In the real estate business, curb appeal is a reflection of how the owner takes care of his/her home. A clean exterior, well-maintained shrubbery, and a neatly manicured lawn are ideal, especially if you’re selling your home.

The idea behind curb appeal is to make your Colorado home look attractive to anyone viewing it from the curb or street. Some sellers, however, are so busy staging the interiors of their Colorado house that they sometimes forget to make the exterior presentable. This is a big mistake.

Radon is a toxic gas that can be found in any house, old or new. It can enter your Colorado home through leaks in your foundation or porous building materials. Unfortunately, radon cannot be seen or smelled. Because of this, most homeowners aren’t even aware of the presence of radon in their home. 

Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. This is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that all homes be tested.

Among the many myths we hear in real estate, one of the biggest whoppers is that the holidays are the worst time to sell. Perhaps, this misconception stemmed from the fact that spring and summer are the busiest seasons in the real estate market. 

Winter may be the least active real estate season, but it is actually a great time to sell your Colorado house. There are fewer homes for sale. The competition is less fierce. Plus, homes embellished with lights and holiday decorations make for better showings. 

Here are some tips to help your sale go smoothly. 

Create a knockout online listing 

Living in the digital age, the home buying process usually starts online. Potential buyers would look at online listings and find properties that suit their needs and budget. 

To make a good first impression, we highly recommend that you create a knockout online listing. Make sure it includes high quality photos that highlights your Colorado home’s best features. 

Keep it cozy 

House hunting during the winter can be a challenge. From sub zero temperatures to driving in ice and snow, these conditions can put potential buyers in a less than jovial mood. 

Keep the heat up to a comfortable level. Also, offer holiday cheer by offering a plate of cookies and warm beverages. This will give potential buyers a reason to spend more time in your Denver home. 

Give them a place to escape the cold and they’ll spend more time admiring your home’s best features. 

Price it right 

While we usually see a decrease in the number of buyers during this time of the year, those who are still in the market are incredibly serious buyers. 

If you want to sell your Colorado home fast and for top dollar, then make sure that it is priced appropriately. Don’t overshoot your asking price. These buyers are looking to move in fast. Many of them don’t have the luxury of waiting until the weather gets warmer. 

Deck the halls, but don’t go overboard. 

When buyers walk into your Colorado home, you want them to be able to envision themselves living there. As you stage your home for showings, we suggest that you add some tasteful yet festive decorations. Some decors can add some holiday spirit to your home, but make sure not to overdo it. 

Keep the seasonal decorations simple and easy to maintain. Remember, not everyone has the same love of holiday decorations. Plus, too many decorations can be distracting and overwhelming. 

If you’re in the market for a Colorado home, you’re probably wondering if you missed the boat by not purchasing one during the spring or summer months. After all, that’s the best time to buy a property, right? Not necessarily.

The cooler days are starting to set in and the days are getting shorter, but fall may be a good time to go house hunting. In fact, it is a season filled with great deals.

Still not convinced? Here are 4 reasons why fall can be a great time to buy a house.

Less competition

Real estate market ebbs and flows just like the season. Potential buyers start looking at Denver houses as the sun comes out and slows down by the end of the summer. At this point, families who want to be home before school starts are no longer shopping. That means that there aren’t as many buyers as there were in spring and summer.

With fewer buyers out there, you don’t have to go on a bidding war just to get the Colorado home you really want.

Home for the holidays

The holidays are coming quickly. While some people are busy with their holiday shopping, you might want to take this time to go house hunting. Getting settled in your new home for the holidays can heighten your holiday mood. Since you have a new Colorado home, why don’t you host this year’s event and invite your family and a few friends over?

Year-end tax break

Buying a property during this time of the year allows you to take advantage of tax breaks, including property tax deductions, prepaid interest deductions, FHA and PMI mortgage insurance premium deduction and mortgage interest deductions.

More attention from your agent

With the reduced activity during this time of the year, you can enjoy additional attention from your agent. They can respond more quickly and spend more time discussing about certain things as their client load starts to dwindle down.

Mold is a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Not only is it unsightly, it can a costly and dangerous problem. The problem is that most homeowners aren’t even aware that mold is already lurking within their home. 

If you suspect that there is mold in your home, it is important to clean it and address the problem as early as possible. If you can find mold before it becomes a major problem, remediation will be much easier to complete. 

Listed below are 3 signs that may indicate that your home may be contaminated with mold. Be on the lookout for signs of a possible mold infestation. 

Visual indicators of mold growth

If you can see mold, then that’s an obvious sign that you have mold growing in your home. However, some people don’t notice small patches of mold and think they’re just dirt. 

Molds tend to grow and spread fast, especially when moisture is present.  The mere fact that you see small spots of mold, it means that your home provides an ideal environment for mold growth. Don’t ignore it. Get rid of it fast to prevent it from spreading. 

Musty smell

Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. If you notice a musty smell in your home, it means that you already have a mold problem. This is a sign that you should take action.  

Walk through your home and try to find the source of the problem. If an area in your home persistently smells musty, focus on that area and try to find out where the mold is. 

Hire a mold remediation expert immediately to help you get rid of molds, especially if they are in an unreachable area like behind the walls. 

Allergy symptoms

Exposure to mold can cause allergic symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, itchy skin, puffy eyes and even asthma. If your symptoms tend to flare up whenever you’re at home and feel better when you’re away, there’s a good chance that mold may be what’s causing the allergy. 

Let’s face it. No for sale house is ever perfect. But if your Colorado house is in bad shape, you may find it extremely difficult to sell it.

Properties become distressed for several reasons. Maybe it’s due to old age, slacker tenants who treat your house with disrespect or financial strain. If you have an imperfect home but you need to sell it fast, selling may feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle.

Now, the question is, how do you sell a distressed house? Here are a few tips to help your substandard home shine bright and attract willing and able buyers.

Make it clean and clutter free

The first and most important thing you have to do is to de-clutter your Denver house and make sure to get rid of anything that would distract a buyer’s attention.

Also, we suggest removing anything that is outdated and dirty. Sometimes, all it takes is taking down those awful curtains and cleaning every corner of the house.

Fix up your home’s exterior

Most potential buyers make a decision during the first few seconds of seeing a Colorado house. Remember, first impressions are everything.

To attract the attention of buyers, it would be a good idea to maintain the garden, mow the lawn and give the outside of your home a fresh paint job. With very minimal cost and effort, you’ll be surprised how new and improved your house can look.

Be honest

When selling a less than perfect Colorado home, we want to stress the importance of being honest in your marketing. There’s no point in hiding your house’s imperfections since home inspectors are going to find out about those issues anyway. If this happens, buyers are going to be disappointed and the next buyer might not want to look at it since it fell out of escrow.

Sell the house as-is

Let’s face it. Not all of us have homes that are easy to sell. But selling a distressed Colorado house isn’t impossible. Even if it needs major renovation or minor refurbishment, someone will be interested to buy it. You just need to market it to the right people.

We believe that there is a buyer for every property. If you want to sell your home fast but you don’t have the money to spend on repairs or renovations, look for buyers who are willing to buy the property as-is.

You have decided to sell your Colorado home. Now that you’ve already packed your things and you’re ready to move to your new home, the last thing you want is for your home to sit on the market forever. 

Keeping a focus on these 4 factors will significantly increase your chances of selling your house quickly. 

Price

You think of your Colorado home as a shining beacon of perfection and you’re thinking of selling it at a higher price. But if you really want to sell your house fast, you might want to look at similar properties in your area and determine how much they were sold for. Setting a realistic price on your home will help you attract more buyers. 

It is important to get the pricing right the first time than to lower the price eventually. Many buyers will simply move on if the house is not priced reasonably. 

Property condition 

Colorado home buyers are looking for homes that are in pristine, move-in condition. They no longer have time to make repairs and fix up the home themselves. 

Obviously, a well-maintained home will sell faster than an old and property that requires a lot of TLC. It is a good idea to hire  a professional inspector.This way, you’ll have an idea about the overall condition of the property and decide what needs fixing before the property is listed for sale. 

Photos

Good listing photos can definitely shorten the amount of time your house sits on the market. Why? It’s because most buyers would go online in an effort to save time. In addition, online listings and apps allow them to compare and contrast houses, and then narrow down their searches to a select few. 

Having good photos entice more potential buyers. Take photos that would highlight your home’s best features. Also, it is best to have too many photos than it is to have too few. 

Real estate agent

Another important factor that affects your Colorado home sale is the amount of knowledge and experiences your real estate agent posses. You will stand a better chance of a quick sale by working with an experienced agent. Choose an agent who is familiar with the area and has an experience selling the type of home you have. 

If you have ever been involved in a real estate transaction, you probably know that one of the most important steps of buying a house is getting a home inspection. A thorough home inspection will verify the condition of the property and provide buyers the peace of mind and confidence that they are making a wise investment.

While all Colorado homes have a certain amount of flaw, it is important for buyers to become aware which of these flaws are normal and which ones may warrant potential problems.

Listed below are some red flags that may warrant concern if noted on a home inspection.

Old wiring

Defective electrical wiring is one of the most common causes of residential fire. With today’s families using more gadgets than ever, be sure that your home inspector thoroughly examines the house’s electrical system. Also, pay attention to aluminum wiring as it poses a dangerous fire hazard.

Mold

A home that is plagued by mold is not only disgusting; it can also be detrimental to your health.

If the Colorado home inspector found extensive mold growth around the house, you need to walk away for a number of reasons. Aside from being a health hazard, removing molds from ducts, walls and crawl spaces will cost thousands of dollars. Plus, molds is a clear indication of an underlying moisture problem, which can do real damage to the structure of the house.

Roofing

A house’s roof will age along with its dwelling. So, pay close attention to the home inspection notes and check to see if there are any signs of rotting, cracking, splitting, blistering, curling and cupping. If so, then you should think twice about buying the house as these are warning signs of future warning intrusion. Mind you, installing a new roof comes with a hefty tag price.

Final thoughts

No matter how much you love the Denver house, you certainly need to walk away from it if it has issues with its foundation. A qualified Colorado home inspector can tell you when a seemingly minor crack actually means major trouble.

Also, keep an eye out for cracked windows, bowing or bulging foundation walls as these are obvious signs of structural weakness.

In nearly all cases, it is the buyer who orders and pays for a home inspection. As a seller, you may be thinking, what’s the point of having a pre-listing inspection if the buyer will want their own inspection anyway? 

Here are 4 benefits of doing a pre-listing inspection. 

Prepare your home for sale

With a pre-listing inspection completed, you’ll know ahead of time what exactly is wrong and what needs to be fixed prior to putting your Colorado home on the market. You’ll have enough time to decide what to fix, who to hire to make repairs, and when it should be completed. 

Pre-listing inspections will not only help you cut cost and save time. It can also help you update your home and market it for the best return on investment. 

Get your ideal asking price 

Typically, a Denver home inspection is done shortly after the seller accepts the buyer’s offer. But if you wait for the buyer to discover some issues in your home, then they will likely negotiate for a lower price or ask you to have it repaired before closing. 

By completing an inspection prior to listing your Colorado property, you can deal with problems ahead of time and use the clean bill of health to justify a slightly higher asking price. 

Faster, smoother selling process

If you are the type of person who hates surprises, then we urge you get a pre-listing inspection. Not only will it eliminate surprises, it will also reduce the negotiation process. 

Since you already took the time to address the issues, there won’t be much left for buyers to negotiate on. Both parties will benefit from a smoother, faster selling process. 

Increase prospective buyers’ confidence 

No one wants to buy a house with a lot of hidden issues. Having a pre-listing inspection is a great way to show potential buyers that your Colorado home is in good condition and that you have nothing to hide. 

Home buyers are naturally skeptic about the condition of the house. Handing them an inspection report that details the condition of your home can help overcome skepticism and eliminate much of the doubt about your home. Buyers will be more comfortable making an offer, knowing that the house is in good condition. 

The bathroom is one of the most important parts of the house. It is where you start and finish your day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get much attention as much as the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room.

Has your bathroom worn out its welcome? Maybe it’s time to update it and bring it back to life.  There are telltale signs that it’s time for a bathroom makeover.

Here are 5 signs it’s time to remodel your bathroom.

Planning to sell your home 

If you’re considering selling your Colorado home, a bathroom renovation can benefit you in a number of ways. Not only will it increase the value of your home, it also makes your home more attractive to potential buyers.

Bathroom renovations can be expensive, but studies suggest that you can recoup about 58% of the cost in resale value. If you are on a tight budget, don’t worry. Simple updates like getting new fixtures, repainting the walls, cleaning the grout, and adding clean lines of caulk around the sink and tub can help transform your bathroom.

Outdated design 

Is your bathroom old and outdated? If so, a bathroom remodel is in order. Today, people are coming back to that white, timeless look. White, gray, and black palettes will lend an element of ageless beauty to your space. Installing new lighting fixtures, cabinets, mirrors, and towel holders are also a great way to improve the look and feel of your bathroom.

Poor lighting 

Of all the rooms in the house, bathrooms are given the least considerations when it comes to interior lighting. If you can barely see yourself in the mirror, this requires action.

Use lighting fixtures that provide 75-100 watts worth of illumination for the master and guest bathroom. Installing proper task lighting is also important as this is the light by which you can best see yourself.

Bathroom smells bad 

You walk into the bathroom and crinkle your nose as you smell a noxious sewer-like odor in your bathroom. This could be an indication that sewer gas is escaping from the drainage system. This is a prime indicator that you need to update your bathroom.

Adding better ventilation to a windowless bathroom, fixing that persistent leak that is building up mold, and replacing a toilet’s wax seal are all smart fixes to get rid of bathroom smells.

Lack of storage

Don’t have enough space to store everything you want? Your bathroom may be due for an update. Make use of the vertical space and under the sink for storage. Come up with creative ways fit everything in the cabinets and closets.