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Home Improvement

Massachusetts Moving and Storage With PODS

by Bill Gassett on July 27, 2010 · 3 comments

If you are pretty observant like I am you may have noticed a white container in a local yard that had in big bold lettering the word PODS and wondered what it was. PODS is short for portable on demand storage. More than likely a home owner who has one of these units is either moving or getting ready to move.

PODS offers service to over 200 million people in more than 20,000 cities in 58 states, provinces, and territories throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Whether you are moving across town or across the country PODS are a great alternative to large expensive moving companies. The way the PODS system works is they drop of a pod at your home and you are able to fill it up at your leisure. You are given the flexibility to pack at your own speed and do not have to worry about others touching your belongings. When you are done packing and are ready to move your container, PODS will come and pick it up for you and deliver it wherever you need it to go.

De-cluttering and organizing a home

There is no question that PODS offer a convenient solution to moving. Working as a Massachusetts Realtor however, I have found that one of the biggest benefits is the fact that a pod unit helps de-clutter and organize a home. In a competitive Real Estate market you really need your home to look it’s best if you want to put the most money in your pocket. Home buyers have lots of choices and will look for homes that are in turn-key condition.

Part of a homes appearance that can be easily changed without spending a lot of money is the cleanliness and organization. The goal should be to show off all the rooms in their best light. Staging a Massachusetts home is one of the smartest things you can do as a home seller. Buyers will be much more impressed by a home owner who clearly takes pride in the appearance of their home.

A home that shows well can mean the difference between selling quickly or sitting on the market for months! In the link to the home staging article above I offer a number of tips to getting your home prepared for the market. When I meet with a home seller in the Metrowest Massachusetts area one of the things I am never afraid to do is give advice on how to make their home more appealing to the masses. Of course I know some people are very sensitive about their home but if I don’t make suggestions we both lose!

On a number of occasions I have gone into homes that are just loaded with “stuff”. Some people seem to be collectors and just don’t ever want to give up anything they have ever purchased. As home owners we all accumulate lots of things we don’t even realize we have. If you happen to be a pack rat and just can’t stand to think about throwing anything away the perfect solution is getting a POD.

Benefits of a PODS storage container

PODS delivers a container to you so you can pack it and unpack it at your own pace.
PODS containers can be stored at your home or business for easy access. If you prefer not to have the container in your yard they can be stored in one of the companies dry and secure storage centers.
PODS storage containers come in 3 handy sizes: 8x7x7, 8x8x12, and 8x8x16 (sizes are approximate).
You don’t have to drive a huge truck around town, maneuvering in and out of tight spaces and fill it up with gas when you are done.
The PODS themselves remain at ground level for easy loading and unloading.
You’re not on any time constraints, so there are no late fees or extra charges for taking longer than you expected.
You are able to store your container for a few weeks or a few years.
A pod container can be delivered next day for loading.
You are the only one that has the key to your PODS storage container unit so you can be sure your property is safe.
PODS containers are weather resistant and have been tested to withstand a wind velocity of up to 110 miles per hour when partially filled.
PODS delivery trucks are equipped with a patented lift system that minimizes the shift of contents while in transit to one of their storage center facilities.
PODS Storage Centers feature sophisticated security systems.

If you realize there is quite a bit of excess furniture and other items hanging around your home, think strongly about getting a PODS unit to change the visual appeal.

Are you a Massachusetts home owner and want to get a pricing quote on a PODS storage unit? Click the link….>> Get a Massachusetts PODS Storage Quote.

Home Warranty Benefits For Massachusetts Homes

by Bill Gassett on June 22, 2010 · 6 comments

Home warranties are something you see every now and then being offered by a Massachusetts home seller who is looking to provide a perk and piece of mind to a perspective home buyer.

The seller pays for the warranty upfront and the Realtor advertises that the property comes with a home warranty.

A home warranty is basically a service contract that covers the repair and or replacement of many of the most frequently occurring things that can break down in a home including appliances and home system components such as heating systems, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical items.

A home warranty gives a buyer piece of mind after they move into a home that if a repair crops up they will be covered and it will not turn into a major unexpected expense.

Home warranties used to be popular by just those folks that were selling their home. This is no longer the case as lots of Massachusetts home owners purchase a plan even if they are not selling their home. The typical cost of a home warranty goes for between $350 to $600 per year. There are usually different types of plans that can be purchased and the cost will vary depending on how much you desire to have covered. In other words there are certain levels where you can have just the basics covered like the kitchen appliances, all the way to the major systems in the home.

When an issue crops up that is covered under the home warranty you make a call and a service contractor comes out to view the issue. They are there to make sure that the issue is covered under the plan that you hold. The fee for a service call is in the neighborhood of $50-$100 dollars. Most of the time with these warranties you can expect that only a repair will be made unless it is absolutely necessary for the problem item to be replaced.

People often ask does it matter how old the appliances or systems are when purchasing a home warranty? The answer is that it does not, however the component needs to be in good working order. You can not expect a warranty to be purchased for something that is already defective and asked for it to be covered under the home warranty plan. If only things were that easy! You can expect the home warranty contract to be filled with clauses that will protect the home warranty company for a components prior condition.

In addition if the service contractor determines that you have not been taking care of a particular item the warranty could be voided. For example, lets say the heating system has an issue and is not working properly. If the technician comes out to your home and sees you have not been maintaining the system by regularly changing the filters they may reject your coverage.

The other thing that you need to consider with a home warranty is that although they tell you that you will get a similar product if it fails, it may not be exactly the same. Why could this be an issue? You may have a brand of appliance that you think is rock solid. The fact that you just happen to really like it does not mean that you will get the same brand back if a replacement is needed. You could start out with General Electric and end up with Whirlpool!

So if you are thinking of purchasing a home warranty who should you go with? One of the most respected and well know home warranty companies is American Home Shield. They are the founding and leading Home Warranty Company, and have over 35 years of experience of providing warranty coverage. At the time of this writing they have over 1.3 million home warranties in force nationwide, and over 11,000 contractors in their service network.

American Home Shield leads the industry in delivering innovative home warranty products to their customers. Whenever I have recommended a home warranty to a client, I have always chosen American Home Shield.

According to the American Home Shield website their basic coverage includes: heating systems, water heaters, plumbing and electrical systems, ovens, ranges, garbage disposals, microwaves and cook tops as well as ceiling and exhaust fans and plumbing stoppages.

Or you can expand your coverage to include:

Central A/C, refrigerator, clothes washer, clothes dryer, garage door opener, well pump, pool, spa.

Other well known home warranty companies include 1st American, Old Republic and Fidelity National Home Warranty.

Do I think home warranties sell homes? No I do not but I think they can on some occasions bridge the gap in negotiations if there are older components in a home that may break down shortly after the sale takes place.

On many occasions a home inspector will point out to a buyer that something in the home may be getting close to the end of it’s useful life. In homes where there are components that have reached the end of their lifespan a home warranty could end up saving you quite a few bucks!

Home Improvements With The Worst Return On Investment

by Bill Gassett on June 14, 2010 · 4 comments

One thing I have learned over the years while working as a Massachusetts Realtor is that many folks do not realize the correlation between making improvements to their home and what the corresponding return on investment will end up being.

So many people blindly assume that every improvement they make to their home will bring an automatic 100% return or close to it. Unfortunately this is not the case…far from it. One of the best home improvements you can make to your home is a remodeled kitchen and that generally only brings a 75% return!

I don’t know how many times over the years that I have done an evaluation on a sellers home and they were disappointed to find out the value was not quite what they expected. More often than not it can be traced to the fact that money was put into the home in places where there is a very low return.

So what are some of the worst returning investments in a home?

Swimming pools

Let me 1st preface by saying that adding a swimming pool somewhere other than Massachusetts may add more value in a home. In Massachusetts the time you are able to truly enjoy the use of a swimming pool is around three months. The weather in the New England states in not the same as down south or out west in the Arizona area where temperatures remain much warmer for a larger part of the year.

Swimming pools are generally far more expensive to install in Massachusetts because of our rocky soils. The cost of an in-ground swimming pool can vary quite a bit depending on the size and whether it is a gunite or liner pool. On the lower end your very basic liner pool is going to cost around $40,000 by the time your figure the cost of the pool, fencing, landscaping, etc. A luxury swimming pool can easily go upwards of $100,000 if you go all out with a nice design and frills such as a cabana, fireplace and fancy surfaces around the pool.

When you install a swimming pool in Massachusetts what you really should be thinking about is the enjoyment you are going to get out of having it. Do not expect that you will be getting a good return on your investment. Swimming pools often times can actually end up being a detriment when selling a home. There are many buyers that flat out will not buy a home that has one no matter how beautiful it is.

Are there times where a buyer is specifically looking for a pool? Sure…if you are lucky you may find a buyer that will pay a little more for a home with a pool. Just don’t expect that it will be anywhere close to the money you have sunk into the ground.

A new septic system

While you would never hear a couple saying “hey honey what do you think about getting ourselves a beautiful new septic system?”, the fact of the matter is that many home owners incorrectly assume that a buyer will give you something because you have one. Fat chance!

Replacing a septic system is really one of the worst nightmares a home owner can face. The cost involved with installing a new title V system can put a huge dent in your wallet. The cost of replacing a Massachusetts septic system can vary quite a bit depending on the soils and the ground water level. If there are tough soil conditions and a high water table you could be shelling out $40,000 – $50,000 or more to have a new system installed.

Even if the soil conditions and water table are very favorable you could still expect to be handed a bill of around $10,000. There is no question that replacing a septic system is a huge investment. Replacing a septic system is obviously not something you run out and do because you just feel like it. If your system fails it is a fact of life that it must be replaced. In Massachusetts you can not sell a home without a passing Title V!

The problem is a buyer could care less if you have a new system in the ground. All a buyer is going to care about is when the toilet flushes it works. Do not expect a buyer to pay for your septic problem! You will be lucky if you get the buyer to pay 10%-20% of the cost of installing a new system.

A new roof

There is no question that one of the major components a buyer cares about when purchasing a home is the roof and basement. Of course this stems from the fact buyers never want to think about having a water issue. Surprisingly though home buyers do not care if you have a beautiful new architectural shingle adorning your rooftop.

As an example lets take two identical homes in the same neighborhood one with a twenty year old roof approaching the end of it’s useful life and another home with a new roof. Let’s also assume the new roof would cost the seller $12,000 to replace. Don’t expect the buyer to pay an additional $12,000 for the home. Buyer’s rarely ever pay for the mundane. Buyer’s are far more willing to pay extra for things they can enjoy on a daily basis. A new roof is not one of them. A gorgeous new bath….different story!

There is no question that a swimming pool, septic system and roof are three of the worst home improvements for return on investment in a home. What are some of the others? According to the latest cost vs value remodeling report for the Northeast here are a few more home improvements that do not fair well when it comes time to sell:

A bathroom addition which comes in at a return of 59.5%
A home office remodel which returns 48.1% on investment.
A master suite addition which comes in at 65.2%
A deck addition also has a low return at 60.8%

When it comes time to sell your Massachusetts home remember that some of the improvements you have made may help the saleability of your property but not your bottom line!

Should I Move or Improve My Massachusetts Home?

by Bill Gassett on June 2, 2010 · 2 comments

As a Massachusetts Realtor getting asked the question should I move to another home or improve on my existing home is something I hear fairly often.

The answer to this question often depends on each individual home owners circumstances.

Massachusetts home improvements are cheaper

There is no question that now is a great time to remodel a home in Massachusetts for a number of reasons. The 1st being the cost of a number of building products are down substantially from where they were just a few short years ago. Framing lumber, plywood and drywall are all down by a significant amount.

The labor force for the home building industry has also been devastated with the economic downturn. There are so many building contractors that used to be swamped with work that are finding it hard just to remain busy. The construction industry has been one of the hardest hit in Massachusetts especially out in the Metrowest area.

This environment has made it very difficult for contractors. Some contractors are so desperate for work they are seriously under bidding the value of the job just to remain working. Of course this is good news for home owners as they are able to take advantage of the lowered pricing scale.

Another benefit to the weakness in the building trades is most home owners will not have to wait months for a contractor to show up. The way things are you will probably be able to get a contractor to show up in a matter of days instead of weeks.

Will I be over improving my Massachusetts home?

The question remains though on whether or not the home improvements you would like to make are fiscally responsible. One of the key factors on deciding whether an addition or large improvement makes more sense than moving depends on the neighborhood in which you are located. In other words does the neighborhood support the improvement you are thinking of making?

As an example if you live in a neighborhood where all the homes are around 2000 square feet and you would like to add a 500 square foot “great room” addition this could add a substantial amount of cost to your home. You would now be the big dog in the neighborhood which is a situation that you usually want to avoid in Real Estate. The rest of the smaller homes in the neighborhood will ultimately bring the value of your home down.

This situation could be completely different, however, if there were other larger homes in the neighborhood to support such a big addition.This where the neighborhood and the homes around you become a substantial factor in the decision making process.

Another thing to consider is whether or not the addition would create functional obsolescence. Using the “great room” addition again as an example, lets say you owned a three bedroom 1.5 bath colonial. Would the cost of the addition be an over improvement because you would still have a three bedroom, 1.5 bath home and the homes you would be competing against at the same price point when you got to sell are four bedrooms and 2.5 baths?

I have seen on many occasions where Metrowest Massachusetts home owners have made this mistake and it has cost them big time. For instance a common example is the owner that makes their current three bedroom home into four bedrooms by adding a substantial 2nd floor addition. The problem is they have no made their home “top heavy” The upstairs is very spacious yet the kitchen and family room are still on the small side and don’t match the overall square footage.

In this instance the owner could have been better off at buying an existing four bedroom home with more size in the key areas where most buyers demand it.

Over improving would be something you would want to avoid and certainly could be reason enough to consider moving instead of making the home improvement.

The case for moving

Now is a great time to upgrade to another home for a few reasons. The cost of money is very cheap! Interest rates are near all time lows and allow you to finance a larger amount amount of money for far less than you were able to a few years ago. You might be able to get a larger mortgage for close the same monthly payment you have now if you have not refinanced recently.

In the Metrowest Massachusetts area the value of homes in some communities have dropped by 20-25% from the high water mark in 2005. While the value of your current home has also dropped if you are moving up in the market you will reap the benefits of buying a home that has dropped by a larger amount. In other words if your home was worth $400,000 in 2005 and it dropped in value by 20% it is now worth $320,000 which is a loss of $80,000. The home that was valued at $600,000 in the same year would be worth $120,000 less or $480,000. As you can see there is a difference of $40,000!

Don’t forget quality of life aspects

While the financial aspects of making a move or not should be strongly considered don’t forget the quality of life afforded by home ownership!

Sometimes the thought of whether to move or improve your Massachusetts home should be decided by the things you cannot change about your current property. Things like the amount of traffic on your street, the size of your lot and usability of the yard, how long your commute is to work, your neighborhood quality of life, the school district and the ease in which you get to major traffic routes and shopping. If you love where you are then improving may make more sense. Just make sure you make the right improvements.

If a different location would be an improvement before you even talk about the new home then trading up could be the way to go!

Painting a Massachusetts Home with Duration Paint by Sherwin Williams

May 17, 2010

If you live anywhere in the New England region you know that are weather can go from being beautiful to down right nasty in the blink of an eye. Where I live in Massachusetts a homes exterior can take a terrible beating due to the elements. If your Massachusetts home has clapboard or wood siding [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

Staging and Preparing a Massachusetts Home For Sale

May 6, 2010

Back in the boom times of the Real Estate market from the mid 1990′s until the mid 2000′s getting a Massachusetts home truly ready for the market was far less important than it is today. Every home seller today is in stiff competition with the next guy down the street with far less buyers in [...]

5 comments Read the full article →

Home Improvement

Massachusetts Moving and Storage With PODS

Home Warranty Benefits For Massachusetts Homes

Home Improvements With The Worst Return On Investment

Should I Move or Improve My Massachusetts Home?

Painting a Massachusetts Home with Duration Paint by Sherwin Williams

Staging and Preparing a Massachusetts Home For Sale

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