Tips for Selling a Home with Pets

Do you have a dog, cat, hamster, hedgehog, or any other pet? Then this show is for you! Robert and Dave talk about how to sell your home if you own a pet. See the short list below and listen to the show for all the details!

Image Credit: Well Pet Coach

Eliminate Pet Odors!

1. Throw open the windows and air your house out

2. Scrub the house down with odor neutralizing products

3. Wash drapes and upholstery--these tend to hold in smells

4. Have professionals clean your carpet and flooring

5. You might need to replace carpet if odors are still present after cleaning

Keep Your House Smelling Great!

1. Light a mild smelling candle before showings

2. Control reoccurring pet odors after you've cleaned--crate your dog or keep pets outdoors if it's warm

3. Make sure pet hair doesn't start accumulating again--vacuum and sweep often

2017 Grand Junction Real Estate Market Recap + 2018 Predictions

On today's show Robert and Dave recap the 2017 Grand Junction Real Estate Market. Last year was the best year we've had since 2008 in our market! They'll talk about how far we've come since 2010 and what we can expect moving into the new year. Listen to the show for all the details!

2018 Home Design Trends

Today Robert and Dave talk home design trends for 2018 and what trends to leave behind in 2017. See the short list below and listen to the show to hear Robert and Dave's thoughts on each trend.

What's In

1. Bold Colors
2. Mixed Metallics
3. Genzi Yellow (Dave and Robert: "Really?!")
4. Quartz
5. Maple, Pine, Hickory
6. Black Fixtures
7. Large Tile Flooring

What's Out

1. All White Interiors
2. Rose Gold
3. Granite
4. Red Toned Wood
5. Tuscan Themed Anything
6. Concrete Tiles and Floors

Typical New Year's Resolutions & How They Relate to Real Estate

Grand Junction Real Estate Advice

Listen to this week's show to hear how some of the New Year resolutions we typically make can also relate to our real estate goals.

Typical resolution: Loose weight.
How it relates to real estate: Get rid of excess possessions in your home and life. This year, commit to only purchasing the things you need.

Typical resolution: Get organized both fiscally & personally.
How it relates to real estate: Decluttering your home presents the perfect opportunity to also organize your home! Take this time to also organize your finances.

Typical resolution: Make financial investments.
How it relates to real estate: Acquire assets and not liabilities. Consider purchasing investment properties this year.

Typical resolution: Quit smoking.
How it relates to real estate: When you go to sell a home it is an absolute MUST to have a smoke-free home. Smoking inside your home will cost you about 10% of your home's overall value when you sell it.

Typical resolution: Spend more time with friends and family.
How it relates to real estate: You might want to consider moving to be closer to friends or family. Or if your family is growing, you might want to purchase a bigger home so you have more space for family activities.

Bonus Goals to Consider:

• Be kind and nice!
• Be generous!
• Focus on things you can control and leave behind things you can't.
• Make a differnce in something.

5 Tips to Help Your Home Make an Astounding First Impression on Home Buyers

Grand Junction Real Estate Advice

We make up our minds about people within seconds of meeting them. It's no different when you're selling your home. Buyers are making a decision about your home the very first time they see it. On today's show, Robert and Dave have 5 tips to help your home create a great first impression on buyers.

See the short list of tips below and listen to the show for detailed advice.

1. Break up with your home! Cut emotional ties with your home so it's easier to follow staging and remodel advice from your agent.
2. Focus on curb appeal. The front of your home is the first photo people will see online. It's important that they are enticed enough to click and see more!
3. Ask yourself, "If I was buying this home right now, what would I want changed?" Then change those things! 
4. Clean the clutter! Open up the space in your home by clearing it of any clutter.
5. Depersonalize your space. Packing up family photos and momentos will allow others to visualize themselves in your home.

Post Inspection Repairs: What to Request & Not Request

When you find the home you want, it's important to pick your battles with repairs requested post home inspection. We've seen many deals go sideways post home inspection when they don't need to! While it's nice for sellers to fix every small detail before you move-in, there's only so much sellers are willing to do, especially if the market is in their favor.

The purpose of a home inspection is to find out if there are severe structural or mechanical defects that will have a negative impact on the way a buyer can use their home. It's 100% okay to request repairs on items that fall into that category. In regards to other repairs, keep the requests below off your list if you really want to close on the home you love! 

Be sure to listen to the show to hear Robert and Dave weigh in on this list!

1. Avoid requesting repairs to any minor cosmetic issues: a deck that needs stained, a small crack in one bathroom tile.
2. Skip requests that ask the home owner to fix cracks in concrete floors. Concrete naturally settles and cracks without structure ramifications. If you see cracks in the walls however, be sure to review the inspection report to see if they have significant structural impacts.
3. Don't request any repairs that cost under $100. This will just make you seem really nit picky!
4. Leave off requests for repairs on any failed window seals. Be aware of these items when you see the home and account for how much it will cost to make repairs yourself in the offer you present.
5. Skip requests for loose railings or fixtures that aren't significant issues.

Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays

The holiday season is here! See the short list of tips below and listen to the show for more detailed advice from Robert and Dave. Use the advantages of this season to get your home sold this winter!

1. Hire a reliable real estate agent who will work hard for you during this time of year!
2. Price your home to SELL instead of making gradual price reductions after your home hits the market.
3. Make your curb appeal a top priority!
4. Keep your home safe for buyers (and your family!) by clearing ice and snow from walkways.
5. Don't over decorate! Creating clutter with your decorations will make your home seem smaller and less spacious.
6. Use simple, neutral and tasteful décor to create a warm, cozy vibe in your home.
7. Your holiday decorations should compliment your home's color palette.
8. Tone down light displays and keep the inflatable snowman in storage this year. Only use lights and decorations to accentuate your home's features, not hide them!

Maintenance Tasks to Complete in November

It's finally starting to feel a little bit like fall in the Grand Valley, so on today's show Dave and Robert are talking about easy maintenance tasks to complete by the end of November. These tasks are very simple, easy and affordable! See the checklist below and listen to the show for more details and advice!

1. Change the batteries on your smoke detectors.
2. Take precautions to block out pest.
3. Check weatherstripping around windows, trim, vents, siding and doors.
4. Check walkways, railings, stairs and driveways for winter safety.
5. Perform a radon test.
6. Do a pre-Thanksgiving plumbing check.
7. Give your garbage disposal a good cleaning before you big Thanksgiving party.
8. Make sure your furnace is in good working condition for the winter.
9. Clean your gutters and any debris away from your downspouts.