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Letter from the Editors
Whether you’re buying, selling, or just staying put for now, there’s no
getting around the importance of saving pennies where ever you can.
In this issue of HomeFit, we’ve got some great money-saving tips for
everyone.
First, we’ll explore 10 great home improvement ideas that don’t require
a second mortgage to achieve. After all, sometimes it’s the little things
that make the biggest difference. If you’ve been wondering if you
should remodel but weren’t sure if you could swing the price tag, you’ll
definitely want to read this article.
As important as it is to focus on ways to improve your home, it’s equally
as crucial to avoid making decisions that could devalue it. We’ll show
you some of the most common mistakes people make that hurt their
chances of getting their expected price at the closing table.
Although many of us think of wallpaper as an outdated mistake of years
gone by, you might be surprised at just how trendy wallpaper can be –
provided you’re willing to take a few risks. We’ll show you just how you
can use wallpaper to add style without compromising class.
A simple way to make some quick cash for your next home
improvement project while de-cluttering your home at the same time
is to have a yard sale. If you’ve been planning one, make sure you read
the article about how to have a successful sale.
If you haven’t decided whether you should stay in your home or look
for a new one, we’ve got some important questions that will help you
know for sure whether or not it’s time to go.
Finally, Dan Landers talks FSBO with a young fiancee who’s determined
to change her man’s mind before the wedding.
As always, thanks for reading; we look forward to hearing from you!
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CONTENTS
4. 10 Home Improvement
Ideas for Under $150
6. 5 Things That Could
Devalue Your Home
8. 7 Ways to Use Wallpaper
10. Secrets for a Successful
Yard Sale
12. The Questions You Should
Ask Yourself If...
14. Dan Landers Talks FSBO
with the Firm Fiancee
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10 Home Improvement Ideas
for Under $150
When you hear “home
improvement”, don’t let the
image of dollar signs be burned
into your mind. You can
absolutely renovate your home
a little bit at a time for as little as
$150.
With some creativity, your house
can be given a fresh face lift for a
veritable steal.
Shine Up Your Floors
Dingy, dull floors can really be a
drag on the overall look of your
house. If mopping isn’t quite
doing the job, consider restoring
the wood’s natural luster with
a product that is specifically
made for shining wood. Ensure
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the floor is clean and dry before
applying the product via the
manufacturer’s directions.
High traffic areas benefit from a
twice yearly polish, while lower
traffic areas can get away with an
annual shine-up.
Affix a New Light Fixture
An outdated light fixture is akin
to those hideous 1970s macrame
earrings your Great Aunt Tessa
loves to sport. Whether it’s a
tacky brass or a gaudy gold
fixture, that eyesore hanging
above your kitchen sink or
dining room table can drag your
modern space back into the hole
of the 1990s.
Pendant lights, sconces, or
chandeliers instantly improve
the ambience and appeal of the
room.
Add Some Shelving
Do you ever feel like you need a
slap on the hand when you start
to add to the pile of clutter on
your end tables and countertops?
Perhaps some appropriate
storage is what you need to end
that everlasting battle between
clutter and minimalism.
A modular shelving unit can
showcase your favorite pieces or
serve to mask the pile of bills that
come on the regular. Add some
baskets to a few of the shelves to
hide the unsightly things and fill
the rest of the shelves with books
or your favorite knick knacks.
Perk Up Your Curb Appeal
Adding a few accessories to
the outside of your home can
completely change your house
from cookie cutter rancher to
quaint abode.
Repaint your house numbers
and add a punch of color to
your mailbox. Some large potted
plants or seasonal fixtures add
additional coziness to a space
in the home that’s usually
neglected aesthetically.
Install a Backsplash
A backsplash can make your
kitchen charming with character
or sleek with modern flair.
Backsplashes are relatively cheap
to install if you’re creative and
use your thrifty side. Beadboard
is very cheap and an affordable
way to add some country charm
to your kitchen.
Stainless steel is a viable option
for a modern look, and tile is also
affordable and easy to install
without a professional.
Give an Antique New Life
If your dining room needs a
little something extra, consider
repurposing an antique hutch or
armoire and giving it a new job as
a beverage station.
You don’t need a fancy butler’s
pantry to store your assortment
of fine liquors and decanters.
Fix wine glass holders to the
underside of the shelves to
create even more space.
Put the Family Entertainment
Away
Those unsightly towers for
your CDs may have been all
of the rage in the 90s, but that
couldn’t be farther from the truth
nowadays. Hide away the family
movies, games, and other objects
away in an armoire or that extra
linen closet. This will keep them
organized and prevent those
boxes of Clue and Twister being
scattered around your family
room.
Add Some Light to the Yard
can’t have a little oomph thrown
in. Add some solar lights to your
walkway or even toss some small
LED lights to your porch stairs
for a bit of classical whimsy. It
will also invite you out to use the
space even more when there are
some warm lights to guide you.
Treat Your Kitchen to a New
Appliance
Don’t let your larger scale
appliances do all the work.
You can lighten the burden on
your stove by purchasing a new
toaster oven or enjoy a fancy
coffee every morning with a new
espresso machine. Match your
countertop appliances with your
permanent ones for a cohesive
look.
You don’t have to have an
unlimited budget to update
your home and give it a more
streamlined look. Small changes
can create big looks. You don’t
need to tear down walls, replace
flooring, or change out fixtures
to get the new look you’ve
always wanted in your home on
an affordable budget.
Just because the sun has gone
down doesn’t mean your yard
Do a Little Landscaping
You can quickly give new life to
your front yard with just a few
carefully chosen and placed
plants. Hardy perennials placed
along your walkway gives your
yard texture and depth, not to
mention color when they bloom
in the spring and summer.
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5 Things That Could Devalue Your Home
When it comes to listing your
home on the market, a common
concern is wanting to increase
its value and allow it to stay
competitive in the local area.
Many people work to remodel
their property or make minor
upgrades to increase the selling
potential of their home.
1. Using Bold Paint Colors
Although you should take certain
steps to increase what your
home is truly worth, there are a
few mistakes to avoid to prevent
reducing its overall value. There
are many different factors that
determine the property value.
If you know which ones are
working against your home then
you can prevent losing equity.
Similarly, using colors that
are quirky or unpopular in the
interior space can detract from
the property value and is seen as
an extra expense for buyer who
will want to repaint the space.
Stick with contemporary shades
and use an accent wall in one
or two rooms of the home for
added detail that looks modern.
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To appeal to a larger group of
buyers, use neutral paint on the
walls and with the trim. Bold
colors stand out like a sore
thumb in neighborhoods and can
allow them to look outdated or
too customized.
A general rule of thumb is to
avoid using colors that are too
specific to your personal taste.
2. Remodeled Kitchens
Known as the most important
room that buyers focus on
when shopping for a property,
kitchens are often remodeled
and upgraded by homeowners
in hopes of increasing their
property value. Although having
a kitchen that includes fancy
appliances and a decorative
backsplash can look appealing,
it can also be overly done and
appear awkward in the average
house.
Upgrade your kitchen to a certain
degree without going overboard
and causing the room to look
awkward. It should still match
the style and design of the rest of
the home to ensure that it flows
well and feels comfortable. Avoid
overly customizing the space,
but instead keeping it neutral to
ensure that it appeals to more
buyers.
3. A Neglected Yard
The yard and landscaping of your
home is what ultimately makes
the first impression with buyers
and will determine their interest
in the property. If you can’t win
them over with the exterior of
the home, then you likely won’t
sell them on the interior space if
you’ve already left a bad taste in
their mouth.
The lawn should be manicured
and tidy without children’s
toys or yard tools left out. Add
shrubs, flowers, and potted
plants around the house to fill
in bare spots and enhance how
welcoming the home looks.
If the yard is well-cared for, it
will assure buyers that you’ve
also worked hard to maintain
the property and have kept up
with repairs. If the curb appeal
is lacking, it will cause buyers
to question how much it’ll cost
them to redo the landscaping
and will work against your
chances of getting a higher offer.
4. Bad DIY Projects
With Pinterest and DIY Home
Renovation shows a hit in today’s
society, it’s common to see
homes that have incomplete
or poor DIY projects that were
performed by the homeowners.
Unfortunately, many of projects
look unprofessional and hoaky
for a feature that can quickly
reduce the selling price of
the home. Buyers will want to
avoid making an offer due to
the time and money that they’ll
need to invest in redoing the
projects themselves or by hiring
a professional. Hire a contractor
who can redo the projects before
listing your home to ensure that
everything looks complete and
attractive to potential buyers.
5. Wasted Square Footage
Your home may be too big for
your family, but it doesn’t mean
that you need to neglect the
square footage that isn’t being
used. Show buyers the potential
of every room in the home by
creating a purpose for the space.
If you have an attic that is filled
with junk, transform it into a
home office or entertainment
room. For basements, consider
refinishing the space and using
it as a guest room or home gym.
Refinishing specific areas will
also increase the property value
with the added square footage
that can be used.
Before listing your home on the
market, there are a number of
features and rooms to inspect
to ensure that you avoid
reducing your property value. By
preventing common mistakes
and maintaining a neutral style, it
will work to increase the overall
appeal of your property and help
you sell at a higher price for a
home that you can truly be proud
to show to future buyers.
7 Ways to Use Wallpaper
Wallpaper.
The word conjures up images
of grandma’s kitchen, four walls
replete with tiny maroon and
teal flowers in a mind-numbing
endless pattern. Or perhaps
you think of Aunt Sally’s green
bathroom, covered in repetitive
birdhouses and tiny flying birds.
Whatever image pops into your
mind’s eye when you hear the
word “wallpaper,” it shouldn’t
automatically make you think
“antiquated.” This old decorating
horror is making a comeback
as one of the most hip modern
interior design trends.
If you’re intimidated by the idea,
start small. The days of plastering
four walls with a floral pattern are
gone. Instead, using wallpaper
can be the perfect decorative
splash to add a little life to your
home.
Here are seven ways to use
wallpaper that won’t result in
your granny’s kitchen.
1. Use Solid Colors
Seems simple, right? Yet most
people don’t even know that
wallpaper comes in solid colors.
Picking out strong accent colors
can be the key to taking a boring
room from bland to beautiful.
The secret is to pick out one area
to accent with a bright color.
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For example, covering just the
wall above the mantle with a
solid color wallpaper can add a
dynamic visual center to a room,
which catches a visitor’s eye and
creates simple design solidarity.
2. Accent Wall
A fun accent wall doesn’t have
to require hours of painstaking
measurements and taping with
that annoying blue painter’s
tape. To create one wall with
an attractive pattern, opt for
wallpaper instead. Not only
will you have a wider range of
options to pick your design from,
but you’ll be able to create your
accent wall in just one afternoon
instead of wasting endless hours.
For a unique twist, try putting
wallpaper on just your ceiling.
A classy room can turn into a
chic urban legend with the right
subtle design catching the light
above the chandelier.
3. Line It Up
Despite its name, wallpaper
doesn’t have to go just on the
walls! You can use it almost
anywhere, actually. Consider
putting wallpaper onto the backs
of seats of straight chairs for a
quick dining room makeover, or
line the inside of dresser drawers
or kitchen shelves with a cute
pattern. In many cases, adding
wallpaper will refresh a tired
piece of furniture.
Another great option to consider
is adding wallpaper to the inside
backing of a bookshelf, so the
pattern just peeks over the top of
your hardcovers.
life can totally transform the
room with minimal effort. The
best part? Easy removal. You
might even get into the habit of
changing it up annually.
4. Paired with Paneling
7. Mix and Match
be a simple yet powerful way
to add personality to a space. If
you want to unify the patterns,
consider adding a common
frame around each, or using two
different patterns in identical
places in the room.
Using wallpaper in combination
with wooden or white paneling
sets off the pattern on the walls.
Try different experiments on a
piece of paper before putting
them up on the wall. Some of
the best options include wooden
paneling halfway up a wall or a
pattern of vertical and horizontal
beams that form a plaid pattern.
Using wallpaper in between
these panels will add depth to
the room.
Your grandma is rolling over
in her grave at this suggestion.
Remember though, you’re
thinking of wallpaper as a
modern design tool, not a
blanket for the walls. Using
two complementary patterns,
usually in a similar color, can
It’s time to start thinking of
wallpaper as a friend, not a foe.
If you can move past your fear
of turning your entire house into
your crazy Aunt Sally’s birdhouse
bathroom, you just might find
wallpaper to be your new favorite
design secret.
5. Titillating Texture
The best wallpaper will add
texture and intimacy to a room.
Look for wallpaper that makes
you want to touch it, with a
heavy or rough feel. Texture
is the unique advantage of
wallpaper that mere paint can’t
emulate. The texture will draw
guests into your room, providing
another level of subtlety to
engage their attention once
the big decorative feature have
already been noticed.
6. Opportunity Knocks
It’s not called doorpaper, but that
doesn’t mean wallpaper won’t
make a stylish addition to the
doors in your home. Consider
putting up an engaging pattern
that matches the walls of your
bedroom onto the outside of
your closet door. This burst of
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Secrets for a Successful Yard Sale
Every home owner has a closet
or a garage filled with junk that
they just can’t let go. It is, after
all, a known fact that as soon
as you throw something away,
you’ll promptly need it. Aside
from that pain in the butt law of
physics, there really is no point in
keeping all of that junk.
What’s better than all of those
mementos, you ask? How
about extra storage space and
some cold hard cash to spend
on something a little more
interesting (and useful)?
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Avoid the Rummage Sale Look
Make Things Visible
You’ve probably driven by
dozens of garage sales because
everything looks dirty, messy, or
thrown together. Don’t be that
garage sale. Make sure your items
are dusted and in good repair. If
possible, avoid having everything
scattered on the ground in your
driveway or lawn. Tables go a
long way towards making you
look like you have things that are
actually worth stopping for.
During prime garage sale season,
people like to hit as many sales
as they can, meaning they don’t
want to rummage through your
endless boxes of books, toys, and
video games to find the good
stuff.
Take the time to keep all of your
items easily visible. Hang clothes
up neatly, line books up on a
table, and keep DVDs out where
people can take a quick look.
The more people have to dig,
the less likely you’re going to sell
anything for what you want.
Stick to Smart Pricing
While that chair might be
comfortable and priceless to you,
to someone else, it’s probably
just a lumpy chair they want to
throw in the garage for their cat.
Don’t expect people to pay the
prices you’ve set with emotional
ties to the item. Realistically,
you’re only going to get 10 to
50 percent of your asking price,
so mark things up a bit from the
lowest price you’ll actually take.
an offer” people. By the second
hour of your sale, you’re going
to be sick to death of answering
multiple calls of “How much?”.
Put prices on visible places so
people can take a quick glance
and decide if the price is right.
This is especially important on
breakable items. You don’t want
dozens of people manhandling
breakables looking for the price
when you could have made it
visible to begin with.
Have Cash on Hand
Be Strategic
You’ll be breaking a lot of bigger
bills, so start your day with at
least $25 in small bills, mostly
fives and ones. You don’t want to
be digging through your purse
for spare bills when someone
hands you twenty for a three
dollar item.
Most people do a slow drive by
before they decide if they’re
stopping. Put your more
interesting items at the end of
your driveway to entice people.
Also, have you ever noticed how
many men are dragged along
by their wives? Make your sale
interesting to them, too, and
they’re more likely to stop for
their wives. Park a lawn mower at
the end of your driveway or make
your tools widely visible. Set up a
“man table” so he has something
to keep him busy and his wife
can browse without a whining
husband.
Choose Your Timing Wisely
The best time to have a garage
sale is during community yard
sale weekends or around the
time the area’s major employers
pay people.
People who just got paid usually
have cash hot in their pocket and
they like to hit deals while they’ve
got the money.
Price Your Items!
For the sake of everyone’s sanity,
don’t be one of those “Make me
Have a Fill A Bag Sale
If you have a lot of baby clothes
or small toys to get rid of, have a
“sale” where they can have a bag
of items for a set price. Set out
plastic grocery bags and let them
fill them up. You’re more likely to
offload a bunch of baby onesies
or kids books if you can sell them
en masse.
Garage sales should be fun! Keep
your stuff organized and use a
little strategy and you’re sure to
walk away with a tidy little chunk
of cash before you pass out on
the couch with well earned pizza.
Show Electronics Work
If you’re selling a TV or game
system, make sure you have
a place to show that it works.
Run an extension cord from the
house so people can give things
a test drive.
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The Questions You Should Ask
Yourself If You’re at the Crossroads of
Remodeling or Selling
Has the honeymoon period
between you and your house
worn off? Maybe your family has
grown and your current abode
is getting to be a bit too snug.
Or perhaps your house is still a
perfect fit for your family, but
you’re itching for something a
little more modern or updated.
Whatever your needs are, every
homeowner comes to a point in
their relationship with their home
where they ask themselves if they
should remodel or sell it. When
you’ve hit that sticky fork in the
road, there are a few things you
should ask yourself before you
pack up or start shopping for a
contractor.
How Strongly Do You Feel
About Your Neighborhood?
Do you love your neighborhood
but your actual house just
isn’t a good fit anymore?
This might be a good time to
consider remodeling. If your
neighborhood has everything
you want, then it might make
more sense to remodel your
home’s floor plan or upgrade
some of its features instead of
moving out of the area you love
for an extra bathroom or a nicer
kitchen.
When you have close proximity
to good schools, a decent
commute to work, and a social
network built into your current
neighborhood, it will be hard to
get all of that back and still find
a home that meets all of your
needs.
How Many Changes Do You
Need to Be Happy?
How significant of a remodel
will you be undertaking? Do you
need an extra couple hundred
square feet to accommodate that
new baby, or do you just need
a new bathroom to keep the
peace in the mornings? Can you
utilize existing space like an attic
or basement, or will you need to
add to the structure of the house
to get more home?
Adding a bedroom to the
attic, for example, can cost
about $45,000 and you’ll get
a 72 percent return on your
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investment. Is it worth it to
spend almost 50 grand on
one bedroom, or can you go
purchase a new home with more
space for less money?
What’s the Local Market?
If you opted to sell, how much
money would you actually make
on your house? Do you have
any equity? If interest rates are
holding steady at a low rate and
the housing market is decent
then selling would make more
financial sense than remodeling.
Another thing to consider is your
needs versus the market’s trends.
Turning your kids’ two bedrooms
into one massive suite might
work great for your family, but
when it comes time to sell, how
many people are going to want
a house with two big bedrooms
instead of three? Would turning
your attic into a theater room
make more sense than turning it
into a guest suite?
Talk to a real estate professional
before you start remodeling
to see what the market is like.
Even if you have no intentions
of selling anytime soon, you still
want to keep your upgrades in
line with the local market. You
never know what will happen,
and you don’t want to be stuck
with a house you can’t sell.
Something else a lot of people
don’t consider during a
remodel is putting too much
money into their house. If your
neighborhood’s nicest homes
only sell for about $200,000,
then adding a $60,000 kitchen
isn’t going to net you much of a
return on your investment. Your
real estate agent can help you
decide how much you can do
to your house before you’re just
dumping money in that you’ll
never see again.
Can You Find What You Want
in Another Home?
If your needs are pretty basic and
your home just happens to be
lacking, take a look at the houses
currently on the market. Finding
a house with enough space isn’t
hard, but finding a house with a
pool, a theater room, or an odd
number of bathrooms isn’t quite
so easy.
If you’re set on your current
neighborhood, a quick real estate
search will show if you can find
a 2500 square foot house or if
you’re going to need to add onto
your existing home. Then again,
if all you want is a big space for
family to get together, you can
piece that together with the help
of a contractor and without the
hassle of a big move.
Before you make any extensive
financial decisions on your
home, you should always talk
to a real estate professional.
Their job isn’t just to help you
buy or sell a home; they are the
one person in the area who can
tell you everything you need to
know about the local market and
guide you towards making wise
decisions.
From the desk of Dan Landers
Dear Dan Landers,
My fiance and I are currently searching for a starter home. Since we have only three months until the
wedding, we are both eager to get everything finalized as soon as possible.
Since we’re starting from scratch, we’re both being very careful to save money everywhere we can. Since we
have many friends who’ve struggled with mountains of debt since we’ve known them, we’ve both promised
each other that we’ll stay within our budgets and watch our spending.
One way I’ve been trying to convince my fiance to save some money is to focus only on For Sale by Owner
listings and not use a real estate agent at all in the process. I really feel we could save quite a bit, but my
fiance is having a hard time seeing it. Ironically, he’s the one who’s always been more inclined than me to ask
for directions - read the instructions - you name it.
I’ve been raised to believe that do-it-yourself is always the way to go. Sure, it may require a bit more
homework and elbow grease, but you learn so much through the process that you really can’t measure all
the ways you benefit. My fiance doesn’t see it that way.
As wonderful as he is, I’m having a hard time getting through to him. He’ll probably come around after we’ve
been married, but I really need him to see it my way now before we settle for an overpriced home. Any
advice?
Conscientious,
Carrie
Dan Landers Talks FSBO
with the Firm Fiancee
Dear Conscientious Carrie,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and marriage!
It sounds like you and your husband-to-be have made
some good decisions together. Preventing debt is always
easier than eliminating it. My hat’s off to the two of
you.
Regarding your request for advice, I hope you’ll like
what I have to tell you. First, I can understand your
desire to find the best deal on your first home. I know
that the premise behind For Sale by Owner makes it
sound like a no-brainer. After all, why would anyone
want to turn over a few grand to anyone for something
that you could do yourself?
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The truth is, however, a real estate transaction is much more complicated
than selling your used car or your sofa on eBay. Not only are there reams of
technical documents involved, each with its own monumental ramifications, but
you are also making a bargaining deal with another party who also wants a good
bottom line.
Believe it or not, for the unprepared, For Sale by Owner sales can be every bit
as costly as any typical real estate transaction involving two agents. That’s
true for many reasons.
First, legal problems like easements and property line disputes can spring up
after the closing and cost much more than any amount you saved. If this is your
first home purchase, you’d really be better off having an agent help you navigate
the many obstacles. Not only that; you also need the peace of mind of knowing
that everything has been covered legally. That’s always a gamble if you’re
taking the seller’s word in the biggest transaction you’ve ever made.
You are right about the fact that do-it-yourself has some great advantages
aside from monetary ones. Still, the amount of “homework” involved in learning
everything you’d need to know to wisely handle a completely agent-free FSBO
transaction would be staggering. Unless one of you have experience in real
estate already, your learning curve could eat up every bit of free time you
have between now and your wedding – and possibly much longer.
Finally, one of the biggest disadvantages to going solo is that you’re going
to be negotiating without the benefit of an intermediary, a stressful prospect
for even the most experienced couples. Negotiation is one of the primary
strengths of a good real estate agent, and it can often result in the savings
of thousands. Many people find that their agent, through savvy negotiation, has
saved them much more money than he made on his commission. Great negotiation
can also cover much needed repairs that you’re not going to want to work
through as newlyweds. Understand, FSBO listings sometimes have something to
hide, and a wise agent will help you see any red flags.
Finally, although it’s wise to talk these things through with your fiance, don’t
be too determined to change his mind. In this case, he may have been the one to
keep you both from making a serious mistake.
Best,
Dan Landers
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