Month: January 2023

Remember the last time you visited an upscale furniture showroom? The furniture and fixtures on display probably looked great. The colors and textures jumped out at you. It was a feast for the eyes!

There is a good reason why: Lighting.

Of course, the quality of the products has a lot to do with how appealing they look when on display. But smart retailers know that proper lighting is key to making those products look their best. In fact, some retailers even hire lighting consultants!

What does this have to do with selling your home quickly, and for the best price?

Obviously, when showing your property to potential buyers, you want your home to look its very best. Proper lighting can be a big help.

When preparing your home for sale, review the lighting in each room and make sure the space is sufficiently well lit. You want the lighting to be strong enough to prevent dark or shadowy areas, yet not so strong that it’s uncomfortable for the eyes.

Pay particular attention to traditionally dark areas, such as the garage and closets. Make sure those areas are bright too.

If you have a viewing scheduled during the day, take advantage of natural light through windows. Open the curtains!

Finally, one of the most important areas is the foyer. Always make sure the entrance has sufficient lighting.

Shopping for a new home can be intimidating. With so many things to do and think about, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some good tips for making the home hunting process a lot easier and much less stressful.

1. Get your mortgage arranged in advance.

You don’t want to find the ideal home on the market, only to face problems arranging a suitable mortgage. You might end up losing the opportunity. So, make mortgage arrangements in advance by getting “pre-approved”. With that pre-approval, you can shop for a new home with confidence.

2. Clearly define the kind of home you want, and the area you want to live in.

You can’t view every home that’s on the market. If you try, you’ll burn yourself out! So, write down a clear description of the kind of home you want. How many bedrooms? Big kitchen? Pool? Don’t forget to include the community. Upscale? Close to downtown? Lots of trees and parks? Urban and close to shopping and entertainment? With this information, a shortlist of properties can be created that meet your criteria.

3. Take good notes.

After viewing a few homes, you may easily start to forget the details. Was it the first property that had the large elm tree in the backyard or was that the fourth property you saw? If you take good notes, you’ll be better able to make decisions later on about which homes to shortlist.

4. Take care of yourself, and your family.

Eat right. Pace yourself. Don’t try to view too many homes in one evening or on one Saturday afternoon.

No matter your age, if you use a computer – and especially the internet – you need to be savvy about security. Yet many users have no idea how vulnerable they might be to malicious thieves who can “hack” and “phish” into personal computers.

To prevent theft of information that can rob you and your family of your financial assets – and your dignity – be mindful of the following:

Educate young video gamers on the importance of protecting personal information, and instruct them to inform you of unusual requests for private facts, photos or activities.

While on social networks, be wary of unknown links to unusual blogs, tweets and other services that invite interaction.

When using unsecured Wi-Fi networks, increase your computer’s security levels, and ensure your computer has automated anti-virus upgrades.

During financial transactions, check that you use only trusted websites that start with “https” (the “s” stands for “secure”).