As anyone up-to-speed on technology knows, social media is everywhere. And it’s a powerful tool—if used properly. You can share information in real-time and receive real-time responses and reactions. Therefore, you should be using social media to your advantage when selling your home. You’re probably wondering what social media has to do with selling a home, right? Well, let’s take a look at a couple ways where social media will not only come in handy, but might just help sell your home in real-time.
1. Post your listing
It’s very likely that your listing will be posted on many real-estate sites and even on social media. This is your opportunity to capitalize on that posting and post on your own social media channels. Consider posting to Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. By doing this you are increasing the views that your listing will receive and increasing the likelihood that the right buyer will see your home. And all it takes is one person to love your home for it to sell.
2. Ask your friends to share
Word of mouth goes a long way. Technology’s way of word of mouth is through sharing on social media. And if you want to maximize the amount of people who will see your listing, ask your friends to share the posting—they may even add a little note to their share, which (if positive, hopefully) will only help.
3. Give them a reason to love your home
Add a personal message when sharing your listing. Tell the story of how your daughter took her first steps in the family room or how you felt the first time you walked through the front door. Giving that personal touch will bring positive feelings of your home. It will give the potential home buyer the thoughts of all the firsts that they could experience in that home.
Of course, social media will not sell your home. You should be taking the proper steps suggested by your realtor to get it in optimal shape for selling such as making small updates, decluttering, and removing overly personal items. You should also have great photos of your home for the listing. The photos will make a world of a difference when buyers are looking online. It could make or break whether they even consider your home or attend a showing.
If selling your home is timely then social media should bean important component to your selling strategy. It’s the age of technology and every generation is on social media in some respect, especially the millennial generation. And it’s important to pay attention to the millennials as more and more will begin the home buying process. It’s essential to be where they are and for most, they’re on social media.
Floating shelves offer your space a more streamlined look. Your walls seem less cluttered, which allows your focus pieces to take center stage.
Because floating shelves require less space than traditional shelves, you can put them anywhere all while maintaining your floor space below. They can be any length you choose -- within reason. You can even work around more permanent features like a fireplace, doorway, outlet or window.
You'll be surprised just how easy and affordable it is to install floating shelves and home much they'll delight guests and prospective homebuyers alike. You'd expect something this elegant to require specialized tools and a lot of engineering knowledge to avoid collapse. But follow these simple steps and you'll be enjoying your own in no time.
Here's your step-by-step guide.
Determine how large to make your shelves. To achieve a floating effect, avoid stopping them right at the edge of other features. Give it some space.
*Pro tip* - Mom & Pop hardware and lumber stores will often cut the wood for you, so you don't have to worry about getting a saw.
Each bracket has two 6-inch steel rods. Measure the halfway point between them and mark the wood where it will be against the wall. Drill a 1" wide hole into each shelf edge, 7" deep.
It's time to sand and stain. This process is very straight forward. But do this outside because sawdust will fly everywhere. Sanding not only smooths any rough spots. It also helps the shelves hold a more even stain for a flawless finish.
*Pro tip* Test your stain on an extra piece of the same wood. Stains can be unpredictable depending on the hue of the wood, how it absorbs the dye, etc. You may need to mix two stains to achieve the desired darkness and color.
Install brackets directly into the studs, spaced apart to align with the holes that you drilled into your shelves so that the brackets slid easily into those holes.
Place your shelves over the wall brackets. Because of their design, floating shelves can hold significant weight. But that defeats the purpose. Less is more on a floating shelf. So plan and arrange pieces that accentuate each other.
That's how to build a floating shelf. Follow our blog for more helpful home maintenance and design tips.
Photo by Alex Litvin on Unsplash
You don’t have to worry about getting good seats at your local cinema when you have your very own theater at home. With some planning, you can design a luxurious theater that lets you enjoy movies on the big screen in the comfort of your home. When you’re designing a home theater, keep the following ideas and considerations in mind.
Your home theater should have a projector that offers high-definition video quality and a state-of-the-art sound system for high-quality audio. The size of your screen will depend on how much space you have and what your personal preferences are. You can also have soundproofing done to keep the noise from the movies you watch from bothering the rest of your household if needed.
The kind of lighting you choose for your home theater can make a big difference in the way it looks and the atmosphere it creates. You can have elegant wall sconces installed along the sides of your home theater for an upscale look or have recessed lighting along the ceiling to mimic the lighting used in movie theaters. For a more luxurious appearance, consider having chandeliers or another types of hanging light fixtures installed in your home theater.
The seating in your home theater should offer a comfortable place to spend a few hours at a time watching a movie or two. For a more authentic theater appearance and feel, you can arrange leather chairs or recliners in rows. For a cozier atmosphere, skip the seats and arrange high-end sofas and loveseats in your home theater. This type of furniture lets you lounge while watching movies. Add high-quality blankets and some accent pillows to sofas and loveseats for extra comfort.
A home theater is more than just seats, a screen and a sound system. The right decor can create a cinematic ambience, such as red velvet curtains that open and close in front of the screen. Whether you’re a fan of vintage, glamorous movie theaters or more modern ones, the decor items you choose can add to your movie watching experience. For a more contemporary look, consider framing posters from your favorite films along the walls. You can also add other framed memorabilia from movies.
Depending on the space you have, consider adding a bar or even a concession stand area with a popcorn machine to your home theater. This makes it easy to get snacks and beverages for your movies without having to leave the room.
Are you planning on buying a home by a certain date? It’s unfortunate that life can’t go as we plan it all the time! With a bit of planning finding the right home at the right time is possible. Many times, families are looking to buy a home before the end of the summer. This allows them to get settled in and get the kids started in a new school before the start of the year in September. Just because there are more popular times throughout the year to move doesn’t mean that the inventory of homes changes much as to what’s on the market. Whatever the reason for the short supply of homes, you’ll need to be informed and creative in order to land a house in a high demand market when it’s crunch time. Below, you’ll find some tips to help you on your search.
Every housing market has a bit of a down time. You want to pinpoint that period. Does your location have a time of year where people flee the area for vacations? The holiday season can also be a great time to look. There may still be low supply, but there also will be less competition. Do a bit of research in order to find pricing trends. When the prices dip, you’ll know that’s a time where competition for homes is lower.
When you’re buying a home, no matter what time of year it is, you need to have your lender on call. Make sure that you have been preapproved and that your downpayment money is at your disposal. Sellers like serious buyers who are ready to pass paperwork.
When you’re buying a home on a timeline, you may not have the luxury of searching around endlessly to meet your wishlist. You should have a few musts, but there may be many things that you’ll need to work with or compromise on in finding the right property. You may be able to find a home in the right neighborhood, but it might not have the granite countertops that you’re looking for. When time is of the essence, your home search priorities need to be set straight.
When you’re in a time crunch to land a home, you don’t want to fool around with price. In order to land a home that you love, you might have to offer a bit more than the asking price. There’s no space for a bidding war, a low offer, or an extended search when you need to buy a home fast.
