6 Plumbing Maintenance Checks Routine maintenance can save homeowners thousands in potential repairs, especially when it comes to plumbing. There are several steps homeowners can take to check for red flags in their plumbing systems, says Patricia Bonacorda of Spartan Plumbing. She recommends these conducting these six maintenance checks at least once a year. Lint Trap It may seem unrelated to the plumbing system, but lint buildup can block the drain of your washing machine i

A home energy audit might not be at the top of your to-do list, but if you’re getting your home market-ready, here’s why you should make it a priority. If you’ve ever been in the market to buy or sell a house, you’re probably familiar with a few key questions when it comes to utilities. Septic or sewer? Oil or gas? And how much will it cost to heat and cool this place? The answer to those questions can affect the final offer, because what buyers want to know is, how much will

Focus on these 5 features to help speed up your home sale. Declutter and clean: both are two important steps to take before putting your house on the market. But if you have a midsized suburban home (2,000 to 2,600 square feet), you’d be wise to also get your house millennial (and gen-x)-ready. Why? Because that’s your market. If you start now making the changes those groups prefer, your house will be the talk of the town by 2018. That (and later) is when 72% of people betwee

Draw buyers inside by avoiding these common seller mistakes. When your home is on the market, first impressions are everything: An unkempt yard or peeling paint will scare some buyers away completely, while a neat, pretty exterior will bring in more potential buyers. Escape the pitfalls of an unsightly exterior by avoiding these eight common mistakes that can sabotage curb appeal. 1. Doing nothing “One of the biggest mistakes I see is sellers not doing anything in terms of cu

Anticipating any problems the home inspector or buyer may have with your home — and fixing these problems — will save you money. If you’re planning to list your home at the start of summer, it’s time to tackle all the necessary repairs. These repairs can save you money in the long run — money spent on improvements now will be far less than the cost of that first price reduction if your house sits on the market. Even if your home doesn’t linger on the market, you run the risk

Choosing the right time to list your home can make all the difference. There’s a season for everything — including real estate. If you’re gearing up to list your home for sale, you should connect with your agent to discuss your home sale action plan. But there are also a number of calendar-based factors you should be just as thoughtful about as you put together your plan for selling. Here are five calendars that should be on every home seller’s radar. 1. The academic calendar

No matter what anyone tells you, curb appeal and high-quality landscaping matters when it comes putting your home on the market to sell. The house’s exterior is the first thing a home shopper sees, so make it count. According to the most recent Landscape Architecture Trend Survey (ASLA), the buzzwords surrounding this year’s landscaping trends are “sustainability” and “low-maintenance”. It was reported that respondents expected the greatest demand for landscaping projects tha

Heed these 8 suggestions from real estate pros to ensure your property fetches the highest possible price. I’m no real estate investor, but I’ve bought and sold two houses in my time (one on my own and one with an agent), and what I can tell you from those experiences is that little things mean a lot when it comes to selling your home and getting a great price for it. But if everything counts and you have only so much time and money to invest, how do you know where to start t

Today’s choices in flooring are more varied than ever, running the gamut of styles, finishes and installation options. Product innovation is clearly blurring the lines between many flooring categories, and the raw materials used to create flooring types include gin bottles, corn sugar and the staves from old wine barrels. The winner in this underfoot mash-up is the consumer, who benefits from an astonishing array of choices that fit any lifestyle and budget. Wood Hardwood flo