Filed under: Green Living, Home Maintenance, Home Staging, Selling a Home | Tags: Cheryl Brenna Group, currenty home inventory, existing homes, home sales, Home Staging, new listings, Preparing Your Home for Sale, Real Estate, Selling Your Home, Woodbury Housing Supply, woodbury minnesota realestate, Woodbury Real Estate News
5 Easy Steps to Increase Interest in your Home
Traditionally, spring is the most popular home buying season of the year. Which means, with spring just around the corner, now is the time to think about sprucing up your house before putting it on the market.
It’s true that the housing industry is in a slump right now, but people are still buying homes. Buyers are taking advantage of the record low interest rates and lower home values. The goal is to make sure that your home stands out from the crowd to get your home sold!
Should you invest in large makeovers and major updates? That depends on the condition of your home. The challenge is to choose home improvement projects that will not only add value to your home, but will also make it stand out in a crowd. If you are unsure, it might be a good idea to consult with a real estate agent. The Cheryl Brenna Group has over 20 years combined in the real estate business, diverse backgrounds and Cheryl comes from a building family. When you list your home with the Cheryl Brenna Group, you receive two free hours of Home ComposingSM. Our approach is to make the best of what you have without making costly replacements and changes.
Here are 5 easy steps for homeowners preparing to sell their home:
1) First Impressions: Curb appeal plays a major role in creating a favorable 
first impression. Your front porch is often the first thing a potential homebuyer will see. It should be in perfect shape. Add a fresh coat of paint, touch up the trim, add charming chairs and bright flowers in colorful pots.
2) Look Behind You: Don’t neglect the backyard. Outdoor living spaces grow in popularity each year. Impress potential homebuyers with a backyard to die for. Add overflowing garden boxes, nice wooden furniture, a new deck or perhaps a gazebo.
3) Molding: Adding decorative wood molding or a simple chair rail can completely change the look of a room. High ceilings with deep crown molding are highly popular and can make an amazing impact.
4) Floor them: If your flooring is worn or dirty, consider new plush carpet or real wood floors. This does not have to be an expensive undertaking with all the current flooring options available.
5) Add a visual surprise: A little visual pop that no one expects can make your home stand out among the rest. For example, you could add bead board paneling or paint your kitchen island a fun accent color.
The most important thing is to update the most visible areas. When doing any home improvement projects it is smart for homeowners to select “green” building materials. Today, most consumers are being conscientious about buying sustainable, natural building products.
Article Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press and Metro Creative Graphics
Filed under: Green Living, Home Maintenance | Tags: Conserve energy, Eco-Friendly, Environment, Going Green for the Holidays, Holiday season, Living Green, Minnesota
Living Green ─ Giving Green!
Let’s face it…everyone is talking about going green these days to conserve energy and save money. Doing a total remodel is one way to go green. This can be costly but you will save money in the end. However, when it comes to the environment small actions can create big changes! There are many economical things you can do in order to conserve energy, save money and do your part for the environment.
Energy conservation begins at home. There are a number of strategies we can implement to help reduce our fuel bills during the cold winter months in Minnesota. For example, installing a programmable thermostat and wearing appropriate winter clothing will reduce monthly gas and electric bills. It is extremely important to maintain your heating system by merely changing the filter out on a monthly basis. Scheduling an annual check up with a licensed contractor can prevent system failures during the coldest time of the year and un-planned expenditures. Turning off lights and caulking around windows and doors are also low-cost solutions for conserving energy at home.
You can also keep your green efforts on track during the holiday season! You can make your holidays greener by following these simple ideas:
1) Real vs. Artificial
Going Real: Getting a real tree can generate oxygen and can benefit the soil if used as mulch in the spring.
Going Artificial: Getting an artificial tree will save trees plus they are fire retardant and look real without the hassle of vacuuming up needles.
2) Decorate Wisely
Beautiful holiday lights can be a drain on your energy bill. Switching to LED lights and limiting the amount of time you keep them on will reduce energy costs.
3) Re-use and Re-wrap
Did you know that most mass-produced wrapping paper we buy in stores is not recyclable? Try re-using last year’s wrapping paper or wrap your gifts in fun graphics including old maps, comics or your children’s artwork.
4) Eco-friendly Gifts
Eco-friendly gifts are sure to be a hit this holiday season! This can be as easy as choosing gifts that are made with durable, quality, non-toxic materials. Or, simply search the internet to get creative green gift ideas!
By educating ourselves we can make informed decisions that will allow us to better protect our environment. We may even inspire a family member, friend or neighbor to start thinking green. Go Green, Live Green and Give Green today, during the holiday season and always!
