Archive for the 'Home Maintenance' Category
“Soak up the Sun” in Chattanooga - Pool Safety First
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Home Maintenance, Things to Do in Chattanooga
By David Israel, Business Manager
As you listen to and follow Cheryl Crowe’s advice, “Soak up the Sun”, don’t forget to pay attention to the kids in the Pool. Today there are more pool accidents than ever before. In Chattanooga, not every home has a pool like where I grew up in Florida, but there are many private and community pools. There is no better way to spend the summer than by the pool and safety must be the highest priority.
I recently read an article on Pool Fence.com that talked about safety and gave some pretty scary statistics, so I thought I would take the time to share them with you since I love spending time in the pool at my friend’s home in Chattanooga. Here is a study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that investigated child drowning incidents. It indicated that SUPERVISION CAN AND DOES FAIL.
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Spring has Sprung! - Let The Sunshine In
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, For Home Sellers, Home Maintenance
By David Israel, Business Manager - Andy Hodes & The Scenic City Team
As we move away from the winter weather in Chattanooga, even though we still have the possibility of another frost, the days are getting longer and the sun is shinning brighter. This is the time to start a spring cleaning of your home. No, I am not talking about your normal spring cleaning, I am talking about -
“5 Great Tips for Seller’s - Let The Sunshine In“.
1. Clean the Windows- It is bright and sunny outside, bring some of that natural light into your home. If you notice 
that the windows are a little dirty, there is an easy way to clean those windows. Mix a solution of of one part vinegar to nine parts water, plus a drop of dishwashing liquid. Spray on and wipe with newspaper to avoid streaks, yes, start saving those newspapers; re-use them to clean your windows. Having your windows professionally cleaned is less expensive than you think.
2. Bring out the Color - Start getting ready to put out flowers, if you haven’t already. This is a good time of year to start thinking about putting in some colorful flowers. Remember, your buyers will one get a first impression of your home once. Make sure you don’t skimp or over plant.
3. Cut the Grass - After several months of not having to cut grass in the Greater Chattanooga area, the time has come to get back out into the yard. You need to step up your schedule of cutting the grass while your home is listed. If you normally cut your grass or have a professional do it, add another cut every month into your schedule. The last thing you want is a perspective buyer to come for a showing and see that the grass isn’t maintained. Their first thought will be “if the grass isn’t maintained, what about the rest of the house”.
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7 Tips on Making your home more appealing to Buyers
Categories: Ask Andy, For Home Sellers, Home Maintenance
By David Israel, Business Manager - Andy Hodes and The Scenic City Team
I have blogged regularly on first impressions, the buyer will only get one. So, to make your home more appealing, I have come up with 7 Tips on Making your home shine for the buyers.
1. Trim all bushes so they don’t block windows or cut down on the natural light entering your home. You want to let in as much natural light as you can.
2. Use warm, incandescent light bulbs for a nice homey feel. You don’t want to shock a buyer with “bright light”.
3. Set your Dining Room table for a dinner party. Be creative with a centerpiece, use cloth napkins, and be sure that
everything matches.
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A Home Warranty - Insurance for the Unexpected
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, First Time Buyers, For Home Buyers, Home Maintenance
By David Israel, Business Manager - Andy Hodes and the Scenic City Team
In today’s Chattanooga Real Estate Market, whether you’re selling, buying, or plan to stay in your home, a home warranty protection policy gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your home appliances and mechanical systems are covered should there be any unexpected breakdowns. You can’t prevent system failures or breakdowns, but you can reduce the cost and aggravation with a good home warranty.
There are several home warranty companies serving the Chattanooga area. HSA Home Warranty is the one that we recommend to our buyers and sellers. They have great customer service, offer a fair and comprehensive product, and back up their policy with an outstanding team of licensed contractors.
“When working with seller’s our team recommends that they take advantage of a home warranty during the listing and then offer the buyer its protection after closing. “
Selecting a home warranty up-front protects the sellers while their home is on the market and is a valuable incentive to the buyer. The warranty goes into effect when the home gets listed and is transferred to the buyer for a full year at closing. The seller pays for the warranty at closing. Coverage is different for sellers and buyers so be sure to read the policy summary.
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Staging - Attracting the Right Buyer Audience
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, For Home Sellers, Home Maintenance
Staging your home in Chattanooga is key to find a buyer to purchase your home. You will only get a chance for a first impression once. There are tons of things you can do and even more that you should not do to attract a buyer to your home.
4 Great Tips on Staging your Home
1. Pick up recent issues of home Decorating Magazines like Country Living or Better Homes and Garden for ideas on making your home look the best it can look.
2. Stage a Home Office, it is not a trend, it is a reality in today’s market. Many Chattanooga buyers are looking to be able to run their businesses out of their homes. If you are not using a spare bedroom, stage it like an Office. Today’s buyers are looking at homes with the anticipation of setting up a home office.
3. Float your furniture. Move your couch away from the wall and place it at an angle. Set up a reading area in your living room with a chair and lamp. This might not be how you would place your furniture, but it is a way to make the buyer see how comfortable the home looks. You can find more information on floating furniture at HGTV.com.
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3 Tricks to Remove Clutter and Not Scare Buyers
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Home Maintenance
“The most important thing most people can do to improve their home is to clear out, clean up, and get rid of clutter.”
Be merciless as you go about purging your cherished possessions. If you haven’t used it in three months box it up and store it away; if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it.
Make a new rule in your home, anything new that comes in, something old has to leave.
If your bookshelves are bursting at the seams, for instance, “clear them off and start over”. It is okay to have empty space around your books and knickknacks.
1. Inexpensive baskets make great hiding places for unsightly paperbacks, and add texture and visual interest.
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3 Quick Tips to Preventing Fire Loss
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, First Time Buyers, For Home Sellers, Home Maintenance
I read an article recently in the Chattanooga Times Free Press about Home Inventory Lists and it really got me thinking of 
how many of us are pretty well insured for our homes, but have no idea what we have in our homes. The article, a sad one, talks about a family who had a fire in their home and lost everything. When it came time to deal with the insurance company, they could not give an itemized list of valuables and treasures they had owned for many years.
“No one ever expects that this will happen to them, but, are you prepared it this unfortunate event ever happened? The answer is, probably no.”
There is a Nationwide Insurance agency here in Chattanooga and I spoke to a Master Claims Representative and asked him what percentage of individuals actually keep an inventory of their valuables. Mike told me that he personally keeps one updated, but the majority of homeowners do not keep a list.
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