5 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Home for 2023

Whether you begin your post-holiday home “reset” the day after Christmas or later into 2023, going through your home with a critical eye as we enter into a new year is a great way to prepare yourself and your home for the year ahead.

Today we’re diving into five tasks that you can do around your home to simplify and reset after the holiday season. 

1. Declutter

Start by going through each room of your home and getting rid of any clutter or items that you no longer need or use. Start by doing a sweep of your home, keeping an eye out for expired products (such as beauty products or medications), excess of the same kinds of items, things that you haven’t used or use less than once a year, etc. 

An easy way to make faster decisions when you’re decluttering is to make four piles of items. – trash, donations, give-away (to friends or family), and keep. Then once you’re done, you know exactly what to do with each category! 

When you reduce the overall number of items in your home, you not only reduce the stress that can come along with too much clutter, but you also make it much simpler to clean your home on a daily basis. 

2. Deep Clean

Speaking of cleaning, be sure to give your home a thorough cleaning at the beginning of the year. We’re talking baseboards, dusty corners, scrubbing toilets, wiping down cabinets, etc. Leave no surface untouched! 

By doing a deep clean, your home will feel fresh for the new year, but also will be much easier to maintain a clean-feeling home with regular vacuuming, wiping counters, etc. 

3. Transition Decor

New year, new home decor! After the holidays, there is something refreshing about taking down the seasonal decor and replacing it with either your year-round decorations or a more general winter theme. Regardless of what kind of decorations you choose to put up in place of holiday trimmings, use this time to evaluate where you may want to change or update your home’s decor. This could include adding new throw pillows, curtains, or artwork, or repainting a room in a fresh, new color.

4. Take Stock

After traveling, or hosting for the holidays is the perfect time to take stock in your home. This means taking a look at your linens – for example – to assess your towels and sheets. Do you have enough? Is it time to replace anything? 

If you take the time to make these decisions before you’re in a towel or sheet emergency, you’ll be prepared for anything in your home over the next twelve months. 

5. Set Goals

A new year isn’t just about resolutions for yourself personally or professionally. It’s also a great opportunity to set goals and make plans for your home as well. Are you wanting to make any renovations to your home? Maybe you want to add a deck or redo your kitchen. Whether big ticket changes or budget-friendly DIY projects, the start of a new year is a good time to plan for these.

As you’re making plans, don’t forget to start thinking about budgeting for your home projects as well. When you consider your budget in advance, those projects can feel more intentional and fun rather than stressful. 

 

Regardless of price point, our team is united in their efforts to support the client, support each other, and get the job done in the best way possible. Paula Higman Real Estate is a unique team of talented and diverse individuals with a passion for success and client satisfaction.

Contact Paula Higman today and let us take this journey with you to marketing and selling your home for the best value, to the biggest luxury real estate market out there.

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What You Should Know About Buying a Home in 2023

While the housing market is certainly cooling off from the sky-high prices of the past few years, rising interest rates may be keeping the market in a tricky position for the coming year. 

 

Is a new home on the horizon for your family in 2023? Despite the ever-changing climate of home-buying, we’re here to help you navigate the coming twists and turns you may face along the way. 

A Sellers Market

 

The first thing to understand, whether this is your first time in the home-buying process or your tenth, is that we’re currently still experiencing a seller’s market. A seller’s market is a real estate market in which there are more buyers than there are homes available, resulting in higher prices and increased competition among buyers. While we’re experiencing a cooling off of the intensity, homes will stay on the market for shorter periods of time and buyers may need to make more concessions – whether in the budget, location, etc. 

Tips & Advice for Homebuying in 2023

If you are considering finding your dream home in 2023, here are some of our best tips for staying sane through the process: 

 

1. Get Pre-approved First. 

 

Before you start looking at homes, it is important to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This will give you a clear idea of your budget and will make you a more competitive buyer. 

This critical first step also ensures that you’re ready to put an offer on a property as soon as you decide you’d like to purchase it, rather than having to go through the process of getting approved after finding an interesting house. 

 

This step can ultimately make or break your ability to have a competitive offer on “the one”, so don’t skip out on this simply because you don’t think you’re ready to put an offer down. If you get pre-approved in advance, you can usually have your lender extend your pre-approval with no penalty to you as the borrower. This leaves you ready at a moment’s notice if you should find your dream house unexpectedly. 

 

2. Work With a Real Estate Agent.

 

Put simply, there is no reason to not use a real estate agent. They’re low-cost or free to use as a home buyer (depending on the agent you work with), and home buying and selling are what they do for a living. Don’t stress yourself out about negotiating with the seller’s agent or researching every aspect of the purchase contract. Work with a seasoned professional and let them do what they do best. 

 

When you work with a real estate agent that you trust, you’re able to not only stress less through the entire process but also gain insight into elements such as similar sales and the concessions that were made to benefit the buyers in those instances. As an outsider, those are things you simply may not be aware of on your own. 

 

3. Be Flexible. 

 

The current market is a challenging one, especially for those looking to purchase a home for the first time. The best thing you can do as a buyer aside from financial preparation is to be more flexible with your expectations and necessities. Many borrowers are paying nearly double what they would have in 2021 due to rising interest rates, and inevitably that is leading to less value for money overall. 

 

You can absolutely maintain a deal-breaker list, but we urge you to consider areas, properties, and perhaps even types of homes that you may not have considered in an ideal situation. Boil your must-haves to the absolute essentials and broaden your search as much as possible. That’s not to say that you can’t find a home that ticks every box, but by expanding your search you’ll be more likely to find a home that meets your needs and is within your set budget. 

 

Whatever the year brings, it’s important to be as prepared as you possibly can. A challenging housing market may be an inconvenience to finding and moving into your dream home, but with preparation and a solid real estate team, your dream home can become a reality for your family’s next chapter.

            

Regardless of price point, our team is united in their efforts to support the client, support each other, and get the job done in the best way possible. Paula Higman Real Estate is a unique team of talented and diverse individuals with a passion for success and client satisfaction.

Contact Paula Higman today and let us take this journey with you to marketing and selling your home for the best value, to the biggest luxury real estate market out there.

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What Size Rug Do I Need for My Living Room?

 

1. Go big

The universal bugaboo seems to be skimpiness.  When a rug is too small, it creates distracting broken space between the rug and the furniture surrounding it, getting the largest size rug a living room can accommodate.

2. Leave some framing floor

Rugs should never touch the wall. We’d call that a carpet. Aim for at least 4 inches of bare flooring from the edge of the rug to the wall. The ideal is 12 to 18 inches.

3. Put furniture on the rug

When placing furniture, most experts fall into one of two camps: 1) All of the furniture needs to be on the rug or 2) just the front legs of each major piece—sofa and accent seating—does.

4. Choose the rug first

“It’s far easier to build a design scheme around a rug than it is to hunt for a rug that miraculously ties a room together,” said Tim Sheridan, brand ambassador for carpet and rug purveyor Stark. If you’re just beginning a room, you might want to heed this advice.

5. Lay some tape

For best results when considering a carpet, break out the yardstick. Take the time to measure and tape out the exact size of the rug on your floor, It might feel like an extra step, but it will make all the difference.

         

 

Regardless of price point, our team is united in their efforts to support the client, support each other, and get the job done in the best way possible. Paula Higman Real Estate is a unique team of talented and diverse individuals with a passion for success and client satisfaction.

Contact Paula Higman Real Estate today and let us take this journey with you to marketing and selling your home for the best value, to the biggest luxury real estate market out there.

 

Ensure that you have the best representation when buying and/or selling in Park City. 

Contact Paula Higman Real Estate Park City at 435-602-8228 

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Silver Star Development- Steps to the Silver Star lift

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Imagine having all of these amenities just steps away! Ski Lift that takes you to 7,300 acres and 330+ trails, 18 holes public golf course that everyone is sure to love, endless trails for hiking and biking, spectacular views, and Silver Star Café - an award-winning restaurant in Park City, Utah with great food, service, and live music!

This well-appointed single-level Silver Star is Turn-key ready. Designer touches throughout, open living spaces, dining room, and gourmet kitchen have all of the comforts of home. Two bedrooms all en-suite. Two incredible decks take to advantage of different view corridors - perfect for morning coffee or apres ski. Enjoy the private, eight-person hot tub after a long day on the mountain. There is also an amazing community pool, fitness center, and Silver Star shuttle that take you to Historic Park City, Main Street - home to over 200 unique businesses and the trailhead to your mountain town adventure. Visitors can shop among over 100 independent boutiques, dine at 50 one-of-a-kind restaurants, relax at a restorative spa, ride the town lift to play in the mountains, stay in style within a short walk of everything, revel in our spirited nightlife, discover something to treasure from our lively art community, connect with me I am someone who can help you start a life in Park City, or meet within the heart of a mountain town.

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Regardless of price point, our team is united in their efforts to support the client, support each other, and get the job done in the best way possible. Paula Higman Real Estate is a unique team of talented and diverse individuals with a passion for success and client satisfaction.

Contact Paula Higman Real Estate today and let us take this journey with you to marketing and selling your home for the best value, to the biggest luxury real estate market out there.

 

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Create a Home Maintenance Checklist

 

Your vehicle requires routine maintenance to run smoothly, and the same goes for your house. Without service reminders, however, it can be easy to forget to tend to all the systems that keep your house fully functioning. Fortunately, you can create a simple annual maintenance checklist to properly care for your home and prevent potential issues from becoming major problems. Start by making a list of each task you'll need to complete over the coming year. Make sure your yearly home inspection includes all major systems (HVAC, electrical, and plumbing), the interior and exterior of your home, water and septic tanks, doors and windows, and the attic or basement if applicable. When that's done, organize the list according to how often each item needs to be checked or maintained and set reminders accordingly. Your home maintenance checklist might start to look similar to this: Monthly Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Change air filters in the heating and air conditioning system. Clean range hood filters to avoid possible grease fires. Trim back any shrubbery or plant growth around the outdoor HVAC unit by at least 18 inches. Quarterly Check and wipe down sliding doors and window tracks. Replace batteries in smoke detectors. Test garage door and grease tracks as needed. Semiannually Clear gutters of spring and fall foliage. Power wash windows and siding. Schedule seasonal service of the HVAC system before summer and winter. Annually Inspect and insulate pipes to protect them from freezing. Trim trees and shrubs away from the home's exterior. Touch up exterior paint and check for wood rot or water damage. Check grouting in the kitchen and bathroom and repair if necessary. A home maintenance checklist will make it easier for you to manage the upkeep of your house. It can also help you catch minor issues before they become costly home repairs.

I hope you are having a great day!

For Builders and Buyers, Lumber is a Bummer

 

Over the past several years we’ve seen real estate prices climb higher and higher due to a limited supply and an increased demand, but a new factor is pushing prices up even further: the skyrocketing price of building materials. So, what’s behind these increased prices, and, more importantly, when can we expect some relief?

We’re all painfully aware that the pandemic triggered widespread supply chain issues, and building materials have been no exception. Supplies of steel, aggregates, and cement have dried up, but the trend might be most noticeable when it comes to lumber.

Nearly every aspect of home construction necessitates lumber – framing, trim, doors, flooring, windows, railings, and cabinets. The pandemic shut down lumber mills across the country, and supply chains were slowed by a shortage of truck drivers. Low-interest rates and a lack of existing inventory increased demand for new construction, and all that new construction increased demand for lumber. It’s a perfect storm of demand outpacing supply. According to Markets Insider, lumber prices rose by over 400% between May of 2020 and May of 2021, with the price per thousand board feet going from $327 to $1,645 during that time span. That figure has been corrected since May, but, as of this writing, prices are still substantially higher than this time last year. The rise in lumber prices has added almost $36,000 to the price of an average new single-family home, and nearly $13,000 to that of a new multi-family home. Building material supply shortages, coupled with increased prices for land, means buyers will continue to see high prices for new builds for at least the foreseeable future. Last year, home price inflation reached 11.4%, but experts predict a slowdown to 8.1% through 2021. By 2023, price growth is expected to slow to 4%. To put it another way, the surge in home prices is expected to slow, but it’s going to take a few years as supply chains and workforces return to pre-pandemic levels of productivity.

Vacation with Peace of Mind Ready to finally take that extended vacation this summer? Since it’s probably been a minute (or 751,680 minutes) since you’ve last traveled, here are a few helpful reminders for ensuring your home stays mishap-free while you’re away. Set Your Thermostat If you have an AC, heat pump, or evaporative cooling unit, make sure to leave it on to prevent mold, mildew, and other conditions caused by heat and humidity. Adjust your thermostat to 4 degrees higher than you would if you were home, which will reduce energy use while ensuring that the unit runs periodically. If you can, invest in a smart thermostat, which will allow you to monitor and control conditions at home via a handy smartphone app wherever you are. Turn Water Off When you are going to be away for an extended period, it's a good idea to turn off your main water line. This can prevent plumbing leaks from occurring in your absence, which otherwise could result in significant water damage and costly repairs. After shutting off the main water valve, let your kitchen and bathroom faucets run dry, ensuring that no water is left in the pipes. If shutting the water off isn’t an option due to sprinklers or other considerations, consider investing in some water leak detection sensors. Modern water detectors connect to your smartphone and will notify you if a leak is detected, and since kits start at around $40, they can be a smart investment whether you’re traveling or not. Double Down on Smart Security As with water sensors and smart thermostats, other smart security devices are now more affordable than ever. To give the appearance that someone is home, use smart plugs to toggle lights, fans, or radio while you’re away. Also, consider a smart security system – modern systems feature contract-free, affordable monitoring, quick DIY installation, and remote monitoring notifications. Wrap Toilet Bowls with Plastic Wrap By wrapping your toilet bowls, you are preventing sewer fumes from entering your home. Leaving your toilets unwrapped can result in a less-than-pleasant "welcome home" smell when you walk in the door. Just be sure to mark the cling wrap with a big, bold "X" or other warning symbols as a reminder for when you return. Empty the Fridge, Take Out the Trash No one wants to come home to a moldy, stinky science experiment in their fridge, so make sure to dump anything perishable from the refrigerator and take the garbage out. Your future self will thank you.

The Cost of Selling a Home

 Perhaps you've seen the signs in front of some homes: "For Sale by Owner." The assumption for most of us is that this seller has decided to avoid paying agent fees and is hoping to pocket those fees. Is this a good idea though?

Agents' fees are just one of the many costs of selling a home. Let's take a look at these and other costs you're likely to encounter when you sell your home.

1. Real estate agent's fees.
   Real estate agents usually charge 5-6 percent of the home purchase price. (Be sure to ask potential agents about the commission fee. Agree on terms in writing.)  Seller's agents are likely to split commissions with buyer's agents, who usually don't charge clients.
   
   If you're thinking about trying to sell your home yourself, be mindful of all the things you'll have to do and all the costs involved: marketing and signs, photography, hosting an open house, and legal representation for paperwork. There's also the real estate agent's extensive knowledge that helps them negotiate the best price. Are you up for all that? Having a real estate agent also opens you up to a wider pool of potential buyers by listing your home on the MLS (multiple listing services). 
   
   
2. Property taxes.
   Sellers owe a prorated share of property taxes. That figure could run from zero to several thousand dollars, depending on the due date of the taxes. You might also face a capital gains tax, depending on how much profit you make for your home. 
   
   
3. Mortgage payoff.
   You'll have to pay off your mortgage but count on the payoff amount is different from the balance due listed on the last mortgage statement because of interest charges. 
   
   
4. Title policy for a new homeowner.
   The seller sometimes pays for a new homeowner's title policy at an average cost of $1000. Also, if a title search reveals a lien on a home, that lien should be settled before you can sell the home. 
   
   
5. Home repairs.
   You may have to shoulder the costs of major home repairs to make the sale go through. Otherwise, you might have to discount the sale price. Another option for an older home is a home warranty, priced from $300-600 for a one-year warranty. This would cover most of the repair costs if something major breaks down after the sale.
   
   
6. Moving costs.
   Even if you pack up your home yourself, there are still costs for materials and movers. The cost of moving will vary, but count to pay on average $1250 for a local move and $4890 for a long-distance move.
   
   
7. Home staging.
   Let's say your home doesn't sell as quickly as you'd hoped. You may want to enlist the services of a professional home stager. These pros will come into your home, assess its best selling points, and advise you or else do the work themselves to present your home to its best advantage. The home stagers will not only rearrange furniture and change the interior but may rent furniture. Costs could be from $500 to $2000.
   
   
8. Miscellaneous buyers' costs.
   While buyers customarily pay for mortgage fees, appraisal expenses, and home inspections, the seller sometimes offers to pay some of these closing costs to seal the deal. This could add up to about 2-5 percent of the selling price.

It's helpful when selling your home to make a list or a spreadsheet of all possible costs you're likely to incur to avoid surprises during the selling process. A good real estate agent will also make the selling process a lot smoother.

  

                                      

 

Regardless of price point, our team is united in their efforts to support the client, support each other, and get the job done in the best way possible. Paula Higman Real Estate is a unique team of talented and diverse individuals with a passion for success and client satisfaction.

Contact Paula Higman Real Estate today and let us take this journey with you to marketing and selling your home for the best value, to the biggest luxury real estate market out there.

 

Ensure that you have the best representation when buying and/or selling Contact Paula Higman Real Estate Park City at 435-602-8228 

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