Selling a Columbia SC home that is currently occupied by a tenant can be a bit of a challenge, as the tenants don't always share the same motivation as their landlords – consequently, they may fail to keep the home looking neat and attractive to impress potential buyers.
So what can landlords do to prevent problems?
First, landlords should never attempt to deceive tenants in the first place, and so they should make it absolutely clear that they intend to list the home once the local market picks up again.
Landlords can also offer their tenants some kind of concession in return for their cooperation – for example, in return for the tenant keeping the home looking neat tidy (unlike the photo!) while it's listed, they could be given a 10% discount on the rent. However, landlords would need to clearly communicate their expectations regarding cleanliness, like making sure the bed is always made up in the morning, and ensuring dirty dishes aren't left in the sink for prospective buyers to see when they come to see the property.
Setting established hours for buyers to view the property will also do a lot to get tenants on your side.
Landlords need to keep in mind they don't usually get a second chance, and so it pays to keep tenants on their side, especially when a property is first listed for sale.
If you're a Columbia SC landlord and would like more information and tips on what you should do if your property has a tenant and you're wanting to sell, contact us. We'll be happy to give you additional tips.
Homeowners need to be proactive in making energy-efficient home renovations. Here is a list of easy check-ups every homeowner can do to optimize the energy efficiency of their home:
Windows and Doors
Holes in windows and doors allow conditioned air to leak from your home and allow outdoor air to infiltrate, which can tax your heating and cooling systems and raise your energy bills. Caulk around windows and doors where there are gaps. Also caulk areas where plumbing lines or electrical wiring extend to the exterior of the home.
Floor and Wall Insulation
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat movement and helps keep any home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter—all while using less energy. Making sure insulation is used at potential gaps such as around an attic stairway or over the attic access door is important as well.
Shedding a Little Light on a Simple Solution
By replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, you can use up to 75% less energy on lighting alone. A wide assortment of CFLs is now available for almost any type fixture found in a home.
Appliances and HVAC Systems
Your major household appliances are a good place to focus on to make your home more eco-friendly. Start by changing the filters of your HVAC systems regularly and consider upgrading older appliances to take advantage of newer, more efficient designs.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat
This energy-saving step can have a positive and noticeable impact right away. Programmable thermostats are fairly easy to install and once they are set up a homeowner can adjust them as the weather changes. For every degree that a thermostat is set back, you may realize a savings between 1-3% on your heating or cooling bills.
As a buyer, one of the smartest things you can do is get a home inspection. It's arguably more important than getting an appraisal, because a proper inspection will prevent you from buying a money pit – at least not intentionally.
A good home inspection will identify both major and minor problems in the physical condition of the home. For example, the inspector can identify issues such as structural problems, (termite damage), mechanical problems (heating and air conditioning) or construction defects.
The home inspection report will identify the problem areas, explaining what needs to be either repaired or replaced, and it will give you an estimate of the expected lifetime remaining on the major systems in the home.
A home inspector will begin with a review of the home as a whole and then break it into sections, checking each area carefully looking for signs of wear and tear which is above the expected, normal wear and tear.
As a buyer, it may be very tempting to require the seller to do all of the repairs on the home before you buy it, however there are no hard and fast rules about who should pay for repairs in a home sale.
One rule of thumb suggests that anything which will require you to hire a professional, have the seller pay for the costs, either as a reduction in the sales price or before the sale takes place. It's up to you as a buyer, but if there's a long list of items which you need and/or want to do which can be done easily enough by yourself, don't bother asking the seller to do the repairs. Wait until you've bought the home and do the repairs yourself.
Showing the sellers a huge list of things you want fixed may cause them to balk at the request and the sale could fall through, leaving you with the tedious task of continuing your home search, on top of the cost for the inspection you just paid for.
Obtaining a home inspection from a qualified home inspector is not a guarantee that nothing will go wrong. In fact, one thing that catches many first time home buyers by surprise is just how much more it does cost to be a homeowner – after all, you don't have a landlord or "super" to call when your sink springs a leak – you are the "super!"
Home prices have slid more in the past 5 years than during the great depression, so what's up now for home prices going forward? Rich DeSalvo has these thoughts on a Fox News interview…
Questions or comments about this interview? Post your comment or question by clicking the "comment" link below…
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