I can hear you now, “Oh, no! Not another article on curb appeal to sell my Santa Cruz home!” To which I reply, “Oh, yes.” One more time around the block, but this time, we’re doing it in style.

The 21st Century Curb

Curb appeal is that thing you do to pretty up the outside of your home. It’s the landscaping, the painting and the checking of the little details. However, many home sellers (and real estate agents, for that matter), don’t take into account that the curb nowadays isn't just the view from the front of your house. In the 21st century, the “curb” starts right here on the Net.

Your online home listing has only three seconds - three short moments of time - to catch a potential buyer’s eye and turn them into an interested party. Unfortunately,…

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We’re all looking for ways to cut costs in our Santa Cruz homes.  One of the most efficient ways to save money is to insulate.  There are two simple ways to insulate your home that you may not have thought of before.  Here is the low down on each of them:

Add Weatherstripping

You may be familiar with weatherstripping on your car, but have you ever thought about weather-stripping your house?  It comes in many different sizes, so you can easily choose the right kind for your Santa Cruz homes.  Pre-weather stripped doors are now sold in many home improvement stores. 

When choosing which weather stripping to buy, consider the amount of friction that it will need to stand up to.  It would be better to use vinyl weatherstripping in high traffic areas. You…

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There are many different ways to update your Santa Cruz home to make it more eco-friendly. 

• In your Santa Cruz home, install ceiling fans and thermal windows.  Ceiling fans are low energy, cost effective ways of cooling your home without using the air conditioning.  Thermal windows offer insulation from outside heat and cold. 

• Use foam caulking around any cable lines or cords leading to an exterior wall.  This will provide insulation against temperature changes.

• In the winter (or in climates that are cool year round), use the natural sunlight during the day.  Opening the drapes and allowing the sun to come in decreases the amount of energy needed to light and heat your home.  Closing the drapes at night adds another layer of insulation against…

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It’s that time of year again, when the temperatures fall and the costs of heating your Santa Cruz home go up.  Do you worry about the increasing cost of heating oil and the rise in energy prices?  Then you may want to try these suggestions for saving on your home’s heating costs:

• Check all your home’s air vents to see that they are clean and free from any blockages.  Replace your furnace filters to keep the system running efficiently.

• Weather Seal your home.  Look around all the door and window frames on your house for obvious gaps and spaces that could let cold air into your house.  Fill in the gaps with a silicone caulking, sold at all hardware stores.  For high traffic areas like the doorway, you may want to apply a vinyl or metal…

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If your Santa Cruz home for sale isn’t selling, you’re probably wondering if you’re missing something. Well, here’s a list of things you might not know that could make all the difference:

1. If the location of your Santa Cruz home for sale isn’t great, the price and terms are the only thing that will sell it. Make them outstanding!

2. Attractive, competitive terms may help you get a higher price. For instance, if you’re allowing the option of owner financing, and also allow a smaller down payment (say, $20,000 - $30,000), you may be able to sell your house for a higher overall amount.

3. Because of the current high competition, your home has to be in the best condition at a competitive price. Check out the competition, accept that yours might need…

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Some potential homeowners just don’t want a pre-lived in Santa Cruz home. They’d rather have their house built to their own specifications. They want a home that fits their needs exactly. If this is you, I understand and would like to help by giving you a glimpse into the future of home design.

The Future of Design

Thinking of the future might bring ideas of fantastic scientific miracles like smart houses that vacuum themselves. While building your Santa Cruz home and having it wired as a smart home may be a good idea, think, also, about sustainable design. Here are just a few reasons why sustainable design is a great idea:

1. Government mandates and incentives – Under the current administration, sustainable design is a big thing. In fact, many cities…

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Not everybody is dealing with the worry of buying or selling Santa Cruz real estate. Some are quite happy where they are, have no intention of moving, and selling is the last thing on their minds.

However, there are a lot of incentives out there to do something in Santa Cruz real estate, and many are itching to dip into those incentives. So, if you’re not selling or buying, what can you do? Here are a few ideas:

Upgrades

Upgrades are something you can do to your home at any time. However, with the many government incentives out there, you can upgrade your home to be more energy efficient for less. For example, thanks to federal tax credits, you can install solar panels or a geothermal heat pump and get 30% back once you file your federal taxes.

…

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If you have some Santa Cruz real estate to sell or you just want to raise the property value, keeping hip to the market trends is paramount.  Kitchens are one of the biggest selling points of any residential property.  Energy efficient and cost effective are the catchwords of the day, and recycled is the way to go.  Here are a few of the newest eco-friendly kitchen products that can find you buyers and up your property value.

1. EverHot – Made by Water, Inc., the EverHot is an excellent addition to trendy kitchens.  No more boiling water, which makes it energy efficient and timesaving, EverHot is an under counter instant hot water heater.  It uses less electricity than a 40-watt bulb, but produces up to 60 cups of steaming water an hour.

2. Whirlpool…

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Many putting up their home for sale on the Santa Cruz market don’t have a lot of available cash to spruce it up.  While staging houses is a definite plus, it costs, as does many of the other suggested “to-dos." 

Here are a few inexpensive, easy ways to make your home look more inviting to buyers:

1. Put up your personal stuff

Not every buyer looking at a home for sale in Santa Cruz appreciates the fact that someone still lives there.  Putting away the following things can help the buyers’ see themselves in the home:

• your pet’s things (toys, litter box, bowls)
• your medications, toothbrushes and toilet accessories
• any toys
• knick-knacks and personal pictures

2. Create more space

Small, closed in spaces are major turnoffs for buyers.  Create the…

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Have you ever walked into one of the Santa Cruz homes and looked down to see stained carpet or flooring?  It brings a little thought of “ew” sometimes, doesn’t it?  Imagine if you were a buyer looking at the same floor.

The right type of flooring, and flooring that is well taken care of, can make a big difference to buyers.  If your floor brings on the “ew” thought, here are a few fixes to help make sure your home sells:

Does your home have hardwood floors?

You’re in luck.  Buyers love hardwood floors and some will actually pay extra to get them.  In fact, it could be that final selling point.  If your hardwood floors are covered by carpet, painted over or showing anything but the natural wood grain, it’s time for an overhaul.  Pull up those carpets…

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