How To Remove Home Smells

Almost all homes have smells. Did you cook dinner last night? Did you kick off those year-old work shoes in the entryway? Do you have a pet? Is there dampness anywhere in your home? Chances are that your home smells too but you don’t notice it.

While data suggests that humans can detect at least a trillion different smells, we adapt to smells very quickly.  New research even suggests that the nose can outperform the eyes and ears, so smell is an important consideration when you sell a home. 

Imagine that you’ve just purchased a scented plug-in device for your home. Think of how strong it smells at first. After a few hours you hardly notice it. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why our noses adapt to smells, but point to detection of the subtlest change in the scent of our environment as a potential safety mechanism.

We need to be able to adapt and notice new smells quickly. For our ancestors, this ability could alert a change in smell in some animal they’d killed, signifying it was rotting and unsafe to eat. This phenomenon, known as sensory adaptation, is something we experience most intensely with smells and is why people can’t smell their own home. 

Listing a St. Louis area home? Clear away bad smells.

Listing your home for sale? Then figure out what smells might be lingering in your home. First, give your home a good deep cleaning. A few days later, after the smell of the cleaning products has gone, ask a friend to come over and tell you what smells they notice. Smells often found in homes include: laundry and shoe odors, previously cooked food, pets, smoke and mold. Once you discover the smells and the source of the smells in your home, remove them.

Food. Rid your home of food smells by cleaning all food-related appliances and washing any draperies near the kitchen. When cooking in a home listed for sale, avoid cooking fish or using strong smelling spices and be sure to use a fan or leave the windows open when cooking. Don’t forget to remove food trash from the home promptly.

Laundry. Don’t let laundry pile up to avoid clothing smells. Those stinky work shoes? Try airing them out outdoors before bringing them in. Then put them in a plastic bag and tuck them away.

Pets. Pet smells can be some of the strongest. Of course be sure that litter boxes are as clean as possible. If a pet has ever gone to the bathroom on a rug or carpet, steam clean it.  Also, keeping pets clean will help eliminate their body odor.

Smoke. If you smoke, you must stop smoking in your home while it is on the market. Smoke sticks to everything. Smokers need to deep clean their home before it hits the market. This includes: washing draperies, cleaning carpets, washing windows, washing or painting walls and even changing all the light bulbs. Yes, smoke can stick to light bulbs and when they are turned on and heat up, the smoke smell will return.

Mold. Mold smells are some of the worst to potential homebuyers as they can signal leaks and water issues at a home. Use a dehumidifier and clean any mold. If there is a significant mold issue call a professional to help remediate as it can make you sick.

List with The Boehmer Team 

With over 60 years of experience, our team has helped hundreds of St. Louis and St. Charles County area homeowners sell a home. We offer a home consultation and even staging if needed to present your home at it’s best. Then we utilize our custom maximum exposure home marketing system to help you get the most from your home sale. Contact The Boehmer Team today to learn more about how we help homeowners sell a home.

References:

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/why-cant-you-smell-your-own-home.html 
http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/senses-and-perception/articles/2015/making-sense-of-scents-smell-and-the-brain/

http://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/7-smells-homebuyers-hate/

https://www.febreze.com/en-us/learn/have-you-gone-noseblind

 

Meet a Famous Actor and Help Kids With Cancer

Have you ever wanted to have fun and meet a famous actor all while helping charity? Now is your chance! Get your tickets for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties Sunshine Kids Golf Tournament and meet Major Crimes actor, G.W. Bailey. But first, let us tell you about the amazing organization you will be helping.

Sunshine Kids

The Sunshine Kids foundation was created in 1982 to provide a variety of programs, events and positive group activities to support young cancer patients at no charge to them. They help in hospitals across America and right here in the St. Louis area. You can learn more about this great organization by visiting their website www.sunshinekids.org.

16^th Annual BHHS Select Properties Sunshine Kids Golf Tournament

On Wednesday, June 7^th, 2017, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties will host their 16^th annual Sunshine Kids golf tournament. At the tournament you will have the opportunity to meet actor G.W. Bailey who will be in attendance. In addition to a long career in acting, Bailey has served as Executive Director for the Sunshine Kids Foundation since 2001. He got involved with Sunshine Kids after being introduced to the organization by his goddaughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia. To learn more about this event and to get tickets visit www.SelectGivesBack.com.

Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark

Are you more of a baseball person? We’ve got a fun Sunshine Kids event for you. Join us for the 2017 Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark. This year’s Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark takes place at Busch Stadium on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 12:45pm. Join us in the Left Field Loge section to watch the Cardinals play the Dodgers. Be sure to get there early to see a local Sunshine Kids member throw out the first pitch. For details and tickets visit www.SelectGivesBack.com.

Select Properties, The Boehmer Team & Sunshine Kids

Since founding in 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties (previously known as Prudential Select Properties) have been big supporters of the Sunshine Kids organization. In fact, they have been top ten Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices contributors nationwide for the past ten years and have raised over a million dollars for the cause.

The Boehmer Team gives a contribution to Sunshine Kids for each home they list.  In addition to giving back, this provides their home sellers with a special Sunshine Kids icon next to the listing on their website, their brokerage website and over 500 agent websites in the St. Louis area. The Boehmer Team stays involved supporting Sunshine Kids throughout the year through numerous fundraisers and events. They have been awarded as a top Sunshine Kids contributor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties for the past eight years.  Join The Boehmer Team in supporting this great cause!

When is the Spring Home Selling Season Really?

In the Missouri area the beginning of the spring home selling season greatly depends on the weather.  In the case of normal weather where it is typical winter temperatures but not extremely cold, snowy or icy, homebuyers seem to come out in the first two weeks of February. There are always January buyers, although it is normal for it to take a few weeks for holiday celebrations to end, decorations to come down, college students to return to school and life to return to normal. 

In new home construction the selling season usually kicks off the first Sunday after the Super Bowl, unless it falls directly on Valentines Day. With new construction there are almost always inventory homes that are completely built and ready for sale throughout the winter months.
[See the current list of new construction inventory homes.]

When snow, ice and freezing temperatures occur late into winter they deter the movement of homebuyers.  The positive news for home sellers is if there are homebuyers looking under those conditions, they are most likely serious buyers.  There is also a fair amount of relocation activity in the real estate market immediately after the first of the year due to large companies implementing changes for staff.

So how long does it take to prepare a home for sale on the spring market?

The rules for home preparation for the resale market are pretty much the same all year round.  One big difference is that you do not have the beautiful trees, landscaping, seasonal flowers and foliage to rely on to add exterior charm.  It is important that dead leaves are removed from landscape beds, lifeless plant foliage removed and residue from salts and ice melt products hosed off of the concrete surfaces.  Covered porches and patio areas also need to be staged as well as possible in the winter as they are much more appealing in the warmer months. 

According to Kelly Boehmer, “if you want to take advantage of the spring selling season you can prepare by cleaning, removing clutter, organizing closets and pantries, minimizing and neutralizing décor, and getting rid of unneeded furniture. The hard work will pay off.  There are more homebuyers out in the spring than any other time of the year. Buyers have been in the house all winter and ready to make a move.  It is in your best interest to be ready for them.”

“To really make the most of your home sale define your true motivation as a seller,” says Linda Boehmer.  “Then have a quality agent make clear any terms and conditions that are required or favorable for you as a seller and include them in the agent remarks of your home listing.  This will help eliminate any confusion about your goals when you get a buyer for your home.”

You can meet The Boehmer Team at their team page. Or contact The Boehmer Team to schedule an in-person meeting to view the full details of their Maximum Exposure Marketing Plan for homes. The Boehmer Team’s experience and attention to detail when selling a home are just a few of the reasons why they are a top team in the St. Louis and St. Charles County area of Missouri.

5 Things To Avoid When Buying a Home

In order to make your home sale go smoother, there are several things you should avoid when you buy a St. Louis or St. Charles area home. Most of the hurdles to clear regard mortgage financing. Even though you may be pre-approved for a mortgage loan, it does not mean the lender has legally committed to funding the loan. Buyers who don’t know any better can inadvertently add obstacles to their mortgage funding between writing a contract and closing day. Here are five things to avoid during the home buying process.

Don’t Run Up Your Credit

Don’t max out your credit cards buying furniture for your new home. Wait until you close. This also goes for any other large purchases like a car, boat or vacation. Don’t open up new credit accounts. If you absolutely need to obtain new credit or accrue debt before closing, talk with your loan officer as soon as possible. New payments will affect your monthly debt-to-income ratio in a negative way. Here are ways to improve your credit.

Don’t Switch Up Your Banking

Don’t switch financial institutions right before or during the home buying process or make a lot of unusual deposits or withdrawals. Your mortgage lender will be double checking your finances and require clear documentation and a recognizable paper trail of your finances. Money that will be your down payment should be sitting in your account for at least two months - what lenders call "seasoning" - so that the funds don't just appear out of thin air. Also, don’t co-sign anyone else’s loans during this time.

Don’t Get Behind

Make sure you continue to pay your bills on time and don’t get behind. Payment history comprises about a third of your credit score. A single 30-day late payment can chop 60 to 110 points from your credit score. Many lenders require at least 12 consecutive months of on-time payments in order to qualify for a home loan.

“It is very important that the borrowers communicate with their loan officer if anything changes financially from the time they start the house hunting process to the time of closing.  Most times the loan officer will find out if something does change and if that happens at the last minute, your closing could be delayed.  In most cases if something does change and you alert your loan officer to help fix the issue, closing will go on as planned.” - Jeff Griege, VP, Paramount Mortgage

Don’t Change Employment

Obviously lenders want you to have steady employment in order to grant you a mortgage loan.  So don’t change jobs before applying for a home loan. It’s also not the right time to become self-employed or quit your job. If there are any changes in your employment, notify your lender. You don’t want to spend money on the home buying process if you won’t get the loan in the end.

Don’t Spend Your Savings

Part of the price of financing a mortgage loan is the closing costs and you’ll likely have some responsibility for paying them. Make sure you have enough for your share of the obligation. Get an idea of  the price of your closing costs in advance by talking to your lender.

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The Boehmer Team Knows How To Close

The Boehmer Team understands many of the hurdles homebuyers face in procuring the St. Louis or St. Charles, Missouri home of their dreams. We face any obstacles with our clients and do our best create a clearer path to home ownership. If you have questions about the home buying process contact The Boehmer Team.

References:

http://blog.credit.com/2014/01/the-worst-things-you-can-do-before-buying-a-home-74570/

http://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/eight-things-avoid-buy-home/

http://www.angeloakhomeloans.com/pages/dos-and-donts

www.paramountmortgage.com 

 

Storage Solutions When Preparing Your Home For Sale

Research shows that homeowners who stage their houses, sell those homes faster and usually for more money. Staging includes clearing out and organizing your home while keeping only the minimum amount of furniture in each room making the space appear larger and more enticing. But you can’t just shove those items into closets as your home’s available storage space is often at the top of the list for most buyers. So organizing and clearing your storage spaces should also be included in preparing your home for sale.

“We knew we'd have to clear out plenty of clutter. We didn't expect to have to take out almost everything,” said one homeowner. “Three bookshelves in my office, one apiece in three bedrooms, and one in the basement all had to go. We also had to remove sofas, chairs, dressers, cabinets, lamps, televisions, a desk, kitchenware, and one-third of the clothes in our closets.”

The difference in how a staged home looks after a clear out is often staggering. But many homeowners wanting to sell their home see the clear out as overwhelming. However it can be done quickly with the help of a few tricks and some help from your friends.  

Home Clearing Tricks

Create Piles With Purpose
Create six piles for all items you want to clear away to go into. Then pick up one item at a time and make a decision about it, before putting it down.

1. Keep in room
2. Put away (in another room)
3. Give away / donate
4. Sell
5. Trash
6. Recycle

Use a Systemic Approach

Set a timer for an hour and then clean one room at a time during that hour. Concentrate on the area you've decided to work on during the session. If you've chosen a larger area begin working on it systematically, from left to right, in a clockwise fashion throughout the room. (The order isn't actually that important, any systematic approach will work, as long as you stick with it.) 

Storing Possessions When Selling Your Home

The Garage 

If you have a large garage and putting your items in the garage will still leave space for a car to park in it, then you have a great storage option. Stack plastic storage bins and cardboard boxes as neatly as possible. Instead of buying bins you don’t need or cardboard boxes you’ll just throw away, STL Rent-A-Box is a good option. They have stackable plastic storage bins that can be dropped off to your home and kept for the duration of your project.

Rented Storage

Use your rented storage unit to store anything you do not need. After all, potential buyers will be looking through your closets, cabinetry, and basement. A self-storage facility allows you to store unnecessary appliances, out-of-season clothing, furniture, and anything else you will not need for a few months so that your home's best features can shine through.

Temporary Storage 
PODS revolutionized moving and storage by introducing the

concept of portable storage containers. With PODS, portable storage containers come to you, so you can pack at your leisure. When you're ready, your PODS container is moved to a secure storage center facility.

Moving Companies

Many moving companies do much more than move furnishings—they also offer storage solutions where possessions can be stored in climate-controlled environments for several days or months.  Costs are based on the amount of stuff you have. If you want to reduce cost, the best time to organize the home and discard possessions you no longer need or want is before the moving truck shows up.

When considering your storage options, decide whether you’ll need access to any of the items in storage. If you think you may need to get things out of storage on a temporary basis, it’s best to make sure those items are stored last, or consider self-storage for those items you’ll need regular access to during the interim period.  

The Boehmer Team Can Help
The Boehmer Team is experienced with helping homeowners with home staging that makes a home irresistible to buyers. If you are thinking of selling your home, contact the number one real estate team in St. Charles county, The Boehmer Team. They make the process of selling your home a smoother and more lucrative experience.