Prodigy Real Estate - SI NY Real Estate Blog - Home Tips

Things That Can Go Wrong in a Real Estate Sale

Just like any life situation, there are mistakes that happen. Here is a list of some common things that can go wrong that we want you to avoid. 

Cold Feet- Feeling remorse about a big purchase, like a new home, is common. An agent can provide consoling and help the buyers avoid making any mistakes or do something they’ll regret. 

Home Inspections- Once a home inspector points out the problems, it is important you do not panic. All homes, even new, have their snags. Be reasonable with the repairs and credit request. 

Mortgage Ioan Rejection- Buyers may not know, but any large purchases while waiting for a mortgage loan to close can increase their debt rate. Do not take out any loans or make big purchases while waiting to close the sale of your new…

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Buying VS Renting a Home

Should you rent a home or buy it? It is a question we will or have asked ourselves before. We set up a list to help you determine what category you belong in.

Reasons to Rent

• Discover- Renting a home before buying it allows you to explore the house, the neighborhood, and the area. If you see yourself not living there in 5 years, renting is more beneficial.
• Roaring 20s- It is not that you are too young, but if you are in your 20s, you are better off renting. It is still unknown where life will take you; being locked down in a house is just too soon.
• Uncertainty Paycheck- If you are job hunting, or planning on a career change, buying a house is not a good investment at this moment. You want to make sure you are on top of your bills at this…

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Home Staging Tips

Whether yoou are staging your home for selling and open house tours, or just preparing it for company coming over, keep these things in mind:

• Grimy Bathroom Walls: Mold just looks bad and dirty. Get rid of it by mixing bleach and water into a spray bottle. 
• Unisex Master Bedroom: When selling a home, the master bedroom should be able to appeal both the male and female. Paint the walls a neutral color, and choose bedding that matches. Decorate the room where it does not just come accross feminine. Make it a room for the both of you. 
• Out-dated Kitchen: If replacing cabinets and appliances are not in your budget at the moment, there are simple and cheap fixes. Apply stain on the cabinets and resurface appliances with stainless-steel-stick-on…

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Keeping Your Home Clean and Green in 2014!

When the new year rolls around, the resolutions usually revolve around self-image changes. We want to remind your not to forget about your home in this year’s set goals. Here are some ways to keep your home a clean and green living place. 

Out with the old! One of the best ways to make your home feel like new is to clear it of its clutter. We have been stressing the importance of decluttering; It makes a home look dirty. Vow to go home and clear away anything you do not use or wear and donate it to charity. Clear table tops and counters of everything you do not use daily. 

Keeping a green home. Going green does not always have to mean solar panels and a hybrid car. You can cut your bills and carbon footprint in half just by reducing your home…

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Does Your Home Have Curb Appeal?

According to the 2013 National Association of Realtors, seventy-one percent of homebuyers consider curb appeal while looking for a home. Curb Appeal is the way the outside of your home looks, e.g. the landscaping. If you are looking to sell your home or even just make it look nicer to you yourself, here are some great tips as to how you can gain better curb appeal.

• Maintenance is key: By maintaining your lawn, trees, gardens, patios, walkways, and other items that are visible from the curb of your house it makes it easier to keep your landscaping up to par. Some items to look for while maintaining your yard are dead branches, weeds, broken objects, leveled walkways, sturdy and clean looking railings for steps, dead plants, overgrown shrubbery, as well…

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How To Transform A Small Room To Seem Bigger?

While looking for a place to live, a small room is not something most people want but you may not have a choice in the matter. If you live in a dorm room or a small apartment that is your only option and you will have to make it work in your best interest. Here are some tips as to how you can help make your small room look bigger.

• Add a mirror to the room. When you place the mirror on a wall it can actually help make the room seem bigger due to the reflection it gives off. Make sure you check all walls before hanging it, to see what place will help enlarge the room.
• Bring attention to the ceiling. If you place a bookshelf that extends from the floor to the ceiling it will help make the room seem higher than it actually is. Bookshelves are not only…

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How Do You Protect Your Home From Unwanted Intruders?

When you have a home you want to make sure it is safe, especially if you have children. Here on Staten Island the crime rate has been going down with each passing year; in 2012 there were approximately 740 reports of burglary, according to the NYPD CompStat report. Home safety is not something to take lightly, but you may not have enough money to spend on an expensive security system so here are some cheap effective ways to protect your home.

Since most burglaries happen during the day here are some good tips to go by.

• The most obvious way to help protect your home is to make sure all doors, windows, and garages are closed and locked when you leave the house. Make sure your home’s locking systems are sturdy, also. The locks on your windows and doors…

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Is your Home Costing you More Than It Should?

As it continues to get colder outside, your energy bills will continue to rise. What many homeowners are unaware of, though, is that your house could actually be costing you more than it should. Besides replacing products with energy-efficient ones, there are some other steps you need to take to make sure your home is saving as much as it possibly can on your energy bill.

Did you know that your roof, walls, windows, and even doors could be letting that heat escape? Well, here are some steps to take to make sure this is not the case and to reduce your energy bill by almost twenty percent.

• Insulation is key! Make sure you have at least 9 inches of insulation, anything less could be leaking air out and anything more is most likely unnecessary. You…

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Is your Home Ready to Sell?

When selling your home one of the first thing buyers see are the pictures of the house, which could make or break if they want to go look at it. With these eight ideas, you can create a great looking house ready for those pictures to be taken.

1. Remove clutter: If items aren’t needed or intended to be in the room, or on a table per say, then remove them. If you have some sort of collection—e.g. figurines—make sure you have a nice display area for them and that they are not just placed around.
2. Make sure to have the right lighting: Lighting is important for many rooms, if you don’t have enough the room could be too dark and look small and if you have too much it may overpower the room. To obtain a good balance of light you would want an equal amount of…

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Are You Looking to Save Money on Your Energy Bills?

As it starts to get colder out and winter moves in, your home heating and energy bills will be increasing. We have some good news for you, though. On Friday, November 15th, Senator Andrew Lanza announced that Staten Island residents will have the opportunity to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).  This is a federally-funded program that was set in place to help out households that have a low income with their energy costs.

With fuel costs increasing lately, this could be very beneficial to those who need assistance. Not only does this program help out with energy bills, it also has emergency assistance and helps make repairs to heating equipment. To learn more about the benefits you can obtain from this program and the income level…

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