Chan D
What would be a nice place to move to? I want to buy a house in a quiet area but not country (I was born and raised in the city). I am young and I like to party occasionally but not to much. How are the restaurants? How are the beaches? I want to be close to the city, no more than 30min drive. Is the traffic anything like nyc during rush hour? And I hear cars don't last long out there because the humidity (rust the car) and driving long distances all the time, is this true? And are there any good jobs? All answers are appreciated :-)
The galleria? How expensive is it for let's say a 2-3 bedroom house? Prices over here in ny are sky high. And I don't like snow that's one of the main reasons I want to move lol!
Wow Paula A you just made me super excited! Thanks for the answer!!
I am doing research. I just wanted to hear from people who actually live there and also possibly people that lived or been to NY as well so I could get some comparisons and different opinions.
Answer
I made the same move from the Upper East Side a few years ago & I've been pretty happy with it. I bought a 4 bedroom home with a guest house, pool & large back yard in one of the nicest parts of town for less than I sold my 2 bedroom NYC apt. for!
The pros: very inexpensive cost of living, great restaurants, direct flights to most anywhere in the world, friendly people (so much so I was scared at first!), great shopping, mostly nice Winters, lots of job opportunities, & great cultural events (but do not try to compare them to NYC's). We do get the traveling Broadway shows & I was pleasantly surprised at their quality.
The cons: the serious heat & humidity in the Summer, traffic & time spent driving (similar to LA but better freeways), not many walkable places (again, more like LA), & a lot of Bible Belt mentality.
It sounds like you might like Midtown, Montrose or the Museum District.
The restaurants typically give you masses of good food for very little money.
The beaches in Galveston (the closest beach) are okay. The best are on S. Padre Island, about a 6 hour drive but beautiful, clear water.
At least your car moves here in rush hour & not much gridlock. There are lots of back streets to avoid the bad traffic.
I've never had rust on my cars.
Lots of jobs here. We were not hit as hard as the rest of the country.
If you live "inside the Loop" (meaning Loop 610 which belts the inner city) your drive times will not be bad. The neighborhoods I mentioned are all inside the Loop. The best site for home shopping is the Houston Realtor's Assoc. site.... http://www.har.com Midtown & Downtown's ZIP is 77002 Montrose is 77006. Just enter those on the site & it will pull up housing options.
Why not come for a visit first?
Good luck!!
.
I made the same move from the Upper East Side a few years ago & I've been pretty happy with it. I bought a 4 bedroom home with a guest house, pool & large back yard in one of the nicest parts of town for less than I sold my 2 bedroom NYC apt. for!
The pros: very inexpensive cost of living, great restaurants, direct flights to most anywhere in the world, friendly people (so much so I was scared at first!), great shopping, mostly nice Winters, lots of job opportunities, & great cultural events (but do not try to compare them to NYC's). We do get the traveling Broadway shows & I was pleasantly surprised at their quality.
The cons: the serious heat & humidity in the Summer, traffic & time spent driving (similar to LA but better freeways), not many walkable places (again, more like LA), & a lot of Bible Belt mentality.
It sounds like you might like Midtown, Montrose or the Museum District.
The restaurants typically give you masses of good food for very little money.
The beaches in Galveston (the closest beach) are okay. The best are on S. Padre Island, about a 6 hour drive but beautiful, clear water.
At least your car moves here in rush hour & not much gridlock. There are lots of back streets to avoid the bad traffic.
I've never had rust on my cars.
Lots of jobs here. We were not hit as hard as the rest of the country.
If you live "inside the Loop" (meaning Loop 610 which belts the inner city) your drive times will not be bad. The neighborhoods I mentioned are all inside the Loop. The best site for home shopping is the Houston Realtor's Assoc. site.... http://www.har.com Midtown & Downtown's ZIP is 77002 Montrose is 77006. Just enter those on the site & it will pull up housing options.
Why not come for a visit first?
Good luck!!
.
What are some good ideas to "stage" a home that is for sale?
Jade
I am packing everything personal up,cleaning and organizing but I need some simple and elegant ideas to "stage" the home so that it is more appealing to buyers.
Answer
1. Clean - it is the most important step. Make sure every nook and cranny of your home is spotless. This also includes cleaning out your garage if you have one.
2. De-clutter - Not only should you remove obvious clutter (like papers strewn on a desk) but you have to think about furniture as well. Too often people have too much furniture in a room. It makes the room appear small. If, for example, you are 2 dressers in your bedroom, pare it down to one. Put the other dresser and contents not used currently (season clothing) into storage.
An often missed area for decluttering,is the inside of dressers, cabinets, and closets. Hard to believe that some buyers would look in your dressers since they are not buying them but they do. They are also trying to assess if they will have enough cabinet storage and closet space. If your cabinets are chock full of stuff, it gives them the impression that they will not have enough storage if they buy the house.
In the kitchen, don't forget that decluttering also means clearing off countertops as much as possible. If you don't eat toast everyday, pack the toaster away. Same goes for other kitchen appliances that we may keep on the counter for convenience even though we don't use them daily. (Pack away that electric can opener and use a hand held one until you sell the house.)
3. Deodorize - Make sure your house smells fresh, clean and inviting. This may mean spraying Febreeze on your sofa, drapes, etc. You can add pleasant odors with candles and/or fresh baked goods.
4. De-personalize - Pack away personal items like family photos. Replace them with neutral art work. You want prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home, not your family.
5. Neutralize - It may be time to paint that gorgeous red wall beige. Though it may go well with your decor and taste, remember that not all buyers make like what you've selected. If you go with neutral wall colors, again it makes it easier for the potential buyer to see him/herself living in your space. This also includes rooms that are very masculine or feminine. It may work better for you if you replace your beautiful floral bedspread with something that is more gender neutral.
6. Update/Modernize - You don't have to spend a lot of money here but you should look at things like lighting. Are your bathroom lights for example current looking or do they scream 1970s-80s? Same goes for kitchen, dining and hallways. For a few bucks, you can make a huge impact for the positive.
7. Curb Appeal - Don't forget that a lot of buyers will not come into your home, no matter how great it looks on the inside, if they are not impressed with the exterior. Again, this can be accomplished on the cheap. Cut the lawn, pull the weeds, remove dead plants, plant pretty potted flowers and put them on the porch, paint the front door if necessary.
How dated are your exterior light fixtures? Again, something newer but not necessarily expensive could make a world of difference.
Buy a nice new welcome mat to invite the guests in.
If you have a deck or patio, don't forget to embellish this usable square footage of your home. Clean the deck or patio, remove what is not necessarily essential (perhaps the grill if it is not in outstanding condition, or cheap plastic chairs). Stage the area so that it is inviting - you can purchase inexpensive patio furniture, or if the area is small, you can get a nice cheap bistro set for under $100.
8. Choose Real over Fake - If you have any silk or plastic flowers/trees, remove them from the house. If you love them, pack them away. Put real plants/trees in their place. Put fresh flowers out as that not only is beautiful but it helps with odor control.
Have fun with the project. Look at it as an opportunity to get a head start on packing. Just remember that it is called "staging" because it is all an act. That is, it is not how you live day to day (you probably don't keep your dining table set for a party of 6 unless you are actually planning on using it that day but setting it for an open house sets the stage for how the potential buyer can entertain in the home.) Best of Luck.
1. Clean - it is the most important step. Make sure every nook and cranny of your home is spotless. This also includes cleaning out your garage if you have one.
2. De-clutter - Not only should you remove obvious clutter (like papers strewn on a desk) but you have to think about furniture as well. Too often people have too much furniture in a room. It makes the room appear small. If, for example, you are 2 dressers in your bedroom, pare it down to one. Put the other dresser and contents not used currently (season clothing) into storage.
An often missed area for decluttering,is the inside of dressers, cabinets, and closets. Hard to believe that some buyers would look in your dressers since they are not buying them but they do. They are also trying to assess if they will have enough cabinet storage and closet space. If your cabinets are chock full of stuff, it gives them the impression that they will not have enough storage if they buy the house.
In the kitchen, don't forget that decluttering also means clearing off countertops as much as possible. If you don't eat toast everyday, pack the toaster away. Same goes for other kitchen appliances that we may keep on the counter for convenience even though we don't use them daily. (Pack away that electric can opener and use a hand held one until you sell the house.)
3. Deodorize - Make sure your house smells fresh, clean and inviting. This may mean spraying Febreeze on your sofa, drapes, etc. You can add pleasant odors with candles and/or fresh baked goods.
4. De-personalize - Pack away personal items like family photos. Replace them with neutral art work. You want prospective buyers to see themselves living in your home, not your family.
5. Neutralize - It may be time to paint that gorgeous red wall beige. Though it may go well with your decor and taste, remember that not all buyers make like what you've selected. If you go with neutral wall colors, again it makes it easier for the potential buyer to see him/herself living in your space. This also includes rooms that are very masculine or feminine. It may work better for you if you replace your beautiful floral bedspread with something that is more gender neutral.
6. Update/Modernize - You don't have to spend a lot of money here but you should look at things like lighting. Are your bathroom lights for example current looking or do they scream 1970s-80s? Same goes for kitchen, dining and hallways. For a few bucks, you can make a huge impact for the positive.
7. Curb Appeal - Don't forget that a lot of buyers will not come into your home, no matter how great it looks on the inside, if they are not impressed with the exterior. Again, this can be accomplished on the cheap. Cut the lawn, pull the weeds, remove dead plants, plant pretty potted flowers and put them on the porch, paint the front door if necessary.
How dated are your exterior light fixtures? Again, something newer but not necessarily expensive could make a world of difference.
Buy a nice new welcome mat to invite the guests in.
If you have a deck or patio, don't forget to embellish this usable square footage of your home. Clean the deck or patio, remove what is not necessarily essential (perhaps the grill if it is not in outstanding condition, or cheap plastic chairs). Stage the area so that it is inviting - you can purchase inexpensive patio furniture, or if the area is small, you can get a nice cheap bistro set for under $100.
8. Choose Real over Fake - If you have any silk or plastic flowers/trees, remove them from the house. If you love them, pack them away. Put real plants/trees in their place. Put fresh flowers out as that not only is beautiful but it helps with odor control.
Have fun with the project. Look at it as an opportunity to get a head start on packing. Just remember that it is called "staging" because it is all an act. That is, it is not how you live day to day (you probably don't keep your dining table set for a party of 6 unless you are actually planning on using it that day but setting it for an open house sets the stage for how the potential buyer can entertain in the home.) Best of Luck.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment