How-To | RE/MAX Premier Properties

How to Stage a Closet When You Sell a Home in Aspen

March 30, 2017 by Angie Johnston

Whether you’re selling your home near Aspen high school or a luxury home in Carbondale, your Realtor® is going to talk to you about the importance of staging your home. Staged homes show better than those that aren’t staged (or worse, empty), so your agent may advise you to hire a professional home stager.

If that’s not in the cards for you, though, there are some things you can do to stage your home yourself—and you can start with your closet.

How to Stage a Closet When Your Home is for Sale

The idea behind staging your closet is simple:

Declutter your closet before you do anything else. If you’re like most people, that means removing more than half your wardrobe. You can tell how much you need to take out by measuring the space between your hangers. If each hanger is about 2 inches from the two around it, you’re in good shape; if not, start packing up your clothes.

From there:

Inspect your closet for damage, from the door to the walls behind shelves; make repairs as necessary.
Remove all personal effects, other than clothing and shoes.
Invest in matching hangers and replace all those that don’t fit the mold.
Put your shoes on a shoe rack, and make sure they’re neat (and clean); only use half the space on the rack, leaving room between each pair.
Place handbags, belts, and scarves neatly on a shelf or tuck them in a drawer.

The main idea is that you only want to take up one-third to one-half of all the visible space in your closet; that way, buyers can see that they’ll have room for their own belongings, too.

When everything has been cleared out, organize your clothes by type and then again by color. (Think about the way your favorite retailer displays clothing; it always looks so much nicer—and neater—when everything is in logical groupings.)

Are You Selling Your Home in Aspen?

If you’re selling your home in Aspen, get your free Aspen real estate market update and find out how we can sell your home quickly and at the best price. Give us a call at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online so we can start working hard to get your home in front of all the right buyers.

3 Best Houseplants to Improve Indoor Air Quality During Winter

February 20, 2017 by Angie Johnston

If you’re cooped up in the house (and you’re not out looking at Aspen homes for sale because you’re waiting for spring), winter can start to drag out a little.

But you know what’ll brighten the next couple of months before spring hits?

A handful of spectacular houseplants that keep your indoor air quality high… and that require very little extra work on your part.

3 Best Houseplants for Winter

There are dozens of great houseplants to help you through these last couple months of winter, but three really stand out: the Boston fern, the rubber plant, and peace lilies.

Boston Ferns

The Boston fern removes more formaldehyde from living spaces than any other plant does—and they tackle benzene and xylene, which are components of gasoline exhaust that can waft inside from the garage.

It doesn’t take much to keep a Boston fern happy; just mist its leaves between watering and make sure you’re fertilizing it each month during the winter (you’ll have to fertilize it weekly during spring and summer).

Rubber Plants

A rubber plant will do quite nicely in a low-light environment. It, like the Boston fern, removes formaldehyde from your air.

Rubber plants can get pretty tall, so if yours starts to sprout higher, loosely fasten it to a stick of bamboo (many people use miniature plant clips to avoid damaging the plant).

Peace Lilies

We can tell you from experience that peace lilies are a lot tougher than they look. These beautiful powerhouses bloom indoors (they’re one of the few plants that will) and they devour volatile organic compounds that are built into many household cleaning products. It does well in low light and even helps humidify your air—but the leaves can be toxic to kids and pets.

Are You Buying a Home in Aspen?

We’d love to help you find the perfect home for sale in Aspen.

If you’re thinking of moving to Aspen or any of the surrounding communities, we’d love to help you find your dream home. Give us a call at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online. If you’re selling, get your free Aspen real estate market update and find out how we can sell your home quickly and at the best price.

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New Rules for Decorating Your Aspen Home, Straight From the Pros

January 6, 2017 by Angie Johnston

Interior design is always evolving — and for 2017, experts say you can throw the old rulebook out the window and start fresh.

Revamping Your Home’s Color Scheme

According to Gary McBournie, you should create a color scheme palette before you do anything.

“I come up with a basic color scheme for the whole house, and then I take that from room to room,” says McBournie.

Finding New Focal Points

Don’t tuck away your antiques and unique pieces.

“Use and enjoy your antiques and unique finds,” says designer Bunny Williams. “Especially in a utilitarian room like the bathroom.

Use Short Furniture to Make Your Rooms Appear Taller

Designer Todd Romano is a big fan of creating strong verticals.

“Avoid the horizontal,” says Romano. “I adore large mirrors because they add scale to a room. I also [keep] furniture low-slung, so the rooms seem taller.”

Add Color to Window Trim

Designer Meg Braff and Jeffrey Bilhuber say you should focus on window trim.

“Window trim is an often-overlooked opportunity to make a statement,” says Braff.

“I often end up painting them green, to blend in with the landscape. Or sometimes I paint them pitch black, so the muntins practically disappear in the evening,” says Bilhuber.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

If you’re thinking of moving to Aspen or any of the surrounding communities, we’d love to help you find your dream home. Give us a call at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online. If you’re selling, get your free Aspen real estate market update and find out how we can sell your home quickly and at the best price.

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Beautiful Thanksgiving Ideas From the Pros

November 17, 2016 by Angie Johnston

If you’re like many people, you’re really looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving in your home.

But you’re also worried about pulling off the perfect decor and ensuring that your guests are comfortable, entertained, and well-fed.

Fortunately, we’ve scoured the web for beautiful Thanksgiving ideas you can use to make your holiday get-together even more special.

Beautiful Thanksgiving Ideas From the Pros

Charming and cozy, these pieces of decor will add the perfect touch of “home” during the holidays.

For Your Thanksgiving Guests

Are You Looking for a New Home in Aspen or the Surrounding Communities?

If you’re looking for a new home in Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Woody Creek, or Snowmass, we’d love to help you find it.
Call us at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online. Tell us what you want from your next home and we’ll help you find it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ready to Winterize Your Aspen Home?

October 8, 2016 by Angie Johnston

Now’s the perfect time to winterize your home, whether you live in Aspen or any of the surrounding communities.

But where should you start?

We consulted with the pros, and here’s what they had to say about winterizing your home in Colorado.

Tips for Winterizing Your Aspen Home

Not winterizing your home could be just as bad as leaving a window open all season, according to Bill Stack, spokesman for energy efficiency at NSTAR.

While it may seem like winterizing is a lot of work, the savings (and structural protection) it affords you are well-worth the effort. As much as 35 percent of air leakage in a home occurs at small openings in doors, windows and fireplaces, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which means that’s where you should focus first.

“You’ll feel a draft like wind blowing through a straw,” says Ross Spinelli of Lowe’s. Ideally, you’ll be able to caulk the gap. If you can’t, you can resort to using clear weather stripping tape along the edges or windows or doors, or you can use window film.

Check your HVAC system, too.

“The most common reason for emergency calls,” says Angie’s List maven Angie Hicks, “is failure to do maintenance in the fall. A furnace tune-up is only $75 or $100.”

If you don’t have a programmable EnergyStar thermostat, now’s the right time to invest in one. Programmable thermostats can turn down the heat while you’re away and have it back up to the right temperature by the time you get home.

Don’t forget your water tank. In the best-case scenario, you’ll set your hot water heater so water comes out at the right temperature—but that’s not what most people do. Instead, most people find the perfect shower temperature by mixing extremely hot water with cold water at the tap… a practice that can cost you between 6 and 10 percent more on water-heating costs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

Call us at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online to tell us what you want from your next home. We’ll begin searching Aspen real estate listings right away. If you’re selling, get your free Aspen real estate market update and find out how we can help you sell your home quickly and at the best price.

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From Renter to Buyer: Are You Ready?

September 26, 2016 by Angie Johnston

If you’re currently renting your home but you’re ready to make the transition to official homeowner, congratulations!

However, there are a few things you need to know before you kiss your apartment goodbye and replace it with a single-family home of your own.

How Much Does it Really Cost to Own a Home?

In addition to your mortgage loan (and the one-time earnest money deposit you’ll need to put down before your mortgage even begins), you’ll have to shell out for certain expenses each month… and this is all after you find a home you love and you’ve taken all the steps you need to take to ensure that you’re buying the right place.

The actual costs of homeownership include:

You’ll have to pay property taxes based on the county in which you live.
Homeowner’s insurance. You’ll pay insurance premiums to the insurance company of your choice; this type of insurance is typically required by lenders, because it protects their investment in your home.
Homeowners association dues. If your new neighborhood has a homeowners association, or HOA, you’ll more than likely have to pay HOA dues or fees each month. Each HOA is different, and you’ll find them in subdivisions, neighborhoods, and condo complexes.

What Can You Do to Financially Prepare for Homeownership?

Aside from saving up 20 percent of your new home’s purchase price as a down payment (unless you’re using a VA loan or some types of FHA loans), you can begin working on your credit score now. The higher your score, the better interest rates you’ll get—and the more likely lenders are to work with you.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

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Buying or Selling in Aspen? Here’s How the Process Has Changed Since Your Last Transaction

September 19, 2016 by Angie Johnston

If you’re like most people, you haven’t bought or sold a great number of homes—but you do know at least a little about both processes.

But is your knowledge up-to-date?

It might not be, particularly if it’s been a while since the last time you participated in a real estate transaction. Today’s buyers and sellers are worlds away from where they were just 10 years ago, and as a result, the process has evolved significantly.

Sellers Are Often Buyers at the Same Time

Many people today are buying homes while selling their old ones—and that can cause a domino effect if something, somewhere in the chain, breaks down.

This puts some additional pressure on everyone involved, too, because as soon as a sale goes through, it’s on to another transaction. Naturally, everyone wants to take advantage of low interest rates and great home values, and that means sellers want the transaction to go over without a hitch… just as buyers do.

Negotiation is “In”

Decades ago, you didn’t really negotiate. The price of a home was the price of a home—and you either paid it or you looked for a different home.

But negotiation is definitely the way to go; many people are willing to make what feel like minor concessions if they’ll mean the world to you. This is true on both ends of the deal, so it’s always a good idea to talk to your Aspen Realtor to see what he or she suggests when you really want a transaction to work in your favor.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

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The Kids Are Back in School, So Now’s the Time to Organize (and Make Your Life Easier)

September 16, 2016 by Angie Johnston

The kids are officially back in school—and that means you have a few months to get your home organized again before they are off for winter break.

But where do you start?

Clear Out the Closets

When you bought your kids’ school clothes for this year, did you remember to trim their previous wardrobes? What did they outgrow during the summer, and what more do you still need to buy for the winter?

When the closets are clean and organized, it’s a little easier to keep them that way then it is to start from scratch. (You can get 31 great closet hacks here.)

Set Up a Menu—and a Coffee Stop for Parents

It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not: create a weekly menu, shop for all the ingredients on the weekend, and take a half-hour to pre-plan your meals for the next 7 days by portioning the right amounts of ingredients.

You’ll save time during the week, which allows you more freedom to handle everything else on your “To-Do” list.

While you’re at it, set up a “coffee stop.” Keep a pair of mugs out, and make the coffee easy to access so you can get it started when you’re on the go.

Square Away Your Mudroom or Entryway

Kids are notorious for walking in and dropping everything—but if you designate special spots for everyone’s shoes, coats, and bookbags, you’ll have less of a disaster on your hands during the pre-dinner hours.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

Call us at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online to tell us what you want from your next home. We’ll begin searching Aspen real estate listings right away.

While you’re here, you can also browse our:

4 Things You Need to Know About Mortgage Loans

September 12, 2016 by Angie Johnston

If you’re like most people, you’ll need to take out a mortgage loan to purchase a home in Aspen.

But how much do you really know about mortgage loans? Could you define the standard terms that lenders use, and do you know the ins and outs of borrowing?

4 Things You Need to Know About Mortgage Loans

When it comes to mortgage loans, it’s tough to keep tabs on what’s what—laws change, and so do many lenders’ practices over time.

Some things stay the same, though, so it’s a good idea to gather as much knowledge as you can so you’re an informed consumer when you buy your next home.

Know the “lingo.”

Loan amount: how much you borrow.
Mortgage rate: how much you pay in interest.
Term: the number of years it takes to repay a mortgage loan.
Locking: the term used by lenders when they guarantee you a certain interest rate.
Closing costs: lender fees and amounts of money you must pay to others when you purchase your home.

Mortgage rates change quickly.

Mortgage rates are low right now, but there’s always some fluctuation. A rate you hear in the morning may not even be the same that afternoon.

Lenders are all different.

All lenders charge different rates and fees. There are no regulations that require different lenders to offer the same interest rates (there are plenty of other laws governing them, though), so what one bank offers you, another may balk at.

You can still get a loan with a low down payment.

If you’re using a VA loan, you don’t need a down payment at all. If you’re using a certain type of FHA loan, you probably won’t need 20 percent of the home’s selling price as a down payment. The point is that low-down-payment loans are still available, and if you need to find a lender who can help you, just ask us; we’ll point you in the right direction.

Are You Buying a Home in Aspen?

Call us at 970-429-8275 or get in touch with us online to tell us what you want from your next home. We’ll begin searching Aspen real estate listings right away.

While you’re here, you can also browse our:

How to Winterize Your Home Before You Sell It

September 7, 2016 by Angie Johnston

September is here, and temperatures are dropping… and that means it’s time to start prepping your home for the winter.

Fortunately, you can do most—if not all—of the work yourself.

How to Winterize Your Home

The idea of winterizing is to protect your home, keep you and your family safe (and warm), and to preserve your investment, so it makes sense to carve a few hours out of your day to ensure that everything is in great shape for Colorado’s coldest months.

So what should you do?

First, get rid of dead tree limbs. Falling limbs can harm your roof, siding, gutters, decks, and nearly any other part of your home’s exterior. If the limb is big enough, it can harm the interior, as well. Cut limbs that hang over your home, and make sure that there’s enough of a “buffer zone” around branches; if you have a tree that’s dead or dying, now is the time to remove it.

Check your plumbing, too. Cycles of freezing and thawing can cause your pipes to burst, so shut off the water supply to outdoor spigots and sprinkler systems. If you need to, call out a contractor who can remove condensed water and excess moisture with compressed air, which is common in many irrigation systems.

Seal all the leaks you can find, and if you can’t find them but know (or suspect) that they’re there, hire a professional contractor to do it. Gaps often occur around chimneys, windows and doors, but they can occur at joints, in roofs, and around the foundation.

Are You Selling a Home in Aspen?

If you’re selling a home in Aspen, Carbondale, Basalt, Snowmass or Woody Creek, you need to work with a professional who can market it to all the right people.

Call us at 970-429-8275 or contact Aspen Premier Properties to find out why we’re the right agency for you. We’d love to sell your home quickly–and at the right price.

While you’re here, you can also:

Property Search

How to Stage a Closet When Your Home is for Sale

Are You Selling Your Home in Aspen?

3 Best Houseplants for Winter

Boston Ferns

Rubber Plants

Peace Lilies

Are You Buying a Home in Aspen?

Revamping Your Home’s Color Scheme

Finding New Focal Points

Use Short Furniture to Make Your Rooms Appear Taller

Add Color to Window Trim

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

Beautiful Thanksgiving Ideas From the Pros

For Your Thanksgiving Guests

Are You Looking for a New Home in Aspen or the Surrounding Communities?

Tips for Winterizing Your Aspen Home

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

How Much Does it Really Cost to Own a Home?

What Can You Do to Financially Prepare for Homeownership?

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

Sellers Are Often Buyers at the Same Time

Negotiation is “In”

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

Clear Out the Closets

Set Up a Menu—and a Coffee Stop for Parents

Square Away Your Mudroom or Entryway

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Aspen?

4 Things You Need to Know About Mortgage Loans

Know the “lingo.”

Mortgage rates change quickly.

Lenders are all different.

You can still get a loan with a low down payment.

Are You Buying a Home in Aspen?

How to Winterize Your Home

Are You Selling a Home in Aspen?

Aspen Premier Properties

Aspen Property Search

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