Aging in Place

Preserving the Independence of Senior Homeowners

A few quick population stats for you to put things in perspective: Relatively speaking, we have a high proportion of senior residents living amongst us here in Mohave County. According to the U.S. census, approximately 21% of the population of Mohave County is age 65 or over, compared to a national average of about 12%. The median age of Lake Havasu City is about 48 years, compared to a national average of about 35. Needless to say, seniors love to call the Tri-State area home, and it’s no surprise. Peaceful surroundings, plenty of affordable housing, proximity to renowned cultural and recreational activities. There are lots of reasons why seniors gravitate to this part of the world.

Now, a few more fast facts that may surprise you: According to CDC statistics (National Centers for Disease Control), an estimated 15,000 Mohave County seniors will fall within the coming year. Between 3,000 and 5,000 of these will result in moderate to severe injuries such as hip fracture or head trauma. Half of all seniors who suffer a hip fracture are never again able to return home or live independently. The real tragedy is that most of the hazards which cause these accidents are overlooked but very easy to fix. Sometimes it can be something as simple as installing a grip bar, widening a doorway, or installing a remote-controlled lighting system that can prevent a catastrophe.

As more and more of our population join the ranks of the 65 and over age bracket, conscientious seniors and their families are realizing that the home that may have met their needs in the past is now an accident waiting to happen. But it isn’t always a faulty design or a missing safety feature that can rob a senior of his or her independence. Senior homeowners especially derive a lot of satisfaction from maintaining or improving their homes themselves. But whereas he or she may have all the confidence and expertise in the world to handle virtually any imaginable maintenance task, the realities of their physical limitations aren’t always taken into consideration, and preventable accidents happen frequently.With these concerns in mind, an increasing number of senior homeowners are making improvements in their homes to enhance the home’s “livability” as a result of mobility problems or other health conditions, and to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the home. Likewise, a great deal of seniors and their loved ones are seeking out businesses and contractors that offer home maintenance assistance and various safety and comfort upgrades to add to their peace of mind, and to the independence of the homeowner. Seniors cherish their independence. The cost of home maintenance assistance and a few safety upgrades pales in comparison to that of nursing homes or assisted living ceters.

If you’re a senior homeowner or a concerned loved one in Mohave County, my business is ready with affordable solutions. Call Prestige House Care in Mohave County at (928) 758-9794. We can help with virtually any maintenance or architectural improvement needs you may have. If you choose to call a contractor directly, ask him if he has a CAPS certification (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist). This is a certification which was developed in association with the National Association of Home Builders and the AARP. No matter what, a professional evaluation of the home environment in relation to the health of the homeowner is highly recommended. Under certain circumstances, the cost of a home assessment by an occupational therapist or other environmental professional may be fully or partially covered by insurance.

For more information on home modifications, visit the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification website.

Aim to Please

Clever sellers with attention to detail cash in

“A good first appearance on a home can add as much as 5 to 10 percent to the value of the home.”

- John Aust, president of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers

For most homeowners this can mean tens of thousands of dollars in potential savings just for putting on those finishing touches that make a home stand out and impress. Marking the sale of your home on your list of your biggest successes is no more difficult than taking the five minutes it takes to look at your home through the eyes of the prospective buyer. The path to fantastic showings is the path to good offers, and is thereby also the path to a successful sale. But it takes a little thought and a little more effort.

Why is selling a home so different from selling your Mustang or your Town Car? We think a good rule of thumb is to think like the pros do. When a reputable dealer shows you a used car, do you see any signs of the previous owner? Never. You want to see that car like it’s new, or it’s new to you. Which means while maybe you don’t keep your own car spit-shined and in showroom condition all the time, but if you’re gonna fork over 15 or 20 grand for a used car, it had better look like Jesus himself would be honored to throw the top down and make a few runs around the block in it.

It’s consumer psychology 101: A buyer loves to put his own stamp on things mentally before taking ownership. It’s part of becoming comfortable with something new – we want to envision ourselves in happier circumstances for making a given purchase. When taking a used car for a test drive around the block, what are you likely to be thinking the moment before you decide this is the car you want to drive everyday? Thinking about the cigarette burns on the seat and the ketchup stains on the carpet? Or are you admiring the newly glossed dashboard and the clarity of the sound system? You want that car because you can see yourself happily driving it for the months or years to come, not because you’re picturing its previous owner spilling coffee in it or dropping their lipstick on the seat or burning a hole through the interior with a cigarette.

Unfortunately most people don’t realize how much they have to gain by detailing their home as they would a car before putting it on the market. Those oil stains on the driveway are scratches on the door. Those dead plants in the front walkway are cracks in the dashboard. Those flaws speak old. worn. tired. cheap. next. Sure, it’s easy to get distracted thinking about where you want your next home to be, the great upgrades you’re going to make, the fantastic new neighborhood you’re going to call home. Those are important things. But smart consumers pay attention to what may be the most important question of all: How to get the best possible value for your the investment you’ve already made.

Think of what it takes to inject a little “wow” factor into your showings and grab plenty of positive attention from the get-go, and always look at your home through the eyes of the pickiest and snobbiest of buyers. As annoying at they are, it’s those ultra-snobs that you want to please, because the fact is they have the highest standards. As you stage and prepare to show your home, your best chance at capturing the imaginations of potential buyers is to make your home sparkle and shimmer, both literally and figuratively. Don’t only think functionality, think appearance. Don’t only think apperance, think comfort. Don’t only think comfort, think perfection.

Here are some of the key themes to focus on as you make your home “market ready”:

Clean now. Cash in later.

“A bright and sparkly home attracts buyers like a magnet. A house can never be too clean.”

– HGTV.com

Nothing adds to your presentation better than a professional cleaning

Soiled surfaces, mildew in showers, soap scum, residue, dirty exhaust hoods, and dirty grout will kill your showings before they’re begun. It can be a monumental project if done thoroughly, and maintaining it from one showing to the next can be a hassle, since cleaning it does not mean you’re moving out. But it’s a necessity. Kitchens and bathrooms especially either sell houses or become showing-killers entirely due to a lack of a professional-quality cleaning.

Showcase your home to it’s greatest advantage. Tackle your windows inside and out to allow the greatest amount of natural light to enter and make your living spaces look bigger. Move all the furniture away from the wall and clean the baseboards. Attack smoke, grease, or dirt stains on the walls and remove all cobwebs. Clean out all of your appliances, including the rerigerator. Yep, including the fridge. Lots of looky-loos will love the chance to poke their noses into your fridge to get a sniff of what you’re cooking, and a lot of snooty buyers may judge your whole house on it. Annihilate any mildew problems and have dirty grout professionally cleaned and sealed. Make the front walkway, door, and entryway as clean and inviting as they can be, and you’ll start off every showing with a bang.

Get rid of your junk. De-clutter and de-personalize.

You’re selling your house. Not your fondue set or your convection cooker, and not your staggering collection of sports memorabilia. It’s time to make a pass through the house and see how long it takes to fill a few boxes with old knick-knacks, trophies, and baby pictures. It’s true, so many of us love having our own personal “wall of fame” touting our accomplishments or showcasing memories with our loved ones. Well guess what? Potential buyers aren’t interested in your childhood fishing trips or your bowling accolades. Your goal is to make them envision themselves living day-to-day in your home, and consider the possibilities for how they might modify or decorate your home to relfect their own character and lifestyle. That’s hard to do when a lifetime of your trinkets and keepsakes is scattered around and staring them in the face.

This is a job to have done before you market your home. Consider having a garage sale before the home is listed. Get rid of anything you think you won’t need in your new home. Mind you, there’s no need to wipe out your belongings. But you do need to make a serious effort to find a resonable line between clutter and emptiness.

Try thinking of it this way: You have only a certain amount of “real estate” in a potential buyer’s life. Which means you are only going to get so much of their time and attention squeezed into that time. You want to use it wisely and send people away thinking about and eventually remembering the positive aspects of your home. Not the newspapers, magazines, photographs, mementos, and junk you’ve got sprinkled around your house.

Create a feeling of spaciousness wherever possible. Clear kitchen and bath countertops of appliances, bottles, and excessive decorative knick-knacks to make the space appear large enough for their own belongings. Make sure all doors, cabinets, and drawers open all the way without bumping into anything or sticking. Remove magnets, notes, and kids’ art from the refrigerator fo further declutter your kitchen. Clean out the entry closet and put only a few hangers so a buyer can visualize winter coats. Move any oversized furniture to a storage facility or a friend’s house. Leave a corner empty here and there to encourage them to envision their own furniture. Make sure entrances to all rooms have a smooth, open flow. And last but not least – don’t fill your garage with junk! Invest in a storage unit to keep your things safe and secure while you market your house, while still showcasing the space for the next owner’s junk.

Curb appeal, and then some.

Make a good first impression by cleaning up your front porch and entryway.

People may not be as complex as we think. They make decisions fast, and don’t always give credit where credit might be due. All the more reason for you to capture a prospective buyer’s imagination the first moment they see the front of your home. Give them plenty of immediate visual reasons to expect (and decide) that your house is going to be a standout. Such as?

Touch up any exterior paint that needs it, faded or chipped exterior paint is an immediate buyer turnoff. Decide if you want to alter your color scheme a little and make a plan to add some appeal to your exterior by touching things up a little. New paint is not cheap, but it can go a long way toward making your home look as close to new as possible from the outside.

Don’t forget the side and rear views of your home. Prospective buyers will walk around and peek over fences if they don’t have open access. Look under your overhangs and inspect your exterior surfaces closely. Look for mildew, water stains, rust, cobwebs, or paint splattering and either clean or paint as necessary. A full exterior paint job may not be necessary. Sometimes a good pressure washing is all that’s needed to make paint look fresh again. Clear all cracks, corners, and crevices of dirt and debris.

Remember: Prospective buyers don’t walk around your home so differently than they would walk around a used car that they’re interested in. They want to see attention to detail in renewing the car – as close to “brand new” as possible. Keep this in mind as you manicure your exterior and you’ll get them thinking about offers before they even walk through the door.

Clean floors make buyers smell dollar signs.

Never ignore oil stains. Sometimes a litte elbow grease goes a long way.

Carpets hold odors in like a sponge, especially if you have indoor pets. Odors which may be nonexistent or even pleasant to you may be off-putting at best and a deal-breaker at worst to a prospective buyer. Even if you think your home has no odor to be concerned about, it’s always a good idea to neutralize the distinctive odor of the present occupant to make a buyer feel more comfortable. Just as odors trigger memories in people, the scent of your home can have a lasting impression on a prospective buyer. Steam clean all of your carpets professionally. The cost will be pennies on the dollar compared to the likely bloated cost of (often unnecessary) replacement that a prospective buyer is likely to calculate. Use Folex carpet spray to eliminate individual spot stains.

If you have tile and it hasn’t been cleaned for some time, you may consider a professional steam cleaner to spruce it up and renew your grout. Dirty or moldy grout makes tile look older than it actually is, and is a big-time turnoff. If you prefer to do it yourself, use oxygen bleach and a little old-fashioned elbow grease to scrub it clean. Chlorine bleach can also be a powerful grout cleaner, but you have to be careful about losing color too.

If you have hardwood floors, now’s the time to put them to work for you – and the best way to do that is to put some work into them. Few things add class and elegance to an interior more than hardwood floors. They provide rich beauty to any home, and can be a huge selling point to prospective buyers who appreciate them. If you don’t know already, figure out what kind of finish your floors have and polish them to the highest shine you can manage. A paste wax can add that extra luster, but requires a lot of intense buffing. Don’t use too much polish, as it can make the floor slippery and dangerous for your guests.

Remember the great outdoors

Our unique climate in the tri-state area makes outdoor living and entertaining an important aspect of our lifestyle in the region. We love our barbecues and our pools a lot, and chances are this is an area where a great many buyers are looking to upgrade.

A fresh, smoothly running pool and spa are a fantastic statement to make to prospective buyers. The most demanding aspects of the home from a maintenance standpoint are tip-top, and the home is in “move-in” condition. Buyers love that. Pools and barbecues speak fun, family, and romance like nothing else. Your goal is to prompt prospective buyers to envision cookouts, pool parties, or intimate evenings.

Make sure your pool cleaning contractor does your cleaning before showings whenever possible. Have him double-check all your pumps and filters to ensure they’re clean and operating smoothly. Remove pool toys and keep them out of view. Make sure patio lights are working as well as the lights in the pool and the jacuzzi – essential for evening showings. Consider pressure washing if there is excessive dirt, moss, or mildew. Again, pressure washing can have a tremendous impact on the appearance of virtually any external surface. Patios, poolsides, planters, decks, and brick can all be quickly restored and often looking like new again with a 1000-2000 PSI pressure washing.

Fresh flowers or flowerpots with a variety of plants tastefully arranged add plenty of appeal. As you choose flowers and potted plants to highlight your exterior living spaces, pick a few colors and stick with them as part of your outdoor theme. No need to have every color of the rainbow. Place a few on your front walkway and around your patio. Coordinate colorful flowers and plants of varying heights and textures. Consider a few hanging plants near your entryway or your patio area. Make sure your front yard is weeded and all of your plants and trees are manicured and looking fresh. If you have rock instead of a lawn, make sure it looks even and it’s not too dirty. If it’s very dirty, talk to your landscaper about either cleaning or pressure washing it to revive its original color.

Set the Stage

Your agent no doubt has plans to showcase your home according to its strengths, and has considered some themes and staging ideas for your showings that involve your outdoor living spaces. Nonetheless, give some independent thought to how you might go about staging your home to appeal to a prospective buyer’s imagination. Think of the model home down the road that is competing against you. They mean business, and you should too.

Invest in a book with some tips on staging your home. There are many e-books available on the subject which can offer a lot of creative ideas. Hopefully your agent has these skills already, but it can’t hurt for you to throw some ideas around as well, since effectively nobody knows your home as well as you. There are countless things you can do to add taste and class to your home, inside and out. The rule of thumb is to accentuate your strengths while detracting attention from your weak points. It may sound a little shady, but it’s standard practice. An attractive front walkway goes from nice to fantastic with just a few carefully placed outdoor lights or lanterns. An elevated spa becomes a showcase feature with just a few wine glasses and a fruit platter placed nearby. Try to be creative and ambitious with your showings while still attempting to live a semi-normal life in your house while it’s on the market. After all, you still have to live there.

Aim for a Home-Run Everytime

Homes that don’t stand out don’t get standout offers. Maximizing your chances of having home-run showings is no small task if attention to detail is important to you (it should be). The easy thing is always to sell your home “as-is” and let the chips fall where they may. The problem with this is that prospective buyers will make you pay for this with their countless deductions, bad arithmetic, or just an old-fashioned lack of interest. Don’t show your home. Showcase your home. It can take a few days, a few bucks, and a lot of patience – but you’ll be the one walking away smiling.

Seasonal home maintenance

A good pre-planned seasonal maintenance program makes a lot of financial sense.

Why preventive is so much cheaper than reactive

It’s no secret that we love our cars. And some clever marketing burned into our brains the importance of that routine tune-up you would eventually need to come back for. Sure, they were right. That 60,000 mile tune-up will not just make your car look and drive better. It will catch rust, rot, and failing systems before they become expensive or even dangerous problems later on. Most of us do actually preserve and protect our cars almost religiously, especially if we want it to carry us for the long-haul. But if your car breaks down, is it really all that difficult to get yourself into a new one? You can trade it in and purchase a new one in less than fifteen minutes. Your home, however, is a different story. You can’t just dump it and hit the used home lot when it starts to have problems. Yet we all maintain cars with a certain diligence and attention to detail that is almost scary sometimes. All the while, our cars are depreciating quickly. By the time we take it for its first wash it’s already lost as much as 20% of it’s value. Our homes, on the other hand, are virtually guaranteed to appreciate down the stretch. Yet most people don’t search for and handle problems until they’re much more invasive, expensive, or even dangerous.

The National Statistic on the Cash Value of Home Maintenance states that for every 1$ that is spent on home maintenance, up to $100 in repairs are avoided. When you consider the relative cost of some failing wiring or a few broken hose bibs and the catastrophic damage they can do, you realize the importance of taking a disciplined approach to your home maintenance program. Most homeowners are more likely to be thinking about small DIY improvements like the new backsplash they’re going to install or the new laminate floors for the entryway. But while there can be great dollar-for-dollar improvements to make, don’t overlook the all-important maintenance and repair tasks that collectively hold the core of your home’s value.

Real estate experts of all stripes recommend setting aside between 1 and 3 percent of the market value of your home each month for home maintenance and repair costs. If you have a newer home, or if you think your home requires limited ongoing maintenance, set the money aside anyway for large future expenses, such as re-roofing or replacing a heating unit. You’ll thank yourself later.

Your program should be tailor-made for your home, and should include monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks. A good rule of thumb though is to get things done as soon as the need appears. Don’t just put something off for six months because it’s October and that item is on your spring checklist. Handle it right when it pokes it’s head out rather than waiting for it to get worse. If a seasonal approach isn’t your thing, just pick two months out of the year about six months apart in which you’ll inspect and repair your home wherever there’s a need.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Maintain your home today and thank yourself tomorrow.

Some useful resources:

If you choose to handle your home maintenance yourself, this .PDF checklist will more than set you in the right direction. It touches on everything from draining sediment from your hot water heater to cleaning your kitchen exhaust fan filter.

http://www.prestige-ems.com/home_checkup.pdf

HGTV always has good stuff. Check out this “ultimate spring home maintenance checklist”:

http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/the-ultimate-spring-home-maintenance-checklist/index.html

Another excellent checklist with lots of good explanations:

http://www.homeinspectorlocator.com/resources/Inspection_maintain.htm#HOUSEHOLD%20PESTS

Here’s a site by Michigan State Extension with thousands of instructions on amultitude of tasks:

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/master02.html