Help me brainstorm! Beginning stages of a new build
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5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design
5 years agoUser
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me brainstorm marketing 'gimmicks'
Comments (27)On finding agents, here is how I've done it when I don't have a personal recommendation: I look on the MLS which shows houses that sold within the last 2 years as well as current listings. I look for agents who sell a lot or have a lot of buyers in the area in question for properties of similar type. If there is some agent or agents that are dominant in the area I will definitely contact them. If no one is dominant, then I look to find those who are active in the area for similar properties. Then I do searches for that agent and see what turns up. I particularly look at their own web page. By the way, if they do a lot of corporate relos as a buyers agent you can generally figure that out looking at their web site. I look at their current listings to see what I think about what they say on listings, how the photos are, and just how active they are. Based upon all that, then I narrow it down to a few and invite them to talk to us and tell us what they suggest. For example, on the property we plan to soon list we narrowed it down to 3 agents. One agent hasn't returned a call from a few weeks ago. Obviously, that agent is crossed off the list. Agent 2 had a number of suggestions on how to market the property and what we should do. That was appreciated. However, what Agent 2 did not do was actually respond to the question we asked and how the agent would price and market the property if we didn't do what the agent suggested (which would have cost $30,000 to $50,000) and instead sold the property without us putting a huge sum of money into it. Agent 3 did exactly what we asked and gave us suggestions based upon what we indicated we planned to do. Agent 3 did give feedback on other options as well, but was the one who was most responsive to the questions we asked. So, it is fairly easy decision to go with Agent 3....See MoreBeginning kitchen design / planning stages - help!
Comments (16)Maybe he will like it so much that he'll want to make more than toast. ;) I think the consensus is that uppers will be the focus, so they should be balanced or symmetric, but don't need to match the sizes of the bases. It's recommended that a hood be 6" wider than the cooktop, to provide more of a capture area for the steam/grease plume, but in your pic, the hood looks as if it's the same width as the cooktop. Having the hood and cooktop the same width allows the MW shelf and corresponding base cabinet to match in width, and in this case, allows the cabinet doors above the hood and fridge to match the pantry. If you are using a 30" cooktop, and a 36" hood, you get the same pattern in the uppers, but the base cabinet under the MW shelf will be 3" wider. On the window wall, the widow width will determine the sizes of the uppers. In the last plan I posted, the window is not centered on the 13' wall, but on the space between a standard 12" upper on the left, and the wall to the right, so you can have upper cabinets that are the same width. Since you are replacing the window, and have no window on the long wall, you might consider making it larger. This one is 7' (including trim), and allows the upper and base to the right to be the same width. Or, you could omit the uppers on the sink wall in favor of a wall of windows. The upper on the fridge wall would die into the back wall, but you would need a filler on the end to allow the door to open in front of the window trim. Images for 'wall of windows'...See Morebeginning stages of landscape planning
Comments (6)Gardengal already explained that a "landscapER" may not necessarily be competent in design. If they are, they're not going to hand over a plan at an initial visit, as that is something you would agree to pay for. Or it would be provided as part of an installation cost. I'm sure you could find a landscape designer who would provide design services for a fee, as they are everywhere. Or, you can do the design yourself if you have the proclivity and willingness to do the work (like any DIY job.) Not including the dreaming and wishing part, it would begin with drawing a measured-to-scale PLAN (overhead view looking down) of the area to be landscaped. If you have a question about what that is, Google "landscape plan images" and see dozens of examples. Of course, you would only need a simple black and white line drawing on paper, not a colored rendering, since you are not creating a plan for the purpose of selling or convincing anyone else. (Don't be put off by the elaborate art work of others.) If you think you'd like to try doing the design yourself, I suggest you create a base plan and post it here. It would show the existing features: lot lines, house footprint, patio, drive, walks, shed, trees ... all of the major features that exist now. Then explain all those things that you're interested in including in the yard ... changes and additions ... what you're trying to accomplish. You'll mention things you're presently not happy with. The yard looks narrow and unusually long. Why is it divided in half by the fence? The house is distant in the second picture, but it looks like people never use the back yard or patio (if there is one) for lounging. There's no beautification at all at the back of the house. If you intend to change this, you'd need a closer up picture so we could see what's there. The next step in the design process is analyzing what's there with the thought of keeping what's good and changing what's bad ... fixing the problems. In order to actually accomplish the work it will take money or a combination of it and sweat equity, if this is DIY. Be realistic about the resources that you can commit to the project over a the period of time you wish to work on it. There's no point in designing anything that's unaffordable. There IS a point to designing something that's unaffordable this year, but affordable in the next few years....See MoreSelling old home while building new, please help me understand
Comments (15)A couple of follow up points... A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. A sale today without marketing has real value. You will have access to the equity today and can use that money in the build and you will not have to worry about the difficulty of selling the home. Additionally, a sale without realtor's commission has real value. These two things give you some leeway to make a deal that nets out being better for both parties. You can give a discount because you are getting real value above the traditional sales method and if the buyer is flexible he can also get some real value. However, depending on the financial situation and your local real estate market, it is entirely possible that you will lose money doing this. You note that your house is paid off, but in a rent back situation you are going to have to make rental payments and probably at the market rate. It is entirely possible that given enough time or the right market conditions this will destroy any value you receive. ---- There are other options out there. Residential real estate has relatively few and pretty simple transactions, there are many other sales arrangements out there that are atypical for home sales but fairly standard in commercial real estate. For example, you might do an option contract on the property with a guaranteed sell by date. In that case he would pay you some amount today (usually between 5% and 10%), this secures his right to buy the property at a later date for a set amount. In a residential transaction that payment would probably be a credit toward the purchase if he agrees to complete the sale and would be held in escrow by the attorney. You agree that you will offer the property for sale no later than X date, but may offer the property for sale on any date before that with a 60 day notice (or whatever you are comfortable with). If he passes on purchasing that day he loses the money. Inspections would be done when the option contract is executed and you will have a refund period just like a typical contract but the final home sale wouldn't have an inspection or an appraisal contingency. He can still pull out at any time, he just loses the option payment he made. This protects him from things like a slowdown in the economy or a major loss of value on the home (he only risks the option payment he made), and incentivizes his going through with the sale. It also means you don't have to make rental payments. ----- I used to do options in rental properties quite often. Frankly, I just find the houses that look like they could use some money and offer them a few thousand dollars for the option to match any offers when/if they sell. Nine out of ten times they just call me up and ask for an offer before they even call a realtor and I get multiple properties close together over a period of a few years which really lowers my costs. Note: To relieve my conscience I only make fair offers, I am not trying to take advantage of people and although that certainly costs me money, I do sleep better at night. I despise those people who offer pathetic amounts of money to people in desperate situations....See MoreManon Floreat
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