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For Sale by Owner Tips

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Selling your home can be an overwhelming and expensive process if you don’t know what you’re doing. But there are many ways that homeowners can reduce the cost of selling their properties. Taking the “For Sale By Owner” route is becoming a popular option for people looking to maximize the return on their investments and avoid paying costly commission rates to realtors.

The following are some essential “For Sale by Owner” tips that you should keep in mind before getting started.

Know What it Takes to Sell Your Home

In order to get the most out of your home’s sale, you’re going to have to invest time and energy. You’ll need to have some knowledge of the real estate market and the legal issues related to the purchase and sale of real property.

Although there are a number of new tools available that help you sell your home on your own, only a small percentage of homeowners choose the “For Sale by Owner” option due to the amount of work it requires. Knowing what to expect is the first step in achieving a successful sale. You’ll need to set aside time to show your home while having the negotiating skills that give you the highest return with minimal cost.

Get Your Home Ready to Sell

The interior and exterior features of your home must appeal to potential buyers. In many cases, homeowners need to invest in home upgrades to ensure that they get their asking price.

Give your home a makeover to achieve a more neutral look that has a broader appeal while highlighting your home’s best features. Some homeowners hire professional stagers to help them with this process. But this can reduce their profits when selling your home.

Small details should also be considered. Light fixtures, doorknobs, light switch plates, and other items need to be in proper working order.

The Right Price for Your Home

The right selling price attracts more buyers while making sure that you get the most out of your home’s sale. You can hire an appraiser to help you determine the best selling price for your home, but this will also cut into your potential profit.

There are plenty of online resources that you can refer to when determining your home’s market value. Look for homes that are similar in size, features, and floor plans. This gives you an idea of what other sellers are asking (and receiving) for their homes.

Putting Your Home on the Market

Consider what buyers want to know about your home. In addition to price, buyers are interested in its location, size, features, and neighborhood. They may want to know its proximity to public transportation, schools, and retail centers.

Provide high-quality photographs that give buyers a clear sense of your home’s features and layout. Video tours can be used to showcase your home and attract more buyers. Use online platforms to generate more visibility. Facebook, Craigslist, and other social media platforms reach a larger audience and help spread the word about your home.

These are just some of the ways that homeowners can sell their homes without hiring a real estate agent and paying hefty commission fees. But they require you to invest time, energy, and money before selling your home. For homeowners looking to make the process easier, selling your home for cash may be the best option.

We Buy Ugly Houses pays you cash for your home regardless of its condition. This saves homeowners from the cost of upgrading, staging, and listing their homes only to have to wait for the right buyer to come along.

Selling your home “as is” for cash is the easiest option of all. It eliminates the issues that can arise when selling your home on your own. But more importantly, it reduces your costs and makes the entire process faster and easier.

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Testing and Mitigating Your House for Radon

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Keeping you and your home safe is your number one priority as a homeowner, and there are many threats that put your health and property at risk. Testing and mitigating your house for radon is one of the best ways to protect your home and avoid the health issues that arise when this problem is left unaddressed.

Knowing how to detect radon in your home helps you determine the best options for your needs while minimizing the cost of keeping your home safe.

What is Radon?

Radon is an odorless gas that enters your home undetected. It results from the natural breakdown of your home’s underlying soil, water, and rock materials. Radon affects homes all over the country regardless of their location, making it even more important to test your home for radon. Testing can be done using a variety of test products that are available at your local hardware stores.

These are used for short and long-term radon monitoring, and they’re ideal for homeowners who’ve completed any remodeling projects or haven’t tested their home in over two years.

Testing for Radon in Your Home

Radon testers are inexpensive and easy to use. Detecting high levels of radon in your home indicates a high level of risk and the need for the right solutions for long-term protection. You’ll need to contact a professional mitigation service provider if you detect radon levels higher than 4 pCI/L (picocuries per liter of air).

Hiring a professional prevents the issues that can arise when you try to correct the problem on your own. Improper radon mitigation may lead to higher levels of radon and negatively impact the quality of your home’s indoor air.

Radon Mitigation Solutions

Cracks can increase radon levels, but sealing walls or foundations may not be enough to protect your home in the long run. Active soil depressurization (ASD) has been shown to be an effective and cost-efficient way to reduce radon levels. It consists of isolating radon before it enters the home and exhausting it into the outside air.

ASD requirements vary depending on your property’s designs and other factors. It uses piping that’s connected to the property’s soil through the home’s crawl space or an opening in the slab floor.

A fan attached to the piping draws radon out and away from windows or doorways. This process can be difficult for homes that have multiple foundations, but a mitigation expert can use more than one system to achieve the best results.

Radon Mitigation Costs

The cost of your mitigation system can range from $800 to $2,500 and will depend on your home’s size, surrounding climate, materials used in its construction, and other factors. A large portion of the cost results from the installation process. These systems should be installed in ways that maintain the characteristics of your home and prevent any reduction in property value.

But some homeowners simply can’t afford radon mitigation costs, especially if they’re experiencing significant levels of contamination. To prevent financial losses and the health risks that radon creates, these homeowners choose to sell their homes.

This option may be the most cost-effective solution and provides the protection you and your family need. We Buy Ugly Houses can buy your home “as is” and help you restore the well-being of your family and make it easy to find a new radon-free home.

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Selling a House with Lead Paint

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How to Sell a House with Lead Paint

Lead is so harmful to your health that lead based paint was banned in the United States in 1978. If your house was built before then, it probably still contains some lead paint. Finding the lead paint and removing it can be expensive, but you do have other options.

The Health Risks of Lead Paint and Lead Poisoning

Over time, lead paint deteriorates, chipping off, flaking away, and breaking down into fine dust that can be inhaled. Remodeling and sanding lead paint can quickly release harmful particles into your home.

Young children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can impede mental and physical development, and even cause brain damage. According to the CDC, children in at least 4 million U.S. households are exposed to high levels of lead.

How to Test for Lead Paint in a House

When it comes to testing for lead, you have two options: hire a professional, or do it yourself.

Certified professional lead inspectors can give you the quickest and most accurate test results. You can find listings of certified lead inspectors at your regional EPA office. Expect to pay several hundred dollars to have your house tested.

Do-it-yourself lead paint test kits usually cost much less. But since they depend on chemical interactions to detect lead, they can occasionally give false positive results. When using a DIY kit, be sure to follow instructions carefully.

How Much Does Lead Paint Removal Cost?

Depending on how much lead paint is present in your home, you may be able to contain it with a strict maintenance plan that includes regular inspections for pain deterioration. Any future renovations will need to be made by lead-safe certified home contractors.

The only other option is to completely get rid of the lead paint. Lead paint removal is never a do-it-yourself job. You’ll need to hire a certified lead paint abatement specialist, which you can locate through the EPA. Although abatement has the advantage of completely removing lead from your home, the process can easily cost thousands of dollars.

Does Your House Have Lead Paint? Sell It Fast

Lead paint can make your home difficult to sell. Any information you know about the presence of lead-based paint must be disclosed to potential buyers. Though that can turn away some shoppers, lead paint disclosure is required by law.

Before you spend thousands of dollars on lead paint removal, consider selling your house as-is to HomeVestors, the We Buy Ugly Houses people. That way, you can sell your house for cash without shouldering the expenses of dealing with toxic lead paint yourself.

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Selling a House That's Not up to Code

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How to Sell a House That Isn’t Up to Code

If your home has seen its fair share of handyman work or DIY home improvement projects over the years, chances are you have some hidden residential building code violations. Even if those problems were caused by a previous owner, you could be on the hook to fix them. But there is a way to sell your house even if it has any of these four common building violations.

1. Improperly Vented Bathroom

The most common mistake plaguing DIY bathroom remodels has nothing to do with plumbing or tile. It’s improper venting. Some homeowners don’t go the necessary distance to route air all the way outside. Instead, they just vent a bathroom fan directly into the attic.

That’s a huge mistake. Pumping humid air into an enclosed space can promote the growth of mold, which can quickly lead to rotting wood. Left unchecked, it could cause major damage.

2. Insufficient Bedroom Windows

Almost any garage, basement or attic space can be converted into an extra bedroom, adding value to your home. But in order to be code compliant, that bedroom must have an egress window large enough for an adult to fit through.

Many municipalities require a window with a minimum size of 20 inches wide and 24 inches high. If your window is too small, that could be a costly code violation.

3. Not Having Up-to-Code Electric Work

When it comes to electrical work, there are countless reasons why your home might not be up to code. Common home wiring mistakes include:

Wiring switches without a neutral wire.

Installing the wrong cover on outdoor receptacles.

Making an electric connection outside a junction box.

Using insufficient electrical bonding.

Choosing the wrong kind of circuit breaker.

Not installing enough receptacles.

Some of these problems aren’t difficult for a qualified electrician to fix. Others may require tearing out walls or even rewiring your house.

4. Poorly Fastened Deck

Few home improvement projects are more satisfying than building a deck – or more horrifying than watching it fall apart. According to the North American Deck and Railing Association, the most common deck violations include:

Attaching the deck with nails (which can pull out) instead of using bolts.

Lack of flashing, which can cause the wood behind the beam to rot.

Notched or improper railing attachments, which can break.

How to Sell Your House (Without Bringing It Up to Code)

If you don’t have the time or money to fix any home inspection code violations, you can still sell your house. Real estate investors such as HomeVestors will buy the property as-is, whether it’s up to code or not. That way, you don’t have to go to the trouble of getting the proper permits, hiring a contractor, and spending a truckload of money trying to get your home up to code. Instead, you can sell your house without having to fix anything.

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Dangers of DIY Electrical Work

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3 Hidden Dangers of DIY Electrical Work

Sooner or later, every homeowner gets to the point where you ask yourself, “Can I do my own electrical work?” With the right tools and know-how, you could. But should you? Before you head for the circuit breaker, here are three good reasons you should hire a certified electrician instead of trying to do it yourself.

1. You Could Burn Your House Down.

Electrical problems start more than 51,000 fires every year, causing 500 deaths and $1.3 billion in property damage, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

When it comes to DIY electrical work, even a simple mistake can be dangerous. For example, using the wrong gauge of wiring on a high-load circuit can cause the wires to overheat.

Do that, and the next time you switch on the air conditioner, the flow of current could melt right through the insulation and burn your house to the ground.

2. You Could Get Electrocuted.

An electrical shock as small as 14 milliamps, less than the draw of a plug-in nightlight, is enough to kill you.

On average, 60 electrocution fatalities occur every year because of household wiring accidents. This is often a result of power tools coming into contact with live electrical wires.

Bad electrical work can also cause hidden problems such as reverse polarity, which energizes wires when they shouldn’t be live. Even if that leaves you unscathed when the work is done, it could set up the next unlucky person for a fatal shock.

3. You Might Make It Impossible to Sell Your Home.

If you want to add extra living space by converting an attic or garage into a spare bedroom, go right ahead. Hanging drywall and installing carpet can add real value to your home. But leave the electrical part of the project to the professionals.

Otherwise, when it comes time to sell the house, you may find that the wiring and fixtures won’t pass inspection. You could be forced to hire a professional to tear out and replace everything, costing you much more money and scaring off potential buyers.

Know When to Call a Pro

When you hire a licensed electrician, you can get a written warranty on the work performed. Most electricians are also bonded and insured, in case any problems arise in the future.

Before trying to do any DIY electrical work, ask yourself if it’s really worth risking your life to save a few hundred dollars. You might accidentally cause more damage, and end up spending more money than you would by hiring a professional in the first place.

Know When It’s Time to Sell Your Home

If you’re facing an expensive electrical project, that may be a sign that it’s time to sell your home. Before you start cutting holes in your walls and replacing wiring, call a real estate investor and find out if you can get an offer to sell your home. That way, instead of disrupting your day-to-day life with a major electrical overhaul, you can simply sell your house for cash and let someone else handle the electrical work.

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Tips For Selling Your House For Top Dollar

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6 Tips For Selling Your House For Top Dollar

Getting the best possible price for your home isn’t easy, but you can do it if you know how. Follow these six tips for selling your house and you’ll maximize the money you get for your home.

1. Get into the House-Selling Mindset

Of all the tips for selling your home, this one is the most important: get into the right mindset. Before you even begin the selling process, stop thinking of this house as your family’s home. Instead, view it as a financial transaction. The more you can remove your emotions from the selling process, the better it helps you focus on getting your home sold.

2. Make a “Fix It” List

Take a notebook and go through your home, scrutinizing each room individually. Look for cracks, stains, or signs of wear. Make note of anything worn out, damaged, outdated, or unappealing. Pay particular attention to flooring, light fixtures, doors, trim, plumbing fixtures, and kitchen hardware. Then, go through and fix as many of the problems as possible. Plan on doing plenty of painting.

3. Maximize Your Curb Appeal

A manicured lawn can help win over home shoppers, but that’s just the beginning. Look over your entire home carefully: roof, entryway, sidewalk, fences, and everything else you can see from the curb. Pay attention to the small details, too. Ask a friend to help you spot flaws, such as a faded street number, dirty porch light, or peeling trim. Everything you clean up makes your home look better and helps fetch a higher price.

4. Stage Your Home

Staging a home for sale doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by clearing out as many personal belongings as possible, including any nonessential furniture or electronics. A good rule of thumb is to remove half of the items from every room.

Then it’s time to rearrange. Working around focal points such as large windows and fireplaces, arrange each room to look as spacious and comfortable as possible. Finally, clean your home thoroughly and keep it spotless until it sells.

5. Make Your House Easy to Show Anytime

In order to get the best possible price for your home, you need to make it easy to schedule showings. Obviously, if your house is vacant, you can just put a lockbox on the door so that real estate agents can drop by anytime without notice. But if you’re still living in the home, you need to decide when the property will be available to show.

It may be tempting to show just on the weekends, but that’s a common mistake. While the weekends bring in more foot traffic, those are generally idle shoppers who aren’t as serious about buying. During the week, shoppers who have taken a day off work to look at houses are the ones who are ready to buy. Make sure that your house is available to show whenever possible.

6. Think Outside the Box

Knowing how to get your house ready to sell and actually doing it are two different things. Each of these steps requires an investment of time and money. To make the selling process easier and faster, you may want to sell your house as-is to real estate investor. That way, you can skip all of the fixing, staging and showing, and go straight to selling your house for cash.

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Signs That Your Home Has Foundation Issues

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10 Signs That Your Home Has Foundation Problems

Is that little crack in your foundation just a harmless sign of the house settling? Or is it the first symptom of a massive foundation mess? If you’re worried about a major foundation issue, here are the top 10 warning signs:

Leaning walls. (You can check this with a level.)

Floors sloping at an angle.

Cracks in the walls, especially over doorways or windows.

Doors tend to get stuck, or are difficult to shut.

Windows won’t close completely, or won’t open at all.

Cracks in a tile floor.

Gap between the wall and the ceiling.

Cracked glass in windows.

Water in the basement or crawl space.

Visible bulges or cracks in the foundation (1/4” or wider)

Should You Get a Home Inspection?

If you suspect that your house may need foundation repairs, it’s time to call in a professional to assess the damage.

Getting a home inspection is a good place to start, but many home inspectors won’t know how to tell the full extent of a foundation problem. To get the whole picture, you may want to hire a structural engineer.

That could set you back $500 to $1000, so be prepared. But even if the structural engineer doesn’t turn up any major issues, it’s still a good investment in your peace of mind. Besides, it’s only a fraction of the cost of the average foundation repair.

Home Foundation Repair Costs

Foundation problems don’t get better on their own. The longer you wait to make a repair, the worse the damage will become. And fixing a cracked foundation isn’t cheap.

The average home foundation costs thousands of dollars to repair. Most homeowners spend up to $6,300 repairing a foundation, according to the home improvement website HomeAdvisor. Depending on the nature of the repair, some homeowners spend as much as $11,000.

Is It Harder to Sell a Home with Foundation Damage?

If you discover that your house needs foundation repair, think twice before starting work. Repairing the foundation requires pulling certain permits, which will become a matter of public record. That could put a red flag on your house in many buyers’ eyes.

Buyers frequently won’t even look at a house with foundation problems. That means that even if you finish the repair, you may not get the opportunity to explain to shoppers that the problem has been fixed.

If you have a badly damaged foundation, find out if you can sell your home as-is to a real estate investor, without having to do any foundation repair work. Real estate investors have experience in fixing structural problems, and can offer you cash for your home.

That saves you the considerable expense of hiring a structural engineer and trying to repair a major foundation problem. Instead, you can sell your house for cash before that crack in your foundation breaks the bank.

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House Spring Cleaning Checklist

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Now that spring is finally here, it’s time to start that annual cathartic ritual: spring-cleaning. Even though the work can seem massive, there’s always a sense of accomplishment after seeing a winter’s worth of dust removed. Also, spring-cleaning is essential for maintaining your home’s resale value. So as you break out the sponges, Swiffer, and bleach, here are things to focus on to clean and maintain your home this spring.

Smoke Alarms Spring isn’t just a time to clean – it’s also an excellent opportunity to inspect and ensure that your home’s safety systems are staying robust. Your smoke alarm system is one of the most important. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you attend to smoke alarm maintenance at the beginning of every season, but especially after the long winter, when attention to fire safety tends to lag.We’ve all experienced those annoying beeps coming from our ceilings when smoke alarm batteries die out, and now’s the time to take some precautionary measures, replacing those batteries even if the alarms are keeping quiet. The NFPA recommends that you check on the age of your smoke alarms. If they’re more than ten years old, it’s time to have them replaced.If you’re putting your home on the market soon, this is critical. A beeping fire alarm is a major red flag to potential buyers who will feel (appropriately so) that your home isn’t up to fire codes.

HVAC This is a perfect time to make sure that your HVAC systems are working properly. Owning a home is always a process of regulating the amount of energy expended in the home, and almost half of the energy is used for heating and cooling. Retaining the integrity of your HVAC system is critical to ensuring your home is energy efficient for the warm months ahead. Give your HVAC guy a call. It’s always best to have a pro take care of this critical issue.

Check your water heater In addition to your HVAC system, your water heater is another fundamental element of your home’s overall “wellness.” After a long winter, sediment can build up in your water heater. This is an ideal time to flush the water heater to get rid of that sediment build-up, which can reduce the efficiency of the water-heating unit.

If you’re a seasoned DIY home repair person, you might be able to manage these maintenance projects yourself, but we recommend having these types of things done by a seasoned professional.

The beginning of spring is the perfect time to attend to these home maintenance issues. But, doing so isn’t without its costs. If you’re getting ready to list your house, these are more than just spring-cleaning projects. They’re essential to get your house ready to put on the market. If you’re up to your ears preparing to list the house – it may just be better to let Homevestors take the house off your hands. Contact us today at Homevestors.com to consult with one of our real estate experts.

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What to do if the Contractor Doesn’t Call Back

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Many homeowners love taking on renovation projects themselves. Throughout the country, DIY home reno’s are becoming more and more common (after all, who doesn’t love an excuse to grab a Home Depot hot dog with their drywall?). If you need to renovate a house that you’re trying to sell, hiring a contractor often seems like the most efficient way to make any renovations to the home before it goes on the market.

But we’ve all heard stories about the difficulties working with contractors. What if your contractor goes AWOL, never returning to finish the work they started? Here are some things you can do.

Document

Make sure to record any attempts you’ve made to reach out to the contractor. When your contractor doesn’t return any of your calls or emails, the documentation will be necessary if you’re forced to take legal action against the contractor. Ideally, you should send certified letters that lay out the burden the contractor has placed on you, demanding that the contractor respond to your requests.

If you do get in contact with the contractor, send an additional letter letting him or her know that you’ll be canceling any contract that has been made between the two of you for the renovations. If you’ve made a down payment for the work, insist on a refund.

Try to get the contractor’s license revoked

When a contractor leaves you high and dry, you’re essentially dealing with fraud. This may leave you no option than to pursue legal action. However, you can also contract your state’s contractor’s license board in the hopes of having the contractor’s license revoked. You’ll have to make sure to stay on top of the representatives that are taking care of your case. This can be difficult, as you’ll need a representative who will work relentlessly to pursue all options on your behalf.

Similarly, you can reach out to your local better business bureau or office of consumer protection to try and have the contractor’s license revoked.

Leave a review

You can also leverage your local better business bureau (and other review platforms) to leave an honest review of your experience with the contractor. Many contractors are dependent on the perception of their work for their business. Potential future victims of this contractor can read your review and be saved the same hassle.

Take legal action

Taking the contractor to court is, of course, an option. This should be your last resort, given the time and expenses involved in hiring a lawyer. You’re going to have to have an excellent case and a highly competent attorney to have a chance of receiving any financial award in a court of law.

All these efforts, especially if you’re trying to sell your home quickly, can take a tremendous emotional and financial toll. It’s hard enough to sell an entirely renovated house, let alone one where the renovations are incomplete. When this is the case, your best option might just be to sell the house outright to the real estate professionals. At We Buy Ugly Houses we’ll give you a cash buyout for your home in any condition, renovated or not. We can’t get the contractor to return to finish the job, but we can certainly ease your burden, selling the house as simply as possible, so you don’t have to. Visit our website at www.webuyuglyhouses.com to learn more.

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How To Fix a Slab Foundation

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It almost goes without saying that a house is only as strong as its foundation. If you encounter problems with your foundation, especially when it’s a slab foundation, you’ll need to make repairs as soon as possible.

Most problems with slab foundations result from freezing water that has expanded the pipes beneath the foundation, creating cracks in the cement. In these cases, dangerous leaks can develop. In a worst-case scenario, leaks can cause severe damage to the house’s interior materials, such as doors, windows, and framing. Leaks in a slab foundation require costly foundation repair. Here are two common issues you’ll face when you have to fix your slab foundation.

Fixing the pipe

To repair a slab leak, you first have to find the source of the leak. If it’s a hot water leak, you’re going to be focused on fixing the piping underneath the slab. It’s relatively easy to locate the leak source by simply walking around the foundation in bare feet until you can feel the leak. When the leak source is found, mark it with duct tape.

Next, remove the flooring from the foundation. Make sure, however, that the flooring you remove won’t cause further damage, resulting in even more costly and time-consuming work.

Using a concrete drill, drill a hole into the concrete. Slab foundations are typically around four inches thick, so it can take some time before you reach the affected pipes. Make certain that the hole you’ve drilled is large enough to fit your hand so that you can easily find the source of the leaking pipe.

Once you locate the trouble spot, make the hole large enough to give you the room you’ll need to make the necessary repairs to the pipe. Don’t seal the hole for a few days so that you can monitor the area for any further damage.

When you’re sure you’ve sealed the pipe, cover it with concrete. Let it dry and cure for several days. Then, place new flooring on the area using construction-grade adhesive.

Mud Jacking

Another technique for fixing a slab foundation is called “Mud Jacking.” This method focuses on the source of any subgrade problems, working to support the slab from underneath.

With mud jacking, two holes are drilled into a sloping slab. Then, a mixture of highly insoluble material is pumped into the holes. When this mixture of materials enters into the area beneath the slab, it releases any water and air to firm up any loose subsoil. This functions to lift the slab to its original level.

Fixing a slab Foundation isn’t cheap. On average, costs can range from $1,000 to $15,000 and over. So what do you do if you’re trying to sell a house with slab damage?

Well, you can lay out some serious cash, or you can make it easy on yourself by selling the house outright to the real estate experts at We Buy Ugly Houses. With a fast cash buyout, we’ll eliminate all the hassles and costs you’ll face in attempting to your slab foundation.

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How HomeVestors Helped This Retiree Sell His Historic Home (to the Perfect Owner!)

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Marty Rogus had lived in his childhood home for 60 years, but when he fell ill, he was no longer able to care for himself or the property. As his medical bills piled up, Rogus knew that he needed to sell his house quickly. He also hoped to find just the right buyer for the house that had been in his family for generations.

He turned to his significant other, Sharon Borowski, for help. “He was so ill. I needed to sell the house fast, so I could focus on what really mattered,” she said.

Borowski’s friends had told her about their positive experiences with HomeVestors, so she decided to call the house-buying company. Mike Tassone, a Chicago-based franchisee of HomeVestors, immediately provided her with the assistance she needed to sell the home.

“It’s hard enough taking care of your loved ones when they’re sick. But selling their lifelong home on top of that – that makes it much more difficult,” said Tassone. “It was important that we make this as easy and quick as possible. One less thing off a very full plate.”

For Rogus and Borowski, the HomeVestors experience exceeded all of their expectations. “Mike was so wonderful. He came to my home to talk about the house, instead of making me run around to meet him,” Borowski said. “Anything I asked him to do, he did it. He bent over backwards and then some.”

Thanks to HomeVestors, the home sold quickly. “We are so happy we were able to help Sharon get the house sold for her and her better half,” Tassone said.

But even after the sale, taking care of the former owners was just as important. While the home was being renovated for the new owners, HomeVestors gave Rogus and Borowski the opportunity to be involved in the process. That way, they could enjoy the peace of mind that came from knowing that their cherished home was in good hands.

“I would absolutely recommend HomeVestors – especially Mike – to anyone that find themselves in a similar situation to me,” Borowski said. “I had a great experience and was very happy with the outcome.”

Find out how to sell your home with HomeVestors. Click here to get a free quote.

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How to Pay Off Unexpected Bills with Your Home Equity

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If you’re facing a large emergency expense and you don’t know how to pay it off, you’re not alone. Every year, 2 out of 5 Americans have a major unexpected expense, according to a recent survey by Bankrate.com. Most people don’t have the money to pay.

The survey points out how difficult it is for most Americans to handle unforeseen expenses. Even a surprise $1000 expense is out of reach for 63% of Americans. Larger expenses can present a major financial hardship for any household.

What Are the Most Common Emergency Expenses?

1. Medical expenses

A trip to the emergency room costs, on average, $1233 out-of-pocket. That doesn’t include further expenses such as surgery, physical therapy, or long-term care.

2. Emergency home repairs

A recent survey by HomeServe USA indicates that every year 48 percent of homeowners must make some kind of emergency home repair, such as replacing a water heater or fixing a roof leak.

3. Car accident or major repair

The average car owner spends $8698 every year on maintenance, taxes, registration, and other automotive expenses. But that doesn’t include the cost of even a single fender bender or mechanical failure.

4. Job loss or reduced working hours

For those who work a 40 hour week, losing a single shift can reduce your income by 20%. For a household with the median income of $55,000, that could mean a loss of $11,000.

5. Unplanned travel

Last-minute travel is often the most expensive kind, but there’s little choice when a death or illness in the family occurs. The average cost of a funeral is $7181, not including travel expenses.

How to Pay for Unexpected Expenses

Survey respondents were asked how they would handle an unexpected expense of $1000 or more:

37% would tap into their savings.

23% would reduce spending in other areas.

15% would borrow the money from family or friends.

15% would pay with a credit card.

9% had no idea how they would pay for an emergency.

You Could Sell Your Home for Cash

Sometimes, credit cards and personal loans aren’t enough to pay for a serious unexpected bill. When you need to access a larger amount of cash, you may want to consider selling your home.

Some homes can be difficult to sell because they need extensive repairs, or they’re located in an undesirable neighborhood. But you don’t have to spend money to repair the house, get it ready to sell, and hire a real estate agent.

Instead, HomeVestors could buy your house as-is, so that no repairs are needed. You’ll get a cash offer, and you won’t have to pay most normal closing costs. Instead, you can use the equity in your house to pay off those unexpected bills quickly.

Click here to find out how you can sell your home quickly for cash.

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Can You Sell Your House Online?

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Many hopeful home sellers tend to go the traditional route and contact their local real estate agents when it comes time to sell a house.

Selling a home can be challenging. Homes can sometimes sit on the market for months waiting for the next lucky owner to come along. Even with the assistance of a real estate agent, getting prepared for showings and keeping your home in perfect condition for potential buyers takes tons of work. Selling online can help improve your chances of selling your house fast.

How to Sell Your House Online

Paying for sponsored listings will ensure that your home gets the most exposure. Get your home listed on all the popular websites such as Trulia, Zillow and Redfin. Many buyers will start the home buying process with an internet search to pick out potential listings they would like to consider. This means that professional looking photos will stand out. Hiring a photographer is helpful to put your home in the best light possible can help dramatically. Photos and descriptions in online listings are important because that is all a buyer will have when looking online. It is always a great idea to get ideas from listings that look professional and well written. Getting a second opinion or feedback on the listings that you create yourself could help bring in valuable insight that you may not have considered.

Pros of Selling a House Online

Some sellers decide that they want to take advantage of the digital age and sell their house online. Real estate agents will take a percentage of the sale as their commission. One advantage to selling a house online, is it can lessen the need for an agent when it comes to advertising and allow sellers to keep the equity for themselves. This leads some sellers to want to list their home online themselves.

With or without a real estate agent, listing your house online is a great way to get more attention to your listing.

Cons of Selling a House Online

You can also use a real estate agent to help you sell your house online. They understand all the listing websites to use, how to price the home fairly, and more. While selling a house online by yourself can save money, using a real estate agent can help you get more money in the long run because they have the resources and it is in their best interest to help you get the most for your home.

An agent can also help you highlight the unique selling points of your property. Discovering out how to write effective copy can take years of practice. Real estate agents can also help negotiate a price and help with contracts. The amount of paperwork involved when selling a home can be daunting. It is important that this paperwork is done correctly, so even finding FSBO websites to help with the process can help take the stress off.

Selling a House Fast – Without Online Listings

Selling a house online with or without an agent is a great way to gain exposure and generate interest in your listing. Even when homeowners use all the digital tools available, selling a house under a deadline can be stressful. If you need to sell a house fast, We Buy Ugly Houses can help. We can save you the time and effort of dealing with real estate agents, taking professional photos and listing your home online. We can usually close within 7 days and buy homes as-is with no costly repairs needed. Call us today or fill out our form to see how we can help you sell fast.

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Winter Water Damage Horror Stories

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Water damage can destroy a home. Once water damage has occurred, it is important to get started on the drying and cleaning as soon as possible. Mold spores thrive on damp environments. To keep your home safe from mold growth, it is important to get the affected areas clean and dry within 24 to 48 hours to prevent further damage.

Not all water damage is covered by insurance policies. Depending on how the water damage occurred, the homeowner may end up being responsible for all the costly repairs. This can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the extent of the damage. Here are some horror stories from companies that have been involved in the aftermath of winter water damage wreckage.

Winter Water Damage Vacationing Disasters

Joe Battisto, with Haven Environmental has some examples of horror stories while homeowners are away on vacation during winter months. He also shares some tricks for protecting your property while you are vacationing:

“When you and your family live in warm and sunny Syracuse NY, nothing sounds better than a Disney cruise in February. Every year, a homeowner calls us when they return, usually in the middle of the night (catch the last flight back to Syracuse, stretch out every moment of the Caribbean sun!), and finds the water supply pipe froze, then split open and ran for who knows how long.

It’s happened this past year already, and we are assisting the family to salvage what they can and dry out the home. Last year, a million-dollar home of a local celebrity suffered the fate while they were “wintering” in a warmer climate. The water line was on the second floor of the home and I estimated 660,000 gallons of water flooded the house over a 10-day period. Just for reference, that is the amount of water an Olympic size swimming pool holds.

One minute, the family is headed home relaxed, tanned, tired, and thinking on the time of their lives they just had, and the next moment, their lives become anxiety riddled chaos and stress as they sit in the family car (usually crying) in the driveway at 2 AM because the house is flooded and destroyed.

Take this as a cautionary tale, regardless of the season, when you leave your home, do some basic protective things.

Don’t turn the heat way down, this will cause parts of the house that are not near the location of the thermostat to possibly get to freezing temps.

Shut off the water at the main if you can. Some heating systems require water to be left on, in that case shut off lines that run to other areas of the home.

Make sure your water heater tank has a way to drain if it breaks. Water heaters have 10 years of service life, after that, it’s just a matter of time until it ruptures.

Open the faucets in your sinks after the water is shut off, this will allow the pressure to be relieved if a line freezes and expands.

Have a working sump pump, with a battery backup set up.

Have someone you trust monitor the property while your gone.”

Older Homes and Winter Water Damage

Consumer Safety has some information and tips about winter water damage:

“Older homes tend to have pipes running up the exterior walls, increasing the likelihood they’ll freeze on bitter cold days. While the best solution is to have a contractor blow insulation into the walls, it may be beyond the budget. If you aren’t afraid of a little DIY and drywall, you could cut open the walls, and insulate from the inside.

A word of caution though, as many homes built prior to 1975 contain asbestos, you should have a professional inspect any insulation that you discover before disturbing it.

Attics provide a more interesting challenge because you have exposed pipes that need to be warmer, and the underside of a roof that should be kept colder to prevent icicle formation which can lead to roof leaks. In this case, the best option is to insulate pipes and floors thoroughly, and leave an attic window or two cracked open to allow colder air circulation against the roof. If ice dams form in gutters, they should be removed to prevent damage to the roof, as well as leaks.”

Is Your Home a Water Damage Horror Story?

If you have been dealing with an unfortunate water damage incident, you may feel like there is little help available. If any flooding occurred, most insurance policies will not cover losses you have incurred.

If you are in the process of selling a home when you are inflicted with a water damage nightmare, it can be even more heartbreaking. Luckily, We Buy Ugly Houses can help you to sell your house fast and move on with your life. We buy houses regardless of condition and will buy your house as-is with no repairs needed. Call us today to see if we can help.

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Types of Loans and Options for Home Improvements

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Have you been putting off those major home improvements due to a lack of funding? Home improvements can be pricey but they usually increase the value of your home. Whether you are adding additions or making repairs, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the dollars and cents involved.

Most homeowners have a list in mind of home repairs and renovations to get their home looking like the home they dreamed of. Others have costly repairs that may be adding up over time.

Regardless of your situation, here are some loans that can help you improve your home.

Refinance

If you would benefit from refinancing your home, this is a great way to come up with the cash to fund your home improvements or repairs. When you refinance, you can pull cash from the equity that you have built. Refinancing is a great option while interest rates are low but keep in mind that if property values decline, you may end up owing more than your house is worth.

Home Equity Line of Credit

With a home equity line of credit, the funds are borrowed against your home and your home then becomes collateral involved in the loan. The line of credit is different from a loan because there it is a line of credit with a variable interest rate and payment schedule. The line of credit can be approved and then used like a credit card. The homeowner can withdraw the funds from the account as needed for the improvement projects. This also runs the same risk as refinancing. If the value of your home falls, you can end up owing more than the house is worth.

FHA 203k Loan

This loan is regulated by the department of Housing and Urban Development and allows homeowners to borrow up to $35,000 and roll the amount into their mortgage to pay for improvements or repairs. The purpose of this loan is to keep consumers from having to take out multiple loans to rehabilitate or repair their homes. There are some eligibility and requirements with this option including credit score.

Credit Cards

There are some 0% credit card programs that you can take advantage of for home improvements. Sometimes homeowners also choose to place home improvements on credit cards because they want to take advantage of airline miles, cashback offers or other perks of credit cards. If you decide to use a credit card for your home improvements, be sure to look at the interest rate and weigh the pros and cons of each credit card offer before choosing the right one for you.

Costly Home Repairs?

While many of these loans are great options for home improvements, it is always important to think about how long you will be paying off the improvements. Sometimes people end up financing improvements for longer than the life of the improvement.

If home improvements and costly repairs have got you down, and you decide it’s time to sell your home and find one that better suits your needs, We Buy Ugly houses buys homes in all conditions. We purchase homes as- is without the need for costly repairs. Call us to see if we can help.

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How To Sell Inherited Real Estate in Probate

In essence, probate is the legal process of assembling together the assets of the deceased, and then paying off all debts and taxes. Any remaining assets are distributed to the inheritors.

Some states have adopted the Uniform Probate Code (UPC), which simplifies the probate process and gives more flexibility to the executors of the estate. In UPC states, the probate process is mostly paperwork, and typically does not involve the court.

But if there is a disagreement between the heirs, the court may rule that the house must be sold so that the value can be distributed.

Next of Kin: What You Need to Do

The first step is to remember to take extra time. The passing of a loved one can bring on great emotional stress as well as financial issues.

Don’t overlook the emotional costs associated with putting a family member’s house on the market. Packing up personal belongings and cherished heirlooms is a fraught process.

When others are involved in making decisions, the situation can become complicated. Differing opinions on the selling price of the home – or whether to sell the house at all – can make an already difficult situation seem impossible.

It’s important to slow down and take extra time before making any big decisions.

Get Professional Advice

Laws vary from state to state, and sometimes from one city to the next. Consult with an estate planner or an attorney with professional knowledge about selling inherited real estate. There may be important legal or tax implications, including capital gains taxes on the sale of the property.

You will also want to talk to a real estate agent to get information about the local housing market. The property may be worth much more (or possibly, less) than you think.

Talk to a Real Estate Investor

Once you have a firm idea of the current value of the house, you should check repair and improvement costs.

Cleaning up the yard, painting the interior, and other quick fixes improve the curb appeal and help attract interested buyers.

If the house requires extensive renovations, don’t start spend money just yet. You could be better off seeking cash offers from real estate investors. They may be much more likely to purchase the home “as is.”

How to Get Ready to Sell an Inherited House

Check to see whether there are any liens on the property.

Check the status of the homeowner’s insurance on the property to make sure that it is current. Also make sure that the estate or trust is listed as the insured. That way, you are insured in case anything happens before you’re able to sell the house.

Make sure that all mortgage payments are up to date, as well as property taxes and utility bills. The last thing you’ll want to deal with is a foreclosure notice or disconnected utilities.

After you sell the house, you’ll have to pay off the remaining mortgage balance (if any), as well as real estate commissions, taxes, and all other closing costs.

These steps will help you avoid much of the stress and confusion that can come with selling an inherited house in probate.

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4 Interior Design Trends Going Out Of Style in 2017

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Do you know the biggest home design trends you should get rid of in 2017? Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, brass fixtures, and pastel pink are all out. Here’s what’s in and trendy for 2017.

Granite countertops are out. Marble is in.

The heavy, cold look of granite is officially a thing of the past. According to real estate website trulia.com, marble is the new stone of choice, especially in sophisticated and subtle black and white.

Natural looking marble paired with metal and wood, once the exclusive province of restaurants and trendy cafes, is now coming to the home kitchen. It warms up the kitchen, making it feel lighter and yet more classical.

Also be on the lookout for textiles popping up in marble designs. Wall coverings, upholstery and carpets all benefit from the sophisticated look of marble.

Stainless steel appliances are out. Matte is in.

Here’s a bit of welcome news for anyone who has endlessly labored to clean fingerprints off of the fridge: stainless steel appliances are on the way out.

But don’t look for a return to ordinary glossy white appliances. Matte finishes are the new alternative to the traditional gloss. Dark hues make a dramatic statement in any space, giving an elegant new look to the kitchen space.

This unexpected finish is not only less distracting than stainless steel, it also adds a layer of depth and serves as a dramatic counterpoint to traditional lustrous finishes.

Pink is out. Bold colors are in.

2016 was ruled by rose quartz and serenity (in other words, pink and light blue). Sleepy neutral shades were everywhere. But that’s all changing in 2017.

Greenery is the official color of the year for 2017, according to Pantone, a world-renowned authority on color. Fresh green notes evoke new growth, lush outdoor vistas and a flourishing sense of renewal.

If green isn’t your color, look for saturated jewel tones, such as sapphire blue and amethyst purple. These bold colors make a dramatic statement, and provide the perfect accent anywhere in your home. For example, you can easily dress up neutral furniture with a bold colored pillow.

Shiny brass is out. Subtle metallics are in.

Hot in the 1970s and again in just the past few years, the shiny appeal of polished brass has already lost its luster.

This year, look for more subtle metallics, especially in muted finishes. Antique brass and pewter are both gaining in popularity now. But as with appliances, the key is to look for a matte finish.

If you’re in love with your gleaming brass fixtures, you don’t have to be in a rush to get rid of them completely. Experiment with mixing different metal finishes in the same room for a unique, more interesting look.

2017 is the year of you.

Overall, the trends of 2017 are moving away from hard-edged design decisions and more toward customized combinations. Gone are the days of harsh industrial surfaces and strict style rules. It’s time to mix up your colors, shapes, and time periods. Change up the details and your home will reflect your personality and your personal style in 2017.

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