How To Calculate the Cost of Keeping Your Home on the Market

Home Staging Cuts Expenses

Home Staging sells homes faster and for more money proven by the following simple calculation.

                                                               BEFORE AFTER

Statistically speaking home staging is cheaper than the first price reduction that people make on a listing that isn’t selling. Staging should be considered the final investment into your home that will have a profitable return of investment.

A seller should budget 3-5% of the asking price towards home staging and deferred maintenance on average. A well maintained home would require less, but a home that needs updating, maintenance and staging could be more.

In a national study by the Real Estate Staging Association, published recently, it showed 126 homeowners that had their property on the market and average of 263 days (9 months!) before they decided to have thier home staged. It also showed 284 homes that were staged prior to being listed and they sold in 40.5 days. This is approximately 223 days less time on the market, that’s SEVEN months less time on the market. As an example, using this formula you can determine approximately how much money you will continue to spend while your home is on the market un-staged.

If your mortgage is : $1800.00 If your direct expenses (utilities, etc.) are: $300.00 Total carrying cost per month: $2,100.00

Based on the study the home owners had their property on the market for an average of 9 months. $2,100.00 X 9 months = $18,900.00 in expenses. Had those homeowners staged first, their time on market would have been cut by 7 months on average $2,100.00 x 7 months= $14,700.00 Staging their homes first would have saved them $14,700.00.*

Use this simple formula to determine how much home staging can cut your expenses before putting it on the market:

Mortgage + expenses (utilities etc.) = Monthly expenses Monthly expenses X 9 months (avg. time un-staged) = Cost to list house un-staged Savings: Expenses x 7 months (average time on market reduced) -staging fee =Savings if you stage your house first!

*The numbers, of course, are all relative to individual mortgage and expenses.
** If you have a price reduction you can also add that into the loss you are taking by listing a property un-staged.

Having been in the home staging market for many years I can personally attest and give examples of how home staging a listing can increase market value and return on investment. Contact me at kerry@decorstaging.com or 650-619-9052 and I can share more information with you!

To view more blogs click on home staging blogs. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter with articles, statistics and special offers click on home staging contact us

you are cordially invited...

to the jana kos fall/winter 2010 collection trunk show...currently being shown in burlingame...319 primrose rd (upstairs) to be exact...come by and experience all that is jana kos...the beautiful european fabrics...down to the details of unique buttons...zippers...stitching...pictures just don't do it justice...

here are the details...with extended days...and yes...you can bring a friend...or two...

jana kos fall/winter 2010 collection
319 primrose rd (upstairs)
burlingame

oct 27 - 30 and nov 3 - 6
10am to 6pm

oct 31, nov 1-2 and nov 7 - 11
by appointment only
415.577.6133



want to see more of the collection? click on the links below for the different color groups...hope to see you there!

golden age - color group 1
select vintage - color group 2
festival of color - color group 3
urban safari - color group 4
beautiful and bejeweled belts

There’s No Place Like Home

One of the most exciting moments in life is receiving the keys to your new home. Homeownership is the American Dream and with today’s reduced prices, low interest rates and tax benefits, the opportunity is within reach to many individuals and couples. Below are four steps to ensure success on your journey.


Work As A Team
Traveling down the path to homeownership with your husband, wife or significant other is a challenging and bonding experience. Teamwork and good communication is critical during the home buying process. Traditionally, one person takes the lead on doing research and working with real estate professionals, but both people need to be engaged in the process for a successful outcome to take place. You are in this together, so make sure you are both ready for the emotional and financial commitment of owning a home.

Know What You Want
Learning what your partner in life feels is important in a home can be eye opening. No person or couple is looking for the exact same thing. We are all individuals and often times, couples have different wishes as well. In today’s market, I recommend that buyers think of living in their future home for at least 5-7 years. Within that timeframe, discuss what your future might look like. As a team, come to a consensus on critical must haves in a home and desired areas or neighborhoods are best for your future.

Decide How Much You Are Willing To Spend
Before getting in the car and hitting the open home circuit, first understand what you can afford. There is no reason to dangle the carrot until you feel comfortable with how much you are willing to spend. More often than not, couples qualify for more than they feel comfortable spending on a monthly basis. Working with your mortgage professional and tax advisor, you can truly understand your monthly home expenses after tax deductions. Once you have settled on a comfortable monthly payment, start seeing homes that fit within your price range.

Do Your Homework
There is no better way to learn about the process of buying a home than being guided by an excellent Realtor, but you should also do your individual homework as well. The Internet is a great place to gather information. There are books to read and real estate sections in most newspapers as well. Talk to friends that have recently gone through the process of buying a home and listen to their words of wisdom. Another great way to learn about the process is by attending a home buying class or seminar. Below are available class dates on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Home Buying Seminar: Your Path To Homeownership
Saturday November 6, 2010
Saturday January 22, 2011

To learn more about the class topics and future dates, go to:
HomeBuyingSeminars.eventbrite.com

Article by:
Aimee Snodgrass Klarich
Realtor
Alain Pinel Realtors- Burlingame
650.483.3795
aklarich@apr.com
www.AimeeKlarich.com

Switching to Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Buying a light bulb has gotten more complicated in recent years. During the California electricity crisis of 2001 many of us switched from using the traditional incandescent light bulb to using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in our homes. With today's soft economy, even more people are turning to CFL bulbs in order to save money on home utility bills. Electric lighting burns up 25% of the average home energy budget. Switching to CFL bulbs from incandescent bulbs will use 75% less of this energy. Whether you're concerned about the environment or about your budget (or both), compact fluorescent bulbs make a lot of sense.

By 2012 new federal efficiency standards will make traditional incandescent bulbs effectively obsolete. Consmers will be forced to gradually make the switch to high efficiency bulbs. Current high-efficiency technology gives us a choice of either fluorescent or LED bulbs. Standard fluorescent bulbs are those long tube things that fit utility fixtures. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are the ones that fit into all the other fixtures in your house. So let's talk about compact fluorescent bulbs.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting

The new CFL bulbs are noting like the old fluorescent lighting - they don't make that buzzing noise, they come in soft warm colors, and they fit almost any kind of fixtures. The biggest complaint that people have about CFL bulbs these days is low quality. The first thing to do when shoping for high quality CFL bulbs is to look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star certified bulbs have a two-year warranty, must last at least 60,000 hours, must be low in mercury, can emit no audible noise, and must produce quality light.

Light Color
The colors of light bulbs are described in terms of light temperature in degrees Kelvin (k). The lower the number, the warmer the light. 2700k is the color of incandescent light. 3000k is warm white, 3500 is neutral white, 4100 is cool white and 5000 to 6500 is called "full spectrum", "daylight", or "color corrected". Surprisingly, "daylight" color is a very bluish light and not attractive for interior environments. The City Lights Bulb Store in San Francisco has a very useful display of fluorescent lights showing all the different colors next to each other for easy comparison.

Incandescent vs. Fluorescent wattages
Most people are familiar with the light output of incandescent bulbs, and know which incandescent wattages they prefer. CFL bulbs often list a conversion on the package. Here some useful equivalents:

40 w incandescent = 10 w fluorescent
60 w incandescent = 13-15 w fluorescent
75 w incandescent = 20 w fluorescent
100 w incandescent = 26-29 w fluorescent
150 w incandescent = 38-42 w fluorescent
250-300 w incandescent = 55 w fluorescent

CFL Fun Facts
Fluorescent and CFL bulbs have a warm-up time of about 3 min before they come to full brightness and full efficiency. They are best used in light fixtures that will be on for a minimum of 15 minutes at a time.

Because of the tiny amounts of mercury used in manufacturing, CFL bulbs need to be disposed of properly. Consumers should avoid breaking them and releasing the mercury vapor. Check www.earth911.org or www.lamprecycle.org to learn about disposal methods available in your area.

You need to buy special fluorescent lights for use with a dimmer switch, and for use in vibrating environments like a ceiling fan or a garage door opener.

Incandescent lights last 1500 hours, fluorescent lights last 10,000 hours, and LED lights last 60,000 hours.

Cost Calculator
Several websites have calculators that can help you figure out how much money you save buying fluorescent bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs. Check out the Energy Star Lifecycle Cost Estimate for one CFL www.energystar.gov. Exercise your inner geek with a spreadsheet that lets you input data for your own house - the Light Bulb Comparison Spreadsheet in the article "Incandescent vs. CFL vs. LED Light Bulb Challenge" at www.productdose.com.

Doesn't seem so complicated any more does it?

Karen Drozda
drozda+others architects
kdrozda@dpluso.com
www.dpluso.com

Get Ready to ShakeOut!

                               

 The Great California
       ShakeOut!

Join millions of Californians who will be practicing how to
"Drop, Cover and Hold On"

on October 21st at 10:21 a.m.

Put plans in place to recover after the shaking stops. Your homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage.
Contact your homeowners insurance agent today for more information about CEA(California Earthquake Authority).

For more information contact :
Virginia Trowbridge, Farmers Insurance  650-FARMERS

free shopping...

in your closet that is...

shopping in your own closet first before ever heading to the store is one of the best strategies...the best part is that there's no credit card bill when you're finished...

you know that bottomless pit that soaks up new clothes from last year that still have price tags on it? that place that stores those items that haven’t been worn or only worn once? that place so filled with pants, shirts, skirts & shoes hiding behind in secrecy wondering if they might ever get worn? or those outfits that are worn the same way...time and time again? yes you can do it...spend the day shopping in your closet and fall in love with all those great buys of yesterday...you remember those, “had to have it” items, right? well now is the perfect time to bring your great buys to the forefront and actually get your money's worth...

i have a client that i shop for...new occasion, new outfit...big meeting, new suit...one day...she started telling me how "full" her closet was...but she often times felt like she had nothing to wear...two days later...i came over to her house and performed a full closet audit...

what came from that meeting for her...was a "look-book" of all her clothes...and the different ways she could wear them...many times...women will buy an outfit and wear it that same way...over and over...my client always bought beautiful clothing...and felt that she was always wearing the "same" outfit...well...she was...

when she started putting together pieces differently...as shown in her personal lookbook...she was amazed at how many different "new" outfits came from her existing wardrobe...she called me a month later to tell me how everyone thought she had gone on a massive shopping spree and had gotten all new clothes...when in actuality...she was wearing all the same clothes...just put together in different ways...

so what are you waiting for? ask a sympathetic friend who has a good sense of fashion to be your designated shop-in-your-closet buddy when you think you have nothing to wear...or have a wardrobe consultant come in to perform a closet audit...it could save you a small fortune...

if you are in need of such a service...give me a call/email

elena daciuk
fabulous finds
415.577.6133
fabulous.finds@yahoo.com

Six Easy Energy-Saving Home Improvement Projects

If you are replacing appliances and building components as part of a remodel then it makes sense to use their energy-efficient counterparts. If not, there are a number of simple and straightforward things that homeowners can do to save energy without tearing out and replacing.

1. Insulate Your Attic
Attic insulation is the single most cost-effective thing you can do to save energy costs. Energy Star recommends R30-R60 attic insulation for the Bay Area. Current building codes require a minimum of R30 but older houses were built with much less (if any). Attic insulation can save you up to 15% on your heating bills. Caution: if you have knob and tube wiring in your attic, consult a professional before installing insulation.

2. Seal Air Leaks and Drafts
The easiest ones to find are located around windows and doors. On the other hand, holes hidden in attics, basements, and crawl-spaces are generally bigger problems. The Energy Star website has a useful diagram showing common energy leak areas, plus a Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating.

3. Insulate Your Windows
If you have single-pane glass in your windows and sliding doors but don't have the budget to change them to double-pane insulated glass, you can still improve their performance. Install light-screening shades that reduce heat load in the summer, but don't block views of your yard. Install insulated drapes or roman shades to reduce heat loss at night in cold weather. The best insulation comes from window coverings mounted on the wall covering both the window and trim.

4. Seal and Insulate Heating and Air Conditioning Ducts
Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent - and sometimes much more.

5. Install a programmable thermostat
This is ideal if everybody in the house is away during regular hours throughout the week. Programmed settings allow you to turn the heat down at night and still wake up to a warm house. They also prevent you from heating your house all day because you forgot to turn down the heat when you left in the morning. A programmable thermostat can save you $180 per year in energy costs.

6. Maintain your Heating/Cooling system
Changing your filter once a month during heavy use times, and a minimum of every 3 months is recommended. A dirty filter will slow down the air flow and make the system work harder to keep your house warm or cool - wasting energy. A yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can make sure that it is running at optimal performance.


See the Energy Star website http://www.energy.ca.gov/ for additional ideas, Do-It-Yourself recommendations, and tips on finding the right contractor.

Karen Drozda
drozda+others architects
kdrozda@dpluso.com
http://www.dpluso.com/