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Don't Overlook Your Basement

HR.Donna_3144A basement is the foundation of a home, however sellers often overlook it.  A damp or wet basement can alarm potential buyers.  Cobwebs, clutter, mold, leaky pipes, etc., all send a negative signal.  Here are some tips to ensure that your basement does not derail the sale of your house.

  • If you have a water problem in your basement, FIX IT!  A damp basement can rot sills and wood beams, compromising the structural integrity.  There are companies out there that specialize in fixing wet basements.
  • De-clutter.  This allows buyers to see how they can use the space.
  • Clean up cobwebs, make sure all the lights work.  Having buyers walk face first in to a giant cobweb does not endear the house to them.
  • By nature, basements are damp in the summer - run a dehumidifier.
  • Have your furnace checked.  Make repairs on any leaking pipes.

As you prepare your house to go on the market, it's important not only to spruce up the living spaces, but the basement as well.  Feel free to email or call me if you'd like a free booklet on how to enhance your house for a successful sale.  603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com.

Real estate markets are local, and we have the real scoop on ours. Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate

New People in Town?

Take a walk around New London and you're apt to see the "Pumpkin People" sprouting up all over the town!  We're all having a little fun and friendly competition.  The Town's Rec. Department will be judging the new pumpkins in town on October 25.  The contest is open to all residents, businesses and organizations.  Click here for more information.  Have fun making your people!  Meet our new family - another satisfied buyer who bought from "The Best Team in Town"!

Pumpkin people 2015Teamwork from the Team that works – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Love the Fresh, Fall Air?

PICT1097 (2)Don't miss the Fall Festivals coming up on October 10 and 11. The Town of Warner will have their annual Foliage Festival with entertainment, carnival rides, fine crafts and more throughout the town.  And don't forget to visit the NH Telephone Museum there with free admission.  For more information, visit www.wfff.org Mt. Sunapee Resort will also host their annual Fall Foliage Festival and Pig Roast from 11:30-5pm.  There will be pulled pork and chicken, all day games, activities and prizes.  You can also take advantage of the aerial sky ride to the summit, weather permitting.  For more information, visit www.mountsunapee.com Get out and enjoy the beautiful colors!

Teamwork from the Team that works – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

New London Price Reduction

Was $325,000, now $319,000.  Come take a look at this attractive, privately sited half-cape with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths.  First floor master bedroom and bath, wood or tile floors throughout, large living/dining room with a stone-faced fireplace and extra den.  A short distance to town and I-89 for commuting.  For more photos and details, visit www.NewLondonNHCape.com

CatonSpringMarilyn Kidder, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

“Word of Mouth” is the best advertisement, and we love it when you refer your friends and family to Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Want to Move Quickly?

  • Sep 25, 2015

This new listing in Newbury is ready for you to move right in!  Pristine, well-cared for home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths is in a private setting on 6+ acres.  The kitchen is updated with granite countertops and a large island for stools, newer appliances and area for a table.  Open to the living room.  Pendant lighting.  The separate dining room has French doors that open to the large, inviting deck.  Perfect for entertaining!  Offered at $250,000.  For more photos and details, visit http://tour.circlepix.com/home/WPM5TU.

CunninghamChristina McKee, Listing Agent, 603-526-4116

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

So Much for So Little!

  • Sep 18, 2015

Low cost living is possible!  Neat and tidy ranch awaits new owners to enjoy the entertainment size living room with high ceiling and brick hearth, a large country kitchen with abundant cabinet and counter space, and a spacious dining area open to the kitchen.  A great combination for the cook who doesn't want to be separated from guests.  Outdoor living is enhanced by the secluded deck surrounded by level lawn, flowering shrubs, and many trees.  The peaceful backyard is perfect for relaxing.  Centrally located to Concord, Tilton, and New london for easy commuting.  Nearby Blackwater Dam recreational area offers 3600 acres of land and water for kayaking, fishing, hunting, hiking, and horse trails.  The best move you can make!  Offered at $167,000.  For more photos and details, visit www.NHCountryHome.com.

BastienBestDonna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

You’ll be moving in the right direction with Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Looking for Some Good Fun and Eats this Weekend?

tomatoes3Take a ride to Spring Ledge Farm this Saturday for their annual Corn Roast, Tomato Tasting and Beef Roast from 1-3pm.  They'll have their fresh-picked sweet corn roasted with herb butters, samples of Star Lake Farm beef (a delicious smoked brisket), Walpole Creamery Ice Creams, Chocolate milk from MacNamara Dairy, Spring Ledge Farm cider donuts, Effie's Oatcakes, Good Loaf baguettes with Vegeteball's Pesto, Garfield's Smoked cheese niblets and many other samples.  $5 donation goes to local food banks.  www.springledgefarm.com

“Word of Mouth” is the best advertisement, and we love it when you refer your friends and family to Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Death by Photos

HR.Donna_3144Are your listing photos killing the sale of your house? Did you know over 90% of buyers will start their search online and 83% of buyers rated photos as the most useful website feature? Which means buyers are weeding out the houses they don’t want to see even before they go out with an agent. All based on photos. I am constantly amazed at the bad photos when looking at our MLS – kitchens with cluttered countertops and refrigerators covered with papers, bedrooms littered with clothes & toys and unmade beds, heavy curtains suffocating windows, living rooms with too much furniture and too many decorations, etc. Not to mention the blurry photos, shots of useless areas like hallways, camera flash back from windows and mirrors, and shooting from bad angles. My advice? If you truly want to sell your home, you should be preparing the house before photos are taken. Clean up, de-clutter, remove excess furniture, and yes, get all that stuff off of your refrigerator & countertops! You also should double check how the photos look online and ask your agent to re-take anything you think looks bad. Do not underestimate the power of photography! If you are looking for an agent to give you straight advice on prepping your property for sale, then give me a call!  603-526-4116, donna@donnaforest.com, www.donnaforest.comStatistics from the National Association of REALTORS® 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Price Reduction on Eastman Condo

Come enjoy Eastman with its championship golf course, tennis courts, six beaches and miles of hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.  This easy care contemporary condo is in pristine move-in condition!  The updated kitchen boasts granite countertops, tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances.  The sunny living room is the perfect place for relaxing with a good book by the propane stove.  Large deck offers plenty of space for outdoor entertaining.  3 levels of living space lets everyone spread out, but most likely you will be out enjoying nature or the lake.  Carefree living at its best!  Was $169,900, now $134,900.  Call today for your private showing.

DeWispelaere1Donna Forest, Listing Broker, 603-526-4116

Known for service, trusted for results – Coldwell Banker Milestone Real Estate.

Top Ten Common Repair Costs

In the life of every home, repairs happen. Here are the top 10 most common repairs that, sooner or later, your house will require.

Congratulations on buying your first house. Now, you have to learn how to keep it in good repair. To be safe, you should set aside money every year — 1% to 3% of your home’s purchase price — for repairs and maintenance.
The good news is that most repairs are simple, inexpensive, and DIY-friendly. If you can fix stuff yourself, you’ll only pay for the cost of materials and save a bundle on these common repairs and replacements.
1.  Replace Toilet Fill Valves That annoying sound of water continually filling and draining from your toilet tank is often caused by leaky fill valve, which a plumber can replace, stopping water waste and restoring quiet. Plumber rates vary widely around the country, from $45 to $150 per hour, and the job will take about two hours — the minimum some plumbers require just to take the job. Labor: $50 to $200 Materials: $11 to $23 Total: $61 to $223 Related: Home Maintenance 101: 7 Things Every Homeowner Should Know 2.  Repair a Leaky Faucet The water torture drip-drip-drip from a leaky faucet won’t just drive you insane, it can drive up water bills, too. Depending on the type of faucet you have, fixes typically involve replacing damaged rubber washers (10 for $2), O-rings (10 for $2), or a faucet cartridge ($8 to $30). Labor: $95 to $300 Materials: $2 to $30 Total: $97 to $330 Related: The WaterSense Label: What to Look For 3.  Replace Ceiling Fan If you’ve got a ceiling fan, sooner or later the motor will burn out, the blades will warp, and fashions will change, so you’ll need to replace it. Replacing isn’t a big deal, because upgraded wiring, a reinforced ceiling box, and a light switch with ceiling fan controls are already in place. What you’re paying for is an electrician’s time — one or two hours — and a new fixture. Labor: $50 to $200 Materials: $54 to $1,000 and up Total: $104 to $1,200 Related: Ceiling Fans: Know the Spin Before You Install 4.  Repair Drywall Nicks, gashes, and smashes inevitably mar your beautiful walls. You’ll have to patch and paint to make them look as good as new. A painter can do both jobs and will probably give you a flat rate that will include patching or filling blemishes, then sanding, priming, and painting. Painters charge $25 to $62 per hour for labor or $2.68 to $4.60 per square foot including materials. Figure it will take about three hours to repair a wall, including drying time for the patching compound and paint. It’s a good idea to save up painting chores so you have enough to keep a painter busy while repairs cure. Materials include paint at $12 to $50 or more a gallon, which should cover about 350 square feet; plus another $10 to $50 for brushes, rollers, drop clothes, and drywall patching compound. Labor: $75 to $186 Materials: $22 to $100 Total: $97 to $286 Related: Patch a Drywall Hole 5.  Repair Cracked Tile Tile is hard and durable, but drop something heavy on it and it’s likely to crack — a reason to always order more tile than you need so you’ll always have spares. To replace cracked tiles, a handyman must pry out the damaged tiles, scrape away old fixative, re-glue new tiles, and spread new grout. Replacing a 2-foot-by-2-foot section of tile should take one to two hours, not including the drying time required for the adhesive to set. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials: $1 to $20 per square foot Total: $34 to $430 Related: Smart Tips for Choosing Bathroom Flooring 6.  Replace Caulk Around Tubs, Sinks, and Showers Caulk is the waterproof seal around sinks, tubs, and showers that prevents moisture from seeping through gaps and onto drywall and flooring. When caulk cracks or peels, it should be replaced immediately to prevent mold and rot. A handyman can dig out old caulk around a tub and reseal with new in about an hour. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials:  $1 to $4 for a tube of bathroom caulk Total: $31 to $354 Related: How to Remove Caulk 7.  Fix Gutters Gutters and downspouts carry water from rain and snow away from your house and onto the ground. Sometimes the weight of wet snow and soggy leaves puts too much pressure on gutters, causing them to pull away from the house or pitch at inefficient angles. A gutter contractor will clean gutters, and replace or reinstall supportive hardware and hangers. To restore the correct pitch, the contractor must detach and reattach each gutter section. Labor: $127 to $282 (depending on length of gutter) Materials: $10 for five hangers; $6 to $9 for gutter sealant Total: $143 to $301 Related: How to Unclog a Gutter 8.  Fix Out-of-Alignment Doors Over time, your house moves as its foundation settles and building materials expand and contract with changes in humidity. The movement often is noticed when doorframes shift slightly, causing hinges to creak and doors to not shut properly. Adding wooden shims to frames and hinges can bring doors back into alignment and let them easily open and close once again. Replacing worn-out screws with longer screws helps secure hinges tightly. A handyman can fix a door in about an hour. Materials will include shims and screws. Labor: $30 to $125 per hour; with possible $150 to $350 minimum charge for a handyman Materials: $5 Total: $35 to $355 Related: Cool Improvements: Replacing Your Interior Doors 9.  Repair Ice Damming If your house isn’t insulated correctly or your roof isn’t designed correctly, melting roof snow can run off and freeze around roof edges. Eventually, this can form an ice dam that creeps up your roof, damaging shingles and forcing melting water into your home. One popular solution to ice damming is to install a heating cable along the roof’s edge, which warms the area and prevents freezing. It’s not a DIY job. Roofing contractors will install the cable, and an electrician will install outlets that will juice up the cable. If you want a thermostat to turn the cable on and off automatically, that’ll be extra, too. Labor and materials: $30 to $60 per linear foot Total: $371 to $1,319 (average job cost) Related: How to Prevent Ice Dams 10.  Fix a Faulty Light Switch Sometimes you turn on the light but nothing happens; or sparks crackle, and the light turns on. It’s disconcerting, but most likely it’s an easy fix. An electrician will turn off the power, take off the faceplate, check and perhaps tighten wires; or replace the switch. All told, it will take less than an hour. Labor: $50 to $100 per hour Materials: $1 to $6 for a single pole light switch Total: $41 to $106 Related: How to Repair a Light Switch

By:  Lisa Kaplan Gordon - is an avid gardener, a member of the Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association, and a builder of luxury homes in McLean, Va. She’s been a Homes editor for Gannett News Service and has reviewed home improvement products for AOL

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/repair-tips/home-repair-costs/#ixzz3k7vzJw8w Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook

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