Posts Tagged ‘Diana Woods’

Maintaining Distance When Selling Your HI Home

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Selling a home in Kona or Kohala can be a very personal experience. After all, this is the place you’ve lived for years. Maybe you renovated the interior with your own two hands. Maybe you got married here. Maybe this is even where you raised your kids. No matter what it is that makes your home, well, home, the decision to sell isn’t one that comes lightly to everyone.

The personal attachment we all have to our homes is part of the reason it can be difficult to sell a Hawaii home.

Your Dream Home: Why Neighborhoods and Communities Matter

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Finding the right home in Kona isn’t always as easy as relying on a checklist of square footage, number of bathrooms, and the upkeep of the yard. Although these types of features are important when determining where you want to live and raise a family, another important consideration is the neighborhood where your dream house is situated.

Kona and Kohala homes for sale are noted for their family-friendly communities and idyllic backdrop, but that doesn’t mean that every home is ideally placed. Before you purchase a home in any Hawaii city, it’s important to research what the rest of the neighborhood has to offer.

Selling a Home: Why You Have to Engage all Five Senses

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

If you’re getting ready to sell a home in Kona, you probably have a checklist of ideas for making your home more marketable. HI homes tend to sell better when they have more immediate appeal; for example, well-tended yards, impeccable siding, and a welcoming kitchen can go a long way in enticing homebuyers in the area. There are a number of ways you and your real estate agent can work together to make these things happen, and one of the best ideas is to ensure that you’re engaging all of the senses.

Sight

Finding and Purchasing an Eco-Friendly Home in Hawaii

Monday, February 8th, 2010

These days, buying a home in Kona is about more than finding the right square footage, number of bedrooms, and price range. While these factors almost always make up the primary concerns for any home buyer in HI, the truth is that there is so much more to a home than the numbers and figures you see on an advertisement. In fact, Kona and Kohala are part of a growing trend of buying homes that are not only an investment in your future, but an investment in the future of the planet, as well.

What is an Eco-Friendly Home?

Ways to Increase your Home’s Value

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

When you first purchase a house in Kona, Kohala or Mauna Kea Resort, you’re most likely thinking of ways to build a home for you and your family. A big yard means plenty of room for the children to play. A newly renovated kitchen means you can finally throw the types of dinner parties you’ve always wanted. A master suite, well, that’s just icing on the cake. However, when it comes to sell your Hawaii home, it’s important to remember that all those little (and big) changes can also mean big little (and big) changes in your sale price.

While most homeowners should make changes to their houses that suit their lifestyle rather than the eventual sale price of their home five, ten, or even twenty years down the road, there are a few things to keep in mind. After all, if you will someday be selling your Kona house, you want to be sure you’re maximizing your profit.

  • Repair all the little things – now. Most of the time, homeowners are willing to overlook the little idiosyncrasies like a broken step on the porch or chipping paint on the kitchen cabinets while they live in their house. These small repair needs are a bit like a knee that acts up in the rain or a car that always requires you to turn the key three times to the right before starting; they just become part of the everyday backdrop of your life. However, for someone buying a home in Kona, Kohala or considering real estate in Mauna Kea Resort, these things can become glaring problems. By fixing issues as they arise (rather than waiting until you’re ready to sell your HI home), you not only avoid making major repairs all at once, but you actually get to enjoy the repairs while you live there.
  • Know your neighborhood. If you live in one of Kona’s family-friendly neighborhoods, chances are things like well-maintained yards, large family rooms, and spacious kitchens will be worth more in the long run. If you live in a Kohala condo, you might find that built-in bookshelves and jacuzzi bathtubs are more appropriate. While you don’t have to tailor every change to your eventual sales audience, you can choose to make the types of changes that will translate into the highest returns.
  • Don’t ignore the less visible changes. Almost all of the houses for sale in Kona go through cosmetic changes before they hit the market. Fresh paint, new kitchen appliances, and good landscaping are fairly common. Less common are things like a new roof, updated plumbing, or even a newly-installed automatic sprinkler system. However, these things show up in a home inspection evaluation, and when you put your trust in a HI real estate agent like Agent1, these types of changes will always get the focus and attention they deserve.

The most important thing you can do to your Kona home is enjoy the time you’re going to spend there. However, by keeping its eventual sale at the back of your mind, you’ll be able to get the most out of your life – and your investment.

Guide to Buying a Fixer-Upper in Hawaii

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

In the Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii real estate market, buying a home with the intent to fix it up is one of the best investments you can make. There’s no better way to take control over your home ownership than to customize the design, floorplan, and landscaping of everything from a single story rancher to a charming Victorian – especially if you’re looking to use the current Hawaii real estate economic climate as a way to get the home of your dreams without breaking the bank.

Staging Your Home

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Staging your home is a great way to prepare your home to sale and to make it look alluring to buyers in the Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii areas. Staging your home has become popular during the last decade. Read this article to find out some great ideas on how to get your home ready for potential buyers and get it sold sooner, rather than later.

Within the first minute, people decide if they could live in your home. The problem is that there are so many homes on the market right now, that if yours doesn’t catch their eye immediately, then they have other choices. The struggling housing market is forcing people to take more drastic measures to sell their homes. Many homeowners say they need all the help they can get. With the market not being so good, there are ways you can make your house stand out. Staging your home is the way to make your house stand out in the Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii areas.

The idea of home staging is to highlight your home’s best attributes and positively affect potential buyers. Staging your home isn’t about your own tastes. It is about making the home appealing to the general population. Whether you go at it alone or use a stager, you need to have the attitude that your home is no longer your home.

Following are some tips to consider:

What buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a home.

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

What should buyers look for, or look out for when purchasing a home in the Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii areas? This article will help sellers look into some important aspects of selling their home and what potential buyers look out for as well.

The way you live in your house is not the way to sell your house. So, what makes a house a home for sale on the market, and one that soon has a “SOLD” sign out on the front lawn? And what aspects are important to look at because potential buyers will ask the question, “How much work are we going to need to do prior to moving in and beyond?” The appearance and cleanliness of the home are significant. Always have your home ready to be shown at a moment’s notice with me, your agent, Diana Woods because this is what buyers are looking for. And a tip- burned out lights need to be replaced; classy lighting and upgraded fixtures can ameliorate the value of a home. Also, buyers said they would be willing to pay more for a home with a renovated kitchen.

Here are some things a buyer will look out for when dealing with the purchase of a home. The buyer will consider the following:

Real Estate during the Holidays

Friday, December 19th, 2008

Now is still a really good time for Real Estate in Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii areas. Buyers can, and do, get serious during this busy time of year. Lots of sellers take their homes off the market during the holidays, assuming no one will be buying at this time. But with serious buyers still out there and a lower inventory of homes, your home has a good chance of standing out. With fewer homes for sale, competition is decreased. There are good reasons to sell your home during the holidays.

Unclutter Your Home and Get It Ready to Sell

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

It is very important to make a great first impression to the potential buyers of your home. Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it’s not luck that makes that happen. It’s careful planning and knowing how to efficiently unclutter your home that will excite buyers. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an appealing and marketable home.

Get rid of those items that have been sitting around for years without being used or even handled. This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Buyers and real estate agents should see your house in its best condition from the very first day it’s on the market.

Here are a few approaches to take to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Another way to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell is to make those minor repairs and best of all, make the house sparkle! Only do one room, or even one small area, at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Your best friend is the trash bag; when in doubt, throw it out. Many find it easier to use boxes to sort items, so you don’t have to find a home for everything as you unclutter. Most important, be quick and decisive when sorting. Tell yourself:
• If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

If you are getting your house ready to sell in the Kona, Kohala, Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii areas, then take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas where you can unclutter your home and let myself, Diana Woods, your agent help you to get your house ready to sell.