It's hard to tell exactly what will sell your home. But it's fairly easy to spot things that will prevent your house or condo in Northern Virginia from selling. Whenever possible, follow these tips for the maximum impact.
Byron condominium is located in Falls Church VA1. Remove clutter and clear off counters. Throw out stacks of newspapers and magazines and stow away most of your small decorative items. Put excess furniture in storage, and remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don't forget to clean out the garage, too.
2. Wash your windows and screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home.
3. Keep everything extra clean. A clean house will make a strong first impression and send a message to buyers that the home has been well-cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop and wax floors, and clean the stove and refrigerator. Polish your doorknobs and address numbers. It's worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it.
4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house. Potpourri or scented candles will help.
Quality designs to fit the Carlyle District expectations5. Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Replace any burned-out bulbs in closets. Clean the walls, or better yet, brush on a fresh coat of neutral color paint.
6. Don't disregard minor repairs. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well-maintained.
7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, add new mulch, trim the bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters. For added curb appeal, place a pot of bright flowers near the entryway.
8. Patch holes. Repair any holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
9. Add a touch of color in the living room. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room. Buy new accent pillows for the sofa.
10. Buy a flowering plant and put it near a window you pass by frequently.11. Make centerpieces for your tables. Use brightly colored fruit or flowers.
12. Set the scene. Set the table with fancy dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture living there. For example, in the basement you might display a chess game in progress.
13. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light. Show off the view if you have one.
14.Accentuate the fireplace. Lay fresh logs in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers there if it's not in use.
This large living room offers a fireplace as a focal point. The contiguous sun room provides lots of light.15. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, new towels, and fancy guest soaps. Make sure your personal toiletry items are out of sight.
16. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that's not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (ideally in the basement), and let the real estate practitioner know where they'll be to eliminate surprises.
17. Lock up valuables, jewelry, and money. While a real estate salesperson will be on site during the showing or open house, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time.
18. Leave the home. It's usually best if the sellers are not at home. It's awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
Licensed real estate agents can provide you with a competitive market analysis, this is based on:
Comparable properties in the area
Adjustments for differences in size and condition of the property
Differences based on location or the sale/rental date of the property
While real estate prices are fluid and certainly open to negotiation there are very real trends that affect not only the housing market as a whole, but localized areas as well. This can include everything from:
New construction
Zoning changes
Condemned properties
Traffic pattern changes
It is important to remember when assessing property that there are three factors that will most influence the price
Location
Value of improvements (the home or unit)
Uniqueness of property
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in Lorton
Located just south of Fort Belvoir, Gunston Cove has ready access to Interstate 95, the Virginia Railway Express, and with its newly completed homes offer a rare chance at that zero mileage home. With two car garages, a fireplace, and luxuriously open floor plans you can easily feel at home in this new community. These new homes in Lorton range between 2400 and 3200 square feet. Gunston Cove homes are listing starting in the upper 400s.
The Virgina Real Estate Board was established in 1924 to regulate businesses and individuals representing others in real property transactions, including condominiums, cooperatives, and time-shares. An adjunct responsibility allows the Board to investigate housing discrimination under the aegis of the Federal Fair Housing Act. The Board currently licenses approximately 55,000 individuals and businesses.
Nesbitt Realty is licensed in Virginia.Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
9960 Maryland Drive
Suite 400
Richmond, Virginia 23233-1463
For further information, contact:
Phone: (804) 367-8526
Email: Board for Real Estate
I field calls every single day from renters who are interested in condominiums. The names and locations change, but there are a few fundamental misconceptions that are so common, I feel the need to write this note for the general benefit of the world at large.
It looks like an apartment, but it's not an apartment.
First of all, a renter needs to understand the difference between an apartment and a condominium. An apartment, or any multi-family dwelling, is owned by a single entity. Most usually the owner is a company, but more rarely an individual owns the property. Employees of the apartment complex, or the owner himself, manages the property.
A condominium is different because there are many owners, meaning each unit is individually titled. The owners of a given condominium complex make up something called a condominium association. The association jointly owns the common areas such as the lobby and the lawns. The association oversees the management of the property.
There is no rental office: you need an agent.
When you rent at an apartment complex, you'll see a big sign that says "RENTAL OFFICE". That office is staffed by folks whose job it is to explain to you why that particular building is the greatest place to live in the world. They are generally helpful and pleasant and they will gladly show you a model apartment and give you an idea of what is "coming available".
A condominium complex is completely different. The condo office is filled with employees of the condominium association. The employees at the condo office are concerned with the maintenance and security of the building. They couldn't care less where you rent or where you live. In most condominiums in Northern Virginia, staff won't allow you to enter the property and they won't show you any rentals here or anywhere else. The staff has no idea what is available or what is "coming available".
A condominium complex looks like an apartment building on outside, but it's more like a neighborhood full of townhouses or houses. In a neighborhood everyone lives in the same place with similar housing but each person owns his own house. If you want to rent in that neighborhood, you CAN'T do so by banging on people's doors and asking them to see their house. Nobody in the neighborhood knows "what's coming available". If you want to tour a house in a neighborhood, you need a real estate agent.
It's the same in a condo. If you don't have an agent you can't see a condo, or any private residence. Homeowners don't want strange people walking through their house and they don't want to make allowances unless a real estate agent knows their is a possibility that you can afford the rent.
There are always other options.
If you don't want a rental agent, you do have a choice. You can rent from an apartment complex---less hassles on the front end, more hassles on the back end. Or, you can take your chances on Craigslist. My advice: Craigslist is great for room shares, but doesn't work so well for grown-ups.
The most important thing every renter should know about condos.
Then, the last and most important thing any renter should know about condos: in today's market purchasing a condo will cost you a few dollars more each month than a renting a condo. But buying a condo will cost you less on an annual basis.
How is this possible? Condo owners pay association fees and mortgage. Taken together, a first time buyer with a low down payment will have payment slightly higher than a rental. But each year we all file taxes. Renters take a standard deduction. But, property owners can deduct real estate taxes, mortgage interest, depreciation and certain other expenses from their taxes. This can amount to thousands of real dollars in your pocket each year.
Don't forget, next year, the renter will get a rent increase. Next year, the mortgage will be the same.
It's your choice, but this is a great time to buy a condo.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
Nesbitt Realty can help you buy and sell real estate in Condos
"I care about my clients and enjoy making their dreams come true."
One of the greatest skills that a Realtor can bring to the table for you is a knowledge of property values across a wide range of areas. For a seller or landlord, this means you strike the right balance between getting the most value from your home and selling or renting it in a time frame that allows you to either move or capitalize on your investment.
Simply looking at a neighbor's property and assessing yours based on their sale is fraught with dangers. Realtors factor in not only differences in construction, floor plans, and location, but also have their finger on the pulse of the market. The same stands true equally well for buyers and renters. As a buyer looking for a bargain is key, but setting standards to high for a price range can result in wasted time, or worse yet buying an apparent steal in an area that is an investment nightmare. Renting places you in similar straights. Year long leases can be just as binding as buying a new home, forcing you to suffer through details that a trained Realtor will notice in your new home.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
Contact Nesbitt Realty to buy or sell real estate in Northern VA
Obtaining pre-approval from a bank is a daunting process. It is time consuming both due to the delay and because of the amount of paperwork required to satisfy a lender of your credit status.
It is, without a doubt, the most pressing matter before beginning your home search. Proceeding without this step can lead to angst and lost time, energy and opportunities. Without pre-approval you'll be facing the following pitfalls very quickly:
Offers will be rejected in favor of lower offers by pre-approved buyers.
Delays can result as you await approval by your bank.
Too late you may find the home you are looking at is beyond your budget
or
A better home could have been yours if you'd known what you could afford
Time can disappear into looking at homes that disappear from the market before you're ready to make an offer and
Effort invested into your search can be wasted as you await pre-approval to have an effective offer.
While condition of the unit is critical, a common mistake is to confuse the age of the building with the current state. There can be no substitute for an on-site examination.
Condominiums are found in all shapes, sizes, prices and types. Are you looking for a high-rise condo, a mid-rise or a garden-style condo? Maybe you'd prefer a townhouse?
The term "garden-style" condo usually refers to a condominium residence in a building that has less than three stories. Most garden-style condos have balconies or patios for each residence. Many garden-style condos have a main entrance that opens to a common-area hallway. Additional common areas include the green space and "gardens" surrounding the structures. If you're interested in garden-style condos you'll have a lot of options in Northern Virginia.
From the suburban feel of Kingstowne to the central location of Bolling Brook from the vintage charm of Belle View to the chic feel of Carlyle Square, are just some of the many Northern Virginia condominium communities we feature.
Mid-rise condos are taller than garden-style condos, but smaller than high-rise condos. Mid-rise condos in Northern Virginia are 5 to 8 stories tall and are generally found close to or inside the Beltway.
High-rise condos have more than 9 floors. They are generally found inside the Beltway and are often located near Metro stations, public transportation, or major commuter traffic arteries like I-395.
Rules and regulations vary depending on whether you are in Belle View, Montebello, the Royalton, etc.
These days, if the unit does not already have a washer and dryer, then these appliances are most likely in the building. If you choose to install a washer and dryer then you will be facing additional insurance requirements at the least. Often, condo covenants do not allow owners to install a washer/dryer if the community has one or more laundry rooms. If you're buying, it's
important to check your condo documents to make sure that this will be
allowed.
Always keep in mind that living in a condo is a balance. Conveniences such as pools, gyms, in building stores and other amenities will balance with a need to protect your neighbors from, in this case, water damage.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Stuart at (703)765-0300.
