TIP: Home Improvements That Pay Off

Dian Hymer is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist, and author.

The temptation is strong: Clean up the yard, declutter the house, and put it on the market without spending time and money sprucing the place up for sale. This is especially the case if you anticipate losing money on the sale.

Some real estate agents recommend you do little if anything to get your home ready for sale. This could work if you price the listing to look like a bargain. However, most buyers in today's market are nervous and picky. They aren't in a hurry and they want a house that's move-in ready.

An agent who is looking for a fast sale might steer his or her clients away from doing any fix-up work. It takes a lot of time and coordination, not to mention money, to get a home properly prepared for sale in today's market. Some agents don't want to take on the effort, or haven't the vision to see the home's potential. This could cost you on the sale.

One agent told his clients that they needn't do anything to get their house ready for sale. True, the house had inherent charm and good bones. But, the seller's furniture was much too big to show the rooms off to advantage. The dogs had damaged the hardwood floor and the beautiful garden was overgrown.

The house didn't sell until the sellers found another agent who recommended a laundry list of items to take care of before selling, including moving most of the seller's furniture out and having the house staged.

Unfortunately, market values declined between the first and second times the home was listed. Even though the house sold quickly with multiple offers the second time it was listed, it sold for less than it would have if it had showed well the first time it hit the market.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Choose an agent to work with who has experience helping sellers prepare their homes for the market. Ask an agent you're thinking about hiring for references. Call past sellers and ask them how effectively the agent helped them get their home sold and whether they made back the money they invested getting the home ready for sale.

A good agent should be able to supply you with a list of tradespeople who can help you paint, change outdated floor coverings and light fixtures, etc., at reasonable prices. And your agent ought to be able to provide access to the home for the people you select to help with the fix-up if you are out of town or at work.

Ideally, you should work with your agent who will help you prioritize the things that should be done to bring about a timely sale. For example, an outdated kitchen can usually be improved considerably by painting, changing light fixtures, refinishing or replacing a worn floor, and changing cabinet pulls.

It might make sense to change extremely old appliances and counters. However, it's not a good idea to gut the kitchen and completely remodel it for sale. You won't get that money back when you sell. The aim is to make cost-effective improvements that make your home appealing to the broadest number of buyers possible.

Painting is the least expensive improvement you can make that is likely to return more than you invest, provided you select the right colors. One seller repainted the exterior of his home before he selected a real estate agent. He painted it the same dowdy colors that adorned the house for decades. The first thing the buyers wanted to change was the exterior paint color.
THE CLOSING: For the best result, talk to a color consultant before you paint.


TIP: Contact Comet Realty's team of professionals. They have the local knowledge, expertise, feng shui certifications and staging experience to help you decide what to do to get YOUR house ready to put on the market. 


805.546.9925, Info@CometRealty.com

Hayley's Feng Shui Tip: LUCKY DIRECTIONS

FIND YOUR LUCKY FENG SHUI DIRECTION


This is the direction for you to sit FACING when you are making decisions, negotiating contracts, working on important projects, etc. 


Begin by finding your KUA number: 


FEMALES: 

• Add together the last two digits of the year you were born. 
• If the result is 10 or more, add the two digits together to reduce them to a single digit.
• Add 5.
• If this result is 10 or more, add them together again to reduce to a single number. 
• If your answer is 5, use number 8.

MALES:

• Add together the last two digits of the year you were born. 
• If the result is 10 or more, add the two digits together to reduce them to a single digit.
• Subtract from 10.
• If your answer is 5, use the number 2. 

FOR BEST LUCK

Find your personal feng shui direction number on the corresponding guide above. These are your personal directions. 

Sit with your chest facing energies 1-4
Sleep with your head facing energies 1-4
Avoid sitting/sleeping in energies 5-8

1. Prosperity. Success. Vitality.
2. Health. Healing Energy. Good Fortune.
3. Longevity. Good Relations. Harmony.
4. Comfort. Stability. Peace.
5. Difficulties. Frustrations. Quarrels.
6. Bad Luck. Property/Income Loss.
7. Poor Health. Accidents. Litigations.
8. Disasters. Chronic Illness. Bankruptcy.

PLEASE NOTE: In Feng Shui, there are no wrong or right ways. There are inexpensive cures to remedy a situation that could use improvement. If you have found that your desk or bed faces the wrong direction, email us for some ideas on how to better enhance your personal direction. 


EXAMPLE: My own desk faces one of my negative energies, but I have found an inexpensive cure (under $5!) to "fix it". 

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Eyes of the Home

WINDOWS ARE THE EYES OF THE HOME

We were out showing houses last summer and not only was I not quite prepared for this place, but my client wasn’t either! The windows were so filthy, you literally could not see through them. The only reason you can see through the one on the left is because the pane was missing!!! 

In feng shui, the windows are called “the eyes of the home”. They are related to your ability to see clearly in life. Keeping your windows clean and clear is a must. 

Nobody likes cleaning windows (okay, I admit it, I sorta like it, but that doesn’t mean I am going to clean yours). I have found the best tool for the job is newspaper! Simply spray your favorite window cleaner onto the windows, then crumple up the funny pages, use some elbow grease and you will be rewarded with clean, clear, streak free windows. If the windows are large, I also like to use a squeegee. 

What are you waiting for? Get out there and clean those windows. Chances are, you will see the world in a different light! 

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Clutter in the Kitchen

I am STILL working on clutter around my house. For some reason, just when I think I have it under control, it looks as if a bomb went off in my house. Does this happen to you too? 

My friend Sara Caputo, the completely organized owner of Radiant Organizing out of Santa Barbara. has a most excellent blog (http://www.radiantorganizing.com/blog/). Twice a week she posts something incredibly useful. She said that the reason we have clutter is that we have poor decision making skills. I agree completely! I do have poor decision making skills. I save things to deal with “later”. This results in putting things somewhere “for now”. Does this sound like you also? 

This month my poor decision making skills are going to be applied to my kitchen. Please join me! A clean, food-filled kitchen is the center of family life and a symbol of health and prosperity. Here are some key things you can do: 

Clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss anything ancient, mysterious, or "iffy," and refill or replace anything that's less than half-full (such as condiment bottles and jars). Defrost the freezer and get the inside of the fridge sparkling clean.

Clean off the outside of the refrigerator, too. If your fridge is covered with magnets, photos, take-out menus and grocery lists, clear them all off to create a clean slate. Put back only what is necessary (toss the expired coupons, already!)

De-clutter your pantry shelves, and use or toss anything that's been in there for months. Wipe down the shelves and clean the cabinet doors.

Clean your oven and stovetop, and replace burner pan liners if they're no longer shiny and new-looking. You can find these at various hardware or grocery stores. For the most part, they are universal - just remember if yours are square or round. Easy, right?! 

Replace worn and/or grubby oven mitts and dish towels with new ones. I just ordered some fabulous ones from Pampered Chef. 

Get out a broom and thoroughly sweep the kitchen, and then from the kitchen out the nearest door. This symbolically sweeps out the old energy and any lingering not-so-good luck, to make room for better luck to come in. Make sure your broom is hidden away in a closet out of sight. This will ensure that all the new luck (especially money luck!) that comes into your home stays in the home and is not swept back out.

Now you will feel better about being in the kitchen, and cooking for your family. 

Next month, who knows where our little clutter-busting adventure will take us. Does anybody have any particular rooms they would like to concentrate on? Email me at Hayley@CometRealty.com. 

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Clearing Clutter

It is not about having what we want, but wanting what we have.

~ Dalai Lama

It’s everywhere! Paper stacks, old clothes that don’t fit or need mending, broken furniture or appliances, collectibles, inherited items, gifts we didn’t like then, and still don’t like now. 

It accumulates little by little until it becomes overwhelming. Clutter affects your energy levels and general well being. It can weigh you down both physically and emotionally. 

One of the most important aspects of clutter clearing is loving what you have and letting go of all the other stuff. 

Everything you have that you do not LOVE or NEED, is officially clutter.

This is always easier said than done. I was hanging on to a pair of raggedy wool socks that were my Mom’s. I’m pretty sure she is okay that I finally got rid of them. She is still with me, and not just when I look at those old socks! 

Once the weight of the clutter is lifted, it will be easier for you to sort through your possessions. You will be able to tell which possessions you really love, in contrast to the ones that clutter your space and mind. 

Our mental, bodily and emotional states are all affected by our home. If we live in a cluttered environment, we will manifest the same in our mind and body and you will feel stuck in your life. Energy levels, decision-making, and even health could be affected. 

Letting go of that clutter must occur before more treasures can come into your life. You can clear your old life patterns and start fresh. 

What better time to do it than right now. Take a few minutes to go through that stack of papers on your desk. Chances are, you will get to throw half of it away, and then you can ask yourself if you really need what is left? 

I don’t mean get rid of things you truly care about. I’m talking about magazines that maybe had one good article in it - it would be easier to remove the article and save it in a folder (labeled correctly!), then recycle the magazine by taking it to the gym, library or a doctor’s office. Catalogs - if you haven’t already ordered whatever was in it that you meant to order, chances are that you won’t. And can’t you find it on-line if you really need it later? 

Let’s face it. Are we REALLY going to fit into that “other size” of clothes? Don’t they just make you feel bad that you don’t fit into them now? Off to Goodwill they go. If you find yourself needing another size next week, or next month, or next year, make it a plan to treat yourself to new clothes at that time! 

Spend 5-15 minutes per day on clutter. Go through your desk drawer. Clear out the pantry (if the tupperware doesn’t have a lid, off to Goodwill!) If you have one room that simply has too much in it to do anything with it, make it a goal to gather all the [insert item here] into one pile. Tomorrow, do another pile consisting of [insert item here].  

I am the first to admit that I am a packrat and love “my stuff”. 

My goal is to be in harmony with my home, my life, my friends and family, and not see clutter everywhere I look. 

So, clear your clutter with me. A little bit at a time. 

If you have any questions, please send them to Hayley@CometRealty.com.

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Assessment Quiz

Feng Shui is one-third common sense, one-third good design; the last third consists of ancient knowledge and traditions, enhancements and cures that may seem odd to us--- but they work!?

Feng Shui Personal Assessment Quiz

Give serious thought to each of the following areas of your life. 

Rate your responses on a scale of 1 through 10:

• 1 being a low score 
• 5 being average
• 10 being highest. 

There are no right or wrong answers and your score is for you alone. You will benefit the most from this quiz by being as honest with yourself as possible. 

CAREER, the JOURNEY  My life’s work is satisfying and rewarding. My chosen field is challenging and pleasurable. I look forward to going to work each day and feel lucky to be in the career I have chosen.

KNOWLEDGE, CONTEMPLATION  My desire to learn is ongoing and I am always ready to improve my skills. I continuously strive to further my knowledge and acquire new information.

FAMILY, ELDERS  The relationships within my family are wholesome, positive and beneficial to each family member. We have nurturing and supportive feelings toward each other.

HEALTH  I am blessed with a strong constitution, a positive outlook, and definite emotional balance. I am healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

WEALTH, ABUNDANCE  My life is filled with financial stability; I have enough assets to meet my material needs and have a deep sense of security. I feel “rich” and abundance surrounds me.

FAME, ILLUMINATION  I am appreciated and well-liked among my friends and community. My reputation is very solid and positive; I feel confident and secure among my co-workers.

MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS  My romantic life is wonderful and fulfilling. My mate and I have excellent communication, intimacy, and share a solid sense of partnership. We are the envy of other couples

CHILDREN, CREATIVITY  I am quite pleased with my children’s development and the relationship we share. There is a deep mutual respect & open lines of communication between us. My creative energy is abundant and I feel fulfilled in all aspects of my artistic abilities.

HELPFUL PEOPLE, TRAVEL  I have a solid support group of friends and they come to my aid when I’m in need. I reciprocate this kindness and assistance fully. My travel plans are in full swing and I am delighted with all aspects of the “adventure” side of my life.

Feng Shui gives us another method of dealing with Life Issues. In any area where you rated yourself 5 or less, you might consider some strong Feng Shui enhancements or remedies. You can look and see which areas of your life could benefit from additional CHI energy. 

“NOW WHAT?”, you may be asking yourself. Tim & Hayley Townley both hold the designation of F.S.C.R.E. (Feng Shui Certified for Real Estate). They look forward to helping you make your life the best it can be. 

If you rated low in a certain area of your life, email us for positive recommendations that can be combated by placement of symbols and metaphors to create harmony and balance in your life. Feng Shui “solutions” do not need to be expensive or elaborate. We can assist you in being creative, and using what you have on hand. 

This is just another service that Comet Realty offers you - our friends and clients. We look forward to helping you make some happy changes in your life, whether it means buying or selling your home, or enhancing the one you already own! 

If you mention you saw this ad on our blog, Hayley will give you a one hour complimentary feng shui consultation (Central Coast California residents only, please!) 

Of course, we look forward to your business and are never too busy for your referrals.