Keep your home at tip top value

As a homeowner you are constantly looking at ways to make sure your home maintains the highest value possible. There are many things you can look out for to try and achieve this goal that you just might not know about, and who better to ask about this than real estate professionals. We came across this article by freshome.com that discusses 10 things real estate professionals say to keep in mind when considering the value of your home. Definitely a must read for homeowners. Click here to read the entire article.

10 Easily Avoidable Factors Real Estate Professionals Say Devalue A Home

Buyers have an upper hand when purchasing a home in a down market with limited inventory. As they survey the market, it’s important, as sellers to have the best possible product available. In order do to that, you need to avoid factors that will devalue your home. Many times, it is the buyer’s perception that influences whether they walk away or offer a seller less than an asking price. Before you decide to list your home for sale note these ten factors that will devalue your house and make changes as you can.


1. Lack of Curb Appeal

The first thing any prospective buyer will see as they approach your home is the front of the home. Everyone wants to live in a home that is beautiful on the outside as well as the inside. A poorly kept landscape, whether overgrown, or non-existent will turn a buyer off. They may fear the cost of redoing landscaping, or be overwhelmed at the thought of it. This undoubtedly will affect the perceived value of your home. By planting a few annuals, keeping the grass cut and weeding the flowerbeds regularly you will improve your curb appeal. Front landscaping that is welcoming and has good visual appeal will keep a buyer interested in your home.

2. Exterior of the House

Click here to read the entire article.

Pointers for prepping your deck and backyard for summer fun

Pointers for prepping your deck and backyard for summer fun

Warm weather is here to stay, which means people everywhere are spending more time outdoors. If the sunshine, gentle breeze and chirping birds are calling your family outside to enjoy some fresh air, it's time to get your outdoor space ready for fun activities. With some smart home improvements, you can easily prep your patio and deck for a full season of enjoyment.

1: Tricks for properly cleaning patio furniture

Today's patio furniture can be as comfortable and stylish as indoor options, and similarly, it needs to be periodically cleaned. Resin, resin wicker or metal furniture can typically be cleaned with mild soap, water and a sponge or nonabrasive brush. Metal pieces can be polished with a light coat of car wax to bring back shine and protect it from rusting. Insider tip: If you live in an area with a lot of pollen, you may want to wait to clean outdoor furniture until it is done dropping.

Wood pieces can benefit from a quick cleaning also. For finished wood, use an oil-based soap and a soft brush or cloth. If you have a treated wood deck, picnic table or Adirondack chairs, use a pressure washer and deck cleaner to remove dirt. Remember to use the low-pressure tip so you don't damage the wood. If you have questions, visit www.lowescreativeideas.com for educational articles, videos and additional tips.

2: Get the grill ready for a season of tasty treats

Every warm day is better when you enjoy the succulent flavors of food cooked on the grill, but to keep the food tasting its best, the grill needs to be kept clean. At the start of the season, it's wise to do a thorough, deep cleaning on your grill. If you have a gas grill, remove the propane tank, flame guards and disconnect the igniter wires, removing the igniters. Move the grill over a drop cloth and clean the inside with dish soap, water and a scrub brush. Grates may need to soak in a bucket before getting scrubbed. Once dry, reassemble and get cooking.

In addition to the deep cleaning, remember each time you cook to scrape the grates to get rid of any food residue from previous uses. Simply light the grill and after a few minutes, the heat will have loosened the residue and you can do a quick scraping with a wire brush before putting on your tasty meats and vegetables.

3. Prep the deck in half the time

Staining and sealing your deck is an important maintenance step so its beauty and integrity last for many years, but it's also something most homeowners dread because it can be a lot of work. The good news is there are some new innovations that are making the process much easier. Before you start this project, look for new products that both stain and seal at the same time, simplifying the project and saving you a lot of time. Staining and sealing simultaneously waterproofs, protects and beautifies your wood. Plus, if you do encounter unplanned precipitation in the middle of the project, your deck is still protected. 4. How to grow beautiful plants to enhance your space

With your deck prepped and your patio furniture and grill clean, now it's time to dress the area up with some plants. You can easily incorporate splashes of color by adding containers full of your favorite varieties. Why not make it a family activity and visit your local Lowe's nursery to pick out plants and supplies together? When shopping, keep in mind the color of your deck and furniture and pick plants in a complementary color scheme. You might also want to plant some fruits, vegetables or herbs for your own family garden. Ask a Lowe's garden specialist for advice on what varieties thrive in a container environment.

Once home, spread out your supplies and let your entire family's green thumb come alive. After your plants are nestled into pots and containers, place around your outdoor living space in clusters which provide a better visual look than a single plant standing alone. Remember to water regularly and monitor sun exposure so the plants aren't getting too much or too little.

These few steps can help get your deck or patio ready and beautiful for months of enjoyment. From playing outdoor games to grilling traditional summer fare to relaxing as the sun sets, you'll get a lot of use out of your outdoor space.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Franchisee Profile: Hugh Sutherland of Greater D.C. and Northern Virginia

Franchisee Since: 2005
Franchise Location: Alexandria, DC, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax Co.


How Hugh Sutherland Got Started With House Doctor…

Hugh Sutherland has a history of entrepreneurship. He founded a company called Washington Courier, a package delivery company based in Washington DC. He developed the concept and grew the business. About 7 years ago, he sold it to pursue other career interests. In the interim before becoming a House Doctor franchisee, Hugh continued his involvement in real estate, fixing up and selling homes. It was at this time that Hugh started to notice a trend in the professionalism of handymen in his area. Whenever Hugh needed repairs done to his home, he called local handymen to come and fix the problems and most the time, those professionals turned out to be unprofessional, unreliable and inefficient. That’s when Hugh got the idea to look into business ownership in the handyman field.

Hugh was faced with two options. The first, start his own independent business or second, become a franchisee of an already-existing business. He chose the latter because he could use the knowledge of the support staff already in place to help him develop his business quicker than he could on his own.

What Intrigued Hugh Sutherland about House Doctor…

Out of all the franchises in this field that Hugh researched, House Doctors was by far the most ambitious, serious and professional according to Hugh. He was delighted and impressed by their ability to balance priorities and support his individual efforts through marketing, website development and management, SEM, and negotiation of contracts with vendors.

Something Interesting About Hugh Sutherland’s Business…

Despite economic conditions, Hugh has seen a 25% increase in his business this year. He equates the uptick in his business to a solid influx of repeat customers, people keeping their homes and fixing them up, people working harder, staying busier and still needing those repairs done, as well as the economy starting to pick up.

Hugh has 10 years of experience in the home improvement industry behind him, and realizes that customer retention is the key to growing a business. In order to do so, he provides superior customer service, including 24/7 support to answer calls and schedule appointments; he hires handymen in his territory in order to ensure reliability and calls his customers to give him updates on their repair services.

ABOUT HOUSE DOCTORS:

For more than 12 years, House Doctors, a 90-plus-unit professional handyman service, has brought commercial property owners and homeowners high standards of customer service, reliability, and quality workmanship.  Every House Doctors handyman location is independently owned and operated. Today, House Doctors continues to expand throughout the United States by offering franchise opportunities.  For more information on House Doctors, visit www.housedoctors.com.  

House Doctors Goes to Clearwater Beach

Annual Convention Hosts Top Franchisees; Introduces New Strategies and Tactics

By Greg Haskett, VP of Shared Services

Every year, our House Doctors franchisees get together to celebrate another great year of business and discuss hot topics and what's new for the year ahead. This year we met in Clearwater Beach, FL. Themed Chart Your Course, we had several sessions, large and small, where franchisees gathered together to discuss all aspects of their businesses. As an industry leader in the home improvement segment, this convention in particular was special as we introduced several new items that our franchisees can use moving forward, including:

1. A new and improved online software that will put us ahead of the competition. Cloud computing is the way of the future and our franchise owners can now respond quicker than their competition with better data.

2. New financial benchmarks and tools specifically designed to maximize the profit of each franchise owner which gives them a unique tool to hit their personal income goals.

3. A strategic rollout of social media efforts that will broaden the reach of the House Doctors brand and meet our current & future customers where they are.

4. Lastly, and the best part of any gathering like this, is when the attendees can spend time together. We included extended breaks, franchisee-only meetings, and very successful role-playing sessions where franchise owners from across North America interacted with each and discussed their shared interests in building the House Doctors name.

Overall this year's convention was the best one yet. We received some very positive feedback from our franchisees.

• "As a new franchisee, I was very impressed that House Doctors is spending incredible amounts of effort to see us succeed on the bottom-line profits. The tools they are developing, such as ServiceCeo, are going to increase our efficiency, provide better monitoring of our business practices and trends, and improve our quality of life." Jim Kraeling, Savannah, GA
• "I thought it was a great convention. Learned lots by talking to other franchisees, both old and new." Steve Boriss, Chesterfield, MO
• "I thought Jim's presentations were spot on! I especially like when he laid down the 'model' speech, informing us how we should conform to the proven procedures. Heck, I'm new, I'm going to try it that way, for sure." Dave Mauldin, Austin, TX
• "What a great convention! The HD staff did a great job mixing some fun with the work. I always come away recognizing some areas that I need to focus on and make changes in to the way I do business." Steve Cranford, High Point, NC