Tidying up your garden cleaning your walls and roof could add thousands to the value of your home when selling. At the very least it could speed up your sale time by making your home more attractive to the market place.

1. Tidy up the yard. First impressions count for a lot. Even if your garden isn’t a work of art or if the potential buyers think they will make changes, it helps if it is tidy as there is a perception that there isn’t a huge amount of work and cost associated with making changes.

2. If you have a concrete path or driveway, a quick coat of paint will cover an aging path.

3. Look at the type of plants in your front garden. If the plants look like they would have been popular 40 years ago then whip them out and replace them with a modern selection.

4. If your front lawn is sad, consider spreading a load of wood mulch over the lot and plant a selection of suitable plants. Your local nursery will give you the right advice for your locality. Remember that markets can be a cheap source of plants.

5. If your front fence is aging and making the whole front yard look a bit sad, then pull it down. Tip: advertise a free front fence if someone will pull it down and cart it away. Create a strip bed where the fence and plant it out.

and now for your free information on improving the outside of your home go to Outside Spruce Up

Happy Selling

Ian Newton

My favourite renovator to flip requires just a few things.

1. Garden tidy up, not a major landscaping job.
2. New Carpet. Nothing lifts and modernizes a house like new carpet.
3. Patch and plaster the walls, then paint.
4. Maybe new kitchen bench tops

That’s it. I call this a level one refurbishment. It can often be done inside two weeks. Our current home we did it in 8 days. It was hard work but its out of the way quickly. I like this kind of makeover because it can quickly improve the value of a home by $50,000. It works best in homes at the lower price scale $350,000-$550,000. In our area in Australia there is nothing cheaper than that.

This end of the market moves quickly and many people just want to have a home that feels and smells new. The carpet and paint make it feel as no one has ever lived there before.

A spray paint of the roof may be in order if the tiles or iron are old faded or stained. This can be done cheaply but a contractor may charge the earth.

The next level of renovation is where you make serious structural changes. This is appropriate if the home is in an upmarket area, if the home is already of considerable value and if you are certain that by extending and changing the house there is a good return. We looked at a house for $660,000 recently. A new by similar home which had a $300,000 renovation done sold for $1,200,000. This home is in a street that adjoined a upmarket area. As time goes on more and more homes receive an expensive renovation, bringing up the value of the area. so this house is worth buying, holding for a year or two and then renovating. Perhaps it will increase in value enough without doing anything to it.

That raises an important question, should you renovate at all, or just rent it out for a while and take the capital gain. The location and the state of the market will tell you.

If you do undertake a large renovation by yourself, you will need a good kit of tools, lots of time, a good budget, good trade skills and a good marriage.

and now for your free information renovating your home to sell go to Spruce up your home

There was so much I wanted out of life but, my current life was actually pretty good. We weren’t rich, but we weren’t poor by any means. If I didn’t push ahead with my business ideas we weren’t going to starve.

In conversations with many people over the years, I have concluded that this is a very common problem. Many times at various seminars I have heard speakers who have achieved great things. typically they have had some life defining moment, either illness, accident or a great loss. they had the motivation to take action.

But what about the bulk of people who would like more. Hopefully we don’t have to have some huge bad luck  befall us in order to shake us out of our complacency.

What do we do. OK I think its about focus belief and determination. As the Nike people say, just do it, and do it until you succeed.

For assistance in changing your mindset Click Here

Good luck and go for it today

Cheers

Ian Newton

Click Here for success

. Trim scrubs back from the house. Shape the plants if they are a bit neglected.

. Ensure your lawns are mowed. This would seem like a no brainer but many owners neglect the basics.

. Wash your house down. A pump bottle with ¼ chlorine, water and a squirt of washing up liquid will do wonders for pained surfaces and even concrete paths. Tip: wear glasses and long rubber gloves as the water may run down your arm and the chlorine will sting. Spray the walls, run a broom over them if you can reach then hose it down. The difference can be amazing. Do your roof as well if it is visible from the road and it is safe to do so.

. Wash your windows inside and out. The effort involved in cleaning your house could make you a thousand or two extra on the price. That’s a good hourly rate.

You don’t have to clean or tidy anything. But remember buyers will look at several homes of similar quality and price. It’s the little things that may persuade them to buy yours. It may just be a feeling that this house was cared for. Also buyers are looking for leverage to bid you down. Don’t give them fuel.

The things I’ve mentioned may amount to a few hundred dollars, but as a proportion of the cost of your house it’s not much.

and now for your free information on improving the outside of your home go to

Renovation Tips

Be realistic, don’t bite off more than you can chew and renovating can be fun and financially rewarding.

and now for your free information renovating your home go to Renovating Tips

Happy Renovating

Ian Newton

2.  Instead of replacing old weathered doors, give them a makeover instead. I recently did this for a friend. She was going to pay $1200 for a set of new double doors which would still have to be fitted and treated, at extra cost. All up an estimated $1600

.  Instead I sanded back the doors with an orbital sander and some hand sanding in the corners. I gave the doors 4 coats of a quality gloss deck preparation, with a light sand in between coats. Total cost $350. The doors look fantastic.

PS The decking preparation is much better wearing than the standard estapol. If you are going to remain in the house it is well worth giving the doors a quick sand and a fresh coat every year, especially if the doors are exposed to rain or direct sunlight.

and now for your free information on house and apartment renovation go to Renovation Tips

Happy Renovating

Ian Newton

For the full article go to Home Renovation 9 Tips

In Australia and many other countries when you sell your own home you are not subject to capital gains tax, as you would be if you bought a house as an investment, with the purpose of renting out or renovating to resell.

The implications for this are significant. No tax means that every cent of profit you earn is yours. If you were to just buy, renovate and sell every two years you could have an extra $30,000-$50,000 in your pocket every year. And the tax man can’t get his hands on it! I love it!

For more free info preparing you house for sale go to House selling profits

The wealthy mind looks for ways to increase profits and add value.

Have fun

Ian Newton

Have fun

1. Use eBay to search and buy items such as locks, taps, vanity basins, toilet suits etc. The savings can be considerable. You will need to be clear on what you want and the specifications you require.

PS Always ensure the seller has a good eBay reputation. Previous buyers will have rated the service.

2. Don’t paint ceilings if you can avoid it. Perhaps just the kitchen or bathroom if necessary.

3. Buy paint seconds and leftover’s and blend the pots to create your colour. It is best to stick with neutral colours as they rarely offend, but bright colours whilst you may love them are not to everyone’s taste.

I wanted an avocado feature wall in a house we built for sale. I’m glad my wife talked me out of it because the buyers commented that they liked the off white and couldn’t stand those bright modern colours. They did cover up the beautiful timer floor which I laboured over, with carpet! We can never account for the taste of others, best to play it safe.

3. Kitchen and vanity bench tops can be bought online and second hand. It is remarkable what some people will discard just for the sake of a change. Keep in touch with your local kitchen makers, as occasionally a financial crisis on the part of an owner or builder can leave them with stock that they will need to liquidate.

4. Old tiles and laminated surfaces can be painted over. You will need to ask your paint shop for and specialised primer to paint on first so that your paint sticks. One such product is called ESP

5. In many older homes there are metal laundry tubs. These can be easily and quickly refurbished. Sand off the rust, fill any rust holes and then spray the tubs with a white rust inhibiting enamel paint. Just mask carefully and use drops sheets to avoid a difficult to clean up mess. Do several light coats to avoid runs.

6. The same process can be used to improve metal fans and light fittings.

Happy Revnovating

Ian Newton

and now for your free information on house and apartment renovation go to

Renovate To Sell

1. Financial analysts.

The vast majority of so called financial experts have no more idea of what is going on in the world than my old next door neighbour, who has no interest in financial matters. There is a well known morning breakfast personality who is supposed to be a financial expert. In march he was virtually calling the end of the financial world. The market then went into a recovery phase for months. He also explained in a condescending way to retirees that the set back in the market was temporary and that their superannuation was a long term deal so don’t worry. Do the math and see how long it takes to catch up.

The lesson is experts can only back fit explanations for market movements and they have no magical forecasting abilities.

2. Financial advisors.

A visit to a financial advisor late in 2009 revelled their recommended strategy for the coming years was exactly the same as prior to 2007 collapse. Nothing has been learned except that this strategy provided good commissions to the advisers regardless of market performance.

The Lesson is learn to manage my own money. And take responsibility for the outcome.

3. Nothing Stays the same.

My wife needs to retire for health reasons forcing the closure of our successful medical practice. A good friend who is as strong as a bull is diagnosed with a terminal illness that may not see him survive until next Christmas.

Lesson: All things change, life is unpredictable, so enjoy each moment.

4. Insurance pays.

Few people have good things to say about insurance companies. But in 2009 we have found that it is critical. From a small flood damage claim in January, to a Complete computer rebuild when we took it in on its last day of a 3 year extended warranty, to income protection insurance activated through family illness.

Lesson: Don’t complain about your insurance premiums. Be grateful if nothing happens but be even more grateful if you have to make a claim.

5. The Environment.

2009 showed that the GFC and politics were more important than the environment. The Copenhagen summit achieved little other than showing that developing countries which are already polluted want to show they can be just as important by continuing their polluting ways unabated. Politicians continue to argue against the science for their own self interest.

6. Lesson: Do the best I can do for the environment. Don’t wait for the politicians to make changes.

7. Friends

In tough times true friends make the world a better place

Lesson: We are not alone. Appreciate those who care for us

8. Old dogs

Even in illness and death old dogs still appreciate a pat, some good food and they still give unconditional love.

Lesson: Dont watch the movie “Marlie and me” if your beloved old pet needs to be euthanased.

9. Gratitude

Be grateful for all that you have, for all that is good and for that which is working in your life.

Lesson: A state of gratitude works much better than whinging, whining, complaining and feeling sorry for ourselves.

Take care have fun

Ian

http://www.livingwellpublications.com/self-improvement/lifewant/

The euro dollar contract is up, wheat is in a sideways pattern and the Aussie dollar has lost 5 cents against the $US in the last week.

Meanwhile there are 20% more people in Australia this Christmas seeking assistance from the various charities. I wonder if they are concerned about the markets. I guess many of them are struggling because of the GFC, so maybe some of them will watch the closing DOW figure with interest, hoping a rising market may signal a return to better times.

Cheap American real estate is being promoted as the way to make big money in 2010, but every house that is for sale for cents in the dollar was once a home. People lived there and earned a living. But because of mismanagement of a grand scale these houses have lost their families.

It is said that these houses are fully rented and offer a good return. I guess families and individuals have swapped owned homes for rented homes. There has to be a huge social cost for this exchange.

For me the GFC has closed some doors but opened others this year. But 9 members of my family will be here for breakfast and present opening, my son is in charge of cooking having already done the pudding for lunch.

I’m grateful for my life and the people in it. Merry Christmas