Selling Your Home

Jun 17 2013

6 Curb Appeal Ideas to Make You the Star of Your Western MA Neighborhood

Since curb appeal strongly influences home values, spring and summer are a good time to spruce up your yard, especially if the neighbors are trying to sell their home.

How much value can neighborhood curb appeal add to your Western MA home? Having nice landscaping adds $1,777 in home value when you’re selling your home, according to data collected in a HomeGain.com survey about how home improvements boost home value.

Curb appeal works in the other direction, too. If a for-sale house down the block is sporting some bad curb appeal, it could sell for less than it might otherwise. And that comparable sale drives down the value of your home.

We couldn’t find any data on how much the average buyer discounts his offer when the neighbors haven’t painted their house since 1979, but we do know nobody pays top dollar to buy next door to a house that looks like the “before” picture in a siding ad.

Here are 6 quick exterior projects you can do in a day or two to add to your home’s value and neighborhood appeal.

Landscape for curb appeal by re-sodding bare spots, trimming shrubs, and adding colorful spring flowers to your front yard.

Add some outdoor lighting for curb appeal to highlight your beautified yard after dark.

Pitch in with the neighbors to rent a power washer for a day to give your sidewalks and deck a little care and maintenance. Be gentle and careful if you decide to use the power washer to clean your home’s exterior; you can easily blast things off your house, like the paint, or get water into siding seams.

Clean your siding, whether it’s brick, wood, or vinyl, by using a long-handled, soft-bristled brush, soap (trisodium phosphate), and water.

Create a little cool curb appeal with house numbers — that is, dress up your address.

Freshen up the look of winter-ravished patio furniture with new pillows, a bright umbrella, or a colorful tablecloth to give the impression to anyone at the open house that the neighbors have fun parties.

Are your neighbors’ yards boosting or detracting from home values on your block? How about your own yard?

If you are looking to sell your Western MA home in the Pioneer Valley please give me a call so I can present my marketing plan! Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

If you are looking to buy a home in Western MA you can use this map based search to help you and please call me to discuss your plans!

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Jun 03 2013

Spruce up your entryway for $100 or less! First impressions sell homes

A Dozen Foyer Ideas for Under $100

When you open your front door, do you step into what looks like a lost-and-found? Here’s how to organize the jumble and avoid a bad trip. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

May 29 2013

The Western MA Real Estate Market Has Turned

Adorable! #westernma #westfield #realestate (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

The average sale price of homes sold by Park Square this year to date has increased to $197,214. Last year in the same period, our average sale price was $173,739, so we are up $23,475.

In 2013, the average days on market for single family homes that have gone under agreement is down to 53 days, with many homes going under agreement in a matter of days and weeks.

The market has turned dramatically among all the price ranges which you can see with the list of Park Square listings below that are presently under agreement:

Single Family Homes

Status Address Price __

UAG 84 Spencer Street Agawam, MA $179,000

UAG 56 Emerson Road Agawam, MA $189,900

UAG 57 Hastings Street Agawam, $204,900

UAG 34 Corey Street Agawam, MA $225,000

UAG 7 Marla Agawam, MA : $278,000

UAG 15 Allison Lane Agawam, $299,900

UAG 20 Lenox Circle East Longmeadow, $315,000

UAG 59 Lynch Drive Holyoke, MA $169,900

UAG 2 Lynn Ann Drive Holyoke, MA $250,000

UAG 22 Fuller Ludlow, MA $129,900

UAG 124 Woodland Circle Ludlow, MA $369,900

UAG 71 New State Road Montgomery, $210,000

UAG 99 Richview Ave South Hadley, $157,900

UAG 3 Beach Road Southwick, $117,900

UAG 61 Long Pond Rd Tyngsborough, MA $238,500

UAG 31 Sunnyside Street West Springfield, MA $124,900

UAG 131 Queen Avenue West Springfield, MA $169,900

UAG 76 Greystone Ave West Springfield, MA $174,900

UAG 70 Nonotuck Road West Springfield, MA $248,900

UAG 22 Havenhurst Road West Springfield, MA $284,900

UAG 6 Madison Street Westfield, MA $113,000

UAG 7 Springdale Street Westfield, MA $144,900

UAG 46 Western Circle Westfield, MA $169,900

UAG 114 Joseph Avenue Westfield, MA $179,900

UAG 29 Joseph Ave Westfield, MA $183,500

UAG 120 Roosevelt Ave Westfield, MA $183,500

UAG 308 Northwest Road Westfield, $189,500

UAG 95 Honey Pot Road Westfield, $189,700

UAG 63 Robinson Dr Westfield, MA $199,000

UAG 38 Lindbergh Blvd Westfield, MA $199,900

UAG 175 Pontoosic Road Westfield, MA $205,000

UAG 45 Southview Terrace Westfield, MA $224,999

UAG 86 Pine Street Westfield, MA $275,000

UAG 119 Eastwood Dr Westfield, MA $289,900

UAG 83 Pineridge Dr Westfield, MA $374,900

Average Days on Market: 53 Days

Condominium Listings

Status Address List Price

UAG 80 Damon Road U:2207 Northampton, MA $85,000

UAG 52 Rosewood U:52 Southwick, MA $154,900

UAG 80 Brush Hill Ave. U:71 West Springfield, MA $89,900

UAG 324 Russell Road U:#103 Westfield, MA $59,900

UAG 362 Granville Road U:215 Westfield, MA $147,900

Average Days on Market: 64 Days

Multi-Family Listings

Status Address List Price

UAG 57 Northampton St Easthampton, $174,900

UAG 2 Pine Street Huntington, MA $199,000

UAG 23-25 Maple Ave. Northampton, $399,900

UAG 487-489 Kings Highway West Springfield, $149,900

UAG 17 Curtis Street Westfield, MA $99,900

UAG 10 Conner Avenue Westfield, $153,000

UAG 29 Woodmont Street Westfield, MA $172,000

UAG 5 Fowler Street Westfield, $179,900

Average Days on Market: 27 Days

If you are thinking of making a move, now may be the right time! We have buyers who have not been able to find the right home because there isn’t enough inventory out there. I specialize in marketing and selling residential real estate and would love to interview for the position of your real estate agent! Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

Mar 19 2013

Thinking of selling your Western MA home? Give the buyers what they want!

Granite Installation, Santa Cecilia Countertop... — Granite Installation, Santa Cecilia Countertop, and Tile Backsplash Design (Photo credit: granite-charlotte)

Each year the National Association of REALTORS does a study to discover what today’s buyers are looking for in the next home they purchase.

This study gets boiled down into a list of home features with statistics on the level of importance to the buyers. This list can guide you in preparing your home for sale by alerting you to what areas of the home are most important to home buyers. Many home sellers make improvements to their home without considering what their potential buyers may want. This can lead to costly improvements with minimal or no benefit in the sale of the home.

What makes the most sense is to tailor your improvements to you Western MA home towards what today’s home buyer is looking for. For example: 65% of home buyers expressed that central air conditioning is important in the selection of their next home. Having a garage is a big asset as 78% of the buyers in the survey purchased a home with one. Granite countertops were important to 20% of those surveyed and 17% preferred stainless steel appliances, but more important to these buyers was that the kitchen have an eat-in space and new appliances. These are just a sampling of the total results. You can review and download the entire report here:

Home Feature Preferences Edited

You can also listen to an interview on this topic.

If you are considering putting your Western MA home up for sale this spring and want a professional and experienced education on how best to prepare and market your home, give me a call: Lesley Lambert of Park Square Realty 413-575-3611.

Mar 19 2013

Happy St. Joseph’s Day! Will St. Joseph help you sell your home?

Planting St. Joe (Photo credit: Jeff Hester)

Today is St. Joseph’s Day, a celebration of the husband of the virgin Mary and step father of Jesus.

Joseph was a carpenter and also the patron saint of home and family in the Roman Catholic religion, which is presumed to be the reason he is now connected with real estate.

It is said that burying a statue or medal of St. Joseph in your yard will help to move the sale of the home along. This practice is a fairly recent tradition which hit a peak in the 1990’s. Legend has it you should bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down in your front yard. Recommendations for placement vary: some say in the corner of the yard, others in the center facing the house and some say near the real estate sign.

I have never tried this out, but in researching this topic online I see that many people have sent their desires to move to St. Joseph and were met with success. As with all things prayer related, the actual prayer itself has great importance. There are prayers offered as suggestions, such as:

Prayer To St. Joseph to Sell House

O, Saint Joseph,
you who taught our Lord
the carpenter’s trade,
and saw to it
that he was always properly housed,
hear my earnest plea.

I want you to help me now
as you helped your foster-child Jesus,
and as you have helped many others
in the matter of housing.

I wish to sell this [house/property]
quickly, easily, and profitably
and I implore you to grant my wish
by bringing me a good buyer,
one who is
eager, compliant, and honest,
and by letting nothing impede the
rapid conclusion of the sale.

Dear Saint Joseph,
I know you would do this for me
out of the goodness of your heart
and in your own good time,
but my need is very great now
and so I must make you hurry
on my behalf.

Saint Joseph, I am going to place you
in a difficult position
with your head in darkness
and you will suffer as our Lord suffered,
until this [house/property] is sold.

Then, Saint Joseph, i swear
before the cross and God Almighty,
that i will redeem you
and you will receive my gratitude
and a place of honour in my home.

Amen.

Many sources, however, state that the homeowner can simply make an earnest and heartfelt plea to the Saint in their own words. There are a lot of options in purchasing a statue of St. Joseph online. I did a quick search on Amazon and found very affordable options.

Now, I am not Catholic myself, but for about $5, I would be willing to give this a try! Have you done this? How did it work for you?

Selling Your Home

Since curb appeal strongly influences home values, spring and summer are a good time to spruce up your yard, especially if the neighbors are trying to sell their home.

Here are 6 quick exterior projects you can do in a day or two to add to your home’s value and neighborhood appeal.

Landscape for curb appeal by re-sodding bare spots, trimming shrubs, and adding colorful spring flowers to your front yard.

Add some outdoor lighting for curb appeal to highlight your beautified yard after dark.

Clean your siding, whether it’s brick, wood, or vinyl, by using a long-handled, soft-bristled brush, soap (trisodium phosphate), and water.

Create a little cool curb appeal with house numbers — that is, dress up your address.

Freshen up the look of winter-ravished patio furniture with new pillows, a bright umbrella, or a colorful tablecloth to give the impression to anyone at the open house that the neighbors have fun parties.