• Making the decision to hire a home inspector before you perform any major remodeling or updating could be one of the most cost-effective things you could do before adding value to your home. The inspector may find a small problem that could morph into something much bigger (and more serious) down the line, such as a termite infestation or a water leak.
  
• Going green has been the latest buzz word lately – and it is not just for saving the environment, going green means you are also saving a lot of money on your household energy bills.  Energy efficient homes that have upgraded items such as special windows and/or programmable thermostats, save you money and are a marketable asset.  Even if you do not plan on placing your home on the market right away, the re-coup on your savings for the initial costs are usually recovered within a year – depending on what sort of systems you are installing.
• Curb appeal is also a big factor in determining your home’s value – if your home looks worn and weather beaten it will look less desirable in this competitive market.  Landscape improvements can range from lar shade trees (that also help to keep your home cooler and cut air conditioning costs up to 40%) to well manicured flower beds and programmable irrigation systems timed to the most efficient times of day for watering (and some even come equipped with “rain gauges” that keep your system off if there has been rain.  You will not only be adding attractive features to your home, but it will help keep you energy efficient.
  
• Surprisingly enough – your flooring may have a lot to do with your air quality.  Many homes are now moving towards solid flooring such as hardwood, tile, laminate and the many updated versions of new vinyl flooring available.  These items help keep dust and pet dander to a minimum that normally hides in carpeted floors.  Previous water damage can also wreak havoc in your home (and to your body) by harboring mold and mildew spores.  With so many different styles and types or flooring to choose from, any home can easily be upgraded to solid flooring.  So not only will you be improving your home’s air quality, you will also be adding a feature that requires less maintenance than carpeting.  Be sure to check under your old flooring in a test spot – you may just be lucky enough to have hardwood floors underneath!
• Its all about the extras… By adding a small luxury item such as a water filtration system, you are adding value to your home and saving yourself money since you will no longer need bottled water.  There are also tankless water heaters that require much less energy to keep than the ones that require over a hundred gallons of water to be hot 24 hours a day, you can also include instant hot water at water taps so you do not have to heat up plumbing pipes to put hot water out.
  
• A bright idea – Replace old electrical fixtures such as an old ceiling fan for a newer, more updated-looking model. You may purchase a simple model or a wide range of styles and features to upgraded models such as dimming capabilities, remote controls and even outdoor ceiling fans to keep your covered porches cool in the warm Florida summers.  Adding ceiling fans is a quick and inexpensive way to make your home more pleasant on hot days, and will appeal to buyers if you need to sell.  Something as easy as turning on a fan and not having to run the air conditioning system to cool the entire house is a lot better option for a homeowner!

If you are thinking about selling your home, or would just like to know what a buyer would be willing to pay for it in today’s market, feel free to get in touch with us to request a free market analysis, we are more than happy to assist you.

You can email us at Info@TheShultzTeam.com or call us direct at 352-291-1276.

Art & Brigitte Shultz
The Shultz Team
#1 Team at Re/Max Premier Realty
Ocala, FL
Toll Free: 800-243-4087
Direct: 352-291-1276
Info@OcalaVisualTours.com
www.OcalaVisualTours.com
* FREE OCALA MOVING TRUCK WHEN YOU BUY OR SELL THROUGH THE SHULTZ TEAM! *

Here in Ocala, FL we love our pets – and so do you!  Living with a pet can be very rewarding, and we know how much pets have become a cherished part of our family.  We wanted to offer some pet-friendly homeowner tips for those thinking about putting their property on the market.  Any homeowner who shares space with a pet knows that not everyone may be as receptive to them as you are. (They are our babies after all, right?)  The following tips are provided to keep your house as clean and fresh-smelling as possible.

• The invisible pet. Sometimes owning a pet can put a bad stigmatism on the property for buyers – they may think that the property will smell, carry covered-up pet stains, harbor allergy-inducing dander, chewing/claw damage on floors and baseboards, etc…  Sometimes the best remedy for a pet owner is to make the buyers feel as if there was no pet at all.  A daily chore to pick up pet bedding, food bowls, hide litter boxes and dispose of “outdoor doggie debris” will appear as if your home never had a pet at all.  This will nip those stigmatisms in the bud and allow the buyer to view the home with an open mind.
• Pet odors. All types of pet hair has an aroma, most of which homeowners can become desensitized to over time, but are immediately noticeable to those with more finely tuned olfactory senses.  Vacuum on a regular basis (at least weekly), even if the pet hair in question matches your furniture and you cannot see it. We promise you, your potential buyers can detect it. There are vacuums on the market made especially for picking up animal hair.
• Regular baths. Sorry Fido.  This is obvious, but a regularly bathed pet makes for a clean house. Stopping odors at their source is one of the best preventative measures you could possibly take. One pet tip we have found is using a coal-tar shampoo, the shampoo strips hair clean of dirt and oil build-up, the clean scent is long lasting and it is great for keeping their skin healthy.  If you would like to do a little extra, you may also opt to condition the pet’s coat – this will prolong those good-smelling aromas.
  
• Nail care. Keeping your pet’s nails trimmed also cuts down on scratched floors and fabrics.  It also allows for less dirt to be picked up outside and brought into your home.
  
• Fighting stains. Look into a product known as Crypton. It is a stain-resistant fabric that includes suedes and twills. As always, leather and Ultrasuede are great choices for pet owners as they are less likely to harbor odors.  Carpets must be deep-cleaned as opposed to spot-treated.  Most marketed carpet cleaners do not get deep into the carpet and/or padding.  This means that the stains will lift up from deep within the carpet only to haunt you by returning later.  We have had great results with Stanley Steamer carpet cleaners, their commercial shampooing vacuums have the ability to jet in high-powered hot soapy water to blast out the dirt and enzymes, then uses high-power suction to take the dirty wash water away.  Spot removers usually just move the dirt around on the carpet and do not actually lift the problem away, thus causing an on-going issue.
  
• Flooring alternatives. If you are deciding on new flooring or an upgrade, nix the wall-to-wall carpeting.  Carpet and padding absorb odors, trap pet hair and soak up stains. Hardwood, tile and laminate floors make for easy maintenance and help reduce allergies and are seen as a “plus” over vinyl flooring.
• Appropriate toys. Rubber toys are a great alternative to pig’s ears and rawhide bones, especially if you have a mad chewer.  Chew toys such as Kongs and Nylabone not only keep your pet busy for long periods of time, have different densities of rubber for different chew power but are better for your pet’s health with no fat and little to no calories.  Pig’s ears and certain types of chew bones will most certainly stain your carpet (be sure to read the labels of your pet products).
  
• Pet-sitter. Sometimes the best remedy is to perhaps have a friend or family member “baby-sit” your pet while your home is on the market, this will allow you to clean up pet dander and the odor will be greatly reduced.  Remember, not all people are “pet people” and you want the home to show as neutral as possible.
  

To learn about more interesting things for your home with pets go to www.everydaystudio.com and www.animalhousestyle.com.  For more tips on selling your home, feel free to visit our Just For Ocala FL Sellers portion of our website.  You will find more information on home selling secrets, free seller reports and request a comparative market analysis to see what your home is worth in today’s Marion County Real Estate Market.  Check out our latest Ocala Florida Real Estate Market Statistics as well!

For more detailed statistics or a free market analysis, please call or e-mail us.
Info@TheShultzTeam.com or call us direct at 352-291-1276.

Art & Brigitte Shultz
The Shultz Team
#1 Team at Re/Max Premier Realty
Ocala, FL
Toll Free: 800-243-4087
Direct: 352-291-1276
Info@OcalaVisualTours.com
www.OcalaVisualTours.com
* FREE OCALA MOVING TRUCK WHEN YOU BUY OR SELL THROUGH THE SHULTZ TEAM! *