Quick Tips to Protect Your Athens Home This Winter

Looking to buy or sell a home in Athens, Georgia? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price  Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (706) 621-6085 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, we'll offer tips on how to winterize your home.

First off, if you have a vacant property, you need to think about whether or not to keep the water on. This could especially concern a vacation or investment property, for example. If the water is on, make sure the heat is on so that the pipes don't freeze. Pipes in the basement or exterior walls need to be properly insulated.

However, even if you leave the heat on to protect your pipes, keep in mind that the power could go out as well. We recommend you winterize any vacant house. Most home inspectors can do this for around $100. They come out and drain pipes, put antifreeze in traps, and turn the water off.

Now, when it comes to the house you live in, make sure that the heating system is serviced before you need to use it. Insulate outside pipes to avoid water damage. Keep firewood, batteries, flashlights, and candles handy in case the power goes out.

If you have any questions about preparing your home for winter or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Who Are The New Agents?

Looking to buy or sell a home in Athens, Georgia? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price  Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (706) 621-6085 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Now that the market is improving, we're seeing a lot of new Realtors and agents coming into the business. The sad reality is that most of these agents won't be in the business one or two years from now. Why is that?

My opinion is that new agents need training and support, and there's a lot of basics that they don't get with certain brokerages. Make sure you get an expert - don't just hire a friend or family member to support their new business.
 

I want to see agents be successful, but they need training and support. If you know anyone who is just thinking about entering the business, have them contact me. I can certainly help them out and make sure they get what they need in order to stay in this business.

I've learned over the years that if you work hard and put in the hours, you'll be successful; there's enough business to go around. I'd much rather cooperate with a knowledgeable agent than someone who has not been properly trained.

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Is Curb Appeal Important When Selling?

Looking to buy or sell a home in Athens, Georgia? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price  Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (706) 621-6085 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we are talking all about curb appeal. A lot of people ask us if curb appeal is very important when selling. You better believe it is. The moment a buyer pulls into your driveway, they are going to start immediately making judgements and assessments about your house. If your home looks bad from the street, you’ve got to compensate those negative emotions on the inside of your home, which is tough to do. You are better off making sure the outside of your home looks just as good as the inside, and let the buyer see the home as a full picture. 

If a buyer doesn’t have a good feeling about your house from the start, they are less likely to make an offer on it, and will probably move on to another. Today I want to give you just a few small tips that you can use to make a big impact when selling. These are very simple things to do, but you’d be amazed at how many sellers don’t pay attention. Here are our top 5 tips:

1. Trim the shrubbery - maybe put some mulch out as well.
2. Cut the grass.
3. Add colorful flowers to your landscaping.
4. Clean the roof of the home.
5. Pressure wash the house, specifically the front porch. You want the first thing buyers see when walking in to be shimmering and shining. 

Some of these are very simple, but it’s the small things that make the biggest impact when selling. Any home will sell in any condition, but to sell for top dollar, you’ve got to be in top condition. If you have any questions for us, shoot us over an email or give us a call. We would love to hear from you!