Buying a Charleston Home While Selling Another Home

Today we have local Omaha realtor, Lisa Ritter joining us and answering some important questions we are frequently asked in our office. She offers great insights for anyone who wants to buy a new home but has an existing home to sell.

How Can I Buy the Home of My Dreams if I Have a Home to Sell?

Interview two to three realtors. Pick the one you feel most comfortable with. Be wary of agents who claim they know exactly what they can get from your home. The reality is a good realtor knows there are no guarantees. Instead, they can give you a general prediction based on trends and averages, but not a firm price.

Also, check out a potential realtor online. This is a great way to get a feel for how the realtor operates and how they feel about the homes they represent. How is the photography of the homes they have for sale? You will never get a second chance to make a powerful first impression so online presence is very important.

How Can I Plan Out the Sale of My Home in Advance So My Activities are Intentional and Not Afterthoughts?

Knowing exactly how much your home is worth very early in the selling process is very important. Get your home evaluated so you know how much you can expect. Also, as you are interviewing several real estate agents, ask them what they believe your home is worth. While one realtor might over value your home, three realtors will not. The opinion of those in the real estate field is very valuable.

If the Market is Ripe for Buying a New Home, Will My Home Sell Quickly?

When home prices are low and it’s a great time to buy a home, it’s not necessarily a great time to sell your home. This is the law of supply and demand. However, don’t be fearful about selling your home! With rates being so low, you should take advantage of the move-up opportunity. If new home prices are low there are probably many in your community who will also want to buy a new home. This can create an influx of homes for sale.

Of course, an environment that is great for buyers does not mean your home will not sell. Just make sure you find a great real estate agent, list the price as accurately as possible, and be patient during the process.

Want to learn more about how to get into a Charleston Home? Contact our office at 402-933-7224 or find us online at Charleston Homes.

If you would like to get in touch with realtor Lisa Ritter, contact her at (402) 612-2413 or find her online at her website.

Parties, Plenty of Space, and Parking: Our Jackson Two-Story Plan has it All

Do you dread when it's your turn to host the family for Thanksgiving? Just when you think you have room for everyone, Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack and their five teenage boys show up unexpectedly, and your well-planned dinner party spills over into the living room, and you have at least three or four people sitting on the floor with their plates. You need more space! An open design with a huge family room and dinette area might just fit the bill, and give you enough space to bring out the extra folding tables. And you may want to buy a bigger turkey next year, because you'll be sure to have extra guests! Our Jackson two-story floor plan gives you all the space you need and more—not to mention plenty of room in the garage for cars and storage. For a look inside, have a look at my latest video blog and see just how much room you could have!

Your cars need a place to live, too

When people are looking for a home, I've found that they often get dazzled by the floor plan, but forget about where they will put their cars. Both husband and wife may have their own cars, and teenage children are sure to want theirs too. And once you start having guests, you soon have vehicles lining the street in front of your house, and in front of your neighbor's house as well. The Jackson design includes an incredibly spacious three-car garage with plenty of added storage. At 31 feet wide, even with three cars in there, you'll still have plenty of room to stack up those folding chairs and extra tables you'll need for your holiday parties.

Bringing back the kitchen pantry

I love modern designs, but one thing I've always admired about a lot of the older homes is that they all had big kitchens with separate pantries. The biggest complaint I hear about modern designs is that the kitchen is designed for people who go out to eat all the time. There's not enough cabinet space, not enough working space and countertops, and they're just too small to be comfortable. The kitchen isn't just a workspace, it's a social space. The Jackson floor plan includes a spacious kitchen with a separate dinette area—of course, with plenty of cabinets and countertop space. Want room to store all those goodies and special ingredients? Check out the walk-in pantry!

We all need a little more space than what we have

I've always noticed that people tend to grow into whatever amount of space they have. I think it's best to start out with a home with plenty of room and grow into it—the idea of a "starter home" sometimes just doesn't make a lot of sense. The Jackson two-story plan has four full bedrooms including a huge master bedroom with en suite bathroom upstairs. Downstairs off the family room is a separate enclosed dining room. But remember, we already have a dinette area between the living room and kitchen, so that can also be turned into an office, den, or "man cave".

Room for everyone

As much as I do love those older homes with the big kitchen pantries, a particularly annoying design flaw I see in a lot of the older designs—and even in a lot of the newer ones—is lack of closet space. In the old days, there were not closets at all, you just used an armoire. Beautiful, but just not enough space! The master bedroom has a huge walk-in closet, so there's space for everyone. And I know from experience—when a husband and wife share a closet, one person—I won't say which one—usually ends up with about 80 percent of the available space. It's better to start out with an oversized closet and make sure there's enough room for everyone.

There's really no need to live in a too-small home when one with plenty of space is so affordable. I really enjoy the Jackson floor plan because it has so many unique features. I think this one combines some of the best home designs of the past 100 years. Charleston Homes isn't just your ordinary home builder. Our designs were created with real people in mind. I encourage you to call us today to schedule an appointment and take a walk-through of one of the Jackson floor plan model homes.

Are These 3 Things Ready for Winter at Your Home?

With winter quickly approaching, there are several things you need to do to get your home ready today so you are not left out in the cold when the spring thaw comes around. By being proactive, your home will be ready for the chilly temperatures that are just days away.

Concrete

To help prevent the various substances and solutions road crews put down in the winter to help melt ice from causing an unattractive peeling and chipping away of your driveway or sidewalk top, winterization is necessary. It’s impossible to prevent these substances from creeping up on your concrete, but it is possible to prevent some of the damage they create. Once this gets into the pores of your concrete and it refreezes, it will damage or even destroy your concrete.

For cracks in sidewalks and driveways, use a caulk to fill the void. This prevents moisture from getting into the concrete and causing problems.

Gutters and Downspouts

Before the first snow, look in the gutters and downspouts to make sure all the fall leaves or other debris are cleaned out. As an added measure, run some water from a garden hose to fully clean the gutters out. Make sure you also clean the gutters out with the water, as well, since leaves may have accumulated in there, as well. This will prevent ice from backing up in your gutters and causing damage to your roof and ceiling.

Sprinkler System

Frost can go as deep as three feet so it is very important to blow out your sprinkler system so the ice does not damage it beyond use in the spring. Water is probably still in your lines and freezing temperatures will cause them to bust.

To blow out your sprinkler system, simply shut off your water supply and open the drain on the supply line to allow it to drain. Remove the back flow preventer and hook up an air compressor. This step is crucial and should not be attempted if you are not familiar with the proper procedures. Not allowing the compressor to get too hot or exerting too much pressure is important to prevent further damage to your pipes. Calling a professional for help might be a wise choice to make sure your sprinkler is completely ready for winter.

Winter is a great time of year. However, you need to take a few precautions to make sure you are not left with a few surprises and unexpected expenses when spring rolls around. With the proper planning now, getting your home ready for winter is a relatively easy process.