Does your house measures up to other Los Angeles houses on the market?

May 29, 2017 by Darryl

The market is hot in West Hollywood, Bel Air, Los Angeles and West LA, so it is vital that you do your best to make sure your house measures up to other Los Angeles houses on the market. Home renovations can go a long way when it comes to bringing up the value of your home but it is important that you renovate in areas that add the most value. Various factors like your home’s market, the comps in your neighborhood and your home’s current value can play into which renovations you should consider.
Get together with a general contractor and your realtor to determine which renovations of your home will offer the best return on investment – before you begin the journey of gutting your mid-90’s style kitchen.
If you are committed to changing some things up, start small. Work on minor cosmetic upgrades because even these will get more buyers through Los Angeles houses for a quicker sale! Here are some suggestions on what to work on!

Walls and Floors

Refinish your flooring and replace any missing tiles/boards. Slather a fresh coat of neutral paint on the walls. These both are quick and cost effective ways to offer new life to Los Angeles houses! You can expect an increase of roughly 15% in your asking price by these renovations in your Bel Air home.

Doors

Replace your front door with a new steel door. You can expect a return on resale that will replace the cost of the door itself plus some!
Consider installing a new garage door as well. This has a huge impact on buyers. Plus this investment can offer up to an 88% return at resale!

Kitchen

Everybody knows that the kitchen is a great place to upgrade when selling. But before you gut the entire thing, consider just changing out the cabinet drawer pulls, re-facing or painting old cabinets and adding sleek light fixtures.

Open House Tips that Get Offers

May 22, 2017 by Darryl

An open house is a proven way to get prospective buyers through the door to show off your picture perfect West LA home. But before you open the doors, first be certain your home is ready to show off. Buyers should be given the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to live within the space. To achieve this, you need to stage your home in an inviting way that doesn’t look too lived-in.

Open House Tips that Get Offers

Declutter

Too much stuff turns buyers away. Remove kitchen appliances from the counters. Get rid of piles of magazines. Even consider placing some furniture in storage. Clutter inhibits buyers from envisioning their stuff in your space. Get to packing!

Make Repairs Now

Don’t wait until the negotiating begins. Fix that leaky faucet or wobbly door handles now. Don’t’ forget to replace burned out lightbulbs. Buyers will be looking for imperfections. Stay ahead of the game.

Hire a Cleaning Service

Buyers will notice if your home is not clean. It takes a lot of time to tackle all of the other processes and steps of selling a West LA home so why not hire someone else to do the dirty work?

Set the Table

A dining room table that is set for a nice meal is an inviting way to draw buyers in. Use your best china and a neutral tablecloth and coordinating napkins!

Buy Plush Linens

New, clean towels will add to the look of your bathroom and kitchen. Don’t forget to set these out before the open house!

Organize Cabinets and Drawers

Nobody likes it when something jumps out at you when you open a cabinet. Don’t put your guests through this. What’s more is that storage space is a huge selling point of any property. If your cabinets and drawers are filled, they look less spacious. Cluttered closets, cabinets and drawers will make it appear that your home offers less storage space. This is an open house that buyers will look at!

How to Make Your Small House in Los Angeles Feel Bigger

May 15, 2017 by Darryl

What do you think is the most highly sought after amenity that homebuyers are looking for in a house in Los Angeles? Space! Along with space usually comes value. Houses that have more space are usually more expensive, right?

How does this apply to your small Los Angeles home on the market? This means that if you are able to give the illusion of space, homebuyers feel better about the house and you can feel more confident asking for a higher price than you potentially once thought. It is a win-win situation for both buyer and seller!

How to Make Your Small House in Los Angeles Feel Bigger

It is easy to overwhelm the space in your house. Use these tips to make your house feel bigger (whether you are planning to sell or stay in place)!

1. Ensure that you only have furniture essentials. Is it necessary to have extra sitting chairs in the dining room? Are there too many dressers in the bedroom?

2. Allow breathing room between furniture and the wall. That little bit of space will offer a sense of more space. If you have a cozy sitting area, keep the furniture far away enough from the wall that you can fit behind it for an optimal illusion of roominess.

3. Cooler colors recede. Consider painting rooms a cooler shade, like a gray, pale blue or green to make a house in Los Angeles feel larger.

4. Set the bed up on the wall furthest from the door. This is an instant trick to make a bedroom feel larger.

5. Use one large area rug instead of smaller rugs if the room needs one. However, if you don’t need a rug at all in the room, don’t use one.

6. Use mirrors to make a room feel larger. Strategically space your mirrors to reflect an outdoor view. You can also hang a large mirror above a bed or sofa to expand the room’s space.

7. Tidy! A clean house in Los Angeles feels larger. Declutter, mop, dust and shine!

Consider the Following When Buying an Old Los Angeles Home

May 1, 2017 by Darryl

Los Angeles Home

Are you tiring of the glassy, boxy, glamorous, brand-new houses spread out across Los Angeles? Perhaps an older house will hit your sweet spot when house hunting! LA county is filled with beautiful Craftsman and a Victorian-style Los Angeles home that were built in the year 1900 or before.

If you love pressed-tin ceilings and wide porches with plenty of shade and backyard gazebos, this may be the avenue for you. But know that old homes may require more maintenance, even if they have been well maintained over the past century or more.

Before you set out to fall in love with an old Victorian-style structure, be sure you know what to watch out for with older homes.

Consider the Following When Buying an Old Los Angeles Home

1. Find out how long the Los Angeles home has been empty.

Mold and old, musty smells are common problems in older homes that have been vacant for some time. It is always best to find a home that hasn’t been empty for long, but there are ways around this.

2. Lead paint.

Keep in mind that many homes built before 1950 are at risk of housing lead paint. This may be a problem if you have children. It is fixable, but you will need to be ready to do the work (or hire someone to do it, of course). If you see chipped or cracked paint, ask some questions and have it tested.

3. Check for roof leaks.

If you see signs of moisture or mold, be at least somewhat concerned. Ask the inspector to test for mold if you notice any signs of leakage. Mold is not something you want to mess with.

4. Check the condition of the structure.

It is important to look at the walls and floors when walking through. Watch for bowing, cracks, splits in the floor and so on.

Although many of the problems listed above are fixable and shouldn’t warrant running fast in the other direction, it is important to have these issues on your radar when shopping for an older Los Angeles home. There is always a way around issues like these. It is just better you know you have work ahead of you before you purchase instead of after.

What your Beverly Hills Real Estate agent can’t tell you

March 12, 2017 by Darryl

When you ask a question and your Beverly Hills Real Estate agent declines to answer, it isn’t because he or she wants to hide something. It’s because anti-discrimination laws prohibit it.

Fair Housing rules and the American’s With Disabilities Act come down hard on agents who could be seen as trying to “steer” buyers into or away from a particular neighborhood.

Thus, your agent won’t answer questions about the neighborhood if they involve race, religion, familial status, or sexual orientation.

If these questions are important to you, you can get the answers, but you’ll have to do your own research. Go on line and do a search for the city and neighborhood that interests you. Begin with asking for demographics, and then do another search. If the community is active you’ll find information about the social groups, annual events, etc. All that will give you a good “feel” for the people who would be your neighbors.

Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent Not Helping?

If living near your church is important, do a search for churches in the neighborhood and churches of your preference in the city. You’ll soon know how far it is from the church to the home you’re considering. If you’re just beginning that search, get a map and mark the location of the churches with an X. Then tell your Beverly Hills Real Estate agent that you want to be no more than x number of miles from that spot.

To be on the safe side, search for crime statistics, and if you have children, do a search in one of the National Sex Offender’s databases.

You’ll soon have all the information your Beverly Hills Real Estate agent is not allowed to share.

If you’re looking for a home here in Beverly Hills, get in touch. I’ll give you all the information I AM allowed to share!

Are you a real estate investor? Get my free report: How To Avoid 8 Dumb Mistakes Even Smart Investors Make, click the link to get your copy.

Why Beverly Hills real estate Agents Meet at the Office Before Viewing Homes?

February 10, 2017 by Darryl

You see a house online that you want to view. You drive around a neighborhood and see a house for sale that you think looks interesting. You call a Beverly Hills real estate agent and ask to see it “right now.”

And then… that agent will begin asking you questions, then suggest that you meet first at his or her office, or perhaps at a nearby coffee shop.

Why?

For one thing, Beverly Hills real estate agents want to know that you’re really interested in purchasing a home, and that when you find the right home, you can do so. No one wants to waste their time or their gasoline on showing homes to people who aren’t serious.

And yes, I know YOU are serious, or you wouldn’t be reading blogs about Beverly Hills real estate – but many others aren’t. I’ve met people whose primary hobby was looking at homes.

The second, and perhaps most important reason, is safety.

Meet Up With A Beverly Hills real estate Agent Before a House Viewing

It just isn’t safe to go meet a total stranger in a vacant house. Just recently a Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent was kidnapped and killed because she responded to a call and went off to meet a stranger.

I’m also sure YOU aren’t going to hurt anyone. But the thing is, no one can tell from a name or a voice on the phone which person is going to be that one in a million with evil intent.

So if you want to purchase a home, first visit your lender and become pre-approved for a loan. That will show you what you can spend so you don’t waste time and energy looking at the wrong houses.

Then, make an appointment with a Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent and explain your needs and wants. That will help your agent narrow down the choices to homes that will satisfy all your needs and as many of your wants as possible.

It will also show your agent that you’re serious – and when you write an offer it will show the seller that you can carry through with the purchase.

Thinking of selling your home? I have a free report called: 6-Steps For Selling Your Area Home For TOP DOLLAR, click the link to get your copy.

Does your house measures up to other Los Angeles houses on the market?

Open House Tips that Get Offers

Open House Tips that Get Offers

How to Make Your Small House in Los Angeles Feel Bigger

Consider the Following When Buying an Old Los Angeles Home

Consider the Following When Buying an Old Los Angeles Home

What your Beverly Hills Real Estate agent can’t tell you

Beverly Hills Real Estate Agent Not Helping?

Why Beverly Hills real estate Agents Meet at the Office Before Viewing Homes?

Meet Up With A Beverly Hills real estate Agent Before a House Viewing

About Darryl West

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