New Year Resolutions Home

New Year Resolutions. I have never been a fan of New Year Resolution.  What I am a fan of is intentional goals. Intentional goals are goals where you ask why you want to do that goal. 

Example: You are tired of your space. However, do you know why you are tired of your space? Does the space not work for you? Many folks in 2021 moved because they realized they need to work from home.  The home office went from nice to have to a must-have. What is your why you are tired of your space? Is the issue cosmetic or physical space?   You just know you are tired of it.  You could throw in the towel and just call your local real estate agent and tell them I need a new place can you help me.  Or you could resist the urge to call, text, or email your agent and revamp your space first.

It’s a new year is the perfect time of year to revamp your living space.  Go through your home room by room with a pen and pad and list the things you don’t love about that space.  Then put the pad and pen down and get to work. 

Declutter

 A New Year activity regardless of whether you love your space or not is Declutter.  It costs you nothing to purge stuff your not using. Clear off your desk. Open file cabinets and clean out out files you don’t need.  As a Real Estate Agent, I have to hold onto a lot of documents for multiple years. Yes, I have started storing documents digitally, but I still have files that are in old filing cabinets. I go through them once a year in January. I toss items and other items I put dates when I can toss them.  Throw out old magazines.  Go through every room in your home and get rid of items you don’t use anymore and toss or donate.   The items you have that you want to keep make sure every item has a home. DVD if you still have them put them in a Bin or cabinet. Remotes all in a central place.  Electronics and those include those chargers all have a home.  If you can’t find a place for it then it might not belong in the space. 

Now look at the space how do you feel about it?  Look at the notes you took on that notepad before you decluttered the space. Do you still want to make those changes and are there additional?    If yes work on the cheap fixes first before you have to spend real money on things like new furniture. Buying new furniture is sometimes required, but look at what you have first. 

 

 

Cheap Fixes 

Do the walls look tired? Does the room look dark? Paint is one of the cheapest fixes. Often during the month of January, there are even sales for paint.  Find a color that brightens the space or makes it feel bigger.  Another item that makes things look bigger is adding mirrors in places. If you have no real eye for decorating but have a friend who does borrow them. Facetime with them if they can’t come over.  If you need inspiration Pinterest or apartment therapy are great resources.

Another trick you can do is change where furniture is in a room. You can also repaint or restain a piece of furniture. Make small changes and add or subtract as you go.  Ad a lamp here and a rug there and see how the room feels. If you have a couch that is looking tired look into getting a slipcover for it. Change lighting and hardware around. Add a rug or change out pillows on the couch or bed. Updating towels or linens in the bedroom.

 

 

Small Changes

A few years ago I wanted to lighten up my bedroom. I upgraded the light bulbs in my bedroom and changed the comforter from blue to white and navy. These small changes made the room feel different feel.  Don’t try to revamp every room all at once. Find one room and work on it and see if you can fall back in love with it.   

If you still can’t fall in love with your overall space then contact your local agent.  Before the agent meets with you know what you dislike about your current space.  Dial-in what you don’t like and your agent can use it to find that home for you that does work for you.  

Most of us can’t own two homes at the same time, and that means you need to sell your current home to buy that new home. Just because you revamped your space doesn’t mean you made repairs. If you’re selling a home you really should make as many repairs as needed before it goes to market. Yes, you could wait till you have an offer to make some of the repairs, but you might not have a lot of time to do them. So make the ones you know of ahead of time 

Repairs  

Selling your home you want to make sure you do all repairs that buyers will notice. Buyers do open cabinets, drawers, closets so go thru every room and make a list of rooms that need things to be repaired. If your agent is with you they can also suggest items to revamp and repair.  Some sellers hirer a home inspector to point out repairs. There is a  downside to having a home inspector come in.  Items that you don’t address will need to disclose that to the agent so beware of that aspect. The fewer negatives a home has the better it will sell in a reasonable amount of time. 

Cleaning 

Make sure when your home goes on the market if occupied the home should look and feel clean.  Buyers open everything and that includes a refrigerator. Throw out anything that is rotted. Clean up anything that has spilled in your fridge.  Make sure you take the time to do a deep clean of every room. Develop a routine to do it till the home is sold.  Plan for those last-minute showings when keeping your home clean.  Last if you living in a home while on market think about what you cook.  Buyers like the smell of baked goods or some other dishes. They might feel off-put if your home smells like seafood or something overpowering so be aware of what you cook in your home. 

 

Bonus changes 

Regardless of whether you love your space or planning on selling making it energy efficient is also attractive. Anything that allows you to save on water, heat, and electricity is a great change.  Who doesn’t love to save money? So low flow showerheads and LED Lights. Additional changes you can make are changing out filters in your HVAC system and remembering to clean all the vents. The system will run better using less energy but will also be clean which will make you happy and healthy regardless of whether you stay in your space or looking to sell.  

Deciding what is Best for you

 

Selling is not always the best solution to a problem. Sometimes it is, but sometimes we can make small tweaks to an existing home and fall back in love with it.  I have been working with clients for 16 years in Real Estate and I have always believed in being honest with my clients. Sometimes being honest means I don’t make a commission, but that is okay I care more about my client’s trust. When clients trust you then that will feed you a lot longer in business than any quick sale. So I hope this blog helped you rediscover your space and fall back in love with it or helped you realize you need to make a change in your life. Contact me if you have questions about the market or current trends.