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Posted by SamOC

Increasing Your Home Value Thru Remodeling 

Home Remodel Blueprints

Without a doubt, the quickest means of instantly increasing home value to a property is through remodeling. A fresh coat of paint, a new set of tiles, countertops and bathroom floors will add a much needed value boost to homes so they can be listed at a much better price point.  Also making your basement usable will add huge value. Here are some helpful tips to do that without breaking the bank.

Replacing Your Front Door

Your door is probably the one part of your home that has seen its share of abuse. From rowdy kids kicking it to get in to heavy suitcases and appliances dinging it all over the place. If your door has seen better days it may be time to trade it in. Moreover, old exterior doors may be a huge source of energy waste so by replacing the door you are in effect improving energy efficiency without breaking a hole in your pocket.

Kitchen Upgrade

Before you think how much this is going to cost you we are just going to stick to a minor remodel particularly one that keeps costs low by refacing instead of replacing cabinets but includes new flooring, countertops and appropriately priced appliances. According to the latest studies, 82% of homeowners that updated their kitchens gave them a bigger desire to stay at home and about 95% are truly satisfied with the end product. Talk to your home remodeler and interior designer for options on modestly remodeling your kitchen.

Deck and Patio Upgrades

If you like the alfresco environment you will be glad to know that the use of decks and patios are steadily on the rise in many US homes. One big reason for the trend is that it is an economical way to extend living space which is somewhere between $8 to $35 per square foot. This is a good bargain when compared to the $150 and up per square foot cost of adding a new room.

There are lots of options available when it comes to sprucing up your home. The list above is just a few suggestions. If you want to learn more about how to increase home value thru remodeling talk to a custom home remodeler today!

Posted by SamOC

Finding Incredible Homes For Sale In Malta

Whether you are looking for a vacation property or a place to call home, moving to Malta can be a dream come true. This beautiful Mediterranean island offers rich history and breathtaking scenery, making it a fantastic place to buy a new home.

Finding villas for sale in Malta is a bit more complicated than it may seem at first. Although there are plenty of properties available, the process of purchasing them can be a little bit complex – especially if you are a foreigner. To help ensure that you understand all of the ins and outs of purchasing a property in a foreign country, it is important to work with a knowledgeable real estate professional who is familiar with Malta’s laws and customs.

For instance, depending on where you are moving from and how you plan to use the property, you may have to invest a minimum amount of money in order to be allowed to complete the sale. A good real estate specialist can walk you through all of the requirements that you may face so that you have a full understanding of exactly what you need to do in order to be able to purchase your new villa.

Property Value and Pricing in Malta

The good news is, property values in Malta usually go up over time. That means that the value of your villa is likely to increase the longer you hold onto it. By investing in real estate on this lovely island, you not only gain access to a beautiful property that you can use as you see fit but you also stand to make money when it comes time to sell the property in the future. It is truly a win-win situation.

Anytime you buy property in a foreign country, there are a number of details that need to be ironed out. When looking for villas for sale in Malta, it is important that you have a thorough understanding of how the local real estate market works. Try to find a real estate agent who has handled similar types of transactions in the past. That way, they can help walk you through the process step-by-step so that you don’t miss any important details.

Once you understand how the process works, buying property in Malta can be a quick and easy experience. However, you definitely need to go into it with your eyes open. The more educated you are about the local real estate market, the more likely you are to make a good decision. Keep in mind that purchasing a property is probably the most valuable thing you will ever purchase so you need to consult with various realtors.

Karkanja Limited is one of those real estate agents that can help you find the best property within you budget. They have been in business for the past 25 years so they know all the ins and outs of the market. Happy spending!!

Posted by SamOC

Get Creative With Social Media for Realtors

If you are a real estate agent you may think that your marketing is restricted to your local news papers and more traditional methods of online marketing such as SEO, listing on places such as Zillow or Right Move but there’s a lot you can do with social media.

Lets start with Facebook

It’s no longer just the domain is drunken college students, Facebook is the largest social network in the world and is now used for just about everything imaginable and it’s business implications are growing more and more with each year.

To begin with you will need to setup a Facebook page for your estate agent. Don’t rely on a personal profile as that is not professional enough. You’ll still need a personal account in order to create and manage a business page but it is through the page that you will promote your agency.

So what should you post? You can begin by posting information about the neighbourhood in which you operate. Anything that is of interest to home owners is suitable here. Articles about the local schools, crime rates, community events and so on are all good material.

Make sure you make use of images. When you have new listings make a new post on your Facebook page and include a high quality image which then links back to the listing on either your website or a property site that you use.

This will keep the page updated and provide multiple avenues for your listings to be promoted. And of course, if people comment on your posts, make sure you reply promptly.

Twitter

Twitter is more difficult to use for some businesses because you are restricted to 140 characters. However this is another great platform to promote your new listings. You can have a new tweet every time you get a new listing and you can include a photo.

This is also a good place to make use of hashtags. For example if there’s a particular suburb or area in your region that is very popular or a particular style of property then include a hashtag and that can draw in extra traffic.

Do be careful though that you don’t only tweet your listings as if there’s nothing else of interest on your feed, people will get bored and will un-follow you. Make sure that you also post interesting stuff about your neighbourhood, property and so on in the same way that you did for Facebook.

Pinterest

Pinterest is awesome for any business that makes use of images which of course you do. You’ll want to begin by setting up a board for your neighbourhood. If you cover several areas perhaps you’ll want to make separate boards for each one.

Now here you don’t need to post images of general lifestyle stuff here – you can use your boards specifically for your listings and once again, you’ll want to make the best use of the photos for each one. You can also use Hashtags here like you can on the other platforms.

If all of this sounds like too much work then you might want to hire a creative agency to do all the heavy lifting for you!.