Moving can be a stressful time. Packing up everything you own and moving it to a new place can be quite a process whether you’re moving out of state or just across town. And after the move it can take a little while to feel at home in your new place.

Working with a trusted, experienced real estate agent can make the whole process of buying and selling a home go smoothly, as well as the move itself. Here are 5 Tips for making your move an easy transition from top real estate agents in Greensboro.

Plan ahead. Sometimes life can’t be planned, but planning as much as possible for a move can make the process much smoother. Start packing the things you don’t use very often ahead of time. A storage unit can sometimes be helpful in the transition between homes. To put your home on the market in the first place, it is best to declutter and empty out your home as much as possible. Putting some things in a storage unit can be a good solution for items you need to move now, but still wish to use later in your new home.

Reserve your moving day plans. If you’re using a moving service, reserve your moving date with them as soon as you know when it will be. If you’re renting a truck and moving yourself, reserve one well in advance. Weekends are especially busy days for moving, so if you’re planning to move on a Saturday or Sunday, make your reservation in plenty of time.

Pack strategically. Think about the things you will need right away and for the first night in your new home. Pack an overnight bag with clothes and toiletries to take in your own vehicle. Pack bedding and towels somewhere that will be easy to find (perhaps also in your own vehicle) so that after a long day of moving, everyone can get ready for bed and go to bed without hassle. If your move is a long distance, pack a few days-worth of clothes and toiletries in case you arrive before the moving truck.

Unpack as soon as possible. Start getting things put away and situated right away. The sooner you do so, the sooner you’ll feel at home. Hang up some familiar pictures and décor that you plan to use from your old home and the familiar items will be of comfort.

Help children feel comfortable. Moving can be stressful for children, but you can make it easier by involving them in the whole process from packing to unpacking. Let them help pack their own items. Have them set aside some favorite toys and stuffed animals to be packed separately so that they will have access to familiar items along the way. Make sure their favorite stuffed animal or blanket can be easily located for bedtime.

Smith Marketing Real Estate Agents in Greensboro can Help your Move Go Smoothly

In addition to these tips, working with reliable real estate agents in Greensboro can make the transition much easier. Your real estate agent can help with the scheduling of closing dates and make sure all paperwork is completed on time in preparation for closing. Smith Marketing and Allen Tate Realtors® can help make your move a seamless transition. Call today to speak with an agent about buying or selling a home: (336) 215-7880.

Homebuyers looking at homes for sales in Greensboro, NC have probably noticed that Greensboro homeowners work hard to give their homes great curb appeal. Maintaining an attractive home and keeping up curb appeal throughout the year is important to Greensboro homeowners. These days homeowners are getting very creative when it comes to using technology in order to create beautiful landscaping and use personal touches in their landscaping that redefine the outside spaces of their homes. Some of the most popular elements that homeowners are using to make their home look great all year long are:

Unique Lighting Touches Show Off Your Yard’s Unique Features

White lights are a landscaping staple because they look great all year long and can transition effortlessly throughout the seasons. Homeowners can personalize their lighting by using solar lights that stake into the ground in patterns around walkways, paths, and other areas if they want to avoid traditional holiday looking strings of white lights. Floating solar lights also look beautiful in a fish pond, fountain, or water element. Colored lights add personality to the landscaping of your home but if you’re going to use colors use neutral colors so that your yard doesn’t look like it’s ready for the winter holidays in the middle of summer.

Water Features Give Your Landscaping An Elegant Boost

Water features are another classic element that can make the landscaping of any home really pop from the street. Pretty fountains, manmade ponds and streams, and fish ponds are not that difficult to put in and will add a lot of personality to your yard. Water features also help create beautiful outdoor seating areas that your family and friends will love to spend time in.

Colorful Plants And Shrubs Add Seasonal Colors

By carefully coordinating the colors of the bushes, plants, trees and shrubs that they plants homeowners can create colorful and beautiful foliage that changes with the seasons. In the spring choosing bright flowering plants in pinks, whites, blues, and purples will give your home a festive and appropriate spring look. Choose yellow, red, and white flowering plants for the summer so that the colors will really pop against the green lawn and green foliage that is everywhere in the summer. Daisies, roses, peonies, and other blooming flowers are perfect for the summer months if you want your landscaping to be seasonal but also bright and colorful.

In the fall you should choose flowers and shrubs that bloom in muted colors that will blend with the colors of the fall leaves. Chrysanthemums and mums that bloom in rusty red, dusky orange, and muted yellow create a beautiful fall color palette. When winter arrives and brings with it gray skies and snow you should have green plants and yellow, red, and other neutral color ornamental grasses and plants in your yard. That will give the landscaping of your home a seasonal twist that is also holiday decoration ready and will blend with your Christmas lights and decorations.

If you are looking for home for sale in Greensboro, NC and you want to see some gorgeous four season ready landscaping give us a call today.

Buying an investment property is a little different than buying a single family home to occupy yourself. The experts at Allen Tate Greensboro can help you find the perfect investment property but before you buy an investment property there are five things that you should know:

Plan On Putting Down A Hefty Down Payment

Private mortgage insurance isn’t available for investment properties so investors will need to put down a larger down payment than they would have to put down for a non-investment property. If you are financing the investment property you should plan on having to put down anywhere from 15-20% of the total cost. Also you should be aware that the loan costs may be higher because it’s an investment property.

Have Realistic Expectations When It Comes To Renovations

First time investors may be tempted to snap up a great deal on a fixer upper investment property without realizing just how much it can cost to swiftly bring a fixer upper up to code and make it attractive to renters. When you’re looking at investment properties it’s essential to consider more than the bottom line. It’s a good idea to have a professional contractor look over any properties that you’re considering getting a professional’s assessment of the home and the amount of work that it’s going to need. Otherwise you could end up going over budget really quickly and you could even end up upside down on the investment.

Know The Neighborhood

When you’re purchasing an investment property the neighborhood is just as important as the condition of the property. You should take time to look around the neighborhood and make sure that it’s a neighborhood that won’t have any trouble attracting renters. Look for things like the availability of public transportation, if the houses around are in good shape, the proximity of stores and businesses, and the rating of the local schools.

Choosing an investment property in an established neighborhood that will appeal to renters is essential if you want to get the most out of your investment. The only exception to this is when a property becomes available in an up-and-coming neighborhood and you want to jump on that opportunity. If a particular neighborhood isn’t a great neighborhood currently but it’s on the upswing and it’s poised to be a neighborhood that’s in high demand with renters then it’s worth taking a look at any properties in your price range that become available.

Remember The 1% Rule

The 1% rule is what will determine whether or not a property is a good investment. The rental price should be 1% of the total cost of the property. If that rate is average for that neighborhood then the investment property is a good purchase. But if 1% of the purchase price is a number that is much higher than the average rent in that area then you shouldn’t buy that property because it would be difficult for you to get the rent you’d need to get a good return on your investment. So if the purchase price of the property is $150,000  you’d need be reasonably sure that you could get $1500 a month rent for that property in order for that investment to make sense for you.

Factor In Extra Costs Like Taxes And Insurance

There is more to the cost of buying an investment property than the cost of the property. You should always factor in the costs of taxes and insurance into the amount of money that you’re putting into the property. When you’re deciding what amount of rent you need to get from the property in order to make it a smart investment those extra costs need to be considered so that you don’t get stuck losing money on your investment because the rent doesn’t cover all of the costs.

Call Allen Tate Greensboro today to get more expert tips about buying investment property in Greensboro.

What keeps a home from selling?

If you’re conducting a property search in Greensboro for a new home, but your current home has been on the market a while and isn’t selling fast enough, you may be asking yourself why isn’t my home selling? Besides from uncontrollable market conditions, there are some things that you can control which impact your home sale. (more…)