How to Sell a House Fast in a Declining Housing Market

By Mark J. Donovan

Minor Home Improvements that will Sell your House

When the housing market is declining and you want to sell your house it is more important than ever that your home look the best it can. Though making sure your home is clean, organized and uncluttered are critical factors in successfully selling a house; making some minor home improvements can also be key. Painting, fixing crack tiled floors, gluing down curled vinyl or linoleum floors, refinishing wood floors, replacing old exterior lighting fixtures, trimming shrubs around the home exterior, eliminating old ceiling water stains from previous roof leaks are just a few of the ideas. All of these minor home improvements can transform an older home into a new home with limited costs and time.

Paint Interior Walls

If your interior walls are looking shabby with marks and dents, and old nail holes then fill in the holes and repaint the walls. However, make sure you do a quality job by taping all trim first and cutting carefully around the ceiling. Nothing can hurt the appearance of a room more than a poor paint job.

Fix Cracked Tile Floors

If you have tile floors in your home’s entrance way and kitchen, make sure that you have fixed any broken tiles prior to attempting to sell your house. These are two highly visible and important areas of your home and poor flooring in these areas can make or break the selling of your home.

Glue Down Curled Edges on your Vinyl or Linoleum Floors

If your vinyl or linoleum flooring was put in after your kitchen or bath cabinets and appliances were installed, chances are there has been some curling at the edges of the Vinyl or Linoleum flooring. Apply some glue underneath the curling edges and press the vinyl or linoleum flooring back into place. You will need something heavy to hold down the edges while the glue dries.

Re-sand and Refinish your Wood Floors

If you wood floors are in rough shape then re-sand and refinish them. Quality wood floors can be a real selling point in a home. Scratched up wood floors, however, can be a real turn off to potential homebuyers.

Re-Paint the Ceiling to Eliminate Water Stains

If you roof at one time had a leak, make sure there are no ceiling stains. If there are, then repaint the ceiling. Ceiling paint is very inexpensive and can be easily applied with a roller and a couple hours of work. Leaving ceiling stains visible to potential homebuyers invites questions about your roof’s integrity. No future homeowner is interested in having to replace the shingles on the home as soon as they move in.

Update your Exterior Home Lighting

If your home is at least 5 years old and your exterior home lighting is made out of brass, or brass plating, chances are that it is dingy and faded and quite frankly an eye sore. Again, outdoor entrance way lighting is one of the first things a potential homebuyer sees. Installing two or three exterior lights is relatively inexpensive compared to delaying the selling of your home in a declining housing market.

Trimming Exterior Shrub

If your home’s front exterior shrubs are overgrown and swallowing up your home’s front exterior then pull out the trimmers and aggressively remove the overgrowth so that the homes front exterior can be seen again.

Power Wash the Exterior Siding

Make sure there is no mold and dirt visible on your home’s siding. Use a power washer and a proper detergent to remove any mold and mildew on the exterior of the home. Nothing looks worse to a potential homebuyer than to see a green sheen running up the home’s exterior.
With these minor home improvements, and pricing your home right to begin with, you can dramatically increase the chances of selling your home quickly. It is important to note that a potential homebuyer usually makes an impression of your home in the first 8 seconds of seeing it. Thus, it is critical that the home’s exterior, entranceway, and key rooms look as good as new before they show up at your door.

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes and is a licensed real estate agent. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com/ and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com/

New Home Construction Bid Sheet

Are you in the process of finding a builder to build you a new home. Then the HomeAdditionPlus New Home Construction Bid sheet is a must. It provides you advice and a checklist for new home construction that will save you aggravation and money.

Room Addition Bid Sheet

Adding a Room Addition, such as a Family Room, onto your home is similar to building a new home. Having it aesthetically meld into your existing home is even more of a challenge. If knowing what needs to be considered to ensure your Room Addition project is done right is imperative to you, then the HomeAdditionPlus Room Addition Bid Sheet is a must. It provides you advice, a breakdown of expected costs, and a checklist for potential contractors to fill out, saving you time aggravation and money.

Garage Addition Bid Sheet

Adding a Garage onto your home is similar to building a new home. Having it aesthetically meld into your existing home is even more of a challenge. If knowing what needs to be considered to ensure your Garage Addition project is done right is imperative to you, then the HomeAdditionPlus Garage Addition Bid Sheet is a must. It provides you advice, a breakdown of expected costs, and a checklist for potential contractors to fill out, saving you time aggravation and money.

Basement Remodeling Bid Sheet

Turning a Basement into a finished room or rooms can increase the living area of your home by up to 100%. Many people convert unfinished basements into Family Rooms, Billiard Rooms, Bars and Bathrooms. If knowing what needs to be considered to ensure your Basement Remodeling project is done right is imperative to you, then the HomeAdditionPlus Basement Remodeling Bid Sheet is a must. It provides you advice, a breakdown of expected costs, and a checklist for potential contractors to fill out, saving you time aggravation and money.

Kitchen Remodeling Bid Sheet

Kitchen Remodeling is one of the best investments you can make in your home. However the costs of remodeling can vary greatly depending on the type of cabinets and appliances you desire, and the contractor you select. The HomeAdditionPlus Kitchen Remodeling Bid Sheet will help you ask the right questions when finding a contractor. It provides you advice, a breakdown of expected costs, and a checklist for potential contractors to fill out, saving you time aggravation and money.

Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet

Remodeling your Bathroom can turn an outdated home into a new home and it has one of the best Returns on Investment for home remodeling projects. However the costs of bathroom remodeling can vary greatly depending on the type of bathroom fixtures you desire, and the contractor you select. The HomeAdditionPlus Bathroom Remodeling Bid Sheet will help you ask the right questions when finding a contractor. It provides you advice, a breakdown of expected costs, and a checklist for potential contractors to fill out, saving you time aggravation and money.

Asphalt Driveway Paving Bid Sheet

Asphalt paving can really dress up the curb appeal of your home. If constructed correctly an asphalt driveway can last 25-30 years. The HomeAdditionPlus Asphalt Driveway Paving Bid Sheet will help you ask the right questions when finding a paving contractor so that you get a high quality driveway at an affordable price.

Brick and Paver Walkway Bid Sheet

Planning to dress up the outside of your home by installing a new Brick/Paver Walkway, but not sure how to find the right landscaping contractor? The HomeAdditionPlus Brick and Paver Walkway Bid Sheet will help you find the right landscaping contractor by providing you with the right questions to ask prospective contractors. Ensure your Brick or Paver Walkway is installed correctly and to your satisfaction

Shower Pan Membrane Liner Installation EBook

If you are planning to build a custom ceramic tile shower in your home and want to ensure a leak-proof shower then you need the Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Shower Pan Membrane Liner EBook will quickly teach you the step-by-step process for installing the shower pan membrane liner correctly.

Restoring Steel Baseboard Heating Element Covers EBook

If your tired of looking at those rusted Steel Baseboard Heating Element Covers in your bathroom and want to do something about it, then you'll want to see the Refinishing Baseboard Heating Element Cover Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com

Changing a Toilet Wax Ring EBook

If your toilet is leaking around the base and/or you constantly smell a bad odor in the bathroom, chances are the wax ring on your toilet has failed and it needs to be replaced. See the Changing a Toilet Wax Ring Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com to get simple to read, step-by-step instructions on how to replace the wax ring yourself.

Installing a New Window Ebook

If your old wooden window is drafty, does not open or close well, or is showing signs of water damage and decay, it is probably time to think about replacing it with a new state-of-the-art Low-E glass, vinyl clad window. See the Installing a New Window Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com to get simple to read, step-by-step instructions on how to replace the old window yourself.

Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook

So you've just had a new window installed in your home and you now need to install Interior Window Trim. You're thinking this is a project that you would like to do yourself, but not quite sure how to go about it. Well HomeAdditionPlus.com has come to your aid! See the Installing Interior Window Trim Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com to get simple to read, step-by-step instructions on how to install interior window trim yourself.

How to Replace an Old Window in Your Home

A Guide to Installing a New Window in Your Home

By Mark J. Donovan

If your old wooden window is drafty, does not open or close well, or is showing signs of water damage and decay, it is probably time to think about replacing it with a new state-of-the-art Low-E glass, vinyl clad window.

Also, if the glass pane associated with your existing old wooden window is foggy or you can feel cold drafts during the winter months emanating out from around it, or you need to hold it open during the summer months with a prop of some sort then it is definitely time to replace it.

Replacing an old window is something a Do It Yourself homeowner can tackle with some basic carpenters knowledge and a few basic carpentry tools that you probably already have in your home.

Purchasing the Proper New Window

Prior to installing a new window you first need to figure out what size window to purchase. The key parameter required when ordering a new window is its rough opening. This is specified by the window manufacturer and tells you how large of an opening you need for installing a specific window. Typically the rough opening is 1 to 2 inches taller and wider than the actual window itself.

You may need to remove the interior trim from around the old window to obtain the rough opening dimensions for your new window.

Make sure you purchase a new window that has rough opening requirements that are equal to or smaller than your measurements.

Removal of the Old Window

Once you have purchased your new window it is time to remove the old one. Using a hammer and a claw remove the old exterior trim and any nails that may be securing the window to the home. There may be a nailing flange around the perimeter of the old window. Simply use your hammer and claw to remove these nails.

With the nails removed the window should be able to be pulled out of the window frame opening.

Installation of the New Window

With the old window out, it is now time to install the new window. Before, installing the new window, make sure the rough window opening is clear of any debris and any old nails.

Place the new window into the window opening and center it within the window frame.

Use a level and a measuring tape to make sure the window is plumb and square, otherwise the window will not work properly. You may need to add some shims to plumb and square up the new window.

Once the window is plumb and square within the window frame, fasten it with a couple of nails. With most new windows they come with a nailing flange that makes nailing the window to the outside home exterior straightforward.

When nailing the window, start on the upper right hand side and work your way down with just a couple of nails. Check again with the level to make sure the window is level and plumb. Also take one more look on the inside of the window to make sure the window is square and centered.

If the window has remained square and plumb, go ahead and install a couple of additional nails on the other side of the window. Again, one at the top, and the other about halfway down the window.

Then go into the home and remove/cut away the retention bands that held the window square during the window installation. Slide the windows up a down and see if they operate smoothly.

If the window operates smoothly go ahead and add additional nails every 4-6 inches around the nailing flange of the window. If it does not, you may need to remove one or more of the initial nails installed and readjust the window to make sure it is plumb and square.

With the window now installed, add new trimboards around the window perimeter on both the inside and outside of the window and enjoy your new view.

For more information on installing a new window, see the Installing a New Window Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Installing a New Window Ebook provides easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to remove an old window and install a new one. Pictures are included for every key step in the process

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Exterior trim and Azek Exterior Trimboards

By Mark J. Donovan

More and more homeowners are turning to man made exterior door and window trim products to lower home maintenance tasks, reduce building costs, and to extend the longevity of their homes. In addition, installing external trim boards on a home can morph the appearance of an otherwise ordinary vinyl clad home into that of a custom home.

If you are building a new home or remodeling your home’s exterior trim, and you are looking for low maintenance exterior trim material with long life cycles then you will want to consider Azek trimboards.

Azek trimboards are made from cellular PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) and are uniquely designed for exterior and interior home trim applications. Azek trimboard products include standard trimboards, cornerbead, beadboard and even sheet boards for soffits. Azek PVC products also include millwork products such as interior trimboards, fascia boards and detailed mouldings.

Key Features

Some of the key attributes that I find most attractive about Azek exterior trimboards are:

• They come in standard milled lumber dimensions
• They can be installed using standard woodworking tools and nails
• They come in either natural or semi-matte white colors and can accept paint or stain, thought painting/staining is not required.
• Most importantly, they are extremely low maintenance as they are immune to moisture

Quality and Consistency

Also since they are manufactured, versus harvested from a forest, Azek trimboards’ quality is consistent and uniform throughout the entire trimboard. Thus, there are no knots, voids, or twists in the material. In addition, all the edges are perfectly square and smooth so excellent joinery is ensured. Again, they come in standard lumber stock widths. Normally they are sold in 18 to 20 foot lengths and come with a protective wrap.

Because Azek trimboards are manufactured with PVC they will not absorb moisture. As a result, unlike wood trimboard products that are moisture absorbent, Azek trimboards will not twist, warp, cup or rot. Azek provides a 25 year warranty.

Easy Installation with Standard Tools

In addition, because PVC is flexible Azek trimboards can be flexed and shaped around curves avoiding any cutting and providing a cleaner finished look to archways.

As I indicated early Azek trimboards can be cut using standards saws with carbide tips and be fastened using standard hammers or nail guns. As with all exterior trimboards they can be fastened using stainless steel or hot dipped galvanized ring nails. They can also be glued together with special PVC glues that are readily available.

Pre-drilling holes is not required, but can be done using standard drill bits; however as with all power cutting tools the blades should be sharp to avoid excessive frictional heat build up.
Azek trimboards can also be routed using standard carbide routing bits. Routing edges are left clean and as crisp as the rest of the material.

Azek trimboards have been designed to look and feel like standard premium grade lumber and are available in either smooth or rough finish.

Costs

Azek trimboards are expensive. They can be up to 2 times the cost of traditional woods. However the cost is justified by the fact that maintenance is not required and that the entire product can be utilized. Again, with wood trim boards; there are frequently knots, cracks or split ends that prevent the full use of the lumber which results in effective higher linear costs per foot.

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com/ and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com/