Brighter Sells Better

Homes that are bright tend to sell better than homes that are dark.  There is something about bright open spaces that just makes people feel better.  It gives them that happy, warm and fussy feeling.  That is why all things being equal, most buyers will typically prefer homes that let in a lot of light.  It is the reason Realtors will turn on all the lights during an Open House because we know light translates to a faster sale at a higher price.  What are you to do if you have an area in your home that is dark and gloomy?  A relatively inexpensive solution is a solar tube.

Solar tubes are just that, tubes with a patented reflective interior that harnesses natural sunlight from your roof into the room where it is installed.  A typical 10" tube will light up an area about 10 x 10 feet.    They can produce as much light as a three 100 watt bulbs, and all of that without the use of electricity.  And they are a lot easier to install than skylights.

That leads us to our next point.  You do not necessarily need to be ready to sell to take advantage of solar tubes.  Solar tubes can save you money in the long run.  It will eliminate the use of lights during the day and over time they pay for themselves.  It is a "green" alternative.

Solar tubes can be found in places like Lowes and Home Depot or you can purchase them online. There are various brands on the market available, so make sure you find one that is right for you.  Although you can have them professionally installed, if you are a little bit handy, the kits typically come with everything you need to install them yourself.

One of our team members installed it in her home and the difference is noticeable.  Feel free to view her review here and check out the results below!

Cheaply Remodelling a Bathroom

It is very rare that a buyer will find the "perfect" home.   Some sacrifices will have to be made because most of us are working within a budget. What you don't want to sacrifice are the "bones" of the home (structure, roof, HVAC, etc), the floor plan, and the size of the rooms.  However, there are a lot of cosmetic issues that will become a deal breaker for many buyers when in reality, they can easily be changed with a little bit of sweat equity.  Here is an example of how to cheaply remodel a half bath.

I remodeled the half bath when we purchased a colonial that was almost 50 years old.  The existing bath when we first moved in was very dated.  I wanted to make it classy without breaking the bank.  I splurged on the toilet and faucet because I wanted "eco options," but there are a lot cheaper toilets/facuets that will also look nice.

Toilet  $275.00 (I saw some nice looking ones for as low as $100)
Vanity and Top: $130.00
Mirror  $55.00
Vinyl Tile  $20.00 (.69 cents per tile) (super easy to install)
Faucet $150.00   (but classy styles as low as $80).
Misc Supplies $50.00  (caulking, glue, etc).

Dated Bathroom

Cheaply Remodelled Bathroom

Doing it yourself will save you hundreds of dollars.  Installing the toilets, vanity, faucets can be pretty easy if you take the time to read directions, use a little common sense, and have patience.  If you have never done it before (which I had not), you can google instructions and many times you will find YouTube videos that teach you step-by-step.  Also, make sure you plan out what makes more sense to do first, which most likely will be the tile.

Increasing Living Space at Little to No Cost

Sometimes we start to feel a little constrained in our own homes.  We feel that if we could just add one more room, things would be a little better? For example,  do you wish you could just have an extra room for an office? Or one for a playroom for the kids?  Or maybe you are a buyer and you found a house you like, but it is just a tad bit small because it doesn't have that office or that playroom that you need.  Well you can add some "extra" living space to your home by being a little creative and getting rid of rooms that you don't use.  

About 2 weeks ago, I went to a friend's house and all of a sudden I noticed that they didn't have a formal living room. As I thought about the layout of the house, I realized they had turned the formal living room into their dining room and the formal dining room into an office.   Brilliant!!   So I went home and to my husband's chagrin (since he has to do all the heavy lifting) I started thinking about how I could make that work to my own advantage in my own home.

I had a formal living room that we never used.  Okay, my five year old likes to set up her tent there every once in awhile, but if guests come over they are either in our eat-in kitchen, the family room, or the dining room.  I therefore decided to follow my friends footsteps and turn the formal living room into the formal dining area.  Here are the benefits:
***My "new" dining room has so much more space.  My china cabinets fit better and my oversized dining room table fits nicely.  The old dining room was too small so everything looked so crowded.  That space which never was used before is now fully functional.

***My former dining room which is right off the kitchen, I turned into the kids play/activity center.  That got their toy cabinets out of the family room which is now more practical for me as a mom and I can keep my kids within eyesight while I am cooking.  The toy cabinets actually play off nicely with the kitchen cabinets and counter tops so aesthetically it looks better tool.

***My family room is now functionally better as well.  Before the kids toys were right next door to the back door.  With the dogs and people coming in and out of the door, I was constantly concerned that my kids toys were getting covered with dirt.  That area is now open and designed for foot traffic and my kids have a clean and safe area where they can hang out.

***Instead of spending money, I made money out of this deal.  I sold my extra sofa and chair on Craigslist and got some nice spending money.

The moral of the story is if you do not have thousands and thousands of dollars to buy a bigger home or add an addition to your existing home, think about the areas of your home that you do not use.  Start with the formal living room--few people use them today and personally, I believe they are just a waste of space.   Play around with ideas and see what will work better for you but chances are you will be able to find a better use of the space.

Luisa Rodriguez

Prestige Property Group

Exit Choice Realty

Woodbridge, VA 22193

240-377-7104

www.RealEstateEliteTeam.com

luisarodriguez@mris.com

 

For quality service, please contact us and a member of our team will be more than happy to assist you.