You’ve found the perfect home, or so you think.

Imagine searching endlessly for that one place where you feel warm and comfortable. After weeks, months, years even, you fall in love with a beautiful house and sign your name on the dotted line. However, a few months go by and you’re feeling empty and unsure of your decision. You’re feeling home buyer’s remorse.

Buying a home is a big commitment. In many cases, it is a lifelong commitment. And just as you would with any life-changing decision, when it comes to buying real estate, you need to weigh the pros and cons and consider all of your wants and needs before agreeing to any contracts. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck in a house you don’t even like.

You may be thinking, “Where do I begin?” Whether you are thinking of buying a condo, a townhome or a single-family home, we’re here to get you started with two easy-to-follow checklists:

• Home Buying Checklist: Condo/Townhome
• Home Buying Checklist: Single-Family Home

Feel free to customize them to your own personality, adding or subtracting anything you may or may not need. Buying a home should not be a rash decision. Take your time, do your research and figure out what you truly want before you make any commitments.

Once you’ve found the home of your dreams, there are a few extra measures you should take to ensure you won’t regret your decision:

Be absolutely sure you can afford it. Do you have enough for a down payment? Have you been pre-approved for a loan? Does your monthly payment fit into your budget? Answer all these questions before making an offer. Analyze your financial situation carefully so you know what you can and cannot afford.

Ask questions during closing. After you’ve had a home inspection, if any problems arise, ask the seller the necessary questions before closing the deal. Will they make any repairs? Will they give you an allowance to fix things yourself? If you’re unsure about anything, speak up before you finalize the purchase.

Stand by your choice. Just because someone else has an opinion on the selling price, the location or the current condition of your home, it doesn’t mean they are right. Perhaps they don’t know the market of the neighborhood you’re in, and maybe they live in an area where houses cost less (or more).

Don’t look at other houses. Once you’ve purchased your dream home, stop looking. You may come across another property that you like a lot more, but you will have already made a commitment to your current property. Be happy with your choice and embrace your new home.

Once the winter weather finally dwindles off, we’re all thinking the same thing: it’s time for spring cleaning.

Now is when you scrub the floors clean of muddy slush from the bottom of your boots, sweep away the lasting remnants of pine needles from the Christmas tree and store away the overabundance of scarves, hats, coats and mittens.

Though spring cleaning is a smart choice for all homeowners or renters, it is increasingly important for those trying to sell their house. No potential homebuyer wants to walk into a dirty, cluttered and dreary home. While you should be constantly keeping up with housecleaning year-round, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the spring cleaning cliché and really give your house a spotless appearance.

We at the Buy Owner Blog feel that the importance of this topic is worth two posts, so here are some helpful suggestions on where to start your spring cleaning in Part 1!

• Start with the outside front entry. This is the first part of the house that potential homebuyers really focus on and judge while they wait to enter the home. Use a hose or powerwasher to clean the home’s siding, driveway, walkway and front door. Repaint the front door, siding that has chipped, the address numbers, the mailbox and anything that’ll spruce up the appearance. Cut back branches that have grown out of control or that stretch into the walkway space.
• Thoroughly clean all of your light fixtures inside and outside of the house, such as plastic coverings and lampshades. Depending on how fragile they are, some can be placed in the dishwasher for a quick and easy clean. Wash all of the windows, and wash or dust off the curtains and blinds. You want your house to look its brightest!
• Shampoo your carpeting and scrub your floors clean of leftover winter residue. You’d be amazed at how much dirt accumulates in these areas, even if you routinely vacuum and sweep. It’s worth the extra cost of hiring someone to professionally clean your carpeting if it displays any noticeable stains, or if you own pets.
• Repaint the interior walls. To save money, choose to repaint only the rooms that visually need it or that haven’t been painted in the longest time. Repainting is the most affordable way to brighten, upgrade and modernize your house all at the same time, and repainting forces you to remove all the objects in that room. By doing so, it’ll be easier to declutter and remove unnecessary items.
• Declutter every room. Though this is one of the most dreaded steps of house cleaning, it is one of the most important steps for home sellers. A potential homebuyer cannot easily view the best features of the house if they are covered in clutter. Organize all bills and paperwork into folders or files that can be stored into office or desk cabinets. Purchase bins for toys, blankets, remote controls and other objects that appear astray.

Stay tuned for more spring cleaning suggestions coming soon in Spring Clean Your Way to a Sale, Part 2!

You can’t learn too much about real estate without hearing this crucial truth: staging matters. Take our posts here at the Buy Owner Blog, for example, where we’ve given you 12 Tips for Staging to Sell, the Top 10 Staging Tips and tips on staging for summer, staging the backyard, even ways to stage the garage!

It can seem like a lot to take in, especially if the idea of staging is new to you. But don’t lose heart! At its heart, staging is very simple. It’s all about making your home look its best.

So do you have 15 minutes? Here’s what you do:

1. Pick a part of your home: Choose the living room, a bedroom, that nook behind the laundry door that you’ve turned into an office, whatever.
2. Evaluate it: Thinking like a buyer would when coming to visit, evaluate your room/area and how it will come across. If it’s a bedroom being used as a closet, will this lessen its appeal to buyers? If it’s a laundry room with too much on the floors for people to walk through, will this hinder buyers from stepping through and noticing the built-in ironing board?
3. Make a plan to change: Based on the new perspective you’ve just gained, come up with one or two specific changes you can make to improve the area. Note that this step just requires you to come up with changes, not to implement them—that’s for later. Stumped for ideas? Consider these: clean the floors, pick up clutter, get a door fixed, dust the furniture, move the sofa to create a seating nook, repair the hole in the wall, etc.

15 minutes over yet? No problem. What you now have, based on a quick survey of the space, is a plan of action to make it look better. The next chance you get, put that plan into action and conquer one part of your home’s staging! Then, repeat the process with another room. Before you know it, you’ll have the entire interior redesigned and staged beautifully!

Bonus Tip: If staring at your home for 15 minutes leaves you drawing a blank, consider bringing in a fresh pair of eyes. Ask a friend to look at the space and give you their perspective, particularly if it’s someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time there before.

When it comes to kitchen backsplashes, you have a lot of choices at your disposal. There’s brick, ceramic, glass and steel… However, did you know that you also have eco-friendly alternatives, as well? In one of our Green Living articles, we told you that “materials with low VOC [like] ceramic tile, recycled content glass or sustainable wood” were good options. Today, we’re here to expand on that idea and provide you with more environmentally friendly options for kitchen backsplashes.

Recycled Glass Tile

You may be wondering how glass can be recycled and made into a backsplash in the first place. Producers start off with wasted glass that has been saved from a landfill and glass that has been properly recycled by consumers just like you. They begin by melting down the glass in a heated furnace with temperatures hitting well over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This liquid glass is then put in a mold and trimmed to the right size and form.

One of the benefits of using recycled glass tiles is that it is usually left in its original form. Some are mixed with industrial colors, but fully eco-friendly glass tiles are left alone. This means that no two backsplashes will look alike, and you are guaranteed your own unique look in the kitchen!

Aluminum Tile

Aluminum tiles are made from 100 percent recycled metal. They are excellent choices for a modern kitchen, especially if you’re opting for an entirely eco-friendly kitchen complete with concrete countertops and recycled wood cabinetry. Prices start around $35 per square foot, and you can even install the backsplash yourself. On top of that, it is easy to clean by simply using a soft rag, liquid dish soap and warm water.

Reclaimed Hardwood & Bamboo

Wood-based wall coverings are generally not sustainable. However, some companies offer reclaimed wood and bamboo to create backsplashes. It is often a good idea to match this type of backsplash up with butcher’s block countertops. This recycled wood has been reclaimed from old wooden structures like barns and farmhouses or even from barley/hay/wine barrels.

Recycled Ceramic Tile

They ways in which recycled ceramic tiles are constructed vary with each manufacturer. Generally, recycled ceramic tile backsplashes are composed of both and pre- and post-consumer waste products: unwanted dirt, dust, glass, plastic and stone. These materials are mixed together and broken down into a fine powder that is then used to create ceramic tile.

For more eco-friendly tips, take a look at the Green Living category on the Buy Owner Blog!

As part of a special feature at the Buy Owner Blog, we’ll be highlighting cities throughout the nation, profiling their attractions and conveniences, as well as pointing out some currently for-sale homes in the area!

Today’s featured city: Pembroke Pines, Florida!

The second most populated city in Broward County, Pembroke Pines is an award-winning area that offers the best of South Florida living! Residents of this community enjoy access to A-rated schools, numerous parks and recreation opportunities, shopping, dining and championship golf courses like Grand Palms Golf Club.

Commuters will love the convenience and proximity of I-75 allowing easy access to all major South Florida highways. For beach lovers, a mere 20-minute drive east leads to South Florida’s most beautiful sandy shores, including the vibrant Hollywood Beach and its new and revitalized boardwalk.

Take a look at these Buy Owner properties currently for sale in Pembroke Pines!

• $397K: 4 BDRM, 2.5 BA Single-Family Pool Home with Lake Views
• $246K: 3 BDRM, 2 BA Single-Family Home in Guard-Gated Community
• $109K: 2 BDRM, 2 BA Lakefront Condo in 55+ Community
• $89,900: 2 BDRM, 2 BA Raised Mobile Home with Lot

Image Credit: NewCondosOnline.com

It’s true the market shows signs of improvement, but it still has a long way to go before the term “buyers’ market” no longer applies. With so many homes available today, buyers have plenty to choose from, so you have to do all you can to make yours stand out. Here are three ways to get your home sold NOW!

Clean to Sell: It should go without saying that a home on the market needs to be in mint condition, but you’d be surprised at the clutter and disrepair with which so many homes are shown today. By cleaning, decluttering and repairing your home, you set it ahead of the pack, and you make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves inside.

Price to Sell: The basic keys to pricing aggressively are checking out the competition and being realistic. Of course you want to get the best price possible, but in a buyers’ market, you cannot afford to price higher than you need. Are similar homes in your area priced lower than yours? Think like a buyer, and you’ll see why that’s a problem. Do your best to be objective and set the price a little lower than you could.

Market to Sell: Of course, even the most beautifully maintained home, offered at the best price, still won’t sell if nobody knows about it. That’s where Buy Owner comes into play. By advertising at BuyOwner.com, you broadcast your property to a 24/7 audience

Want more information on using Buy Owner? Here are 31 reasons why it makes sense to sell with Buy Owner, especially now!

Have you always dreamed about living in a trendy industrial loft? What if you could do that without moving to a big city, giving up a backyard or paying a hefty price for your pad? The Buy Owner Blog is here to show you how to get the look of a loft without making a big move, sacrificing space or spending too much money.

First, consider the location…within your home. If you don’t have an open floor plan, a loft-like living room might look a little awkward next to your country kitchen. Also, at the risk of redoing your entire home, rather than just one room, you may want to choose an unused space like the basement, the attic or the bonus room over the garage. These spaces typically don’t fit with the rest of the house and take on a personality of their own when finished and decorated. By choosing to redecorate one of these low-traffic spaces, you can still pursue your dream while having a functional home that meets your needs and possibly the needs of a new owner should you ever sell the property.

Now, on to the construction…

Exposed Brick: If you know that brick exists behind the plaster in your finished basement, you need to consider the condition of the bricks and the absence of insulation before you knock down any walls. Cut a small hole in the wall first to test the waters. If you need to install brick, you can do so easily by applying veneers, as the process of creating a brick face is similar to adhering a backsplash onto the wall of your kitchen.

Exposed Ductwork: You would most likely deal with exposed ductwork in an unfinished basement. So if your basement is not finished, you may already have a loft-like ceiling! If your home boasts a finished basement with a tile ceiling, you can easily lift up one of the tiles to see the condition of the ductwork. Consult a professional contractor before you knock down a drywalled ceiling.

Flooring: Hardwood floors are typical of lofts. Feel free to choose any type of wood you want. However, if you want to keep costs low, a Pergo or laminate faux wood flooring is the best option. You can always add area rugs for added flair and comfort.

Painting: Where is your “loft?” And what kind of look do you want? If you constructed this space in an unfinished basement, inexpensive spray paint allows you to create your own custom designs and replicate an urban graffiti style. If you’re working with a finished basement or attic space, paint the drywall yourself. Neutral hues like black, brown, tan and gray are good base tones. A bold-colored accent wall is common in many lofts and may make a smaller room appear larger.

Artwork: A typical urban loft shows somewhat like a gallery. However, you don’t need to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on an original Monet or DaVinci. Create your own unique works of art by framing personal photos, magazine clippings or even travel calendar pictures.

Mix & Match Design: Today’s “modern” décor is all about mixing new pieces with old. This look is easily achievable by purchasing a new expensive piece and complementing it with vintage pieces from yard sales or thrift stores. You can also divide and open space into separate areas using multi-functional dividers like a long dresser, a trunk, lockers, or an island, depending on the look you’re going for and what is available to you.

At the annual International Builders’ Conference in January, Wall Street Journal reporter June Fletcher writes about green innovations that continue to pop up in showcases.

As she evaluates different green products and systems, she writes, “Why, I wonder, do I consistently see these products in show houses, but not so much in regular houses?”

The article goes on to describe four specific products featured at the January convection, from spray foam insulation (which is lightweight, highly effective, better at filling small gaps than fiberglass fill or batts) to solar shingles (a lighter, better-looking alternative to solar panels, originally introduced in 2005), insulated concrete forms (around for 20 years!) and structural insulated panels (around since the 1930s yet still rarely adopted, mostly because of retraining that would be required).

To read more of this article, click here.

As part of a special feature at the Buy Owner Blog, we’ll be highlighting cities throughout the nation, profiling their attractions and conveniences, as well as pointing out some currently for-sale homes in the area!

Today’s featured city: Hudson, Florida!

Located south of the Florida Nature Coast and 40 minutes north of Tampa, the city of Hudson has been called one of the top three vacation-home destinations in the country by the Wall Street Journal.

Greater Hudson extends across 50 square miles of northwest Pasco County, which include the three distinct areas of Waterfront, Old South and Suburbs. Its small beach is a favorite of locals and increasingly of visitors, and there’s outstanding natural beauty throughout, with pines and oaks and impressive waterfront.

Take a look at these Buy Owner properties currently for sale in Hudson!

• $649K: 2 BDRM, 2 BA Waterfront Single-Family Home
• $439K: 3 BDRM, 2 BA Waterfront Single-Family Home
• $265K: 2 BDRM, 2 BA Single-Family Home with Inground Pool
• $179K: 3 BDRM, 2 BA Manufactured Home

Image Credit: city-data.com

Marketing your home is all about playing up/emphasizing its features.

Is the land the best part? Then clear out brush, clean up sheds, mow the lawn, trim the bushes. Are the brand-new hardwood floors the hot feature? Then get them in shining, gleaming condition and place furniture in such a way that the floors get noticed (i.e., don’t let them be so cluttered that you can’t see anything!).

The key is: Make the most of what your home has got.

Think about the bedrooms.

Many times, in a home with three or more bedrooms, one bedroom might be used as an office or a workout room or for storage or something else. That’s convenient for you, and while you’ve been the one living there, that’s all that matters. But now you want to sell. And if you’re advertising your home as having four bedrooms, make it look like there are four bedrooms, with a bed in each.

You’re selling now, so it’s about playing up your home’s features.

Along those lines, your bedrooms should be clean, spotless, free of clutter and freshly vacuumed or swept. Don’t overlook the closets; buyers will be free to open them and have a look inside. The more empty space they see, the easier it will be for them to imagine their own belongings inside.