Problems To Walk Away From

Are you thinking about selling your home and buying another? Trying to decide what updates to your current home are a must in this crazy market? Here’s some info sure to help from a recent survey by Home Advisor:
There are several deal-breakers that will cause buyers to pass on a property. The most common "walk away" items are:

• Exterior issues, such as damaged or discolored siding or loose brick
• Weatherproofing issues in an area of the house
• A significant number of repairs needed
• Noticeable flaws in the foundation
• Cracked walls or ceilings
• 

• Bad remodel work
• Drainage issues
• Age of the home
• Structural issues
• Uneven floors (floors that are significantly sagging and settling)
• 
  Recent homebuyers were asked what mattered the most to them when purchasing a home. Their answers in order are:
  
  Price
•     Home size
•    Updated kitchen
•    Outdoor space
•     Storage space
•     Bedroom size
•     Updated bathrooms
•     Neighborhood
•     Kitchen size
•      LocationIn short, homebuyers are looking for safety and comfort. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty or hire a home improvement professional to fix minor issues. However, major issues like damage and structural problems can dissuade them, and an old kitchen won’t win any favors, either.

Purchasing a home during the pandemic has proven to be a stressful experience, with the majority of homeowners (84%) making a decision more quickly than they were comfortable with, and 79% losing a bid on at least one property.

Given the low inventory and pressure to make decisions quickly, it’s important for prospective homebuyers to understand their dealbreakers, considering not just the home itself but also the neighborhood and environment.

Need help getting your home ready to sell? Meet with an Enhance Floors Design Consultant for advice and ideas on the “must do” projects.

Design Tip
The hot new paint colors are always celebrated – every paint manufacturer has a color of the year. But what about wood stain colors? Wood floors, furniture, cabinets: what’s trending?

--Natural – no stain applied. The wood as mother nature made it!
--Neutral browns, like Minwax Golden Oak and Early Provincial
-- Cerused finishes, where colored pigments—often white—are used to accentuate the grain of a piece of wood
--For cabinets, rich dark stain colors. Walnut is increasingly popular. 

How Much Does It Cost?
We just finished a big installation – 1245 (4 rooms and halls) square feet of new wood, sanded and finished in the home. The price came in right at $15,000. This included the removal of the existing carpet and pad, moving the furniture, and new shoemold. We were on the job over a week. We use a dust containment system as part of the sanding process, and the mess was minimal. The finished floor was gorgeous!

WWOWT
Wonderful World of Window Treatments

It’s that time of year, when home buyers are out in force, looking for the ideal new dwelling, which means it’s also the time of year when home sellers are looking to give their homes those two magic words: curb appeal. Starting at the view from the street, window treatments are a big part of making your home The One for a potential buyer.

Do you currently have blinds and curtains on all windows, but most of the blinds are damaged beyond repair, or yellowing? Should you replace all the blinds, or just remove them and leave curtains up? You want to do what's appealing to buyers, but you don't want to invest a ton of money in window treatments.

The goal is to remove any negatives from the potential buyer's mind. Get rid of damaged items. If you left them up, the buyer will wonder what else is in poor condition that isn't immediately viewable. Windows are fine to have NOTHING. More light comes through. Just make sure to wash the windows inside and out. Make sure curtains are clean. Window treatments are often overlooked when sellers are preparing their home for sale. When most buyers are surveyed about what they’d like in a new home, one thing that almost always comes up is “lots of natural light.” While some of this may be out of your control, window treatments are one thing you can control to maximize the amount of natural light you do have. You can make sure all curtains, shades, and blinds are open during all showings and open houses. You should take down any heavy window treatments, especially drapes. They make the room look dark, even when they are open. You also want to remove any treatments that can’t be opened or are going to be a hassle to open every day. Take down any treatments that are outdated, dirty, don’t match the current décor, or are not in the best shape. Before you list the home, you do want to thoroughly wash all window treatments that remain in the space. This means washing curtains at home or taking them to a dry cleaner. Check labels first to be sure they are washable. Blinds and shades should be wiped down with a damp cloth or follow manufacturers’ recommendations. PRO TIP: Keep or put up window treatments in bedrooms. This is one place buyers almost always want some type of window treatment. I Was FLOORED By Enhance Mark in Acworth writes: “Absolutely the best. Great folks from the quotation process, right on through to the installation. Outstanding company. Outstanding performance.” Thank you, Mark. We hope that you are enjoying your new LVP floors. I’m sure you are appreciating the easy clean up when your dog tracks in dirt again. (we understand, we are all pet owners and pet lovers at Enhance!)