Pamela Spadafore

Top Things To Do And Not Do When Selling a House

by Pam Spadafore

Top Things To Do and Not Do

To Sell Your House

The idea of selling our homes can be daunting, we want to get the best possible price without doing too much but there are a few things that might be more important than others.

First, (and we aren’t saying this because we are)

But,

CALL YOUR REALTOR

Call The Spadafore Team

The list can be long and there is no one who knows what is selling better today in your area than your agent.

We always have a list of reputable vendors for every home task you can think of.
Did you know every real estate agent HAS to inspect a property before a sale goes through? We aren’t inspectors but we are objective, and intelligent, experienced eyes can make a huge difference.
Can’t decide between painting, new carpeting or refinishing kitchen cabinets? We know what works in an area, and what doesn’t.

Make a Good First &

Simple and Inviting

SECOND Impression

Curb appeal is the term used to describe how we feel when we first pull up to a property. This is your first impression, and you only have one chance to make a good one. The Second impression is the one that can get overlooked. This is the moment you walk into a home, you already have a thought on the home, now it will either seal the deal or leaving them wishing for more, so….

Curb Appeal –De-clutter the front yard.
1. Inexpensive outdoor metal paint can be purchased for only a few dollars from Michael’s or a hardware store and used to update a porch fixture or two.
2. Plant a few annuals and pull out one or two bunched up shrubs, you want a clean, open space.
3. Fresh coat of paint, this one can be expensive so talk to your Realtor before you decide on this one, again, the experience of your agent can go a long way.
Second Impression
1. Clean and clutter free is the name of the game!
2. Open, light and bright is more inviting than a beautiful coat rack.
3. Simple! We want potential buyers to see THEMSELVES living in the home, not them moving into yours.

Know What To Do and

What Not To Do

Don’t Be Too Big, or Too Little

Simple Steps

Nothing looks better than a beautifully redone kitchen and bathroom but both of these are time consuming and can be very costly. Many small changes can go a long way in updating your home, making it appealing to buyers. Fresh paint in the latest color scheme and new hardware on your kitchen cabinets are both simple steps and neither will break the bank and both give your home a fresh look.

Be realistic in pricing out your home

Realtors know a home that sits on the market longer than the norm for an area will get buyers wondering ‘what’s wrong with this property?’ or “can I low ball the price because the seller is desperate?’ If you live in an area with a lot of 4 bedroom 3 bath homes and yours is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home you need to understand a fresh coat of paint will not give you the extra rooms buyers in your area are looking for.

We at the Spadafore Team strive to not only give you a realistic analysis of your home value but also how to get the most money for your home. Our experience, tenacity and ability to negotiate puts you a step ahead of other sellers. Call us or visit our newly updated website at beta.syndeotest.com

Warm Regards,

The Spadafore Team

Pam Spadafore 949.280.1558

Dede Ewert 714.742.1449

Lisa Hodges 949.533.8204

Heidi Cutter 949.439.4339

Rosi Sanabria 949.278.4148

Suzanne Hall 714.335.6623

El Nino On Your Mind

by Pam Spadafore

El Nino is here and hopefully you spent some time earlier this fall getting your home ready for the season of storms, but if you were enjoying the warm weather of the fall and maybe didn’t get around to double checking your home, don’t worry, there are still a few things you can do to make sure your home weathers the weather!

Drains & Gutters

Ideally you had a chance to clean out your gutters and seal up any holes that might have occurred over the summer. But if you didn’t get to it during the fall, there is still some time. In fact, Don Vandervort, founder of http://www.Hometips.com, an online home improvement information and instruction site, clears the debris from his gutters and downspouts before a potentially rainy season — and then does it again after the first rain! This is especially important if your gutters and drains are under numerous trees. The prevailing winds will surely give you extra clean up in the gutters, even if you cleared them in October.

Roof & Chimneys

Again with the wind! You will want to make sure your roof is free of collecting debris from trees and surrounding bushes. If you aren’t sure how to check for leaks in your chimney or roof you can contact anyone from the Spadafore Team for a list of vendors, homes are what we do.

Slopes

One of the most beautiful aspects of living is South Orange County is our gently rolling hills. We love driving over a road and having one of our amazing views of the white covered mountains in the east or the breathtaking site of the Pacific in the west, but this can come at a cost. Shifting slopes can be a possible sign of mudslides in your own backyard. You want to inspect for gullying (when water cuts away at the land, usually over a long downpour,) surface cracks and slumping. Take a close look at patios and retaining walls for any movement or cracks that might indicate slope movement.

Landscape

Those trees and leaves! Double check for debris again and again. This debris can cause water to pool and not drain properly causing possible flooding. Inspect your entire yard for dead trees and also for dead limbs. This can be a simple fix or a huge problem if a branch takes out a section of fence or worse, a section of your home. It is also a good idea to take a look at common areas with trees as well. One of our agents had an entire tree come down on their backyard in a rain/wind storm.

Prepare for a Power Outage

Don’t panic! Even if power lines go down and you lose electricity you can be ready. First, make sure you have flashlights that work. Check the batteries now, before you are in the dark. We should all have an Emergency Preparedness Kit with plenty of water, food for a few days (for your entire family, including Fido) a first aid kit, and you can always use some duct tape. Disconnect electronics and leave just one light switch on so you know when the lights go back on. A deck of playing cards or other easy game to keep you occupied while your devices are saving their charge, just in case you need to make calls for assistance or to find out information is also a good idea.

It’s Flooding, Now What!!!

Stay away from the water! We watch every year as someone gets swept away from water that looks like it is barely moving. It only takes a few inches of rushing water to wash even a full-grown man off his feet. Get to higher ground and call for help. Now is a great time to remind children about the dangers of flood waters, nothing looks as inviting as a large puddle to most kiddos but wait until the rain subsides, and water stops moving before you start splashing. Don’t drive into a flooded area. Water can rise very quickly and your car can be swept away in only 2 feet of water. Try and be proactive and pay attention to weather reports. With apps like The Weather Channel you can see alerts of upcoming rain within 15 minutes from wherever you are standing. Just turn on your updates in the settings of your phone for the app, but remember, it may use up some of your data, not much, but some!

You might be a little behind in getting ready, but as you can see, there is still a lot you can do to prepare yourself and your family.

We at the Spadafore Team want to remind you to give us a call, text or email with any questions or concerns you may have. Our team is here to help.