// BLOG
JK Rowling: House in Tasmania
July 20, 2011
With the world’s current economic state few people can afford to splurge on a trip to the moves, let alone buy a new home. But lately, crowds of people are rushing to the theaters because of one woman in particular. That woman, Ms. JK Rowling, has also gone against recent trends and has purchased a home for $10.7 million all the way out in Tasmania.
Net Worth: JK Rowling
It is no secret that Rowling, author of the world-renown Harry Potter series, is now one of the top richest women in the world. She is listed as having a net worth of $1 billion as of this past March. When she conjured up the first installment to the series in the late 1990s, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, editor Barry Cunningham turned away her manuscript and suggested she find a day job to support her daughter as a single mom.
Since then, over 400 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide and published in 68 different languages, helping her become one of the wealthiest authors of her generation. In addition to the books, the film adaptations have blasted box office records. The final installment to the film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, was released this past Friday and set new records on all angles. Opening weekend, the film brought in $475.5 million worldwide, of which $168 million was made in US box offices alone setting the US record as the top opening weekend film of all time.
A House in Tasmania
Rowling’s recent purchase in Tasmania was built circa 1839 and was originally inhabited by a Congregational missionary and his family on the South Esk River. The house sits on over 2115 acres on which you can find a swimming pool, tennis court, and even a horse farm. The grounds not only consist of lawns but also of flowerbeds and plenty of trees.
The interior of the house itself inhabits a sense of elegance and cottage-like décor, most likely in resemblance to her childhood home, a small cottage in Gleucestershire, England. This grand piece of architecture contains three bathrooms, seven bedrooms, multiple living rooms, a kitchen, and a dining room. And if those are not enough rooms, it has multiple cellars and a private gym as well. You will also find rather large fireplaces in the living and formal rooms of Rowling’s new investment.
This home that Rowling purchased on the South Esk River in Tasmania hardly put a dent in her purse. Though her series of seven books about a boy in an enchanted world filled with excitement and adventure have all been written and film adaptations have been created, the magic of it all will never vanish.
Home Improvements: Build a Deck
June 29, 2011
With the summer season finally upon us, outdoor parties are back in swing. What better place to relax than on your back deck while watching the kids play volleyball in the yard or swim in the pool? A nice patio set would do wonders to a brand new deck. And do not forget the cookouts! Grilling is one of the most popular events of the season, and there is nothing more satisfying than gathering friends and family on the deck for a delicious late lunch. Wait, you don’t have a deck? Well you should change that, and fast.
Why Build a Deck?
Investing in adding a deck to your house is one of the smartest decisions you can make when it comes to increasing the value of your home with outdoor projects. With some home improvement projects, the costs outweigh the benefits. However, adding a deck to your home does not fall into this category. Once a deck is added to the home and the home appears on the housing market, the deck can regain around 85 percent of its initial cost. Not very many home improvement projects can produce such a large return upon the selling of a house.
Deck Designs
When you decide if investing in a deck is the right move for you as a homeowner to increase your home value, the next step is getting a general idea of what you want. The design you choose for the deck gives the your home a whole new look. There are many deck designs out there, especially on the Internet. Your local home improvement store may also have a few pictures that may fit your needs. You should look into deck plans and styles before moving on to the next step in building a deck—hiring a contractor.
Get a Contractor
It is important, first of all, to have a general idea of what you are looking for. Your contractor can only help you with so much. Consult multiple contractors before you hire one. The contractors will meet with you individually and discuss your needs and how to satisfy those needs while ideally staying within your price range. After meeting with you, each will submit a bid with the estimated cost of labor and materials and other miscellaneous features necessary to give you the deck of your dreams, and it is your decision that finalizes the matter.
Your contractor can help you decide which type of wood is best suited for your environment. For example, it is crucial to know that any wood used to create the final project must be pressure treated, regardless of color, texture, or other characteristics. The contractor will also provide helpful suggestions in order to better suit your needs and budget. Hiring a professional contractor is the wisest decision you could make regarding this particular home improvement project.
So this summer, invest in an outdoor relaxation area for you and the family while you enjoy freshly grilled hamburgers and hotdogs dripping with ketchup and mustard. Invest in a place where you can spend time outside in the sun instead of inside in front of the television. Invest in a deck.
How to Sell Your House – Methods in Selling a House Fast, Getting a Realtor to Sell Your House Fast, Answers on How Do I Sell My House Fast?
June 22, 2011
How to Sell Your House?
There are a lot of marketing strategies that you can do to sell your house. In this day and age, not only can you sell by putting a “for sale” sign in
front of your house, or putting up posters in your neighborhood, you can also use other avenues like the Internet or asking help from an online real estate agency. There are a lot of things an owner can do to make selling easier but it is not a guarantee that you can sell it fast, especially with the current market condition where it is wiser to rent than to own.
How Do I Sell My House? Ways of Selling Houses
So you have decided that you will be selling your house, you say a prayer or do a novena or just wish that you can sell it fast. You told all your friends and neighbors that you are selling, but nobody seems to be interested. What else can you do? Below are methods of selling a house, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Widely Used Method to Sell House Fast – Help from Realtors
The number one way of selling a house is by getting a real estate agent. This is employing a professional to sell your house and although it is widely used, it is not the only way to sell. Also, by getting a realtor to sell your house will not guarantee that you can command a much higher price, aside from that, most agents charge fees. Though these are obviously some of its disadvantages, there are also advantages of getting a realtor to sell your property.
A realtor can give a proper estimate of the property’s value, the right down payment that the buyers need to pay and how much will be left and other amount that needs to be determined before you sell. They will also help you in conducting viewings for you to make sure that the buyers are capable and are ready to buy. Aside from that, they will offer your house as if it is their own, instead of sounding like a third party company.
Realtors are also ready to assist you until closing. All these are advantages, however you must remember that these are under ideal circumstances and it depends on the company you ‘re going to hire. Thus, you should find one that has a good reputation.
Private Selling – How to Sell My House Fast?
It is right that you are searching for ways of selling your house, and surely, you already asked yourself, “can’t I just sell this house myself and keep the money for fees to benefit me or my family’s needs?” Now if you are really determined to sell privately, you have to do a lot of things like preparing paperwork and finding buyers for your house. You’re going to spend more time in order to sell, but it does make it possible to get a higher price. You have to note though that you may not have to pay for commissions because you’re the one selling, but it is also not free as you will still have to pay for the cost of advertising. Printing posters and fliers will require you to shell out some cash, but of course, it will still be less than the costs you need to pay if you choose to hire a real estate agent.
Auction – Is It Guaranteed that You Can Sell Your House Fast with This?
For those who do not want to wait for a long time, putting the house in an auction listing is the best method they think of. Usually, people who auction their houses are the ones almost desperate to sell. Most of the owners of houses that need a lot of renovation or house that has existing tenants are those who sell through public auction. You can also sell here if your house has a higher value or is highly desirable.
The major disadvantage of selling through public auction is the higher fee. Whether or not they were able to sell, they will still charge you for the cost of around 2.5% plus taxes. An upside is that auctions reportedly can sell your house faster than all other forms of selling.
Selling a House By Making an Offer – Sale By Tender
Another way of selling a house is by ’sale by tender’. This method of selling is increasing in popularity. This works like an invite trade, where someone will be asked to make an offer on the property. The invited party sets the price that he please, in short, this might not make you that awful lot of money for your property.However, you do not need to worry that much as the company who will handle the bids are capable of using a loan or interest calculator which will estimate the average sale price or minimum cap price of your house to start the bidding.
Sell Your House in an Unconventional Way
Some of you may say that the methods above are not that easy to do. You may be finding other ways to sell your house without the inconvenience of going back and forth a realtor’s office. Checking online is a modern and quick way of putting your house at the real estate market. With the online means, you just have to put an online classified ad, like Craigslist, for your house, then wait for 7-30 days or more until someone contacts you.
There are online real estate companies in each city. Just type in a city’s name in a search engine and some keywords like “real estate agent” or “house seller” and you will surely find one who is willing to help you.
For example, these companies are the first ones to come up in Google when you type in the place’s name plus the keywords “real estate agent”. Atlanta Real Estate in Decatur, Georgia, Homes.com for the Dallas, TX area, RealEstateABC.com for New Jersey (NJ) area, Trulia.com for Snellville Georgia area, St. Joe Realtor for Saint Joseph Missouri area. Even Houston, Lithonia, Ontario, Scotland and UK has real estate companies listed online. For some, getting a house listed in Ebay.com works wonders. In today’s technology, it is easy to market any product, including houses.
Tips for Dummies on How to Sell House
It doesn’t matter if you can’t understand computations well; it is also not that bad if you did not understand what your realtor told you the last time you visited their office. It is perfectly normal that there are items in your checklist that you cannot comprehend, in this new age, there are tools everywhere. Calculators, instructions, glossaries and other applications are all over the net to help you and give you tips in understanding real estate concepts and computations quickly. You owe it to yourself to learn about things before selling so that you won’t have any problems in the long run.
I Have Done Everything! Why Can’t I Sell This House?
Your house is in the list, you even put it on the Internet, you have even tried burying a statue of St. Jospeh on the lawn of the property as what others suggested, but you see that the property is now covered in dust and cobwebs. You have taken all the steps to list it, to learn about it and the house is still yours. It has been a year since your put it on every website, and your realtor is almost surrendering. What to do?
Have you checked how your facade looks like? Is your curb attractive enough? Does your house have a homey feel? Do everything and take action to beautify your home. If you can’t get the customers in your house because it doesn’t look good externally, then you won’t be able to show them how good it looks inside! Pick statues for your yard, a beautiful statue will make a lot of difference. Bury and water your plants real well, it will make your garden look great. Call someone to help you fix the house, invest in your house’s maintenance and do not leave it empty. Let potential buyers see how the house will look like if they already live there by staging it, that is, making it look like an occupied house furnished with furniture and fixtures, not an empty space.
There are ways to sell your house, but if you don’t prepare the house itself and don’t make it beautiful enough for potential buyers, you will not be able to sign a deal. So invest in it, you will reap a great harvest for sure if you do.
Home Improvements: The Closet
June 13, 2011
Have you been wondering how else you can increase your home value? You have done everything you could think of—replacing windows, remodeling nearly every room in the house, even landscaping—but you still feel like something is missing. Try remodeling or increasing your closet space.
In the Bedroom
Extra storage space is always a plus for house hunters. Aside from your garage, attic, and basement, closets are certainly ideal for storing things. When you think storage space, you probably think of items like old toys or seasonal decorations. Closets and clothes do not typically come to mind.
However in the case of bedrooms, the more closet space you have, the less furniture you will need. If your master bedroom has a fairly large walk-in closet, then you will not have much need for a dresser. This leaves more space in your bedroom to do with whatever you please. If you have a smaller closet and do not have a large enough budget to expand, consider remodeling the internal setup. The more nooks and crannies you have for storing essential accessories (hats, ties, and of course shoes), the more attractive your closet will appear to potential buyers. Also, a great way to improve the look and functionality of your closet is to add another hanging bar below the first. This allows for the hanging of more articles of clothing, again further eliminating your need for a dresser.
In the Bathroom
Another convenient location for a nice size closet is any full bathroom. Sure, you can store necessities like soap and shampoo under the sink. But every full bathroom could use a linen closet, especially if one full bathroom is located on each floor of a two-story home. In a linen closet, of course you would fit your towels; but you can always add extra bathroom must-haves like toilet paper and cleaning products. If you have small children, it is wise to keep the cleaning products out of their reach, so placing the products on a higher shelf in a closet would be most practical.
In the Kitchen
A kitchen is not complete without a pantry. In a large pantry you can keep not only nonperishable foods and snacks; you can also keep cooking supplies you rarely use, household essentials like extra batteries and light bulbs, and more in your pantry. This allows for more space in your kitchen cabinets for the more frequently used cooking supplies and dinnerware. Your kitchen design should always include a pantry, no matter what size.
So you see, closets are not just a convenient way to house many of your belongings. They are also great space-savers, wonderful storage areas for your everyday needs. The more storage space a home has, the more appealing it will be to potential buyers and the more functional a home can be for you as the homeowner. Before investing in the building or remodeling of closets in your home, be sure to look at your house layout and consult an experienced contractor for further assistance.
Boost Home Value with Replacement Windows
May 25, 2011
Replacing the windows in your home is one noticeable way to increase its value. Doing so does not just increase value, though. Many other perks come along with new windows, including lowering electricity bills and improving the outer image of your home.
Why Replace Your Windows
Increasing your home value is important when considering reselling your home, and replacing your windows is a great option. However, you should not replace them just for the sake of increasing home value. You should replace them if they are no longer efficient enough for your family’s needs.
When to Replace Your Windows
It is important for your windows to properly insulate your home. When you find that your windows are letting cold air seep through in the wintertime or hot air push its way through in the summertime, it is time to replace your windows. If you have this issue with your windows, you have probably seen a rise in your electric bill because your air conditioning is working overtime to compensate for the incoming hot air (or heater working overtime to overpower the cold air entering your home from the windows in the winter).
Also, if you have windows with wooden frames, check the hardness of the wood. You can do this with a flat head screwdriver by gently pressing the flat end against the wood. If it leaves a noticeable indentation in the frame, it may be time to invest in new windows. This shows the early signs of rotting or decaying of the frame. Sometimes the frames may become moldy due to condensation forming on the windows over time. The condensation can be caused by lack of proper insulation of the window.
You should also seriously consider replacing your windows if they will not stay open without some sort of support unrelated to the window frame. Using a prop to keep your window open is unattractive and should not be necessary. It is then time to take a trip to your local home improvement store or browse the internet to gather ideas for new and more efficient windows.
If your windows need to be replaced, there is really no reason not to replace them. You can only put off installing new windows for so long. It is best to tackle the project as soon as you know it needs to be done, saving yourself money in the long run. You could find websites that show you how to do this yourself, but your most efficient option is to hire someone to install your new windows. Make sure you do your homework: look online and consult a professional if you are unsure of whether you should replace any windows in question within your home.