Pets and Home Sales: Tips and Tricks

When it comes to selling your house, it’s important to get everything as close to perfect as possible before showing off the house. Not only will this let potential home buyers see the property at its best, but it will also help to justify a higher cost than a messy house might. There are a few things that can make this a bit harder to achieve, though. One of the big hurdles that you might need to plan around is if you have pets that live in the home.

This doesn’t mean that pets are a bad thing, of course. There’s a decent possibility that at least some of the people interested in your home will have pets as well – and having a property that’s already pet friendly could actually be a big selling point for them. The issue is that the house is your pet’s home, too, so you have to make sure that they stay safe during showings while also ensuring that they don’t negatively affect the sale.

Thorough Cleaning Time

Before any showing, make sure that your pets are cleaned up after as much as possible. This means freshly cleaned litter boxes with new litter, freshly cleaned carpets to take care of any pet stains or shed fur, odor-neutralizing air fresheners… as much as possible, you want the lingering sights and smells that pet ownership can bring to disappear. This not only puts your best foot forward, but it will also impress potential buyers who may not be pet people.

Time Your Showings Carefully

One big rule to follow when you have pets is that there shouldn’t be any showings when you or your spouse or partner aren’t at home. Even if you have a terrific Realtor or real estate agent helping you to sell your house, your pets are still your responsibility. More importantly, should your pet get out, they are more likely to respond to you calling them than a stranger. This rule is very important for your pet’s safety, so it’s definitely not one to break.

Avoid Direct Interaction

Another important part of showing your home while you have pets is to keep your pets from being in the same area as potential buyers. While you might have a dog who’s just a bundle of cuddles and only wants to love everyone, a potential buyer might be afraid of dogs or could just like cats more and not want to be bothered. This also helps to protect your animals, as it ensures that they won’t accidentally get hurt if they startle a potential buyer or get accused of trying to attack them.

Disclose Your Pet Ownership

Something to keep in mind once you’re ready to start showing your home is that you need to disclose the fact that there are animals living on the property (and in the house, if they’re inside pets.) This not only lets potential buyers know that there may be animals on the premises, but it also serves as a warning for those with severe pet allergies. Even though you should clean thoroughly (remember that first tip?), a potential buyer who has a very severe allergy will know that there might be a risk in your home. It might lose you that particular sale, but that’s still better than making someone sick.

Call in Some Help

If need be, consider calling a friend or relative who knows your pets and see if they can help you watch them during showings. This will get the animals out of the house and give you time to get things cleaned up before potential buyers arrive. If you don’t have anyone, consider a professional boarder or even your local vet if they offer boarding services.

Sign up for a free HomeKeepr account and we’ll help you find the pet professionals who can give your furry friends the care and pampering they deserve. If you need help cleaning or showing your home, we can match you with the pros you need for that as well.

Small But Mighty: How Maywood Park Fought Oregon And Became A City

Small But Mighty: How Maywood Park Fought Oregon And Became A City: Located inside Portland, tiny Maywood Park isn't a neighborhood — it's a city that formed when its residents battled the state over development. Today it lives on as a slice of old Portland.

Ways to Improve Your Home’s Marketability TODAY

Selling your home isn’t always easy. While there’s always a buyer out there somewhere, connecting with that buyer and agreeing on a price sometimes takes a little effort. There are a lot of little things that you can do to make this a lot easier, though. Many of these solutions are fairly easy on the budget and can also be added on short notice – and some of them may only take an hour or two to implement!

Add a Coat of Paint

Touching up the paint in your home can do wonders for the marketability of the place when you’re looking to sell. Fresh paint can cover up colors that weren’t a great choice in retrospect and will also make whites seem whiter. You may also hear suggestions about painting large floor tiles or bathroom fixtures, but that’s a job you should only take on if you know what you’re doing.

Change the Doorknobs

Dull doorknobs can give buyers the doldrums, so swap them out with new hardware for an instant front-door facelift. You can also change out cabinet and drawer handles if you want to add some extra flair to the various rooms of your home.

Update Your Light Fixtures

Other changes you can make to your home’s existing hardware include things like light fixtures, replacing old fixtures with something a bit nicer looking. While you’re at it you can also update your light switches and even electrical outlets to replace anything that seems worn or out of place.

Hang Some Mirrors

Few things can open up a room as quickly as adding a mirror. A few mirrors around the house will create the illusion of more open space and will also help to fill blank spaces on your walls if you’ve taken down family photos or other personal items. (Here’s a tip: Take down family photos and other personal items.) Just make sure that you don’t position the mirrors where they’ll be hit by direct sunlight during the day, since nobody wants to be blinded by their wall furnishings.

Tame That Lawn

Now is the time to put extra care into your lawn maintenance, taking the time to weed, seed and feed that lawn into emerald perfection. Trimming the shrubberies, adding some tasteful decorative bushes and finally doing something about that tree stump from three years ago might be a good idea as well.

Add Accent Lighting

While you’re working on the outside of your home, consider adding some path lighting, home accent bulbs or other outdoor lights. This will not only add to the beauty of the home but it will also give you a chance to show off some of the home’s best features in the evening and at night. As an added bonus, additional lighting around the home can be a good selling point from a security standpoint.

Replace the Toilet Seat

Spruce up the bathroom before you put your home on the market. While you’re in there, consider replacing the toilet seat. Not only will this get rid of one of the things in your home that’s most likely to be dirty, but it will also give potential buyers the thrill of possibly going where no one has gone before.

Get Smart

If you really want to impress, consider swapping out some of the light bulbs with LED smart lights. Be sure to choose Wi-Fi-enabled bulbs that can easily sync with Alexa or Google Home for maximum compatibility – and keep a copy of the syncing instructions for the eventual buyer. If you really want to go the extra mile, pick bulbs that can provide multiple colors of lighting… then have a smart speaker set up so you can show off how they respond to voice commands to your buyer.

Need More Ideas?

Consult a professional interior decorator for easy ways to improve the marketability of your home without breaking the bank. Sign up for HomeKeepr for free to find the pro who can help you move from selling to sold!

Video Doorbells and Privacy: Maintaining a Balance

Advancing technology has played a large part in improving home security in recent years. This is due, in part, to the rising popularity of the Internet of Things, or IoT; these “Things” are devices that connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless networks to perform various functions without the need to be hard-wired or attached to a computer. Security-focused IoT devices include things like window monitors, smart door locks and video doorbells – even security lighting.

While these devices provide a number of benefits, including remote monitoring and automation features, some have their drawbacks, as well. Video doorbells, in particular, are being called out over potential privacy concerns. If you’ve been thinking of getting a video doorbell, here are a few things that you should consider, to ensure a good balance between your home security and your neighbors’ privacy.

How to Video Doorbells Work?

Video doorbells use motion detectors to sense when there is someone around the area where the doorbell is installed. This activates the camera, even before the doorbell itself is rung. The process is automatic; many mistakenly believe that the video feed from the devices have to be activated through interaction with the doorbell, but that isn’t the case. Depending on the model and how it’s being used, the visitor who activated the doorbell is either recorded or the video stream is sent live to an associated app. In some cases, video is both streamed and recorded for later review.

What Privacy Concerns Exist?

One of the big privacy concerns comes from what some users are doing with the video recorded by their doorbells. While the recordings are intended for security purposes, some owners choose to upload the videos (or still images from those videos) to websites where others can see exactly who has been visiting their house. Typically, this is done with the purpose of mocking the visitors without their knowledge or consent. In some cases, they may not even realize that they’re being recorded.

Even without sharing the videos, some video doorbells record a large enough area that they also record portions of neighbors’ properties when activated. This creates a similar concern to the installation of standard security cameras that might target a neighbor’s property. This could cause significant privacy problems if too much of the neighbor’s property is visible and may even open the owner up to action based on the claim that they are recording what the neighbor is doing.

On top of this, some video doorbell owners are also becoming increasingly nervous about their devices as the video doorbell manufacturer Ring has partnered with law enforcement agencies in some areas. While the police do not have unrestricted access to video feeds, they can send out messages requesting images or footage from doorbell owners in the area where a crime was committed. Though the request is voluntary, it has still led to unease among users who don’t want their devices used for neighborhood surveillance purposes.

Privacy-Related Restrictions

As a result of these concerns, some homeowners’ associations and local ordinances have targeted video doorbells. In some cases, they aren’t allowed at all, while in others, only certain brands can be installed, which are known to have a narrow focus. A failure to abide by these restrictions can lead to tickets, action by the homeowners’ association and in some cases, even legal action or eviction.

Finding a Balance

Finding a balance between home security and the privacy rights of your neighbors isn’t always easy. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for compromise, however. There are professionals who can help you find the right video doorbell to meet your needs without sacrificing your neighbor’s rights to stay private. Sign up for a free HomeKeepr account so we can match you with a security-minded pro who can help you find the perfect device to achieve that privacy/security balance.

Tips for Surviving a Remodel

Remodeling your home is a major project. Most people don’t realize just HOW major of a project it is until they’re deep into it, however. If you aren’t careful, a remodel can cover everything with dust, throw off your day-to-day plans and leave you feeling more frazzled than you’ve ever been. More than one homeowner has found themselves wondering, well before the job was complete, why they ever decided to undertake such a monumental task. Whether you’re already hip deep in a remodel or you’re just considering one, here are a few ways to keep you from experiencing this same sense of mid-remodel regret.

Start Small

While it’s tempting to launch into a full remodel and get everything done at once, taking the time to prioritize certain aspects of the remodel can make it much less disruptive and easier to control the budget. Consider which issues are the most pressing as well as which would be the most difficult to pull off. Avoid projects that are excessively difficult such as moving plumbing unless there’s a good reason to take them on. Prioritize everything else so you can complete each project in turn and move in on the big picture over time.

Respect the Construction Zone

Remodeling creates a LOT of dust, debris and noxious odors. Many contractors will put up plastic sheets and take other precautions to try and keep all of this out of parts of the house where they aren’t working, but there’s only so much that can be done in this regard. Try to plan your time at home so that you aren’t there during the worst of the noise and fumes. Pick up an air filtration system or two that you can put near the work areas to grab as much dust as possible. Pack up belongings that you don’t want exposed like you would if you were moving, putting them in boxes and sealing them with tape. This lets the remodel proceed as quickly as possible without giving you such a huge mess to clean up afterward.

Stick to the Budget

One big issue when remodeling is that the budget tends to spiral out of control. Once you get going, you may find that there are extra bits of spending that are needed to finish the job. There’s also the temptation to upgrade some of your plans since the newer version wouldn’t cost that much more. Unfortunately, changing your plans or upgrading your purchases can really add up over time. Make a budget for what you want, add about 20% to 25% to account for the unexpected, then stick with it. If there’s anything that you REALLY want to upgrade but aren’t sure that the budget can handle it, save it until as close to the end as possible before authorizing the cost.

Talk It Out

Communication with your contractors is a key component to making it through a remodel unscathed. This doesn’t mean that you should require them to report every little thing back to you, of course; unless there’s a problem that they need your insight or authorization for, you’ll be best served to let the pros do their job. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check in and see how things are progressing, especially if you need to structure part of your day around the work that’s being done. Talking with your contractors regularly helps you to plan your life better around the remodel and saves them the trouble of tracking you down when they need to check with you about something.

Find the Right Remodeling Contractor

Perhaps one of the biggest things you can do to make your remodel more survivable is to hire the right contractors from the start. HomeKeepr can match you up with the best people to get the job done quickly and without any more disruptions than absolutely necessary. Sign up for a free account today and see how we can help you change your remodel from dreaded to done.

Fannie Mae's Doug Duncan: Lack of inventory is holding housing market back big-time

Fannie Mae's Doug Duncan: Lack of inventory is holding housing market back big-time: Low mortgage rates have spurred an increase in mortgage applications (although it should be noted that applications have fallen in the last two weeks) and refinances, but despite these gains, America’s home sales remain below historical averages. So, what’s the deal? Well, a lack of housing inventory is one big factor. In an exclusive interview for the season finale of the Housing News podcast, Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan explains what's behind the nation's inventory problem.

The Post-Inspection Negotiation Two-Step: What You Can Expect

Inspections are an important part of the home-selling process. The home inspector will locate any potential problems with the property, making sure that all involved know what’s wrong and what needs to be fixed. What happens then, though? Whose responsibility is it to fix the issues that the home inspector discovered?

As with a lot of problems, the answer is a resounding “It depends.”

Gauging Severity

One big determining factor in how problems found in a home inspection are dealt with is how severe the issues are. A major problem with a property can be a deal breaker for many buyers. Depending on where you live, such a problem may even have to be addressed before the property can be sold. State-level restrictions vary, but most are rooted in making sure that sellers can’t avoid fixing potentially dangerous problems or leave them for the buyer to discover on their own. Even if a problem isn’t critical, most states require that any problems found by a home inspection be disclosed to potential buyers. This disclosure is a big deal, as it can significantly affect how much the buyers are willing to pay.

Loan Program Requirements

Beyond repair and disclosure requirements that vary from state to state, different loan programs (such as those offered by the Federal Housing Authority or Department of Housing and Urban Development) may have additional requirements when it comes to problems discovered during a home inspection. Many programs have very specific guidelines regarding the condition of the property that a buyer can purchase using those loans. If a loan program won’t allow a purchase while unsatisfactory conditions exist, the issues must either be repaired or have satisfactory arrangements made to facilitate the repair before the purchase can continue. Keep in mind that not all loan programs will make allowances for future repairs, either; in those cases, the repairs will either have to be made in full or the buyer will have to find a different lender that does not follow the same strict requirements.

Negotiating Repairs

In the event that there aren’t specific regulations at the state level or restrictions in the buyer’s loan program concerning problems with the property, it falls to the buyer and the seller to determine what repairs will be made. This is typically part of the price negotiation, as buyers are willing to pay more for a property that they don’t have to make extensive repairs to. In many cases, sellers may offer to cover the most pressing repairs and address any serious issues while the seller assumes responsibility for any other issues found in the seller’s home inspection disclosure. In many cases this will be agreed to in writing, either at the request of one of the parties or as a condition of the mortgage loan that the buyer is using for the purchase. By formalizing the agreement in writing, it ensures that both parties understand their responsibility and protects the seller from potential legal action regarding issues that weren’t addressed (provided that the seller completed all of the repairs that they agreed to.)

Market Strength

The strength of the housing market can have a big effect on who does the bulk of repairs on a property. If similar properties are plentiful and interest rates are low, it creates what’s referred to as a “buyer’s market”; buyers have a lot of options and can easily walk away from the purchase if they don’t get what they want. In this situation, the buyer has a lot of leverage and can usually get the seller to agree to either a lower price or a higher percentage of the repairs. When the opposite occurs and there are few choices and higher interest rates, a “seller’s market” is created. Buyers can’t walk away as easily and be guaranteed a good deal elsewhere, so sellers can often hold their ground more and get buyers to agree to higher prices or a greater percentage of repairs.

Need Some Help?

Regardless of whether you’re buying or selling, having a seasoned pro on your side can make navigating repair negotiations a lot easier. Sign up with LATASHA BEAL for HomeKeepr for free to find the help you need to ensure the deal you deserve.