Property | Classic Decor

The real estate market is yet to rebound, so if you want to sell your home, you have to make it appealing. If it’s an older home, renovations can give you a real estate edge. They don’t have to be major upgrades. They just need to update the home and make it appealing.

New Flooring

Get rid of that old carpet. Replace it with wood laminates or even scored concrete. The concrete route is very inexpensive and very trendy. Include some great rugs in your decorating scheme. Even though you’ll take them with you when you go, they will make the floor upgrades pop out and give potential buyer a bit of the “wow” factor.

Paint

Update the paint inside and outside your home. Make sure you choose neutral colors that appeal to multiple tastes. People need to see their own decorating ideas in your house. Brightly colored walls keep them from doing that. A good real estate agent can guide you in which colors to choose to make your house the most appealing.

Windows and Doors

Upgrade your windows and doors to meet the highest energy ratings. Energy efficiency is a big selling point in real estate. Also make sure that all doors and windows are properly sealed. Keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter by keeping the elements outside where they belong.

These three simple and relatively inexpensive renovations to your home are a huge selling point; especially for people looking at family homes. Saving money and owning a durable home with minimal maintenance issues are very important issues to the home buyer.

Landscaping For a Drought

Image by wanderingnome via Flickr

If you live in the Southwest part of the United States, you battle droughts regularly. This makes keeping a beautiful yard a challenge. There are ways to withstand hot, dry summers and still have a great yard.

Use Native Plants in Your Landscaping

Native plants are your best bet when it comes to having hardy flora in your yard. These plants would survive on a roadside with no gardening help. That’s what you want. Anything that needs watering more than once a week is a bad idea. There are plenty of beautiful, yet rugged choices for landscaping during a drought.

Mexican heather, various cactus plants, crepe myrtles, yaupon holly, native vines and wild flowers are good landscaping choices in any garden or yard in their natural habitat. Try to avoid grass that requires a lot of water. Instead, use native ground covers, well placed beds, and native stone to fill in your yard.

Add Sculptures and Yard Art to Introduce Color

Fill your yard with whimsical art and sculptures. This is becoming a very popular way to give homes some personality of their own. In a dry place, a well placed sculpture can take the place of a flower bed. You can also create sitting spaces in your yard with fun and durable lawn furniture.

Make the yard livable. It should be as little work as possible so that it looks great rain or shine. If you’re using native plants that require minimal water, chances are you’ll only have to landscape one time, and the rest will take care of itself from year to year.

Renovations Give You a Real Estate Edge