Home Sweet MN
19
What Buyers Should Know About Property Boundaries
You might assume the fence marks the edge of your property. In many cases, it doesn't, and that gap between what you see and what the survey shows is where boundary disputes start. Before you fall in love with a lot size or a mature tree line, it's worth understanding what actually sets the edge of a property.
Property Surveys and Boundary Lines
A listing will tell you how big the lot is and give you a general sense of the space, but not necessarily what's actually on the land. Does that shed really sit on your side of the line, or is it hanging over the neighbor's fence by a couple of feet? A current survey shows exactly where everything sits based on the legal description, along with any improvements that have gone in over the years. If the seller's survey isn't re...
13
What to Repair Before Listing Your House
Making a home ready to be listed for sale isn't always a matter of large-scale improvements. It is, more often than not, a matter of a few key repairs that will make all the difference, while a handful of less important fixes will wait. Here's how to determine which is which.
Begin With What Turns Off Potential Buyers
As you tour your own home with buyer's eyes, make a list of things that would give a potential buyer pause. Address these first, while the rest can wait, as the first impressions are the most important. Make repairs to give a buyer immediate positive feedback, such as painting a room...
29
How to Use Landscaping to Create More Privacy at Home
Privacy doesn't require a 10-foot wall or blackout curtains over every window. Most of the time it comes down to picking the right plants, structures, and placement, and doing it in roughly the right order. Get the order wrong, and the yard ends up pretty in photos, but useless for the window that's actually bothering you.
What Are You Actually Trying to Block?
Walk the yard at a few different times of day before you plant anything. Notice where the exposure is really coming from. A neighbor's kitchen window looking into your patio is not the same problem as cars slowing down in front of your porch during the school run. Sometimes it's one tree, plac...
16
What Summer Weather Can Reveal About a Home
Summer tends to be honest. A house can look perfectly fine during a mild spring showing. Then July heat rolls in, the afternoon sun hits the windows, a storm blows through, or the basement starts to feel damp. Suddenly, you're seeing things that weren't obvious a few months earlier.
That doesn't mean every summer clue points to a major problem. Some are small maintenance items. Others are worth a closer look before you make an offer or move toward closing.
Notice How the Cooling Feels Room by Room
On a hot day, pay attention to how the house feels as you move through it. Does one bedroom feel comfortable while another feels stuffy? Is the upstairs much wa...
11
How to Handle Multiple Showing Requests Efficiently
Getting multiple showing requests is a good problem to have. It means your home attracts attention. But if you're not prepared, a busy showing schedule can turn into a source of stress rather than a sign of momentum.
Talk to Your Agent Before the Requests Roll In
The best time to get organized is before you need to. Sit down with your agent and decide on a realistic showing schedule. What days work for your household? Are there times that are difficult because of work, school pickups, or other commitments? Being specific about this up front means your agent can field requests and avoid situations where you're scrambling to accommodate something at the last minute.
It also helps to discuss how much notice you need before a showing....
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