not everyone understands.  Here are five tips for dealing with it:

1.  Shop around.  You shouldn’t just shop around for the best price, you should also shop around for the best agent.  If you need to file a claim, you will have to work with an insurance adjuster.  Knowing, liking, and trusting your agent can make this process much smoother.

2.  Lower your premium.  Insurance companies figure out your premium from formulas that are based on how much risk they forsee in your property.  Taking some preventative measures can lower your premium by up to 20%!  Examples of preventative measures that affect your premium are installing smoke detectors, dead bolts, and alarm systems just to name a few.

3.  Replacement v. market value.  The policy you choose will either cover the “replacement cost” of your home or the “market value” of your home.  A market value policy is typically less expensive, but in the event that your home is ruined by a serious disaster you may not recoup enough to rebuild.  A market value policy will pay out based on how much someone would pay for your home and accompanying land in whatever condition it is in – so basically the insurance company will buy you out at market value after a disaster.  A replacement policy will pay out based on how much it will cost to replace your entire home.  Replacement coverage is definitely recommended, and sometimes even required by mortgage companies.

4.  Time limits.  When you purchase your homeowner’s policy, be sure to ask about time limits for reporting claims and then follow them.

5.  Jewelry coverage.  Many homeowner’s policies limit the coverage of jewelry.  If you have expensive jewelry in your home, even if it is just a couple of wedding rings, be sure to note the jewelry limits in your policy and purchase a supplemental policy (often called a rider) 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 – 302-856-6434.

Tips For Working With Contractors

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Home improvement projects are stressful, and unfortunately working with contractors can make this even more difficult at times.  Contractors are busy people and they don’t want to work with difficult customers any more than you want to work with a difficult contractor.  To make the relationship smoother, avoid disputing payments unless there is an extreme legal reason, be gracious about filling online reviews in a timely and truthful fashion, and offer to serve as a reference for completed work.  These tips will help you build a relationship with your contractor and pave the way for a smooth transaction.

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.

Natural Ways To Get Rid of Pests

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If your yard or home seems to attract pests, but you don’t like the idea of using chemicals to combat the problem, consider these natural solutions:

  • Plant Basil.  This will help block flies, which hate the smell of basil.  Planting pots at doorways or on windowsills or countertops can help repel flies.  Dried basil will also work, as long as the smell stays strong.
  • Vitamin C.  Citrus fruits are good for you and spiders hate them!  Mix unsweetened lemon or lime juice with water and wipe your countertops, doorways and windowsills with it.  If you have a spider problem in your garden spread around lemon, orange, or lime peels.
  • Vinegar.  A half water/half vinegar solution will destroy scent trails that ants use to navigate, thus helping to destroy your ant problem.  Just be sure to wipe down any surface where you’ve spotted ants multiple times a day for best results.
  • Trick Wasps.  Wasps are territorial and will not built a nest within 20 yards of another one.  You can purchase a fake wasps nest that is similar to a paper lantern.  Hang several around your property and you won’t have to worry about wasps taking over.
  • Catnip.  If cats are an issue, this is probably not a good idea, but according to a scientific publication catnip repels mosquitoes more effectively than DEET.  Grow it in your garden to keep mosquitoes at bay.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar.  If fruit flies are an issue, trap them in a glass filled three-quarters of the way with apple cider vinegar, than add 6-8 drops of dishwashing liquid and fill the rest of warm water… fruit flies will be a distant memory!

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.

What’s The Big Deal About Home Warranties?

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A home warranty can be a good investment or a complete waste of money.  Whether or not a home warranty is right for you completely depends on your situation.  There are many different companies that offer home warranties and they all offer different services for different prices, but in general a home warranty costs $300-$500 a year and will cover the cost of repairing or replacing almost any malfunctioning appliance or system in your home.  With a home warranty, when something in your home, like a dishwasher, oven, water heater, etc. breaks you call the home warranty company and they contact the repair company that the contract with and send someone out to fix the problem.  The home warranty would cover the costs, minus a small co-pay.  You can purchase a home warranty at any time that you own a home, but it is a particularly great incentive to offer if you are putting your home on the market.  For usually less than $500 you can offer a year’s worth of peace of mind to potential buyers, which can go a long way to helping your home show well and even sell!

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.

3 Ways To Lower The Cost Of Homeowner’s Insurance

 homeowners-insurance

There are many reasons that your homeowner’s premium might go up, but if you’re looking to lower yours, try any of these quick tips:

  1. Call competitors – Yes, it can be time consuming, but calling several companies for rate quotes can end up saving you quite a bundle in the long-run.  Just make sure the quotes you are getting match the coverage your currently have, otherwise it’s not a good comparison.  In some cases, switching carriers could save you up to 10% annually!
  2. Package it – Depending on your carrier, you may be able to get a better rate if you bundle your homeowners insurance with your auto coverage.  If you currently have separate policies, call both companies and ask about package discounts.  Who knows, maybe you’ll even save some money on car insurance while you’re at it!
  3. Raise your deductible – A deductible is the amount of money you will have to pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in.  If you’ve got some money set aside to cover unexpected expenses then raising your deductible can save you a significant amount each month.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Sussex County?  Give Cooper Realty Associates a call and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

5 Ways To Use Up Fourth of July Leftovers

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If you enjoyed your fourth of July, but aren’t quite sure what to do with all your leftovers, this is the post for you…

1.  Watermelon Cake.  If you have lots of fresh watermelon leftover, cube it up, remove the seeds and mix it up with some white cake mix and other ingredients for this scrumptious summer dessert.  Just watch out!  It will become a favorite.  Click here for the recipe.

2.  Bread Pudding.  If you have a lot of leftover hamburger and/or hotdog buns, cube them up and use them in place of the bread in your favorite bread pudding recipe.  For a delicious recipe option that uses only ingredients you most likely already have on hand, click here.

3.  Hamburgers.  If you fear you’ll be eating hamburgers for the next week or so, crumble up your leftover patties and use them in place of ground beef in your favorite chili recipe.  Then you can freeze the chili in gallon freezer bags and pull them out when you need a quick and tasty meal!  For a simple and delicious chili recipe, click here.

4.  Coleslaw.  Take your leftover coleslaw and turn it into a star ingredient in your next meal with recipes like Easy Moo Shu Veggie Wraps, Asian Style Lettuce Wraps, or Chicken BBQ Sandwiches.

5.  Cupcakes.  Patriotic cupcakes are all super popular, so if you find that you miraculously have some leftover, use them in place of pound cake in any trifle recipe, like this delicious blueberry trifle option.

If you’re 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.

Five Tips To Keep Your Home Safe This Summer

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With Summer vacation season in full swing, keep your home and family safe when you’re away with these tips:

1.  Keep quiet.  Don’t announce your vacation plans on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks and refrain from posting pictures or travel updates until you are back home safely.

2.  Stop your mail.  It’s free to put a hold on your mail at the post office, but asking a friend or neighbor to pick up your mail, newspapers, and packages will do the same thing.  Nothing announces that you’re out of town faster than a mailbox bursting at the seams or a doorstep full of unread newspapers.

3.  Unplug.  Turn off and unplug any appliances you don’t need to leave on to lower your potential fire risk.

4.  Set timers.  Put both outdoor and indoor lights on timers, especially in often used rooms that face the street.  Also consider putting your television or a radio to give the illusion that someone is home.  If possible, vary the timers each day, especially if you are going to be gone for a long time.

5.  Lock up.  This may seem like common sense, but double check all doors and windows to be sure they are locked and engage your alarm system if you have 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.

Garage Sale Tips: Finding Bargains

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Yesterday I talked about tips for hosting a successful garage sale, but if shopping for bargains is more your style consider these tips.  First, be selective.  Even though a dollar here and there doesn’t seem like much it can add up quickly, so unless you want your home to become cluttered with other people’s stuff, be discerning about what you buy.  Don’t feel obligated to buy just because you’re there, and choose things that you know you will definitely use.  Second, shop with a supply of small bills and change – single dollars and quarters are best for scoring bargains and making change quickly and easily.  Last, consider a drive-by.  After you’ve done your research on which sales you are going to hit up, drive by to see if they are as advertised.  If not, don’t hesitate to move on… just because you’re hunting bargains doesn’t mean you need to waste your time.  Enjoy bargain hunting during this garage sale season!

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.

Garage Sale Tips

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‘Tis the season of garage sale-ing!  Garage sales are an awesome way to get rid of clutter around your house when you are preparing to sell, but you can also use them to raise money for a good cause, or just because.  No matter why you’re planning a garage sale, start by collecting items to sell.  The best thing to do is methodically go through each room of your home and put anything unused in a box to sell later.  Once you’ve got your goods for sale, put a price on everything, or if you want to save time, price it when you put it in the box.  Once you’re ready to sell you need to advertise.  The best way to do this is to place a free ad through craigslist.  Post your ad a few days before the sale and keep it bumped.  Include the address, times, and a list of items for sale.  You can also call your local newspaper and ask about ad space, but often it is too expensive to be worth it.  In addition to your ads, create several signs with large bold letters that advertise your sale.  For best results stick to the basics – the words “Garage Sale”, address, date & time.  You can even advertise your sale through your personal Facebook and Twitter account and other social media sites.  Ask your friends to share the info for even greater word-of-mouth!  For the best success make sure to set up your display neatly and in an area that is easy to find.  If you live in a difficult to find neighborhood, consider teaming up with a friend in a better location or purchasing a spot at a community sale.  Price everything, but be sure you don’t overprice it.  Garage sale pricing is significantly below retail value.  Your goal should be to earn a few bucks on something you would otherwise throw away or give away, not to recoup the price you paid for an item, even if it is still brand new.  Finally, consider teaming up with your friends or neighbors for a neighborhood-wide yard sale.  This will generate more traffic and create better success.  And don’t forget, the purpose of a garage sale is to clear clutter, so as soon as the sale is over box up anything that’s left and donate it to a local thrift store or non-profit organization.  Many will gladly take your leftovers and even give you a donation receipt that you can use as a tax write-off next year.

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.

Tax Day Freebies!

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Today is tax day.  If you haven’t already taken advantage of the freebies that many businesses offer today, here are a few you can still get your hands on…

Arby’s – free value-sized curly fries or small potato cakes with this coupon.

Cinnabon – two free Cinnabon bites between 6pm-8pm (not all locations are participating, so you may want to check with your local chain first)

Sonic – enjoy their “happy hour” deal all day long… half-price drinks and slushes all day long

Chili’s – print a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert from the chain’s Facebook page and enjoy a freebie with the purchase of an adult entrée.

Office Depot – you can get 25 free black and white, single-sided copies and up to 5 pounds of free paper shredding through May 1st.

7-Eleven – enjoy a free medium Slurpee between now and the end of the month when you text “Slurp7” to 711711.

AMC Theaters – enjoy a free small popcorn when you take in a movie tonight.

Pinkberry – enjoy a free Pinkberrygreek yogurt every Wednesday from 11am-2pm through the 24th.

And of course, don’t forget to postmark or e-file your taxes today if you haven’t already.

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.

Tips for Evaluating An Agent

If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market and you aren’t going the “for sale by owner” route, you need a listing agent. There are many choices when it comes to real estate agents, so here are a few tips to help you evaluate the agents you are considering.

If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market and you aren’t going the “for sale by owner” route, you need a listing agent.  There are many choices when it comes to real estate agents, so here are a few tips to help you evaluate the agents you are considering.  First, considering asking the agent’s for their data.  Looking at the sale-to-list ratio (how much the homes your agent has listed have sold for as compared to what they were listed for) as well as how long their homes have been on the market will give you a good idea of how well they know the local market.  Just remember that there is no absolute rule here since everything is relative so there is no “magic number” you are looking for when you look at these statistics, but if you are comparing several local agents this information can help you.

At Cooper Realty Associates we would be happy to share our experience and local stats with you.  Feel free to give us a call and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Thursday Three: 3 Things Sellers Must Disclose

If you want to sell your home federal, state, and local laws require you to disclose any information that affects the value or desirability of your property to potential buyers from the get-go. Here are three pieces of information you must disclose:

If you want to sell your home federal, state, and local laws require you to disclose any information that affects the value or desirability of your property to potential buyers from the get-go.  Here are three pieces of information you must disclose:

1.  Physical condition: This refers to the overall structure of the home and includes the foundation, roof, electrical system, plumbing, insulation, sewage, etc.

2.  Health & safety hazards: This includes environmental hazards and disclosures about past damage from natural disasters as well and includes disclosers about lead-based paint, asbestos, radon.

3.  Legal concerns: This includes disclosing any pending lawsuits and compliance with local building and zoning codes.

As always, your agent can guide you through this process, so you want to be sure you have a great one…  give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-856-6434.

Understanding Escrow

Escrow basically means to place something important in the custody of an impartial third party. In real estate, an escrow account is utilized after an offer has been accepted and while the buyer and seller are working to meet the conditions of the contract. This is the state of being “in escrow.” The escrow officer could be an attorney, title company, specific escrow firm, or other qualified and impartial third party. The escrow officer orders a title search, requests payoff information for the existing mortgage and any other liens on the property, prepares all documents including the grant deed to transfer ownership, prepares the closing documents, and takes charge of all funds involved in the transaction, such as paying off the existing mortgage.

Escrow basically means to place something important in the custody of an impartial third party.  In real estate, an escrow account is utilized after an offer has been accepted and while the buyer and seller are working to meet the conditions of the contract.  This is the state of being “in escrow.”  The escrow officer could be an attorney, title company, specific escrow firm, or other qualified and impartial third party.  The escrow officer orders a title search, requests payoff information for the existing mortgage and any other liens on the property, prepares all documents including the grant deed to transfer ownership, prepares the closing documents, and takes charge of all funds involved in the transaction, such as paying off the existing mortgage.

Of course, like all things confusing things, the term escrow also has a second meaning in the real estate world.  It can also mean an account that your mortgage company requires you to keep a certain balance in to cover the cost of property taxes and insurance when they come due.

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.

Personal Items In A Home Purchase

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you want to be sure that when you buy (or sell) a home your contract is definitive when it comes to what comes with the house and what doesn’t.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you want to be sure that when you buy (or sell) a home your contract is definitive when it comes to what comes with the house and what doesn’t.  Even if there is a spoken agreement about what comes with the house, be sure to get everything you care about in writing, otherwise it is not binding.  For example, if you are a buyer who desires the washer and dryer that were in the house during the showing, ask for it in writing.  Typically, items that are permanently attached such as flooring, light fixtures, built in bookcases are included unless they are specifically excluded in writing.  If, for example, a seller excludes the fireplace mantel because it’s a family heirloom that would need to be in writing.  Be sure to ask in writing for the buyer to replace the fixture before closing.  Likewise, if the house is equipped with a wall mount for a flat screen television that you don’t want, write it into the contract for the sellers to remove it and make any necessary repairs to the walls, etc.

If you’re a buyer don’t make the mistake of thinking that everything you saw when you viewed the house is coming with it just because it “goes with the home.”  For example a fountain, potted plants, custom bar stools, or a table that fits so perfectly in the breakfast nook that it seems like a built-in may or may not come with the home.  So, what’s the moral of the story?  If you’re a buyer and you want it, you need to ask for it.  And if the buyers agree, be sure to write it into the contract!  If you’re a seller and you’re planning to take your items with you, making that clear to the buyers from the get-go can make your life easier, but whatever you do, be sure to write everything that you care about into your contract.

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.

Tips for Getting the Best Remodel Bid

Yesterday I wrote about tips for finding a contractor. Today, I am following up with tips for getting the best bid. When you’re planning an addition or remodel, knowing the average costs of the job you hope to do is helpful. One helpful guide for figuring average costs is to judge by the square footage of your space. Generally speaking, for a gut remodel,

Yesterday I wrote about tips for finding a contractor.  Today, I am following up with tips for getting the best bid.  When you’re planning an addition or remodel, knowing the average costs of the job you hope to do is helpful.  One helpful guide for figuring average costs is to judge by the square footage of your space.  Generally speaking, for a gut remodel, a kitchen remodel falls between $170-180 per square foot, a powder room averages around $130-140 per square foot, a full bathroom averages around $155-170 per square foot, and a family or living room runs about $85-$100 per square foot.  Once you factor the average range for your space, adjust for labor costs in your location (whether they are higher or lower than the average in the nation).  In the Sussex County area, increasing the general estimate by about 30-40% is probably a good average.  Once you’ve done that, you can adjust your estimated cost up or down based on the finishes you desire.  These averages assume mid-range fixtures, but if you’re going for upgrades such as granite countertops or stainless steel appliances in a kitchen or stone tile, heated floors, and soaking tubs in the bathroom, you need to raise your number again, by at least 30-50% depending on the number of upgrades you want.  Once you have a very general idea of the kind of estimate you are looking at, you can adjust your project to fit your budget (consider less updates or skip the gut remodel and replace or refinish what you’ve got instead!).  Then, go out there and get your (minimum of 3!) estimates.  Finally, be upfront with the contractors you choose about your bottom line and they will be able to help you get the most bang for your buck!

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

Thursday Three: 3 Ways To Lower Your Homeowner’s Insurance Premium

There are many reasons that your homeowner’s premium might go up, but if you’re looking to lower yours, try any of these quick tips…

There are many reasons that your homeowner’s premium might go up, but if you’re looking to lower yours, try any of these quick tips:

  1. Call competitors – Yes, it can be time consuming, but calling several companies for rate quotes can end up saving you quite a bundle in the long-run.  Just make sure the quotes you are getting match the coverage your currently have, otherwise it’s not a good comparison.  In some cases, switching carriers could save you up to 10% annually!
  2. Package it – Depending on your carrier, you may be able to get a better rate if you bundle your homeowners insurance with your auto coverage.  If you currently have separate policies, call both companies and ask about package discounts.  Who knows, maybe you’ll even save some money on car insurance while you’re at it!
  3. Raise your deductible – A deductible is the amount of money you will have to pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in.  If you’ve got some money set aside to cover unexpected expenses then raising your deductible can save you a significant amount each month.

Looking to buy or sell a home in Southern Delaware?  Give Cooper Realty Associates a call and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

Tips for Hiring a Cleaning Service

The truth is, no matter who you are, hiring a maid service can give you a little extra time to spend on more enjoyable things! If you’ve been thinking of hiring a maid service, here are a few things to keep in mind…

If you’re like most of the people I know, you probably love your home but hate cleaning it!  More and more people are hiring maid services to help them out – some people hire help with the day-to-day cleaning and others hire help to come in once a month, or even less frequently.  The truth is, no matter who you are, hiring a maid service can give you a little extra time to spend on more enjoyable things!  If you’ve been thinking of hiring a maid service, here are a few things to keep in mind…

Insurance & Bonding

Make sure the company you hire is insured.  Your homeowners insurance may or may not cover an accident that occurs while I maid is working for you – for example if she slips and falls while mopping the floor, so the company you hire should have coverage that protects both the company and employees, but also your home.  Bonding is different than insurance – be sure that the company protects you and not just themselves in case of a problem like theft.

Hiring & References

Make sure the employees references and criminal background have been checked.  Find out if the maids are employees or subcontractors – generally speaking, you want a company that has employees.  If the workers are subcontractors be sure they are trained and insured.  Find out how long the company has been in business and ask for a list of references.  Call references and ask how long they’ve used the company, if they’ve ever had complaints and how they’ve been handled, and how highly they would recommend the service.

Customer Satisfaction

When calling references, find out how satisfied they are as customers.  Also ask if the company has any measures of customer satisfaction (but be sure to find out how they collected the data – it doesn’t mean much if the only customers they report are the ones that have given glowing testimonials!).  If the company cares about customer satisfaction and goes out of their way to measure it, they are probably the kind of company that will care about you.   While you’re at it, you should also find out how the company measures quality of service and how they assure that quality is maintained.  You want to make sure that whoever is working for you is working up to the standards you expect.  In the case of complaints, you will want to know if there is some kind of guarantee.  Make sure any guarantees are in writing and whether or not there are limitations.  Find out before you hire a maid or a service how complaints are handled and how long issues usually take to be resolved.

Products & Equipment

Find out who is responsible for providing products & equipment.  Some services provide their own supplies, while others expect you to provide everything.  If products are provided by the company keep in mind that many cleaning products contain harsh chemicals and/or poisons.  Be sure that everything the company uses is safe for pets and kids.  Even if you don’t have pets or children running around your house, as a rule you should avoid unsafe products for yourself too!  If the company uses environmentally friendly products, be sure they will still be effective for cleaning and disinfecting purposes.  Find out exactly what equipment the company expects you to provide (mop? vacuum? broom? rags? buckets? – and the list continues) and make sure you have it.  If the service provides their own equipment find out their policy for keeping things clean and up to date.  For example, if they use a vacuum with a dirty filter it isn’t going to do much good.  Similarly, you don’t want them using dirty rags that have only been rinsed clean to wipe down your kitchen counters.  If the company provides products and equipment, but you would rather provide your own, make sure that there is a policy in place for you to do so.

Legality

When you hire a cleaning service you want to be sure that everything is above board.  Know both the federal and state tax laws for your situation and follow them.  You should also be sure that you are hiring legally documented workers.  Finally, know the ins and outs of any contract that you sign.  Understand your rights as a consumer and the recourse that you have if you are unhappy with the service that is provided.

And if you are not one of the people who love your home, give us a call at Cooper Realty and let us help you find a new home – 302-644-2266!