August 2018 Newsletter
Submitted by RonHanson on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 11:41
I thought I knew what my homeowner’s insurance was for until I spilled paint all down the basement stairs. The bouncing rolling can of pain not only doused the carpeted steps with thick globs of paint, the walls were covered with it as well as the walls at the bottom of the stairs. It was all my fault. I dropped it. On the suggestion of a friend, I called my insurance company. The adjuster came out and we were covered! While that may not be surprising to most people, here are some surprising items your policy might cover (all policies are different. If you have questions about your coverage, consult with your representative!)
Welcome to the August Newsletter from Sterling Home Services! Have you been thinking about selling your home? If you have decided to move forward with listing your home for sale, in addition to scheduling a home inspection, there are other steps you can take to help your home sell quickly. In this month’s newsletter, we list 5 of the biggest mistakes home sellers make. Also, some surprising items that your homeowner’s policy covers. Finally, we’ve done a little research and created a list of four items you should never store in your garage. Enjoy this month’s information and contact us if we can assist you with home inspections!
5 Home Selling Mistakes Made By Home Owners
You have decided to sell your house. You have called in the professionals – home inspector and realtor. You have made all the repairs and upgrades suggested by the pros. You are excited to sell quickly and for a good price. So what’s the problem? Realtor.com recently laid out the top reasons for slow sales or low-ball offers.
Oooh That Smell
Maybe it is the cat box. Maybe it is the dog. Maybe it is the moldy basement. Maybe it is all three but your house reeks. Or maybe it’s just an unpleasant undertone. If your agent or prospective buyers are telling you there’s an odor – don’t argue. Find out what it is and fix it. Give the dog a bath. Change the kitty box daily (or twice daily). Hire a cleaning company. Whatever it takes.
Overly Decorated
Absurd or overpowering paint color combinations and excessive artwork can detract from the positive selling features of the home. Your open floor plan is masked by too much furniture. The natural light is doused by the dark brown paint color. Sellers who work to neutralize their décor as much as possible entice the greatest number of buyers.
Refuse a Showing
Understand that if you want to sell your house you have to make it available to buyers – on their schedule. If you refuse a showing and reschedule for another day – in the future – the buyers will have seen other homes in the meantime. The longer your home sits on the market the lower price you’ll get for it. Buyers tend to be impatient and may not make an effort to get back to see your home.
Attending Their Own Open House and Showings
Let the professionals do their work and make yourself scarce. It is very uncomfortable for a prospective buyer to scrutinize a home with the current resident follo
wing them around. Your efforts to sell the house yourself could backfire, too. By giving away too much information or accidentally highlighting weaknesses or issues with the home or neighborhood.
Bad Photography
Home buyers spend a lot of time going through online listings. You draw more people to your house with good photography. On the day photos are scheduled, make sure the home is impeccably clean. Nothing on the counters, trash cans stored behind doors, dishes put away, clothes picked up, clean towels on the rack, fresh soap in the dish. Put away all the books and magazines. Try to do away with all the evidence that your house is lived in by you. As if you were expecting renters to move in that day. Make sure the photographs highlight the best parts of the room (not the toilet!).
Things That Should Not Be Stored In The Garage
We love our attached garages. It is so convenient not just for safely parking and storing our cars, we also love to stash a lot of stuff in there. Here are four items you should not be storing in your garage…
Food
Especially in the summer food can spoil quickly in the heat of the garage. Even the commercially canned and preserved foods. Humidity and heat can speed up the aging and spoiling process in food. Cold temperatures can cause freezer burn spoilage. Also, as the food freezes and expands it can compromise the container, inviting bacteria.
Pets
Pets do not belong in the garage. The variable temperatures are not safe for them. It is also lonely and dirty out there. If you need to confine your pet from free reign to the house consider a crate or using safety gates to cordon off an area of the house.
Lawnmower
That’s right! Fuel, blades, and engine. This piece of equipment should be stored in a shed outside the home or covered with a protective tarp and stored on the side of the house.
Photographs and Paperwork
If this stuff means anything to you do not keep it out in the garage. The humidity and varying temperatures can ruin photographs and rot any sort of paperwork.
You have a lot of stuff – it is understandable. But know the conditions of your garage and understand it is not, technically, another room in the house. Go ahead and store your tools, cars, and sports equipment in the garage!
You Are Kidding! Homeowners Insurance Covers That?
I thought I knew what my homeowner’s insurance was for until I spilled paint all down the basement stairs. The bouncing rolling can of pain not only doused the carpeted steps with thick globs of paint, the walls were covered with it as well as the walls at the bottom of the stairs. It was all my fault. I dropped it. On the suggestion of a friend, I called my insurance company. The adjuster came out and we were covered! While that may not be surprising to most people, here are some surprising items your policy might cover (all policies are different. If you have questions about your coverage, consult with your representative!)Space Debris
If aliens crash into your house, you could be covered! Also, meteors or airplane parts.
College Dorm Rooms
If your kid lives at home for the summer or when he’s not in school, he could be covered in the case of theft or damage in the dorms. Check with your policy because you may get better coverage from a renter’s policy.
Gravesites
Gravestones, mausoleums, and other funerary items are considered valuables and are often covered by a homeowner’s policy.
Libel and Defamation Law Suits
Really. Apparently, former president Bill Clinton and OJ Simpson both tapped their homeowner’s policies to help pay for legal fees in their libel suits. The liability portion of a homeowner’s policy may cover costs for legal defense and payment of court awards.
Not all policies are the same. Check your policy carefully and if you have any questions consult with your insurance agent. Read more about surprising things covered by your homeowner’s policy on Realtor.com.
Interesting Holidays in August
August 1 – Colorado Day
August 4 – Coast Guard Birthday
August 7 – Purple Heart Day
August 13 – Victory Day in Rhode Island
August 17 – Statehood Day in Hawaii
August 19 – National Aviation Day
August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
August 24 – National Waffle Day
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