Tips for Purging Items from Your Home before Moving into Your New Home

Are you thinking about buying a new house in San Diego County? While the prospect of a new home is undoubtedly exciting, you may be dreading the thought at having to pack everything up and move. Here are three tips for purging old, unwanted, or forgotten items before making a move into a new home.

Sort Everything That You Don’t Need

The first step you will want to take is to sort everything in your home. Many families go through the house, room-by-room, separating their must-have items from everything else. At first, this process is quick as there are many items just sitting around waiting to be thrown out. However, you are bound to find some older keepsakes that are much harder to let go. In the end, you’ll want to ensure that you only keep those goods that are important to you. Everything else should go.

Host A (Virtual) Yard Sale and Consider Consignment

Now that you have everything in your home sorted, it’s time to host a yard sale. If you are so inclined, you can run a traditional sale where you place everything out on the lawn on a Saturday morning and put up signs to let the neighborhood know. Alternatively, you can run a virtual yard sale through web and app-based classifieds like Craigslist.

You may also want to consider calling up local consignment shops to see if they’ll take some of your unwanted goods. A consignment store will sell your items for you and keep a portion of the sale price as a fee. This can be a useful option if you have antiques or other goods that are more popular with an older crowd.

Donate Everything Else

Is there anything left in your home? If so, it’s time to hand over this last bit of unwanted clothing, furniture, or appliances to your local charity. Many charitable organizations will come and pick up your unwanted items, which saves you from having to drive a load of stuff over somewhere to drop it off. Call up your charity of choice and see if they accept donations. If not, they will be able to refer you to other local organizations that are interested.

Purging your older or unwanted items is a surefire way to make your move easier. If you’re in the market for a new home in San Diego County, please contact me Andy Pheasant, Specializing in San Diego County Real Estate, at 619-663-6515 or email me at pheasantandy@gmail.com, and I will be happy to assist you.

Whether you are selling your home or buying a new home, I can help you with your endeavor.

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Brighten Up Your Home with These Autumn-Inspired Home Décor Ideas

The kids are heading back to school, the leaves are starting to turn and the weather is getting cooler. Yes, autumn has arrived, but the end of summer does not mean that your home décor has to suffer. Let’s take a look at a few ways that you can brighten up your home and give it that warm, autumn feeling.

Start with Oranges, Yellows and Light Browns

A quick walk through your local neighborhood will offer a good sense of the color palette that you should be using in your décor makeover. In much of the country, trees will be turning a variety of yellows, oranges and golds as the leaves change and begin to fall. These colors make for a warm palette and are ideal for use in the living room, dining room and other areas where you might host guests.

Of course, you do not need to run out and change the wallpaper. Simply look to add color touches in areas that it makes sense. For example, you can get a couple of new sets of towels for the bathroom that match up with the colors you picked. In the dining room, look to replace your tablecloth and placemats with an autumn theme.

Add Leaves and Natural Décor Items

Autumn is one of the more “natural” feeling seasons and this should be incorporated into your décor. Look to add leaves, acorns, pine cones and other natural elements that make sense for the area of the country that you live in.

Note that you don’t need to head out and gather up these items for your home. A quick trip to the local craft shop and you will be able to find everything that you need.

Pumpkin Spice Candles for An Autumn Scent

Finally, no décor makeover is complete without adding a little seasonal fragrance. Nothing smells more like autumn than a subtle pumpkin spice. Scented candles are an excellent way to add a scent to a room without being overpowering. They are also an excellent centerpiece for tables and can be used for mood lighting as well.

These are just a few of the many ways that you can add a sense of autumn warmth to your home. And if your home just isn’t “autumn” enough, contact me Andy Pheasant  “Specializing in San Diego County” for more information. I’ll be happy to share some fantastic real estate opportunities in San Diego County.

Upgrade Your Old Light Fixtures with Newer, Modern Options

There are a variety of cool, modernized light fixtures that will be sure to jazz up any living space, but these trendy items can often come with a high price tag. Instead of going out and spending a bundle, how about staying inside over the weekend for a unique do-it-yourself project? If you’re looking to make a new light fixture, here are some fun designs to put at the top of your list.

Get A Grater Light
The cheese grater may be better known as an every-day kitchen tool, but there’s no reason you can’t use this strange gadget for your very own light. Whether you decide to place your light in the kitchen or the living room, you can get a unique, updated look by taking a number of graters and attaching them to a piece of wood that is affixed to the ceiling. The bulbs will be placed inside each grater to achieve a cool, cascading light effect.

Add Some Ribbon
Changing up the look of your home doesn’t require a grand gesture, and this means that even doing something small will make a big difference. If you have an old lamp with an aging lampshade, make a visit to the craft store for some ribbon that you can use as an accent. Whether you decide to cover the entire lampshade with a particular color or you just want to create a neat effect, this is an easy way to add some vibrance without replacing anything.

Break in the Bamboo
From updated lava lamps to paper lanterns, there are a lot of unique styles out there that you can instantly modernize, but a bamboo lamp can add instant impact. In order to get this earthy and inspiring look, purchase some bamboo strips and flex them into place so that you have an orb. Once you’ve settled on a design you like, you can utilize wood glue to maintain the shape and a cord kit to install a light in the middle. This may require a little bit of patience, but the ambiance it creates will be worth it.

There are plenty of striking light fixtures out there that can add a lot of character to any space, but there are many options for doing it yourself that will come at a more economical price.

If you’re currently staging your home and are planning to sell, Feel free to contact me Andy Pheasant, Specializing in San Diego County Real Estate, at 619-663-6515 or email me at pheasantandy@gmail.com, and I will be happy to assist you.

Whether you are selling your home or buying a new home, I can help you with your endeavor.

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Advice On How to Sell Your Home above the Asking Price

We all want to sell our homes at above asking price, but what is it that makes a seller succeed at this? Here’s our expert advice on how you can sell your home above the asking price. 

Ask for Less
You may be surprised but pricing your home lower than market value can have an extremely positive effect on the offers you receive.  This is because a low-priced listing will stand out and will draw more attention, which boosts your chance of a bidding war. 

By attracting more buyers to come and look at your home, you will find more buyers who are willing to make an offer on your property.  When they view your home, they will see its true market value, and are then more likely to make a higher offer in hopes of outbidding others.  It’s all about creating hype, and a low asking price will do just that.

Wait It Out
While it may be tempting to accept the first offer that comes along, it is usually better to wait and see what other offers come in.  If you accept the first offer on your property you have closed the door to competition, and competing offers are what spark bidding wars which, ultimately, are what will lead you to receive more than asking.

Consider Who You’re Selling To
Is your home better suited towards traditional buyers, or is it a valuable property for investors?  If your home could easily be renovated and flipped, has high potential as an income property, or is in an up-and-coming neighborhood, it may be better marketed as an incredible investment property. 

Investors expect a return on the money that they spend so are often more willing to make a higher offer, they know those funds will come right back to them.

Rock Your Renos
There are several simple renovations that can add a huge amount of value to your home.  The return on investment for a few small upgrades is often very worthwhile when your goal is to receive more than asking price.

Make sure the flooring, kitchen, and bathrooms in your home are updated and appealing, and if not, consider upgrading these areas first.  If you’re targeting investors, adding an income suite to your property may be the best investment you can make.  Consider which kind of buyer you’re targeting and what areas of your home need the most TLC and choose accordingly.

Speak with a real estate agent today to learn more techniques to successfully sell your home for above the asking price.

Whether you are selling your home or buying a new home, I can help you with your endeavor.

Feel free to contact me Andy Pheasant, Specializing in San Diego County Real Estate, at 619-663-6515 or email me at pheasantandy@gmail.com, and I will be happy to assist you.

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