Blog – Page 6

Luxury Real Estate Tips – Why You Should Use Drone Videos In Your Waterfront Listing

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You hear about drones everywhere. Amazon is planning on using them for local deliveries. And of course, people using them to buzz the White House or other troublesome or illegal uses. But did you know that using them as a Realtor of luxury homes and especially of waterfront listings can seriously give you the edge on other Realtors?

Drones are hover crafts in varying sizes

They do many things, but most have a small camera attached that can record what it “sees” as it flies. Since a drone can fly in places where people can’t walk, the videos can be really cool to watch.

They are also invaluable for the luxury Realtor who specializes in waterfront homes. Think about it… most waterfront homes have the front of the home facing the water.

Isn’t that the first impression you want to make on a prospective buyer? Have you ever tried to take a photo on a boat? Unless it’s a big one, those photos won’t be very good. A drone can hover in place and take a fantastic photo of that property frontage. A drone can also show the neighborhood, the condition of your roof and other perspectives that you can’t get from the ground.

Find a service

Now you need to find a service, unless you have and are good at using a drone yourself! There are services out there that can provide the drone and video/photos for a fee. Generally it should run you about $300-$500, depending on the location. Obviously big cities will cost more than smaller ones.

Make sure it is legal in your area

Be sure that you can actually legally use a drone for these purposes. Check with state and local authorities. There are some areas where you can’t use them. For instance, if you live near a military base, airport or other restricted area. Also be sure that any service you hire has the FAA licensure they need to be able to operate.

So show off that luxury home in a way competitive listings don’t.

Selling Your Home? What To Start Doing 6 Months Out

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You have decided that you are selling your home. Not right away, but several months from now. If you think you don’t have to do anything now, think again! There are quite a few things you should do now to ensure you get the most for your home. So what should you be doing? Read on to find out.

First thing you should do is call a Realtor

It’s not too soon and a Realtor will walk through your home and give you a good overview of what you will need to do to get your home in the best shape possible to sell.

A Realtor knows what homes in the area have and are expected to have and will be able to tell you whether you need to update yours or if it’s good to go.

Home inspection

It would also be a good time to get a home inspection to be sure all of the systems in your home as well as the foundation are sound or need fixing. Start on any repairs right away. Both finding a Realtor and the home inspection will provide you with a list of items that need to be done to get your best price, and the time to get them done.

Don’t leave all of that research to your Realtor

Do some legwork on your own and find out the high and low prices for homes in your neighborhood. That way you know what price you are aiming for when you finally list your home.

Next, start to work, room by room, at decluttering your home

You can keep a touch of your personal items here and there, but remove as much as you can and store it. You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t need to live day to day and how much bigger your rooms will look when you are done decluttering your home. It may also uncover other places that need fixing, paint that needs touching up or small holes that need patching.

Here’s a great tip, rent a POD and start packing up your stuff. You’re going to have to move it anyway, so why not start now. That way there are no boxes cluttering up your storage areas. Buyers look at storage in the home, so the bigger it looks, the better.

Should You Do “Taste Specific” Updates On Your Home

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You’re bored with how your home looks, or you know you want to make updates to it. So do you do “taste specific” or go with the current trends? Yes. No. There are ways to make your space your own without making it impossible to sell later.

You can start with things that are easily changed later

These are things like painting the walls, changing the carpet, updating blinds or curtains, etc. All of these can easily be changed to more traditional or neutral colors later. Let’s say you want to paint your living room a color palette from your favorite sports team, and put a mural of the team on one wall. Yeah, that’s going to be a problem later when you sell, until you cover it with a neutral color later. For now it’s how you want it, later not so much, but how a possible home buyer may want it.

More permanent changes

Doing things like changing the type of flooring can be more permanent, but can also help you be able to personalize now and sell later. Taking out old, dated carpeting is a good thing. Replacing it with hardwoods is even better. You can use throw rugs to personalize, add splashes of bold color, but replace them later with more neutral ones. Be careful about the type of flooring you choose, though. Cheap vinyl that looks like wood is obviously a bad choice.

One DON’T is make changes that are harder or more expensive to change later

These are things like tile floors and walls, countertops. Choosing to make these changes aren’t a no-no. Just be more conservative in your choices of these items. If you want to go granite, go granite, but something more neutral and less stand out.

You can always use furniture, throw rugs, towels, curtains and artwork to make a space specifically to your taste. That way making it more easily less you later is simply accomplished.

Buying A Home? Make Sure You Stop Watching HGTV

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Buying a home? Great but should you get your ideas for what you want in a home from those home improvement TV shows? Shows on HGTV and DIY Network like Property Brothers, Flip or Flop or Fixer Upper are great entertainment and seem like a great way to get ideas about what you want and don’t want, find a style and so on. Yes, but no.

Are these TV shows reasonable?

You want to buy a home but you’re not sure what you want. You decide to flip on the TV and see what the Property Brothers are up to. As usual, they are showing homes that need a tweak to make them ready for a buyer. By a tweak, they mean practically tearing down the house and making it the best on the block.

They use the best materials, the latest style and top of the line appliances. Next, you check out Flip or Flop and what over the top, over their head flip they are doing. Chip and Joanna Gaines are a bit more reasonable, but again, tearing it all out and starting over.

Unrealistic expectations

Those shows are great but they tend to give you unrealistic expectations about a lot of things. First, the homes they fix up are in different markets. These markets may be very high ones, like you see on Flip or Flop (Southern California) or Property Brothers.

Fixer Upper is in a lower price market, Texas, which may or may not be in sync with your own. Prices for the same size and kind of home can vary greatly from market to market. What you see on television may not be what you can expect in the area you are looking.

What you need vs what you want

They are also not so great because they go above and beyond what most people really need to live. For instance, a gourmet kitchen is a great luxury, but you really only need a stove, refrigerator and sink to live. Granite and marble counters are fantastic, but laminate is just fine.

These shows can show you great things, but not necessarily what is absolutely necessary, especially if you are a first time buyer. A newlywed couple may want 4 or 5 bedrooms, but 1 or 2 are fine for a first home.

Call a Realtor

So turn off the television and call a Realtor. Let them help you with what is available for your budget in your market and what you really need in that home. If it looks like something from HGTV, great, but don’t set your expectations so high. Be realistic, and call a Realtor.

Luxury Home Real Estate Tips – 5 Things Luxury Buyers Expect

November 17, 2021 By Deborah Ward

When you think of a luxury real estate property what kinds of things would you expect to see? When luxury buyers come through your home will they see it a luxury property or will they find it lacking? If you expect to sell as a luxury home, listen up! There are more than a few things that buyers of these properties expect.

High end finishes

Of course high end finishes are required. Granite and marble for counters in kitchens and baths. Travertine or marble for floors in foyers baths or baths. High end hardwoods like bamboo, oak or cherry or even mahogany or teak.

Don’t forget things like high end hardware in the kitchen and bath. If you want to even be considered as “luxury” these items aren’t even negotiable. If you don’t have them either forget selling as a luxury property or get them.

Special areas

Now comes the extras being requested more and more. Realtors who specialize in high end luxury properties are hearing requests for special areas in the home or outside of it. These are things like separate laundry rooms, separate mud rooms, huge outside entertaining spaces with outdoor kitchens, spas, pools and outdoor showers. Let’s not forget access to the property when it is convenient for them. Oh and docks and boat lifts in waterfront properties.

But wait, the requests don’t stop at the property!

Luxury buyers expect to be catered to when looking for their new home. They may have different (read weird) instructions about when they will be looking. Just don’t become one of those obnoxious sellers who have specific and, yes, weird instructions.

Things like crazy hours it can be shown or things that can’t be done during a showing, etc.

Also, remember that if your Realtor is a specialist in luxury properties he or she will know to take amazing photos of the home. Don’t second guess them. Drone photos seem to be the newest craze. It may be a good idea, but take your Realtor’s advice about whether it’s a good idea for your home.

What Airports Are Close To Clearwater?

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Planning a trip to Clearwater, Florida? Planning a move there and want to tell friends and family how best to come visit? Well, there are two airports close by: Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Both are within 20 miles and both bring the beach close as can be!

Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport (TPA) is an airport that has daily international and domestic flights to and from Tampa, Florida and the surrounding communities. It is 18 miles from Clearwater. It’s a public airport that services 18 airlines and is a hub for one (Silver Airways). The airlines it services are Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways, Cayman Airways, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Edelweiss Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, WestJet. It also serves 80 non-stop destinations, including international service to the Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and to destinations throughout the Caribbean.

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport

The airport closest to Clearwater is St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE). It has domestic flights with low cost carriers. PIE is a focus city for Las Vegas-based carrier Allegiant Air and also services Sun Country Airlines and Sunwing Airlines. This is because it’s a less busy airport than Tampa International Airport. It’s also why it’s a great airport to fly into. Low cost airfare and less crowds to navigate on your way out. Not to mention it’s closer to your destination.

So why drive when you can easily fly!

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The Deb Ward Team