Best Ways to Determine Home Value

Where to Stay While You Sell Your Home

Your kids have moved out and now you’re living in a big house with way more space than you need. You have two choices – remodel your existing home or move. Here are some things to consider about each option.

Choice No. 1: Remodel your existing home to better fit your current needs.

• Remodeling gives you lots of options, but some choices can reduce the value of your home. You can combine two bedrooms into a master suite or change another bedroom into a spa area. But reducing the number of bedrooms can dramatically decrease the value of your house when you go to sell, making it much less desirable to a typical buyer with a family.
• The ROI on remodeling is generally poor. You should remodel because it’s something that makes your home more appealing for you, not because you want to increase the value of your home. According to a recent study, on average you’ll recoup just 64 percent of a remodeling project’s investment when you go to sell.
• Remodeling is stressful. Living in a construction zone is no fun, and an extensive remodel may mean that you have to move out of your home for a while. Staying on budget is also challenging. Remodels often end up taking much more time and much more money than homeowners expect.

 

Choice No. 2: Sell your existing home and buy your empty nest dream home.

• You can downsize to a single-level residence and upsize your lifestyle. Many people planning for their later years prefer a home that is all on one level and has less square footage. But downsizing doesn’t mean scrimping. You may be able to funnel the proceeds of the sale of your existing home into a great view or high-end amenities.
• A “lock-and-leave” home offers more freedom. As your time becomes more flexible, you may want to travel more. Or maybe you’d like to spend winters in a sunnier climate. You may want to trade your existing home for the security and low maintenance of condominium living.
• There has never been a better time to sell. Our area is one of the top in the country for sellers to get the greatest return on investment. Real estate is cyclical, so the current boom is bound to moderate at some point. If you’re thinking about selling, take advantage of this strong seller’s market and do it now.

Bottom Line

If your current home no longer works for you, consider looking at homes that would meet your lifestyle needs before taking on the cost and hassle of remodeling. Get in touch with a member of our Windermere Helena Team to discuss the best option for you.

For the last nine years, the HomeGain National Home Improvement Survey has been asking real estate professionals across the country the same question: What are the top 10 things a homeowner can do to get their home ready to sell?

And every year, the number one answer is: clean and de-clutter. In the latest survey, 99 percent of the real estate professionals queried ranked this task the most important. What’s more, they estimated that, for every dollar spent on the task, the homeowner would receive a whopping 403 percent return on their investment.

De-cluttering delivers big benefits to those who are not selling their homes, too. Studies show that living in a cluttered house is mentally stressful for the occupants and often leads to weight gain and other health problems.

So why do so many of us put off this important task? It’s hard work. It takes time. It’s physical. It’s emotional. And there are lots of decisions to make about what goes where, what gets tossed, and more. Worst of all, thinking about it makes it seem like an even bigger project than it really is—which is why experts say the best way to get started is to simply jump in.

The easy way to get started

The toughest part of getting organized is getting started. It’s too easy to say, “I’ll go through that closet later.” “I’ll get rid of those boxes later.” “I’ll donate those clothes later.”

Instead, replace “later” with “now.”

Grab a couple cardboard boxes and spend 90 minutes right now organizing one part of one room (a desk in your study, for example). Once you see that it’s not nearly as tough as you imagine, and actually feels satisfying and freeing, you’ll become energized and ready to take on even bigger organizing tasks tomorrow.

Here are some tips to keep you on track:

• Tackle one room at a time.
• Start with the easy stuff. Rounding up the things you know you want to toss, recycle, sell, or store.
• Finish the task you start. Don’t pull everything out of a closet, for example, and then stop for the day, leaving the mess for later. Finish organizing the closet.
• Get the whole family involved (these are important life lessons to pass along to your children).
• Let phone calls and other disruptions wait until you’re done for the day.

Deciding what to keep

Once you make your way through the things you know you don’t want any more (broken appliances, unused gifts, outdated electronics, store returns, etc.), then it’s time to focus on the items that are useful, but don’t get used very often. Experts suggest two strategies. Choose the one that works best for you, or try using them in combination:

• The 12-month test – If you haven’t used the item in the last year, get rid of it.
• The cardboard box drill – Put items you’re not sure about in a cardboard box and set it aside. Whatever gets pulled out and used over the next two months can stay. The things that don’t get rescued should be sent packing.

How to handle keepsakes

Now for the toughest decision of all: What to do with those trophies, mementos, greeting cards, photos, kids’ art projects—and all the other things that trigger strong memories and emotional reactions.

First, go through these things and make sure they’re still things you want to keep. Some items may now remind you of a time—or a person—you want to forget.

Spend no more than 30 seconds reviewing each item. If you allow yourself to start wandering down memory lane, your organizing work will come to a screeching halt.

Take photos of items that are bulky or hard to store—especially the kids’ artwork, which tends to fall apart over time, anyway. Once you’ve captured the item in a photo, let the original go.

If there are keepsakes you inherited from your parents or relatives that hold no sentimental value for you, it’s time to say goodbye.

Stop saving so many things for your children. No matter what they say now, your kids will most likely only be interested in a few key mementos when they’re older. Designate a single memento box for each child.

Other people’s belongings

You should not be storing anything that doesn’t belong to you and/or the other current members of your household. Give back things you’ve borrowed. Get rid of the belongings of ex-spouses, ex-boyfriends, and ex-roommates. Get tough with your adult children; your days of providing a roof for their belongings are over.

Working with a professional

A professional organizer can teach you the tricks of the trade, help you make tough decisions about what to keep and what to let go, and consult with you about the best storage systems. Hiring a professional is also a good idea if you’re having trouble getting started or sticking with it. Expect to pay around $50 to $90 per hour for this kind of help.

Some final words of advice

While you’re getting organized, do not allow yourself to buy any non-necessities. Groceries, yes. But say no to clothes, toys, electronics, sporting goods, and other feel-good purchases.

When you’re done organizing, a good rule of thumb is that for every new item brought into the house, an old one has to leave.

 

 

Here at Windermere Helena we believe in giving back to the community that gives us so much.  Windermere Helena is locally owned and managed and we enjoy being a part of this place we call home.  This year we launched the first #TackleHelenaHomelessness campaign, because we believe no one should go homeless.

According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, 1.5 million children experience a period of homelessness every year.  Forty-two percent of those children are below the age of 5.  After reading those statistics we wanted to do our part in helping fight the battle of homelessness locally.

Windermere Helena, a proud sponsor of the Carroll College Athletics, launched #TackleHelenaHomelessness in which we will donate $10 for every Carroll College Fighting Saint home game tackle to Family Promise.  Family Promise is a local non-profit organization who’s mission is to help children and their families overcome homelessness.

We invite others to join us, by donating to Family Promise as well!  Donate Now!

Summer has officially started and we’ve started our summer bucket list.  Helena and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer and we plan on taken advantage of it all.  Here’s a few things on our summer bucket list.

Kayaking/Paddle boarding – Helena’s not only central in Montana but also offers abundant access to water.  Top on our list is to kayak, paddleboard or float one of the many waters, Spring Mountain Lake if it’s just for the afternoon, Park Lake, Lakeside, or the Causeway if we have a little more time and the Missouri, Dearborn River or Trout Creek  if we want a full day float with great fishing!

Last Chance Tour Train – An exclusive attraction to Helena is our Tour Train, offering historic tours of Helena in the open-air tour trains.  It’s a fun way to see beautiful and historic Helena.

Hiking/Biking – Another one of Helena’s assets are our open lands, forests, and mountains and we can’t wait to check off our list a couple hikes up Mount Helena City Park and hit a couple bike trails. Helena was the only place in Montana to earn a spot on National Geographic Magazines recent list of America’s top 20 mountain bike towns.

Drive-in Movie – Although Helena doesn’t have a drive-in movie theater it’s on our bucket list, so we’ll head on over the short drive to Rocker, Montana to sit in the bed of our truck with an air mattress and watch a current flick at Silver Bow Drive In.

Gates of the Mountains – Nestled half way between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks sits the Gates of the Mountains. Located 20 miles north of Helena we are one of Montana’s not to miss destinations.

Disc Golf (Folf) – Did you know that Helena is the birth place of Disc Golf in Montana. Helena has more Folf courses than any other town in the state.

And of course we will hit the usual events, like Alive @ 5, the Last Chance Stampede & Fair, Brewers home games, Symphony of the Stars, Farmer’s Markets.  There is honestly too much to list and we can’t wait to start checking off the boxes on our list!  Hope to see you out there!