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| Rock Hill, SC And Surrounding Areas Real Estate Blog |
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010
As an agent who specializes in helping home buyers throughout York County, I am occasionally asked about the advantages and/or disadvantages of buying a brand-new home versus a resale home. Making that home purchase decision will depend on a great deal of factors and will vary based upon the individual buying the home, their family’s needs, long term goals, and budget.
There can be a big difference in maintenance costs, move in and upgrade needs/costs, lending costs and a difference in the quality of amenities within neighborhoods for a new construction home purchase versus a resale home. All of these things should have an impact on your decision making. However, the biggest factor of any real estate purchase, perhaps, should be the location. As the old saying goes, "the three most important aspects of real estate are "location, location, location."…And in my mind there are many great places to live in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, York, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie depending on your needs. Remember, if you buy a home in the right spot, your investment is bound to grow! So, don’t forget to ask your Realtor®, hopefully one of our real estate agents at the Palmetto Property Pros, where the hot spots are in your home purchase price range.
With good communication between you and your agent, you should be able to find that great location. Remember to make sure that you do your research as not all subdivisions and neighborhoods are growing at the same rate of appreciation. In fact, in down markets, homes in many areas are losing valuable equity. This is the trend that is reflective of a home market with many foreclosures, bank owned properties (REO’s) and short sale homes. Sound familiar to you?
In any case, some research should be done before you buy a new home in one of our York County communities. Further, I always recommend that you have buyer representation in a purchase of a home, whether it is a new home construction of a resale home. In new construction, many people just go to the builder or builder’s agent directly, and this is a mistake. By doing so, you are sacrificing an enormous amount of your negotiating position and could be accidentally giving away information that the builder-home seller will use to their advantage. This could ultimately affect the amount that you pay for the home and the extras that you receive with the new home purchase.
You see, a builder and/or his representative/agent should be looked at just like any other home seller in the market or even more cautiously. They are representing their own interests in a real estate transaction that they have with you. They are NOT representing YOUR best interest. Just like a resale home seller, they want to sell their home and maximize their profit. You, on the other hand, want to buy a home that fits your needs as inexpensively as possible. Do you see the conflict?
Another thing, while it's tempting to assume that any new home is well constructed, that's not always the case. New homes are untested. Just like a used home can have repair needs and latent defects, a new construction home can have incomplete systems, mechanical failure or faulty workmanship. For that reason, I always recommend that a buyer of any home, whether that home is a new construction home or a resale home, get a home inspection from a licensed home inspection. Finding out that a home has problems, after purchase, is never a good thing, and getting the builder to service the repair issues could be a challenge too. Am I recommending against new construction homes? No, just be aware of the potential problems and have the proper advocate on your side when making these or any home purchase in Fort Mill, Rock Hill or Lake Wylie. Just for the record, there are often great deals on new construction homes in our area too.
As a licensed builder, myself, for more than 20 years, I, Ross Harkness, am the perfect guy to walk you through and represent you in either a new construction or a resale home. You see, I am more apt to notice a small defect, or more importantly, a large one in a home than any other agent. I also, have specialized training to assist a buyer in any market situation as I have completed my ABR (accredited buyer's representative) training, have a SFR (short sales and foreclosure resource) certificate and regularly upgrade my education to aid you in a real estate transaction. Finding a great home at a good value for you and completing a satisfactory real estate deal on your behalf is my aim. At the end of every closed transaction, my goal is to get a letter of recommendation from my client, and so far, I've got a pretty good record of accomplishing that!
So, if you have ever considered purchasing a new or resale home, please contact me to assist you. Helping you reflect on ALL of the important criteria of home buying that could influence your final decision; I'm on your side. As a great real estate negotiator with a record of satisfied buyer clients and the testimonials to prove it, I look forward to hearing from you when the time is right for you and your family to make that home purchase. Now is a great time to buy a home in Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Clover or York.
Even if you are not planning on a move right away, call me. Let’s chat or have lunch. I’ll buy! That way when you are ready, we will already know each other.
As real estate agents who primarily serve the areas around Lake Wylie, Palmetto Property Pros serve homebuyers and home sellers in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, York, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie. This is easily accomplished by our having a real estate office right in the northern part of Rock Hill, SC, which gives us easy access to all of those great York County, South Carolina communities.
Thanks and God bless,
Ross Harkness, SFR
SC Realtor®/SC Licensed Builder
NC Broker
Palmetto Property Pros
Wilkinson and Associates Real Estate
Monday, 11 January 2010
Imagine that you find a house in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, or Lake Wylie that you are interested in seeing and perhaps buying. There is a Realtor's name on the sign in front of the house and you think, “Should I call this Realtor?” Well, let me tell you that the simple answer to that is No.
The Realtor on the sign is the last real estate person that you should call. Sound strange? It won't after you read on.
The seller of that home in Rock Hill or Fort Mill is represented by the real estate agent on the sign. You are not. The Realtor on the sign has an obligation to represent the seller's best interests completely in the transaction. Their goal is to get the highest and best offer on selling the house. In doing that, how could he or she possibly represent YOUR best interests? Your goal and the goal of your agent should be to keep as much of your money in your pocket as possible while still getting the home purchased. In order to accomplish that, you should use a buyer's agent when purchasing real estate anywhere, not just property in York County.
Well what about new construction home buying?
On a new home purchase in Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Fort Mill or any other York County area, should you go directly to the builder or the onsite agent? Once again, the answer is No.
While you may argue that the seller’s representatives are really nice when you walk in the door to chat with those builder's agents, you still need to know that your best interests are not theirs. A builder’s agent is interested in selling that home to you for the highest amount that you are willing to pay and that is it. They will not show you the comparable home sales for the area and tell you about home values in the neighborhood. The listing agent’s job is not to get you a good deal at all. A listing agent or builder agent will sell that house for as much as you are willing to pay and will try to maximize their profit in the sale. Often times that real estate agent will try to sell a homebuyer with upgrades that you may be able to get for free, or request that you use their direct builder lenders. These things result in more charges to the homebuyer. So, who pays for it? You do as the purchaser of the home.
Please call a buyer's agent in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lake Wylie or wherever in York County that you are interested in making a home purchase. A good buyer's agent will ensure that you get a great deal on a resale or new construction purchase and keep as much of your money in your pocket as possible. Their goal, unlike the listing agent is to help you buy the home for the least amount of money.
So, who pays that Rock Hill or Fort Mill buyer's agent? The seller does, at the close of the transaction.
When you see that great house for you and your family in York County, instead of calling the name of the agent on the sign or dealing with the builder directly, please think of calling me, Ross Harkness, buyer’s agent. I can usually get to the property as fast as any other Realtor can to show it, and I will be obedient and loyal to YOU in the transaction. You can expect me to deal with skill and care in the process while disclosing every detail about the property that might affect your decision. The other Realtor, the seller’s agent on the sign, won't do that for you.
Palmetto Property Pros, buyer agents in York County, want to help you with your next home purchase or real estate transaction. We are also qualified seller’s agents and listing agents.
Thanks and may your real estate transactions be successful,
Ross Harkness, SFR
Realtor®/Builder
Palmetto Property Pros
Wilkinson and Associates Real Estate
Friday, 08 January 2010
Where does the commission go after a home sells?
When I go out and meet with home sellers in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lake Wylie or wherever it may be in York County, the discussion of commission rates eventually comes up. The seller of the home of course wants to know how much they will have to pay out in order for me to sell their home. My pat answer to this question is that my office and I typically charge 6 percent for selling a home.
Sometimes after saying that, the customer will say, that is what I expected to pay in commission for a Realtor® to sell my house. When that happens it saves me a whole bunch of communication as we are already in agreement. Other times, however, I will hear this line, “well Bob at XYZ Realty told me that he would do it for this much (a lower percentage). Well, all I can say is that you will get rates all across the board on commissions and service all across the board as well. Discount agencies are starting to pop up in the York County area and across the country. However, I would be very cautious of working with a discount listing agent and here is the reason why:
1. If you are paying for someone to place your home on the MLS at a discounted rate, you will be getting discounted services. I know this because I see it every time that I have to deal with one of these agencies. The seller of the home is left with all kinds of responsibilities and obligations that a Realtor® would normally handle. Some discount brokers even expect sellers to do all of their own negotiations and paperwork.
2. Chances are you will have limited market exposure. Discounted brokerages usually are not as diligent on the listing pictures of homes, updating home flyers, listing on both of the area’s multiple listing services (Yes, York County has two MLS providers. Make sure that your agent can list on both. Otherwise you are missing a huge chunk of potential buyers.), print advertising, online marketing presence etc…
3. Communication with your real estate agent is bound to be minimal. You are not paying them to be at your service promptly. As a result, it is doubtful that they will be.
4. Buyer agents don’t like to show discount brokerage types of homes. The reason for this is that the Buyer’s agent knows that they will have to work harder with this property should their buyer want it. The last one of these home sale transactions that I was involved with, on a property in Rock Hill, left me negotiating with the seller without the agent. The agent just abandoned the seller and left them to work it out on their own! The seller had no idea what they were doing or when it needed to be completed. Communication was a hassle, and I got stuck with all kinds of extra responsibilities. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy with the situation, and I felt badly for the seller. My experience with the discounted rate listing was typical, according to other agents that I have spoken with.
During the listing presentation and when you are asking the commission rate question, it is easy to look at a commission and think, “Wow, that sure is good pay for what they have to do!” Well, think of it this way, for every completed deal that looks like a big payday, think of all of the other efforts and expenses that a Realtor® has to incur to even be able to provide you service and complete that transaction. Many times the efforts to secure a buyer or seller client fail despite our best efforts. Other times deals fall through after much effort on the part of the agent at no fault of theirs. A Realtor® only gets paid based on results and on nothing else. So, if your real estate agent sells your home on Lake Wylie, Fort Mill, Rock Hill or wherever, he has done his job and deserves to get paid what he makes. In the type of market that we are experiencing right now, bringing a buyer to the table and getting a deal completed is a good feat. If your Realtor® gets your house sold, thank them for a job well done!
So what does an agent’s commission cover?
Typically, agents equally split the commission between the listing agent and the selling agent. However, commission splits can vary depending upon the agreement of the seller and listing agent. An agent's commission pays for all kinds of things from advertising (print, signs, flyers, stationary, business cards, postage, online social media sites), to covering their various association fees, company fees, telephone and computer expenses, personal website fees, lead management software and maintenance, desk and/or office space fees, auto and gasoline expenses, occasional meals/gifts, professional clothing, etc...The expenses are significant. Let’s not forget that an agent shares a portion of his commission with his firm too! Some agents pay 50% or more of it.
Hopefully, after completion of a transaction, there is a bit left over from all of those expenses that an agent can call profit. It is with those funds that the agent pays for the living expenses for his or her family.
Here is the bottom line. If you want to sell your home for the most amount of money that it will possibly fetch, you should hire an agent that is going to be active in pursing your best interests, marketing your home to expose it to the maximum number of potential and qualified buyers. Your best bet to get that accomplished is to hire a full service real estate firm.
I hope that your home selling endeavors are successful,
Happy selling
Ross Harkness, SFR
Realtor®/Builder
Palmetto Property Pros
Wilkinson and Associates Real Estate
803-372-8867
Thursday, 17 December 2009
According to NAR, the National Association of Realtors, these are the seven most common costly mistakes that a seller does in the marketing of their home. These items could apply to us locally when selling a home in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Clover, York or Lake Wylie too.
Mistake Number 1: Placing the home on the market prematurely or before it’s ready to show. This is typical when a seller puts off maintenance on a home while living in the home and then when needing to sell hastily places the home on the market. The biggest cause of this is procrastination and failure to plan. However, it could be budgetary in light of the current economy. You would be surprised how many more buyers will see a home that has fresh paint and shows nicely. With a moving deadline, plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute. When you are marketing a property, the presentation of your home is crucial to making a home sale.
Mistake Number 2: Over improving for the subdivision or neighborhood in which you live. Additions, remodeling and upgrades that are much more than the rest of the neighborhood has done are going to be hard investments to recoup. You want to stick out among your competitors, but you don’t want to over indulge on these things. If there are not any two story homes in your neighborhood, going up might not be a good idea. Stick with a ranch style home. You don’t want your home to be an anomaly or eye sore instead of an attractive addition to the community.
Mistake Number 3: Pricing your home based on what you want to net instead of what the market will bear. How can this possibly work for a home seller? It will always fail. As a seller, you can ask anything that you want for your property and can control that. As far as controlling sales prices, good luck. The market dictates what sales prices are based on the comparable active and recently sold homes in your area. Let’s face it; if you want traffic in your home, you had better have your home priced right.
Mistake Number 4: Hiring an agent based on non-business factors. Everyone knows a real estate agent right? You should always make sure that you are hiring a real estate professional with a record of results. You might think it a good idea to hand over the marketing of your home to a niece who is recently licensed, but that might not be a prudent idea. Experience in handling the details and negotiating your best deal should be your highest priority in making your Realtor® hiring decision. If you are going to hire an agent who is untested, make sure that they have a mentor or that they work on a team with some other more experienced agents. This has never been truer than in today’s market with all of the special property problems, like foreclosures, bank owned homes and short sales that are facing many people trying to sell their homes. If you have to sell, get a specialist to help you with your problem. Can you afford to have an inexperienced agent help you with your situation?
Mistake Number 5: Becoming overly emotional in the sale of the home. This can be tough for a home seller. You have memories in this home, but you have to look at the home as an asset and commodity once you decide to sell the home. You will want to get the most for your investment as possible. So keep the beautiful memories in your head and plow forward with the work that needs to get done in order to maximize your return on your investment. The buyers who are walking through your home don’t put the same values on your memories as you do and they are not going to “pay” for them. They are only interested in finding the best priced home on the market that fits their needs.
Mistake Number 6: Trying to cover up or failure to disclose problems. Both South Carolina and North Carolina have property disclosure forms that sellers use to acknowledge the condition of the property to potential buyers. You should always fill it out honestly and provide as much detail about the property as possible. This will greatly reduce any potential problems that may occur later from a property problem that the buyer may have. As mentioned earlier before, you are better off making repairs prior to marketing your property, but if you don’t fix it, remember to disclose it.
Mistake Number 7: Not being prepared prior to selling. Make sure that you plan things out. Make sure that you know what the values and comparables are prior to selling, so that you get your home priced right. Know whether you are in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. This will determine whether you need to find your next home first or sell your home first. Make sure that there are no prepayment charges on your mortgage that you will incur if you sell. Make sure that you are prepared to sell and move physically and emotionally. If you don’t prepare, it can be expensive as last minute changes in home selling decisions can cost you big time if you get into a contract and try to withdraw without a valid reason.
If you plan your work according to this formula, work your plan and hire a good agent to represent your interests, you should get through the home selling process without too many difficulties. I hope for your successful sale of your home.
Ross Harkness
Palmetto Property Pros Team
Wilkinson and Associates Real Estate
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
The hidden problems in a home can be very costly to repair to a buyer and much more expensive than the price of the initial home inspection. That is why I always recommend that my home buyers get a home inspection.
With a great majority of resale homes needing repairs or having serious defects, making sure about your purchase is a prudent idea. Without the inspection, you could be inheriting a rather large repair bill once the transaction is closed. Estimates of home inspections that I have had performed in the York County and greater Charlotte area have ranged from $200-600.00, but they are usually $300-400.00. With repair expenses for just one defect potentially in the thousands of dollars, the decision to have a licensed inspector come out and give you a blessing on a home is a no brainer. Pricing ranges depend upon the size of the home, and the inspection services that you choose.
A regular home inspection will consist of the inspector going over all of the major systems, structural components, safety factors and typical functional uses of the home. These items will include inspections from the foundation to the roof, the weather envelope, the plumbing and electrical systems, framing components that are visible, gutters, grading, HVAC systems, garage door openers, doors and windows, hardware, moisture levels, etc. A good home inspector is thorough and will spend as much as 4 or 5 hours at the home for a regular sized home.
Another typical inspection that you will want to have is a termite inspection or sometimes called a pest inspection. Especially here in the Carolinas and the South, water damage and insect problems can be severe if not detected early. A good inspection can save you cash down the road or be a red flag on whether you decide to purchase a home or not.
Other inspections that you may consider on your home are tests for:
1. Radon gas levels
2. Lead based paint
3. Septic and water systems
4. Lot line surveys.
Radon gas is typically a problem when there is poor ventilation in a crawl space. Radon gas is a naturally occurring gas that rises up from the soil and when trapped can accumulate a high content that is unsafe. This is a potential hazard in the under home spaces that many homes have in our area of York County and Charlotte. With good cross ventilation, this gas is not allowed to achieve dangerous levels.
Lead based paint is not a problem for newer constructed homes, as it is no longer being produced and used in the U.S. However, it’s on homes that were built prior to 1978 that you should consider having a lead based paint risk assessment. In fact by law, a seller is required to disclose to a buyer when a home is built prior to 1978 and allow that buyer the opportunity to have the property assessed for lead based paint risk. Lead poisoning has been known to cause permanent damage in children’s neurological systems, causing learning disabilities, reduced intelligence, behavioral problems, and impaired memory. It is also known to pose a risk to pregnant women.
Septic and water systems are other systems that you could have the inspector check. On a septic, you will want to know if there are any problems with the holding tank or clogged leach lines/seepage pits. A water inspection is typically done for a well. However, even a municipality’s water system could be checked by a qualified inspector for bacteria, ph, chemical and metallic levels. With a well, the inspector typically checks for the safety of the water and the functional use of the pump and tanks. Not having good water can be a costly item to repair.
Sometimes there is a question about exactly where the lot lines are for a property. As an owner, you will want to know where you could possibly build a fence or may have a concern about a potential code violation in your property or that of a neighboring property. With those in mind, having a surveyor come out and stake out the perimeter of the land you are purchasing is a good idea and the best way to eliminate potential disputes among neighboring properties.
Here is a good point. I have recently started building a fence at my primary residence, in Rock Hill. I live in a middle class residential community with an HOA and went through the normal steps of commencing with my project. I pulled my building permit for my fence at the Rock Hill Building and Safety Department, and informed my HOA representative of my intentions to build. I knew pretty much where the lot lines of the property were. However, I decided to hire a surveyor to stake out the property lines to reassure myself.
Boy was I sure glad I did that. After, laying out my holes to dig for the posts, I went and rented out a power auger at the Home Depot to mass produce all of the holes that I needed (about 50 of them). I had decided that I was going to place my fence between 6-12 inches inside my property line, just in case anyone of my neighbors wanted to complain about it infringing on their land. As I dug, I hit two different neighbor’s electric fence lines, which were buried under the grass. But, guess what? Their wires were on my property. As a result of having the survey done, it was easy for them to see that the responsibility of the repairs were theirs and not mine. Had I not done the survey prior to digging, there would have been a potential for some very angry neighbors.
Here are some of the most common serious home defects:
- Foundation damage or settling issues
- HVAC repairs or replacement needed
- Roofing defects or replacement needed
- Moisture levels high in basement, walls
- Environmental types of hazards: radon, asbestos, lead paint, underground storage tanks
- Pest infestation -- termites mostly, but could be ants, crickets, wasps, rodents, etc.
- Plumbing issues
- Electrical issues (old and undersized panels and circuit breakers, poor grounding, aluminum wiring)
- Chimney settling or separation
When you have one of these repairs to complete, you could easily spend thousands of dollars, but finding out before you buy could save you that money as repairs are items that could be negotiated during the time that you are under contract. However, without an inspection, you might not know of any repair needs.
Once the inspection has been completed, if there are no major repairs that need completion, there is very little for you as the buyer to worry about and negotiate. That can be a comforting feeling, knowing that you are buying a trouble free home. After having an inspection done, you know that you are not just buying a property on an emotional level. You have done your due diligence.
As a lifetime contractor myself, I always hire a home inspector prior to buying a home. They are trained to perform these inspections and are much more thorough than a contractor would be. Also, good full time licensed property inspectors are not there to sell you on their construction services, even if they perform those duties too. They should be impartial in their inspection regardless of who is paying for their services because the findings of the home speak for themselves.
Once you have a property inspection report in hand, it helps to have someone on your side that can explain or interpret that report. A good inspector will do that for you as part of their service.
Lastly, if you are selling, it’s not a bad idea to have an inspection done before listing your home. That way, you can tackle and eliminate any of the potential problems that may arise with the negotiation process after an offer has been made. You also may be more apt to secure high offers if your home feels and appears to be problem free.
I hope this helps you in your decision to have a home inspection done.
Thanks and happy house hunting,
Ross Harkness, Realtor®/Builder
Wednesday, 09 December 2009
Everyone has heard the stories of people who have bought a home, fixed it up and sold it again for a huge profit in just a short time span. It’s become a regular part of the American folk lore. But the truth is that it can still be done, even in this existing housing market, right here in York County. Whether you live in Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, York, Lake Wylie, or across the border in North Carolina, you can still find a great bargain of a home, fix it up and turn a profit. Is it as easy as it was in the past? Maybe not, but the trick now, as it has always been, is finding the right home at the right price in the first place.
There are lots of ways to find good deals right now. There are short sales. This is when a seller owes more on the home than it is currently worth and requests that the bank take less for the existing note. There are REO properties, bank owned homes that have been foreclosed upon or taken back by the bank for any reason. There are deals on new construction, and of course there are deals on resale homes, at least the ones where the owner is highly motivated to sell.
Regardless of how you find your good deal on a home, the only way to increase your equity on a home by remodeling is by doing nice looking fix ups. This means that the job that you are doing should help the house flow better, feel better and/or look better. Depending upon the age, size and neighborhood of the existing home, will dictate how much money you want to put into the project. I wouldn’t recommend putting a large addition on a home in a subdivision where no other homes are close to the size of the newly enlarged home. However, on that one, I might recommend increasing the curb appeal with some nice exterior landscaping, a coat of paint on the inside or outside, installing upgraded moldings in the home etc…Small items. You may also consider the idea of a kitchen or bath remodel. Now on the other hand if that same home is in a neighborhood where many of the homes have added footage. That addition might be a good decision. The key is to be consistent with the projects that you perform on the home and how they fit for the neighborhood.
As a lifetime contractor, remodeler and property investor, I have always found that improving the kitchen and baths pays off when I have gone to sell the home. These are the main focus areas when people are buying a home and considering whether they could see themselves in the home. Here is a list of other items that I think would pay off for you, in fixing up your home’s resale potential, without killing your budget:
1. Fresh paint. If you are going to do it, take the time to prep all of the surfaces to be painted first and to cut the lines in cleanly while applying the paint. Earthy natural tones are a safer bet than the outrageous colors. Leave most of the colors of the crayon box out to appeal to the highest number of potential buyers. Some color is good, but don’t overdo it. The surface preparation is just as important as putting on the paint. Fill old nail holes. Make sure that the texture on walls and ceiling is consistent and ready for the new. Sand moldings as needed to guarantee a good finish for the newly applied paint. Dust after sanding walls, moldings doors etc…Paint doesn’t apply well or look good on dust or dirt. If you have stains, apply a stain killer prior to painting as part of the prep process.
2. Install taller baseboards, new door and window casings and crown molding. This is something that your professional could do very easily, but you could complete as well. All you have to do is be able to read a tape measure correctly, and make a clean cut with a saw. You can buy a reasonable trim kit saw for cheap in a do it yourself store, although a nice electric compound saw (cuts a bevel and angle simultaneously) is even better if you can afford it. If you are doing crown moldings too, you will definitely want a compound cutting saw. Make sure if you are going with paint grade trim to caulk the joints and the transition from the molding to the wall. It makes the trim and paint job look much cleaner.
3. Change out and upgrade your home’s lighting and plumbing fixtures. It’s always a good idea to hire a licensed professional for these trades. Be consistent on the fixtures. Try to keep a common look/theme throughout the house. Consider adding some can or recessed lighting in areas where there is minimal light. Many homes are missing accent lighting that would really enhance the appearance of a room.
4. Change out old electric receptacles and lighting switches with newer ones. Once again, really a job for a licensed electrician. However, it need not be an expensive one. They can usually do about 15-20 of these in about an hour. Make sure that you replace the cover plates too!
5. Replace old door hardware. This is something that you can do on your own. Levers are really nice. If you decide on levers, make sure that you buy the correct handing for the door and the way it swings. Old painted hinges are fairly easy to change out as well. Some have rounded corners and others have pointed corners. Check with what is installed in your home prior to purchasing new hinges to ensure that they will fit correctly.
6. Re-grout the tile on countertops, floors, tubs and showers. This job isn’t fun, but it will really make the space look better when completed. Unfortunately, if the tile is damaged and just way too out of date, you may have to replace it too. When you are ready to install the grout, make sure that you have a couple of buckets for clean water and one to mix your grout. You will also want some hydraulic sponges for cleaning up and a grout float to install the material.
7. Upgrade your flooring. Hardwoods are a great way to go. Make sure that you understand about the underlayment needed for the product that you have chosen and that you let the material acclimate in your home for several days before installing. Another good option is to install porcelain tile in the kitchen, baths and laundry rooms. It is more durable than ceramic tile and less apt to break. Replace old ratty looking carpet with new carpeting. Don’t skimp on the padding material, even though it’s cheaper. Your better off installing cheap carpet over a good pad then good carpet over a cheap pad. Make sure that if you are replacing carpet that it’s the same color throughout the house. Remember consistency in color schemes for your feel/flow of the home.
8. Remove the old acoustic (popcorn) ceilings. When you see this stuff, it’s a sure sign of a home that is older and needs updating. While the acoustic ceiling material does help for sound absorption, it does not help for aesthetics, and you can always dispel sound in other ways. Note: This project is messy and you will have to perform some drywall work afterwards and then paint. I recommend bagging the entire walls and room in plastic if you are going to do this job or at a minimum remove all of the furniture and cover the floors. There are two types of acoustic. Drywall acoustic is easily scraped, but plaster acoustic is a pain to remove. If you have that type you may want to reconsider how the job may be performed. I have skinned ceilings with new drywall and skim coated the plaster ceilings on jobs in the past as alternatives to scraping.
9. Fresh flowers and landscaping. Good curb appeal is a crucial element of getting a good buyer into your home. If it doesn’t look good from the street, they might not even want to come into the home. Talk with your local nursery and plant seasonal flowers that will bloom during different times of the year to maintain some color during all seasons.
Larger projects include kitchen and bathroom remodeling, additions, decks and concrete work. For these larger projects, I recommend consultation and the hiring of a good local professional. I will write another article on the interviewing, selection and hiring of a contractor for another time.
Good luck and God bless you in your efforts to improve your home. If you want any more information about any of these processes or any construction process, I would be happy to assist you. Feel free to contact me anytime via phone or email. I answer when you call. If I’m not able, I am a prompt call returner.
Ross Harkness, SC Realtor®/Lic. Builder, NC Broker
Palmetto Property Pros
Wilkinson and Associates Real Estate
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Did you know that the average home sits on the market in the Piedmont Area for 149 days? That is the average time that homes in York County and the surrounding counties have sat on the market that are for sale in 2009 according to the South Carolina Realtors Association. These figures are for the Piedmont Area which is where homes in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Lake Wylie, York and Clover all are located. This is up 14.3% from the average time in 2008…and 2009 is still with us. This number could get even higher.
For this reason I highly recommend that a seller plan their home sale appropriately. If you are trying to sell your home in Rock Hill or attempting to sell in Fort Mill or wherever in York County that you are trying to market your home, it is so important to use a good home selling strategy. Analyze your home, fix your home, stage your home and then successfully market and sell your home. Remember your home is competing against the other York County homes for sale in your neighborhood. And they want to sell their homes too.
If you are considering selling your home, contact the Palmetto Property Pros, for a complete home analysis on the successful marketing of your home. We would be happy to come to your home and provide you with an analysis of the property and a home selling strategy that will work. We can go room by room through your home and give you a checklist to complete to make it sell for you. Buck the trend. Sell quicker and for a higher amount. Give us a call.
Thanks,
Ross Harkness
Thursday, 02 April 2009
Northwestern High School Boys Soccer Team in Rock Hill, South Carolina is Ranked Number 1 in the Nation
For a repeat of the last poll in national rankings, the Northwestern High School Boy's Soccer Team is ranked number one in the national rankings. Coach Dom Wren has the team playing at the highest caliber of soccer in all of high school. The Trojans are a perfect 8-0 so far this season. The York County area has started to become a hotbed of successful high school and club soccer teams. Also ranking in the state high school soccer polls is Fort Mill High School ranked number 3 in the state with a 6-1-1 record. Rock Hill high school is having a very good season to date with a 7-3 record. South Point, which has a 3-5 record, is a strong team that has run into a great deal of competition this season.
Many of the players that play on these area high school teams compete for the Discoveries Soccer Club, which fields teams from U-9 to U-18 and plays home matches at the best soccer training facility in South Carolina, Manchester Meadows, located in Rock Hill. If you have a child who is interested in playing on the Discoveries Soccer Club go to www.discoveriessoccerclub.org.
In girls high school soccer, Fort Mill is the top rated team in York County, SC with a ranking of #8 and a record of 7-3.
Here is the link to the national high school rankings: http://www.nscaa.com/hsRes.php?it=1815
Go out and support one of your local York County teams. You can use this link to get the upcoming schedule to your favorite team. http://216.27.84.134/findhighschoolsc09/
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