Real Estate Information Archive

If you are considering selling your home and moving into another one, you may want to consider doing so during the winter time.  There are several reasons for this and those reasons are listed below for your consideration. 

1.  If your plan is to hire a moving company to help you move then doing so in the winter can be a much cheaper time to do so.  Moving companies tend to be their busiest during the summer months, then slow down a bit in the fall and even more so during the winter months. The cheapest months to hire a moving company are typically January and February so now is the time to do so. 
2. Another reason to consider moving during the winter time  is because storage units are typically a bit cheaper during the winter.   Many times storage facilities will become less full during the winter as folks have already moved their stuff out during the warmer months.  Also the storage companies are known for running specials during the winter to attract business. 
3. If you choose to hire a moving company during the summertime you may find that you have a hard time hiring the one you really want because there are so many others trying to move during this time.  However, if you decide to move during the winter you are more likely to be able to hire the moving company of your choice due to less competition. 
4. Yet another reason you might want to consider hiring a moving company during the winter  is due to the fact that the summer can get really hot and your items run a greater risk of getting destroyed by being hauled in a moving truck for a long period of time.  Things can melt, warp or just get plain hot and damp when the days get so terribly hot. 

These are just a few reasons why, if moving is in your future,  that you may want to go ahead and do it during the winter time instead of waiting until spring or summer.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.   

You may have thought about selling your home before but you just aren’t sure now is the time.  There are a few signs that now is the correct time to sell your home and some of those signs are listed below for you so that you can be sure you’re making the right decision. 

1. If your home has gotten a bit too small for your growing family and you are trying daily how to figure out where to put everyone, you may need to put your house on the market.  If you are making your kids bunk together and then trying to add another baby to the mix, you may need to purchase a home that will be more able to fit your needs. 
    
2. If you have changed to a job that has taken you father away from your home than you had anticipated and therefore has caused your daily commute to be longer than you like, it may be time to sell your home.   Selling your home for a job change is a big reason that many folks sell. 
    
3. If your lifestyle has changed and you simply don’t have time to take care of your home anymore, you may want to sell it.  This can be caused by such things as your children moving out and you becoming empty nesters.  Many times the room you once needed becomes way too much for just you and your husband once your kids move out. 
    
4. If you need a bigger home to accommodate your growing family but the thought of remodeling sends your head into a spin, you may want to go ahead and put your house on the market to see if you have any interest in it first. 
    
5. If you have equity in your home and you want to take advantage of the great rates that are currently available before they disappear you may want to go ahead and put your house on the market. 
    
6. If you live in a neighborhood in which a lot of houses are currently selling, you may want to put yours on the market  to see if you get any interest in it and possibly even sell it.   Now is the time that folks are many times getting full asking price for their homes so it is a buyer’s market. 

​​Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins. 

Photo credit: DartHomes 

When you have pets and you are trying to sell your home there are a few ways that you can avoid your pets ruining your home sale.   Many times folks love animals but that doesn’t mean they want to see evidence of your pets in your home when they are trying to envision themselves living there.  Below are a few ideas on how to not let your pets ruin your home sale.

1.  Vacuuming your home is a great idea before you have someone tour your home for a showing but it is essential if you have pets.  Pet hair and tufts of fur can find their way into your guest’s noses and faces if you aren’t careful and that is not going to be good for your potential sale.  If you have someone who happens to sit on your furniture during their home tour you don’t want pet hair to get all over them.  A good way to insure that this doesn’t happen is to run a damp sponge over the furniture before they arrive. 
    
2. As you already know pets are bad about leaving little surprises for you on your floors especially if you are gone during the day.  Pet stains are not a welcomed sight to anyone that might be interested in buying your home.  Think about it, would you want to see someone else’s pet mess when touring a home?   I think not.  Do your best to remove any types of these stains before your potential buyers come to tour your home even if you have to spend some money to get things cleaned and stains removed by professionals. 
    
3. Pet odor is another thing that can ruin a potential home sale.    You are likely use to the way your pet smells and may not even be aware that they have an odor but they do.  Those folks who may come to tour your home will likely be able to smell it as soon as they enter the house.  Spraying odor neutralizing sprays can help with pet odor as well as perhaps having just baked some cookies for your guest to enjoy.  Whatever you have to do to get rid of the odor is what you need to do. 
    
4. If your pet has a bed in your home it is best to stick it in the closet or to remove it from the home before your home tour begins. 

These are just a few ideas on how to not let your pet or pets ruin your potential home sale.  Hopefully they will get you thinking in the right direction so that you may be more able to walk away with an offer.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

1. First on the list of quick home improvements is to simply change your front door hardware.  This is a simple and easy fix that won’t take you long at all and it is one that won’t cost you a lot either.   

2. Painting the front door a bright color is another quick home improvement that can really make a big difference in the way your house looks.  Red is a popular color that can make a statement to those who pass by your home.  Another great color to use on your front door is a bright teal color.  Both of these colors are very popular these days so if you want to be part of what is in, you should use one of these colors.   

3. Another quick home improvement that can make a huge impact on how your home looks is to upgrade your house numbers.  You can buy fancy glass or ceramic tiles with your house number on them to match your newly painted door.   

4. Painting outdated or old furniture in your home is another quick home improvement that can make your house look awesome.   

5. Updating your kitchen and bathroom fixtures is a quick home improvement that is easy to do and will make your house look the best it can look.   

6. If you have an old fireplace that is no longer able to be used, why not put some candles in it to spruce it up a bit.  This is a nice cozy improvement to make especially during the upcoming colder months.   

While multiple offers may be a good thing, you still should know how to choose the best offer   in the event this happens to you. Below you will find a few ideas on how to best handle this particular situation. 

1. Finding out which of the potential buyers have the best financing available to them is a great way to help you choose which offer you would be best to go with.  If you pick someone who hasn’t got the financial side of it all worked out for themselves you will likely end up spending more time than you would like getting all the kinks worked out.  Choosing someone who has a reputable lender on the other hand and has already been pre approved will make the transactions go nice and smoothly for all involved. 
    
2. Another way to choose the best offer  when you have multiple offers is if the closing date is good for you.  You may have one person that wants to buy your home that has to wait on their home to sell first while another person is ready to go right away.  If you want to and are ready to move out quickly you may want to go with the latter however if you are not quite ready to move that fast you may want to go with the folks that need to wait a while.  Choose the offer that best suits your own personal needs.
    
3. Yet another way to choose the best offer on your house when you have been given multiple offers is to make a checklist of the pros and cons of each offer.  This will make sorting out the details a bit easier for you. 
    
4. Be sure that you have peace about each offer and if you don’t feel a peace about a certain offer, take that one off the list of who to choose from. 

It is a good idea to go through all scenarios that may arise with each offer that is given before deciding which one to go with.  Once you choose the right offer, you can look forward to moving into a new chapter of your life! 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins. 

Photo credit:  CRES

If you have recently put your house on the market and want it to sell quickly you may need to take a look at a few of these tips on how to eliminate smells so that your house will be more likely to sell. While selling your home quickly may sound good to you, you may not be thinking about exactly how clean your house smells when you have a last minute showing pop up.  If you are caught in a bind with a last minute showing and you need to get rid of a few household odors, be sure to read below for some ideas. 

1. If you have pets you already know that they have a smell all their own.  Pets that may not be house trained yet may be hard to deal with during a house showing.  If you need to cover up the smell of pet urine quickly there are several ways to go about it.  One way to get rid of pee smell in the carpet is to soak the area with enzyme spray.  Another way to get rid of the smell all together (however it may take a bit longer) is to get rid of the carpet once and for all and put in hardwoods. 
2. Another way to eliminate smells so that your house might sell is to open up your windows while you are cooking.  If you know you have a showing one night, be sure to keep your windows open while you are cooking with the hood fan on as well.  Another good way to get rid of the smell of a recently prepared meal in your home is to set a bowl of coffee grounds on the countertop over night (if your showing doesn’t happen to be the same evening of course.)  If you don’t want to take any chances of having your dinner linger during the showing you could always just go out to eat for the evening. 
3. Garbage smell in a home is some of the worst odor possible.  One easy way to get rid of that particular smell is to be sure and take it to the curb before you leave for the showing. 

These are just a few ways that you can get rid of smells in your home  so that your showing might go well and you may be more able to sell your home.  Hopefully they will get you started in the right direction.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.