Posts tagged: how to get more sales in real estate

As a consumer who has decided to build their own modern and stylish home, you must be sure to choose the right luxury home builder. There are many questions that you should ask to ensure that you will receive the quality and precision that you desire as a homeowner. Never allow yourself to be rushed into any decisions regarding the house you hope to build. This is a key problem that affects many consumers when building their luxury homes. Keep in mind that this house will be your escape from the world – the place you enjoy both by yourself and with your friends and family. It should be exactly as you picture it. The time spent in the early stages of planning with the guidance of a developer is crucial to the end result.

When choosing a company or an individual, bear in mind that you and your opinion are what matters the most when making decisions about your house. Your developer is there to guide you and advise you in all aspects of turning your dream home into a reality, and to advise if the house you envision is possible in terms of physically building it, as well as budget and time wise. You must rely on their expertise and knowledge to ensure that the luxury home you build is safe and secure, meets all of your expectations and is possible within your budget and time constraints. The two of you must work alongside one another in order to make the right choices together.

The partnership between a builder and the consumer is much deeper than many would ever suspect. Your goal as a consumer is to have the dwelling you picture as the perfect place to live in for the rest of your life. Your developer’s goal is to ensure that you have just that, while taking into consideration your budget, your safety, and the future use of your residence. So, for this partnership to work for both parties, you both need to work toward the one same goal – producing your dream house.

A luxury residential developer is a key part of making your future home the perfect place you have always dreamed of. Many builders are also capable of not only of building your new place of residence, but of designing it as well. This is a huge benefit to those consumers who have no experience in designing a home on their own, as well as benefiting those consumers who have the ideas but not the knowledge to put them on paper. Choosing the right builders for the job is very important and worth the extra time and effort.

1. Time is money when selling your home

After you’ve made the decision to sell your home, the longer it remains unsold on the market, the more it costs you. Many home sellers feel it’s very important to receive close to their full asking price. But they overlook the additional months of carrying costs, such as mortgage interest, property taxes and maintenance. I’ve seen homes remain unsold on the market for years! Obviously, those home sellers are not highly motivated to sell. If they’ve already moved to their new home, maintaining a vacant, overpriced house can be very expensive, usually costing $1,000 or more each month the home remains unsold.

2. Get your home into near-model home condition

Most home buyers today want to purchase a home which is in basically good condition and does not need major fix-up work. This is called a “red ribbon deal” home because it’s like a gift wrapped with red ribbon.

There are few buyers for fixer-upper houses–and they want bargain prices to compensate for the necessary work. The goal of home sellers who want to sell fast for top dollar must be to get the home into near-model home condition. However, spending major money is not required. Most homes just need basic, inexpensive work to get the residence into very good condition where all the buyer must do is turn the key in the door and move in.

3. The reason most homes don’t sell–they are overpriced!

Many home sellers want to set their asking prices above what their realty agent recommends. These sellers often hope an out-of-town buyer will overpay for their home. That rarely happens! There are several reasons, such as buyer’s agents who look out for their buyers, competitive listings which are realistically priced close to market value, and lender’s appraisals which reflect market value. Buyers quickly become experts on home values after they’ve inspected a dozen or more similar homes in the vicinity. They rarely overpay. Most homes have a “range of values.” Many factors influence this range of values–such as local economic conditions, the home’s location, supply of similar homes in the same price range listed for sale, number of buyers currently in the marketplace, the physical condition of the home, the skill of your realty agent to properly market the home to as many prospective buyers as possible, the financing available, quality of the local school district (the best schools create home buyer demand), and the desirability of your home compared to other nearby homes now available for sale.

4. Be flexible–don’t get greedy

If you’re just testing the market and will sell your home only if you get your inflated asking price, then you’re not a serious motivated seller. However, if you are motivated to sell, the best attitude is to be flexible, don’t get greedy and don’t insist on receiving the last dollar of profit. Instead, consider all purchase offers which are presented. No matter how low and insulting the purchase offer might be, make a counteroffer! After several days or even weeks of counteroffer negotiation back and forth, home sales often result. But sellers who are inflexible and don’t make counteroffers have only themselves to blame when their home doesn’t sell because they are inflexible and greedy.

5. Get out of the house!

Finally, if you listed your home for sale with a professional realty agent, let that person (or a buyer’s agent) do their job. Whenever you know an agent is bringing a prospective buyer to inspect your home, even on short notice, get out of the house! There’s a very good reason you don’t want to meet the prospective buyer.

Experienced realty agents will tell you that until a buyer criticizes a residence, he or she is not a serious buyer. If the seller is hovering nearby, the prospect usually will not criticize your home. Instead, he or she will look at it and leave without making a commitment to that possible future residence. Also, the buyer’s agent won’t comment about the pros and cons of the house if the seller is within hearing range. Even if you just walk around the block 10 times while a buyer inspects your home, get out! Also, get your pets out–there is nothing worse than an offensive pet (or pet smell) to chill prospective home buyers from quickly buying your home for top dollar.

Nursing homes are designed to serve patients who require preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative nursing care services for non-acute, long-term conditions. Usually residents are elderly and frail, but not bedridden, although many will require canes, walkers, or wheelchairs to help them get around.

Patient stays are on the whole relatively long, with the majority of residents staying for the remaining months or years of their life. Most UK Nursing homes will also care for a number of convalescent patients who are in recovery from acute illnesses, but no longer require hospitalisation.

Nursing homes present special design challenges in that for most residents the nursing home is not just a facility, but indeed their home. The reality is that in most cases the residents will live there for the rest of their lives and, moreover, rarely leave the premises at all. The nursing home therefore becomes their entire world. The challenge is to design an environment that is sensitive and responsive to long-term human needs and well-being, both physical and emotional. Thankfully there are a growing number of companies who specialize in the manufacture and supply of stylish yet practical Nursing Home furniture, which means designers are no longer limited in terms of interior décor.

Building Attributes

Nursing homes are primarily patient care focused rather than medically focused, and consequently its more important attributes are those focusing on the general happiness of its residents rather than high-tech considerations. Features of a well designed nursing home are as follows:

Homely environment

The impact of surroundings and environment on the recovery of Nursing Home patients cannot be underestimated. Both the building’s architect and interior designer needs to gain a thorough understanding of the function of the venue and the profile of its patients. Attention must be paid to ensuring that the exterior and interior design cater for physical and mental disabilities along with loss of sight. This should all be packaged in such as way as to suggest a home away from home as opposed to a medical institute.

Efficiency

In order to create the most efficient space possible for both staff and patients, the nursing home’s design should promote efficiency by minimizing the distance it is necessary to travel between spaces that are most frequently used such as recreational rooms, dining areas and toilets.

Ease of supervision is another essential feature, as allowing supervision of patients by minimal members of staff can reduce the total number of employees required by the nursing home, and can free up nursing staff to perform other tasks at any one time.

Cleanliness and Sanitation

Odour control is a priority for all nursing homes, since many patients are likely to experience occasional incontinence. The resulting odour can give the impression of poor hyginene and uncleanliness to family and other visitors. In addition to operational practices and careful choice of nursing home furniture, the following design features can also help:

Highly visible toilet rooms in key locations near spaces where residents congregate

The use of appropriate, durable finishes for each space used by residents

Proper detailing of such features as doorframes, casework, and finish transitions to avoid dirt-catching and hard-to-clean crevices and joints

Adequate and appropriately located housekeeping spaces

Effective ventilation, which may need to exceed nominal design levels.

Kit homes are pre-fabricated homes designed and manufactured in the factory and shipped onsite with all or most of the materials, components, and even plumbing included. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with each parts measured, designed, and fabricated to fit perfectly to create a complete piece. Some people think that these are lesser quality homes that have smaller spaces and low-grade materials. However, this is a general misconception because quality will always depend on the supplier or manufacturer. You can get a huge kit home that will last for a lifetime with a reliable supplier that offers high-quality materials, components, and services.

First and foremost, what makes this type of home popular, especially in the Australian market, is the lower cost to build a home. Compared to the traditional approach to home design and construction, a pre-designed and pre-fabricated kit can cost 30% less than site-built homes. The overall expense can be reduced further if you build it on your own without hiring contractors for construction. This works for homeowners who have the skills and some help from family members and friends. The time it would take to finish building a home is must faster because design, materials, and other components are already available and would simply need to be put together for completion. With the help of contractors, it would take 2-3 days to finish building a home. That’s faster than site-built homes that would normally take months or years to be completed. It saves you time and cuts down more costs along the way.

Despite the benefits and advantages a kit home offers to potential homeowners, certain limitations prevent others from availing of this low-cost property alternative. Considering terrain and other environmental conditions, a regular kit home may not always be appropriate to areas with uneven and challenging terrains, which requires a customized home design and architecture. While kit homes are generally popular in Australia due to the availability of land, other countries and states like the UK have limited lots for homeowners to build kit homes.

Furthermore, while kit homes come in a variety of designs from traditional or rustic to modern and eco-friendly, there’s little or no room for modification or adjustments as the design and components are fixed or predetermined. If you prefer your home to be a certain way with a couple of inclusions and alterations, a kit home may not be ideal for you. Homeowners, however, are initially given several options from existing designs by suppliers. While adjustments are not always accommodated by suppliers, you can inquire if a supplier can oblige you with slight modifications to existing designs.

With these advantages and disadvantages, you can now make informed decisions whether to opt for a kit home or not. For such a long-term and lifetime investment, always be an educated consumer and know the pros and cons involved.

Building Homes of Your Own is a computer game where you are challenged to get a loan, select and purchase property, design and build a house, and sell it for a profit. There are three levels to the game, Urban or Suburban, Rivers and Lakes, and Coastline. For each progressive level you will be given a larger loan for your budget. On the third level, Coastline, you will receive a loan for more than 1 million dollars.

Construction Technology Engineering is the main focus of the software. It is meant to be as close as possible to real world situations in the building homes industry. Many students in Technology Education and Engineering class utilize this software to learn the steps to planning and building a house.

Here are some of the main tips for being successful in the Building Homes of Your Own game. First, you need to remember that you are not designing the house for yourself. You will be given different situations depending on which property location that you choose. Most design something they would want to live in while ignoring the demographics of the surrounding area. The surrounding houses and neighborhoods are big clues to whom you may want to sell your house to. You must check the demographics for information surrounding your property. For example, average population age is very important. You don’t want to build a skate park in the backyard of a neighborhood where the average age is 65 and older.

Second, when designing your floor plan and interior remember you are trying to make a profit on the property. Your profit is the amount of money above what you spend on building the house. For example, if you design a very large house with the most expensive interior choices, you will not be able to make as much profit on your property.

Third, planning for your house designing decisions is the most critical step that most people overlook. There are three planning phases you need to consider. The “site phase,” where you find and purchase your property. The “building phase,” where you decide on your floor plan, exterior, and interior. The “sell phase,” where you advertise and sell your house to potential buyers.

Your home will be judged by how much profit you make on your property. You must be able to find the right buyers by checking their credit information. They will be rejected by the bank for a home loan to buy your property if they have bad credit. A score of 70 percent or higher means you can go on to the next level. Remember these tips and tricks for reaching the next level when playing Building Homes of Your Own.

Rammed Earth Home is one of the most economical, comfortable, durable and elegant looking building structures. It was an ancient method of building construction which is still very popular up in order to these days. Why? Simply because of the many top qualities it possesses that benefits both the homeowners and the rammed earth builders. These advantages include the following:

Long Lasting Strength and Durability

The thousands of years of remaining standing from archaic times to the present day plus several scientific testing conducted are evidence enough so as to prove the durability and long lasting qualities. They have been recognized by the engineers as having load bearing characteristic, so no need to spend for additional framing to protect the structure. Not just that, rammed earth construction has exceeded the minimum requirements achieved by most timer frame construction because of the substantial bracing and stability it provides against natural calamities.

Thermal Mass

The thick material density is one among the reasons why these homes remain standing for thousands of years in spite of extreme calamities. There’s just a slight penetration because of this quality that takes place during hot or cold climate. Therefore, it gives off natural warmth during winter and chill feeling during summer when inside the house. This also makes it an ideal choice in areas like Australia, where temperature fluctuations need to be kept to a minimum.

Versatile

Because of the natural color and texture variations of rammed earth constructions, many architects find it very easy to style rammed earth homes many styles with a great deal more elements. A stunning beauty is given to the structure by combining the foreign materials with the natural properties of rammed earth materials.

Termite/Sound/Fire Proof

Termites and pests have no place in order to stay due to the durable quality of the materials used. There are no cavities in walls for pests to reside or use as a route in order to the roof or other timbers. Plastering, wallpapering, or repainting is not required so as to reinforce a rammed earth home. Apart from all these, you can even ensure that no unwanted sounds like traffic noise could go through the walls due to its sound insulation property.

Nature Friendly

Unlike other building structure materials such as bricks and cement, it doesn’t produce toxic, is non-polluting and especially, it breathes. Utilizing all these qualities, rammed earth homes are ensured safer, more comfortable home building in order to live in that stays longer throughout the years.

They are a team of companies specializing in stabilized construction. The group comprises local and international teams who work together to deliver the best outcomes for clients wanting to use this beautiful, natural and durable walling for their houses or commercial projects.

Placing a loved one in a care home can be a stressful and upsetting time for everyone involved. But when you’re no longer able to provide adequate care, they are the best option. And while the negative stigma surrounding care homes has been quashed, it is shocking the number of poor facilities that are out there.

If you’re choosing a long-term care facility for a loved one, you should make sure you keep an eye out for these ten tell-tale signs of a bad care home:

1. Firstly, assess how you are greeted upon your visit. Are staff willing and prepared to be helpful, or do they try and prevent you from asking questions and seeing the full premises? If staff are disrespectful to you, your loved one may face similar treatment.

2. If the care workers refer to staff as ‘the man in bed A’ rather than by name, alarm bells should ring. Your relative may have lost some of their independence, but they are still human and should be treated so. Bad care homes won’t give a personal level of care.

3. Unhygienic and unclean residential homes should also be avoided. Strong smells of disinfectant can also be a warning sign as this is often used to cover up something. When choosing potential homes, ask to see a lived-in room to inspect the level of care.

4. Note the appearance of the residents. Are the clean, dressed and well groomed? A tell-tale sign of a poor care home is one that doesn’t appear to be taking these most basic elements of care seriously. You should also assess whether residents appear to be distressed, upset, or lonely.

5. How do staff speak to the residents? Are the patronising, passive-aggressive, or disrespectful? You want to make sure your loved one is treated with the respect they deserve, and this kind of attitude is a sign of a terrible care home

6. Are residents being fed adequate meals? Inspect the quality of the food, and whether or not residents are eating. It is important that those in care home eat a healthy, well balanced diet. You should also see if those that need help eating are given the care and attention they deserve.

7. A bad home for the elderly will leave residents sat in their chairs all day. Speak to as many people as you can to see what the day-to-day activities are. Are those who are able given the freedom they deserve? Are those that need assistance given it to enable them to get out and about?

8. During your visit, see how promptly calls for help are answered. A bad residential home will leave residents in distress for a prolonged period, or may go to their aid slowly. Poor care homes will also be lacking in safety features like grab bars.

9. A tell-tale sign of a poor residential homes is one that is outdated and poorly maintained. When looking at potential homes for the elderly, make sure that all the rooms are well decorated, light, and airy. Check that all carpets are laid properly and that personal safety is a high priority.

10. Perhaps the biggest and most alarming sign of a bad care home would be the use of restraints, or the presence of bruises on residents. If you see any of these signs, you should leave immediately and alert the appropriate authorities.

Incandescent or vintage filament bulbs were a type of light fitting that were readily available in many consumer outlets that we shopped in. If a fitting at home stopped working we would go to the local shop and purchase a new one to screw into place. However, over the past decade these type of fittings have been phased out in favour of low energy consumption varieties. What is inside an Incandescent or vintage bulb? They are made up of a wire filament inside a glass housing.

This wire is heated up by passing electricity through it, this in turn will make the wire glow and make the fitting come on. The filament is encased in glass or quartz and sometimes has a gas inside which helps with the lighting effect. These types of fittings come in varying shapes and sizes and can be used for a variety of functions. The most obvious being a source of light in a room.

Many vehicles are fitted with filament bulbs, torches and bikes also use this type of fitting. Incandescent type fittings are less than 5% efficient, this means that 95% of the energy that is put into the fitting will be wasted and only 5% will be turned into light. A lumen is a way in which the output can be measured, the higher the lumen, the brighter the output. Incandescent fittings produce 16 lumens per watt.

As these type of fittings produce a high heat output along with the light that is emitted they are sometimes used for specialist applications. Incubators for hatching eggs, heat lamps for snakes and lizards and even the 1960s replica lava lamps all use these types of bulbs. Typically the top of the glass on a lava lamp can reach temperatures of 170 degrees Celsius.

Restrictions on these types of bulbs are coming into effect all over the world. Many countries including the European Union, The United States, and Brazil are slowly fazing out the usage of these type of high energy consumption fittings.

Within the European Union research suggest that 40 Twh (terrawatt hours) of electricity every year is being saved by not using these types of fittings. That equates to 15 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The new technology in this field is LED known as a Light emitting diode. This type of fitting is much more efficient than the vintage type and has the capability of lasting several thousand more hours in normal use. They also produce a lot less heat than traditional fittings. Energy efficient type fittings are the most popular type of fitting on the market currently. The need for households to become more aware of the environment and to lower their co2 emissions has become a focus for many.

However, the market and requirement for the vintage filament type is still strong, many people still like the classy look of these type of fittings. The have their place in residential areas as well as specialist areas such as museums, bars and other indoor commercial purposes. Due to the restriction on the original type of incandescent fitting, the new type are known as ‘heritage’ and offer the same look and design of the original bulb.

They can be installed with a brass effect holder and if used with varying designs of electrical flex they can really add the touch of nostalgia to any room. Vintage fittings can still purchased form many online retailers. Completing a search online will bring up a whole host of companies that still offer the vintage type filament. Although not as energy efficient as LED fittings they still offer a need for those requiring that touch of class and difference.

Safes for Homes

While many people keep their belongings in cabinets, and night stands, safes for homes are the best way to protect your valuables. The typical vision of a safe conjures up images of large bank safes full of millions of dollars of cash, and gold. However most safes for homes are simple metal structures that allow people to stuff their belongings in a safe place for the evening out, or whenever need be. The most consistent thing about metal safes is the fact that they are heavy in weight, and often come in a square, or box shape that gives people easy to use options when trying to store valuables in them. Some safes are time stamped, and only allow themselves to be opened at a certain time of day. Others are locked by a code, or even a simple key lock. However the safe operates, safes for homes are a great way to protect ones goods when need be.

The most important thing to remember when buying safes for homes is size. The bigger the safe, the more expensive it will be to purchase and the more difficult it will be to move around. This is important for those that are frequent travelers, or find themselves often moving .A smaller safe can save a lot of time, and energy when it comes to moving time.

Cost ranges from a few hundred, to a few thousand dollars for safes for homes depending on their size. Most moderate sized safes will run about $800 to $1,000 in price, and allow you to store a few cubic feet of valuables. This type of safe will work for those looking to store jewelry, cash, or other things of the small sized sort.

Gun safes are also a popular option when looking at safes for homes. Gun safes are specifically molded to hold, and keep firearms. Gun safes come in a variety of sizes; typically listed by the amount of guns it is capable of holding.

The best way to assess what safes for homes are right for you is by looking at your assets first. If you have a large group of valuable items besides cash, and stock certificates it might make sense to purchase a larger safe. If on the other hand, your valuables are mostly the size of sheet of paper; a regular office sized safe should meet your needs.

Never give your safe password out to anyone, and try to hide the safe within your home. By keeping this knowledge as private as possible, your goods will be as safe as possible.

Bathroom suites are a must-have for every home, they add comfort and value to the overall design of the home. As you may have noticed, certain home remodeling increases the retail value of the house while others may not have as much impact, or may even have no impact at all.

Studies show that new bathroom suites add more value to the cost of a home. Well-maintained and updated fixtures do raise the value of a home notches higher. Experts claim that when it comes to selling a house, the appearance and the value of the house is a strong selling point.

There are many options available to homeowners on the many different types of bathroom suites that are online. You will find both modern and traditional varieties when you go shopping. A traditional one comes with a double side end roll top bath with ball feet designs. These outstanding tubs retain their traditional designs and structure and are made from long lasting contemporary material. Traditional suites are known for their pedestal sinks. Moreover, there toilet seats are sold differently to enable you buy and play with colors.

There are very high valued bathroom suites out in the market and online. These products come in different price ranges, color and design. Most suite sets come with other products like mirrors, basins, bidets, baths, pedestal sinks, a toilet and a toilet seat.

A beautifully designed bathroom suite should comprise of a large basin, a toilet, bidet, beautiful accessories and a pedestal sink. Many suites have different toilet seat designs and styles. Some toilets are low-level toilets while some are high. You can also add more flavor to your bathroom by providing a heated towel stand.

There are many great brand names and they are available to everyone and anyone who can afford them. Some suites are cheap while others cost more but they all serve equal functions although some are more sophisticated in features and function than others.

A good bathroom is an investment in any home, so ensure to choose the right bathroom suite when remodeling. Also ensure that you mix and match products perfectly, because of the different brands you use especially if you are not an expert interior designer. Buy products you can afford and ensure to get an expert installer to do the finishing work for you rather than do it yourself. Your home is incomplete without the presents of a bathroom suite.