Get The Best Deal In Real Estate

In today’s real estate market, you really can get a very good deal if you are willing to buy a home that needs cosmetic updating. There are some key things to look for that can turn a out of date home into a gem. Here are some easy ideas to gain instant equity in your real estate.

1. Get rid of wall paper, it is easy to remove or have removed. many times homes with wall paper appear dated. Buying a $2 spray bottle and some fabric softener, and stripping the wall paper and replacing it with a nice neutral paint will turn a dingy room into one is much more attractive.

2. Replacing warn and dated carpeting with nice new neutral carpeting is fairly inexpensive and can make a world of difference in the feel of a home. I would let the carpet professionals actually remove the old carpet and install the new carpet.

3. Home doesn't have central air conditioning. Adding central air to a home is a huge improvement. This can come with a significant price tag; however, if you need to replace the heating and air at the same time, you will get more for your money. Home buyers love when the major systems have been replaced recently. Many times the addition of central air will add enough value to a home to offset its cost, but it will make the home much easier to sell, and much more comfortable for you the home owner.

4. The outside appearance of the house is very important as well. Be sure that you spruce up the landscaping. It does not have to be expensive or ext

avagant. It just needs to look nice.

There are also a few things to avoid as well.

1. Asbestos - in some older homes the pipes were wrapped in asbestos. This can be a very expensive item to remove.

2. Check the plumbing. Certain homes have galvanized steel plumbing and the pipes will corroded over time. The average life for those pipes is about 80 years and if your home is newer, it likely has copper or pvc. If your home was built in the late 70's or 80's, check for polybuteleane piping. This piping needs to be replaced as it can suffer catastrophic failure (it is grey in color). Replacing plumbing if the home is on a slab or there is lots of plumbing in the walls can be very expensive.

3. The lot can also make a huge difference in resale. As noted above, landscaping can be an inexpensive way to add value to real estate, however, if your lot is in a hillside or slopes downward toward the house, resale in a buyer's market will be difficult.

4. The homes roof is another point you should pay particular attention to. Replacing a asphalt shingle roof can cost many thousands of dollars, but can also can add to the homes appearance as well.

Finding the best value in a home can be easy, if you follow some simple rules. Just look for the things that are easier to fix. A little work can make a big difference in price appreciation at time of resale. Happy House Hunting.

James Boyer NJ REALTOR specializing in the Midtown Direct real estate markets of Norther New Jersey. Thinking of buying or selling check out James Boyer's website at Summit NJ Real Estate. There you will not only find great information about the Summit NJ real estate market, but you will also find the best MLS search tools available to the public, and you will find some interesting pictures of Summit NJ as well as many of the other wonderful towns of the Midtown Direct New Jersey Transit train line.