Kibe Lucas Blog

Q.  When I put my home on the market in a few months, how will market value be established?

1. Location. Even within the same city, different neighborhoods can have completely different market values. Compare prices of recent sales in the same community.

2. Age. Comparable homes should be built within a couple of years of yours. Building codes and style trends vary with time and greatly affect value.

3. Size of home and lot. Buyers are sensitive to the price per square foot. Your home may be unique but buyers will compare the price per square foot with neighboring properties for both the home and the land.

4. Property condition. As the seller, you have many opportunities to increase the attractiveness of your home by getting it in tip-top condition and staging the rooms before placing the home on the market.

Call us today at 357-4663 for your free Comparative Market Analysis.

Avoid These Costly Home Maintenance Mistakes

It is easy to overlook basic home maintenance.  But if you neglect regular upkeep or cut corners on projects, it can easily cost you hundreds or even thousands in the long run from unexpected and expensive emergency repairs. 

1. Use paint primer. All-in-one paint with primer may sound good. But with bare wood, using a high-quality primer first will help preserve the wood and make the paint last longer because it sticks better to the surface.

2. Don’t apply latex over oil-based paint. Latex paint will begin peeling within weeks of being applied over existing oil-based paint. If you must, be sure to use de-glosser “liquid sandpaper”.

3. Lubricate exterior door hinges. When a hinge gets rusty and seizes up, it can cause damage to the door itself. Lubricate with a silicone spray once per year to keep the door hinges trouble-free.

4. Notice foggy windows. If the seal of insulated windows is broken, the windows will fog up. Replace the seal to avoid extra heating and cooling expenses.