Home improvement

Mar 25 2014

Planning a Remodel and Wonder What the Eventual Value to Your Western MA Home Will Be? 2014 Cost vs. Value Remodeling Report for Springfield, MA Area

Whether you plan to sell your home in the near future or have no plans, it is wise to know how the investment of a home improvement or renovation may impact your Western MA home value.

Not all home improvements are created equal and you should enter your renovation investment with some understanding of the resulting home value.

You might be surprised to learn that replacing your entry door with a steel door has a huge rate of return. According to the Cost. vs. Value Report a steel door replacement could give you a 104% return!

A minor kitchen remodel could gain you 90% and a wood deck upgrade or addition could bring back over 77% of the investment made.

To read more and discover what your home improvement plans might bring in resale improvement take a look at the Cost vs. Value Remodeling Report for Springfield, MA.

2014 Cost vs. Value Remodeling Report, Springfield, MA area from Lesley Lambert

If you are considering selling your Western MA home, I would love to meet with you.
Lesley Lambert, Western MA REALTOR with Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

Mar 25 2014

Checklist Guide to Prepare Your Western MA Home for Sale

Whether the weather is cooperating or not, Spring is here and with that season of renewal comes thoughts of making a move in Western MA or beyond.

It can take several weeks or more to prep your Western MA home for sale, so you need to get a jump on the checklist if you are going to be ready to hit the market this Spring.

We are actually experiencing a shortage of homes for sale in Western MA so if you are considering making a move, you should get in touch with me right away to get the ball rolling! Getting on the market ahead of the crowd means less competition for you!

According to Laura Gaskill on Houzz your order of operations is this:

First steps:

Interview and choose a real estate agent.
Assess your property — not just the value but also what could be done to the interior or exterior to appeal to more buyers.
Decide what work you are going to do yourself and what you would like a pro to do.
Hire a home stager. Your stager will have important input on what repairs and changes will be most worth your time and money, and which ones to skip.
Hire additional pros as needed, starting with a landscaper. Remember, the landscape needs time to fill in.

Your first step in getting your Western MA home ready to sell should be to get in touch with me. I will make a no obligation visit to your home to discuss what changes and improvements can be made to get the most out of your sale. Often these are simple and not very expensive improvements, but they can take some time, so we should meet before you think you are going to go on the market.

To get started on selling your Western MA home, get in touch with me:

Lesley Lambert, Western MA REALTOR with Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

For more tips from the Houzz article, see below.

Help for Selling Your Home Faster — and Maybe for More

Kitchen ideas, bathroom ideas, and more ∨Before starting a bathroom remodel, search for bathroom ideas and interesting products, including a one-of-a-kind bath, vanity and bath sink.
As you get ready to host an event, be sure you have enough dining benches and dishes for dinner guests, as well as enough bakeware and kitchen knives sets for food preparation.

Mar 07 2014

Find Out What a Home Improvement Project Will Mean to Your Western MA Home’s Value

If you are considering making a home improvement to your Western MA home, you may wonder what that improvement will do to the bottom line of your home’s value.

Some renovations make a bigger impact than others and it is smart to know an estimate of the value before making the investment. Even if you aren’t thinking of selling your Western MA home now, it makes sense to keep up to date on market values.

I have access to a tool that can calculate a reliable figure for most common home improvements.

“Hanley Wood, a provider of housing development market data, is the source of the home improvement data that supports (the) “Refine Value Based on Home Improvement”. Hanley Wood is known for collecting and aggregating residential and commercial construction data, and for publishing magazines such as Remodeling.

The home improvement data are produced at a regional level, and refactored at the ZIP code level for the most accurate results. The data are updated annually.”

The tool supports improvements from window replacements, decks, kitchen renovations and even additions.

If you are considering a home improvement on your Western MA home in the near future, let me work up a report for you!

Lesley Lambert, Western MA REALTOR with Park Square Realty 413-575-3611

Apr 10 2012

Preparing Your Home For Sale: Wallpaper and Paint

9 turns 10 soon & wants her own room. Wallpape... — 9 turns 10 soon & wants her own room. Wallpaper has got to go! (Photo credit: LesleyLambert)

This is the time of year that people in Western Massachusetts start thinking about putting their home on the real estate market. When they do, the smart ones invite their trusted REALTOR in to give advice on staging prior to listing the home.

I have been on many of these types of appointments in Western MA over the past couple of months and inevitably there is one main thing that needs to be addressed: paint.

Such a simple thing, paint, but not easy. It is messy and time consuming and hiring professionals can get pricey, but let me tell you something…you need to do it!

Even a home that is already fairly neutral will benefit from a fresh coat of paint, but most homes haven’t been painted in years or are decorated with colors that might turn off potential buyers.

Now, if you have wallpaper on the walls we have a whole other issue. Buyers HATE wallpaper. Yes, that expensive paper that you have loved is a deterrent to the sale of your home. No, the buyer can’t “just deal with it”. The buyer will buy a house without wallpaper and with a fresh coat of paint! The wallpaper needs to come down, the walls need a coat of neutral (but not cold) paint.

The last issue I encounter often is the paneled basement rec room. Most paneling is dark and while you might feel that lends to the coziness of the room, most people think it looks dated and cave-like. Removing the paneling is expensive, but this can get a coat of paint, too! Prep the paneling with a primer like Kilz and then paint with regular paint over that.

The next question is what color to paint. Here is some advice from an article on AOL Real Estate:

Repainting the Kitchen

In the kitchen it’s good to stay in the orange, red and yellow colors. It is said that they work because they’re food related, but remember to keep them soft and neutral.

Repainting the Bathroom

Paint should be light in these smaller spaces with pops of color brought in with accessories. Creamy tans and warm beige tones work best.

Repainting the Bedroom

No bright colors here as this is the quiet sanctuary. If a bath is attached, keep the colors in the same palette.

In general:

Remember that white is too stark and is a turn off to buyers. Think warm and comforting while still being neutral.

If you are in Western Massachusetts and are wondering what you should do to get your home ready to sell, I am happy to help. I offer staging and preparation tips at no obligation … just call me: Lesley Lambert, Park Square Realty, 413-575-3611.