Working from Home…the New Normal

Working from HomeWorking from home can be a challenge, especially when you’re not used to it. There are a lot of distractions that can interfere with your work, sometimes causing you to get so off track that you end up behind on important tasks. While many consider working from home to be a great perk, if you’ve never worked from home before then you might be surprised at just how stressful it can be!Fortunately, you’re not alone. The Arlene Quirk Team is also working from home and are happy to help in anyway we can! To that end, here are some tips that will make working from home for the first time a lot easier.

Set Up Your Space

When you think of working from home, you might picture yourself lounging on the couch in your pajamas with a laptop on your lap. While some people do choose to work like this when working from home, for most home workers this sort of setup is going to kill any productivity they might have. Instead of taking a “work wherever I end up” approach, set up a desk or office space that’s intended solely for work-related activities. This will help you to stay on task when you’re at work and will keep work activities from bleeding over into leisure time.

Set up your Space

Get Ready for Video

If you’re used to having in-person meetings during the week, getting used to remote meetings via a video service like Zoom or Skype can be a bit of an adjustment. To make this easier, check your equipment beforehand to ensure that everything will work correctly when it’s time to start a meeting. This includes checking your webcam, your microphone and your speakers to make sure everything functions properly. There are websites and software solutions that help you with this, and some platforms like Zoom have built-in tests as well.

Keep to a Schedule

One common misconception about working from home is that you automatically gain the freedom to work whenever you feel like working. While this may be true for some industries, if you’ve been working 9 to 5 for the last 10 years then that isn’t likely to change much just because your office is now in your guest room. Keep as close as possible to your regular schedule, allowing for possible reduced hours or other differences brought about by working from home. It can help to print out a copy of your “office hours” as well, both as a reminder to others that you’re busy with work and a reminder to yourself that you’re supposed to be on the job.

Avoid Distractions

It’s said that one of the hard things about working from home is the fact that home is where we keep all our favorite distractions. This includes a lot of things, ranging from games to books to the TV. It also includes family members, who can be hard to ignore when you’re supposed to be on the job. As much as possible, try to avoid interacting with the people and things in your home unless you’re taking a break from work activities.

Don’t Make Deals

It’s easy to tell yourself that if you do something unrelated to work now, you’ll make up the work that you’re supposed to be doing later. Unfortunately, this tends to snowball, and the next thing you know you’re behind on everything you’re supposed to be doing. Avoid making these sorts of deals; instead choose to do those things or have those conversations during your next scheduled break, just like you would do if you were still going in to work. If there’s something you want to do that won’t fit into a regular break, try to get your current tasks done BEFORE you take the time off instead of bargaining that you’ll wrap it up after.

Stay Connected

Isolation is difficult, stay connected by using the internet to keep up with your community or even to start searching for your Dream Home. Take advantage of down time to plan for a future home purchase or to get your home ready to list. The Arlene Quirk Team is here to help keep you up to date with what’s happening in the  Real Estate market.

Pricing your Milford PA Real Estate

Pricing your Milford PA Real Estate to Sell

 

 

Pricing Your Milford PA Real Estate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pricing your Milford PA Real Estate to sell can be easier said, then done. And it’s one of the most important steps when listing your home.

Don’t let the Real Estate Market fool you

Even though there’s a big buyer demand for homes in today’s low inventory market, it doesn’t mean you should price your home as high as the sky when you’re ready to sell. Here’s why making sure you price it right is key to driving the best price for the sale.

If you’ve ever watched the show “The Price Is Right,” you know the only way to win the game is to be the one to correctly guess the price of the item up for bid without going over. That means your guess must be just slightly under the retail price.

The Strategy of Pricing your Milford PA Real Estate to Sell

Pricing Your Milford PA When it comes to pricing your Milford PA Real Estate, setting it at or slightly below market value will increase the visibility of your listing and drive more buyers your way. This strategy actually increases the number of buyers who will see your home in their search process. Why? When potential buyers look at your listing and see a great price for a fantastic home, they’re probably going to want to take a closer look. This means more buyers are going to be excited about your house and more apt to make an offer.

When this happens, you’re more likely to set up a scenario with multiple offers, potential bidding wars, and the ability to drive a higher final sale price. At the end of the day, even when inventory is tight, pricing it right – or pricing it to sell immediately – makes a big difference.

Don’t make this common mistake

Here’s the other thing: homeowners who make the mistake of overpricing their homes will eventually have to lower the prices anyway after they sit on the market for an extended period of time. This leaves buyers wondering if the price drops were caused by something wrong with these homes when in reality, nothing was wrong, the initial prices were just too high.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling your home this year, make sure you have The Arlene Quirk Team on your side to help you properly price your home and maximize demand for your Milford PA Real Estate from the start.

 

The Milford PA Real Estate Market

 

The Milford PA Real Estate Market

and Buying your Dream Home

Buying your dream home and the Milford pa real Estate market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of a robust economy, the strong Milford PA Real Estate Market, low unemployment, and higher wages, there are three more great reasons why you may want to consider buying your dream home this year instead of waiting.

  1. Buying a Home in Milford PA is a Great Investment

Several reports indicate that the Milford PA Real Estate Market is a good investment, topping other options such as gold, stocks, bonds, and savings. Why? Real estate helps build equity, a form of investing for you and your family. According to CoreLogic’s Equity Report,

“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 64% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of nearly $457 billion since the third quarter 2018, an increase of 5.1%, year over year.”

This means the average homeowner gained approximately $5,300 in equity over the past year. If you want to start building your equity, put your housing costs to work for you through homeownership this year.

  1. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Low

The Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac indicates that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have fallen since November 2018 when they hit 4.94%. In their latest forecast, Freddie Mac expects rates to remain low, leveling out to a yearly average of 3.8% in 2020.

When you purchase a home at a low mortgage rate, it will impact your monthly mortgage payment, giving you the opportunity to buy more house for your money.

  1. Investing in Your Family is a Win

There are some renters who haven’t purchased a home yet because they’re uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you’re living rent-free with your parents, you’re paying a mortgage – either yours or that of your landlord.

Today, rental prices continue to increase, and when you’re paying your landlord’s mortgage instead of your own, you’re not the one earning the equity. As an owner, your mortgage payment is a form of ‘forced savings’ you can use later in life to reinvest in your family. You can use it for a variety of opportunities, such as saving for your children’s education, moving up to a bigger home, or starting your own business. As a renter, it can be more challenging to achieve those types of dreams without home equity working for you.

Are you Ready for the Milford PA Real Estate Market?

Buying a home sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings and long-term financial growth for you and your family. Reach out to The Arlene Quirk Team to determine if homeownership and the Milford PA Real Estate Market is the right choice for you this year.

 

The New Spring Real Estate Market is Here

The New Spring Real Estate Market is Here in Milford PA

Which month do you think most people who are considering buying a home actually start their search? If you’re like most of us, you probably think the surge happens in the spring, likely in April. Not anymore. The New Spring Real Estate Market is Here in Milford PA now! According to new research, January 2019 was only 1% behind February for the most monthly views per listing on realtor.com.

So, what does that mean for the real estate market? 

The busiest season in real estate has just begun in Pike County, PA.

The-New-Spring-Real-Estate-Market-is-Here

The same research indicates,

“Historically, April launched the kickoff of the home shopping season as buyers would come out of their winter hibernation looking for their new home. However, the spring shopping season now starts in January for many of the nation’s largest markets.”

With fewer homes on the market in the winter in Pike County, and supply naturally increases as we head to the spring market, waiting for more competition to list in your neighborhood this year might put you behind the curve. Perhaps now is the time to jump into the market.

Senior Economist, George Ratiu at realtor.com says,

“As shoppers modify their strategies for navigating a housing market that has become more competitive due to rising prices and low inventory, the search for a home is beginning earlier and earlier.”

There is a lot of speculation in the market about why the search for a home is shifting to an earlier start. The one thing we do know is if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this year, the earlier you get started, the better.

Reminder: When should you sell something? When there is less of that item for sale and the greatest number of buyers are in the market. That’s exactly what is happening in real estate in Milford PA right now.

The Bottom Line is:

 The new spring market for real estate in Milford PA is underway. If you’re considering buying or selling, reach out to the Arlene Quirk Team, so you have the advantage in this competitive market.

Delaware Valley School District and Home Values

Delaware Valley School District and Home Values

Delaware Valley School District

Home value of homes in the Delaware Valley School District and the value of homes in general are determined through a complicated series of calculations roughly based on the cost of actual construction plus value-adds like proximity to shopping and other conveniences. The prices that other nearby homes have sold for in the past are also taken into consideration. Formulas are applied, mysterious algorithms are run.

In short, home valuation is magic and appraisers are all wizards.

Although the workings behind the curtain may be both intimidating and seemingly unpredictable to home buyers and sellers, there is one thing that we can say definitely can affect your home’s value is your school district.

The Numbers Have It

A quick twirl around the web turns up a handful of recent surveys and studies that all say essentially the same thing: better schools means your house might be worth more.

It’s interesting, though, that at least one study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that schools that were just barely below the average for quality had no influence on the homes where their students lived. These houses were priced based only on their characteristics, like having three bedrooms or a lot the size of a city block. On the other hand, higher-quality school districts increased each home’s price well above what the physical characteristics would have normally indicated.

The National Association of Realtors reports that 26 percent of all buyers chose their house based on the school district’s quality. However, among age groups prime to have children in the household, 40 percent of those under 36 years of age considered the school district an influential factor, as did 35 percent of those buyers 37 to 51.

The New York Times noted that “There are many factors in a home price, of course, but ecoDelaware Valley School Districtnomists have estimated that within suburban neighborhoods, a 5 percent improvement in test scores can raise prices by 2.5 percent.”

How Much More Will You Pay?

The problem with trying to price a home based on less concrete metrics, like school district quality, is that there’s someone else out there that also has an idea what that added value amounts to and may want to fight you for it. This year in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas metroplex, for example, homes were frequently being sold for more than their listed price because someone out there had to have that house in that location and right now.

But, you can still look at price trends for homes in a very general and national way to get a feel for the influence of school districts. Redfin did a huge study that included 407,000 home sales and almost 11,000 elementary school districts across 57 metropolitan markets. The study’s goal was to determine the average additional value brought to homes by their elementary districts.

Surprisingly, top-rated districts brought a whopping $50 per square foot extra when compared to average schools. That’s an extra $100,000 for a 2,000 square foot home!! The effect in California’s hottest markets was even more dramatic, with buyers paying up to $500,000 more for the best districts.

Compromises: School or Shopping?

When Realtor.com announced its findings from a back to school survey in 2013, a few surprising trends popped up. For example, buyers were more than happy to make major sacrifices in order to get their kids into the right school district. Of the people surveyed and indicated that school boundaries were an important factor in their search (90.53 percent), 42 percent would give up parks and trails, 43.96 would give up a bonus room, 50.6 would give up easy accessible shopping and 62.39 percent could live without a pool or spa.

Three out of five buyers said that school boundaries would definitely influence their buying decisions.

Breaking It All Down

All of this may sound quite complicated, but at the end of the day, it’s really simple. There are only so many houses in the best school districts, and there are more buyers to buy than sellers to sell. Since school districts are so important to many buyers, things like bidding wars may result, where buyers make above sales price offers, perhaps many of them, until someone is tapped out and a winner is named.

Their prize? The house that is now $40k over asking price.

It’s a snowball effect, really. Those way-over-asking-price homes end up being comparable homes when the appraiser comes around a few months later, raising the prices of all the homes around them. So, in a very real way, it can be said that your school district, provided it’s a good one and not merely average, has a massive impact on your home’s value.

Where Can You Go for Advice on Buying or Selling in Delaware Valley School District?

The Arlene Quirk Team in Milford PA, has over 30 years combined experience Listing and Selling homes in the Delaware Valley School District. Contact us today so we can guide you through the process of Selling your home for the best possible price or finding your Dream home.

Lakefront Home in Milford PA

Selling Your Lakefront Home in Milford PA

Lakefront home in Milford PAWill you be selling a lakefront home in Milford PA shortly? If so you might want to be well armed with some of the top lakefront home selling tips!

When it comes to a lakefront home in Milford PA, you would think that they would essentially sell themselves. But in reality, it is only the idea of living on the water that tends to get an automatic “yes”. The actual homes can sometimes face considerable competition, which means as a Realtor you are going to have to bring your A-game to make sure your sale is successful.

Quite often a lakefront property can also be considered a luxury home sale as well, especially if you are located on the a sizable lake where high-end homes are the norm and not the exception.

More often than not with a lakefront home, you are selling more than a structure but a lifestyle that goes along with it. Quite often this can be just as important to a buyer of a lakefront home.

It is vital that the real estate agent you hire has a strong grasp on how to market a lakefront home. Keep reading, and you will see some of the best tips for selling a lakefront home in Milford PA.

How To Sell A Lakefront Home in Milford PA

Lakefront home in Milford PA

  1. Understand who you are selling to.

One of the most valuable lakefront home selling tips is knowing who you are marketing to. Selling a lakefront home is much different than selling a traditional non-lakefront home. Most buyers who are looking at lakefront homes are doing so because of the lake itself, whether large or small. Many of these buyers have a preconceived notion of exactly what they are looking for whether it is a spectacular view, a private beach or dock or just a place they can put their boat in the water. As a seller, you need to know what the “hot buttons” are for your property and market the heck out of them.

The goal, of course, is to reach those buyers who want the same thing that turned you on to the home when you bought it. Understanding the buyer persona is very similar to when you are selling a luxury property. Do they want a motorboating lake or a non-motorboating?  Electric motors only?  No motors at all?  Just the serenity of the peace and quiet of the lake?  These are all variables when working with the potential buyers.

The real estate agent you are working with should have a firm grasp of this as well. Remember your agent will be the conduit to the buying public so choose one wisely. Many people make the mistake of picking a real estate agent who has no experience selling lakefront homes.

  1. Correctly Price your Lakefront Home in Milford PA.

Lakefront Home in Milford PA
Best Price graphic

The price you put on the home will make a huge difference in the success of your sale. If you price the home too high, it will sit on the market for an extended period and most likely develop a stigma.

The longer a home sits unsold, the more buyers assume that there must be something wrong with it. Your home could be in perfect condition, but if it is priced so high it repels buyers, it can still develop a bad reputation.

Pricing too low carries its own problems, with you essentially leaving money on the table, so you want to be careful to price it right. Find the sweet spot based on a comparative market analysis and do your best to price the home competitively with other similar homes in your area.

If your Realtor is having a difficult time putting a price tag on your home, it may be worth it to hire a local appraiser. Lakefront properties often have unique features and fewer comparable sales. For the average real estate agent, this can be a challenge.

Quite often while selling homes in the Pike County PA area over our professional career, we have found numerous sellers who believe that just because their lakefront home is on the water, it’s an open invitation to overprice the property. They often think the water “will carry the day” so to speak.

Just like any other property you need to price the home appropriately. Buyers are just as astute buying a lakefront property – maybe more so in many cases. Someone buying a lakefront home will typically do an endless amount of research about the property. Their research often includes an in-depth understanding of the market and what these types of properties are fetching.

If your home is on a lake, they will often ask many of these questions about lakefront living. Be prepared to answer them.

3. Know everything you can about the lakefront home in Milford PA.

Computer Brain image

Being able to price a lakefront home well compared to other homes in the area requires knowing the home inside and out. Understand how the location of the home factors into the price, and get accurate measurements of square footage, the size of the waterfront frontage and anything else that will make a significant difference in the price.

Remember to include any amenities that are part of the community that the lakefront home is a member of, like a clubhouse or a fitness center. Equally important, make sure you get accurate information about any amenities the home has privately, like a private dock, beach or a boathouse.

Again you are trying to convey a lifestyle to the buyer pool for your home. Make sure your real estate agent puts together a feature sheet that highlights all of the local amenities.

4. Maximize the visibility and “stage” the lakefront.

You may have a fair amount of lake frontage along your property, but the only way that potential buyers will notice it is if you have made it visible. If bushes and trees are obstructing all of the views of the water, then you may want to consider trimming the foliage to make the water easier to see and enjoy.

Of course, you don’t want to just hack up all the trees by your home, either, so just be careful. It may be best to bring out a professional arborist or landscaper to decide how to maximize your view without ruining everything in the process.

Realtors who have sold numerous lakefront properties will often offer suggestions on how best to stage the exterior surroundings. For example, if you have a nice dock on the lake, a table with an umbrella, a few beach chairs, and a grill could go a long way in showcasing part of the outdoor lifestyle or maybe have your “toys” in full view of the dock whether it is your canoe or paddle boat. What you are trying to do is make it easy for the buyer to see themselves in your home.

CLICK HERE TO SELL YOUR LAKEFRONT HOME

5. Get a Home Inspection.

Cartoon Inspector looking through search glass

You may know a lot about lakefront homes, which will certainly come in handy during the sales process. However, it is still to your benefit to bring in a professional home inspector to do a thorough evaluation of the property.

A home inspector is trained to examine homes in your area, and he or she is best qualified to identify any possible issues with the home.

One of the potential issues that lots of buyers will have about purchasing a lakefront property is any possible water issues. There is nothing that can turn a sale sour quicker than water penetration into a home. The concern is further heightened if there has been water at some point in the past.

Buyers want to feel confident they will not be dealing with a mold issue. Having a pre-listing home inspection will not only give you piece of mind but could turn up some issues you were not aware of that can be fixed before listing for sale.

Additionally, be prepared for the buyer to ask if your home requires flood insurance. If it does, make sure your real estate agent discloses this up-front. Buyers do not like surprises, and flood insurance can add a significant cost when buying a property on the water.

6. Market with exceptional photography and video tours.

Your photography is the conduit to the world. There is nothing that will turn a buyer away quicker than lousy photography. When selling a lakefront property, your exterior shots become a vital cog in your marketing machine. The lake you live on should be a significant part of your marketing!

Another point that should not be missed is how important your real estate descriptions are to selling the home. While photos are king, your marketing narrative will be queen.

7. Make sure you can get to the dock.

When you have buyers over to look at your home, you can guarantee that they will want to take a walk down to the dock. But if you don’t use the dock very often, or if you have let the landscaping slack over the past few years, chances are there will be some undergrowth in the way.

Bushes along lakefront areas are often tough and eager to fill in gaps, so needing to trim them back is perfectly reasonable. Just make sure you have cleared the way to the dock so that anyone viewing the home will have easy access.

Always keep in mind the curb appeal with a waterfront property includes more than just the immediate area surrounding the home.

8. Repair the dock if necessary.

The new owner of the home may never use the dock, but you can be certain that he or she will want to know it is functional before buying the home. The dock could be a big selling point for the property, so you will want to have it repaired if it has been damaged or degraded to the point of being unusable or unsafe.

You don’t have to renovate the dock if it’s not necessary, but you do need to get it in good working order before you try to sell the home. Sometimes a fresh coat of stain or paint will go a long way.

9. Make the shoreline accessible if possible.

In the same way that the path to the dock can become overgrown, the path to the shoreline may also be grown up and complicated to use. If your shoreline is in any way usable, then you will want to clear the way to it so that potential buyers can see it for themselves. It’s especially important when you have a small beach or path along the water.

10. Clean up the shoreline.

While you know and expect a certain amount of litter, potential buyers have a different image in mind when they imagine their dream waterfront home. There is no trash in their dreams, so it is in your interest to make sure there is no trash when they view the home and the shoreline.

11. Focus on curb appeal – in front and along the shoreline.

Curb appeal is a major selling point for any home. In the average neighborhood, improving curb appeal usually means mowing the grass, seeing to the landscaping and cleaning up the front of the home so that anyone driving by sees the property in its best light.

With a lakefront home, you have two “curbs.” Cleaning up the lakefront side is just as important, maybe more so, than cleaning up the traditional curbside.

If you have a boat, you can take a few turns in front of your house on the water and see if you notice anything out of place or any ways you can improve the look of the home. You can take your real estate agent out with you and brainstorm about what changes you can make to attract potential buyers.

12. Clean the windows.

Rain covered Window

The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is certainly true when it comes to selling a lakefront property. Views should reign supreme!

Another simple thing you can do to improve the visibility of the lakefront is to clean your windows. Real Estate agents recommend all the time to make your windows sparkle. Doing so is even more important when selling a waterfront home.

Living along the water means your windows are going to get dirty, it’s just part of the package. Before buyers show up, though, make sure this isn’t the case with your home. It can help tremendously.

13. Hire a Realtor that knows Lakefront Homes in Milford PA.

As I mentioned previously, it is incredibly important to work with an agent who does an exceptional job with their real estate marketing.

With a Realtor experienced in lakefront properties, you can significantly improve your odds of getting a good price for your home. A good agent will know all of these lakefront home selling tips and can customize his or her advice to your particular circumstances.

Hiring the right Realtor is always important but especially so when marketing and selling lakefront homes!

CLICK HERE TO SELL YOUR LAKEFRONT HOME

 

Sell Your Milford PA Home

Sell Your Milford PA Home in Today’s Market

Sell Your Milford PA HomeSell your Milford PA Home in today’s state market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.

Top 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Sell Your Sell Your Milford PA Home by Yourself

Here are the top five reasons:

1. Exposure to Prospective Buyers

Recent studies have shown that 95% of buyers search online for a home. That is in comparison to only 17% looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you?

2. Results Come from the Internet

Where did buyers find the home they actually purchased?

  • 49% on the internet
  • 31% from a Real Estate Agent
  • 7% from a yard sign
  • 1% from newspapers

The days of selling your house by just putting up a sign and putting it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong internet strategy is crucial.

3. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With

Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale By Owner:

  • The buyer who wants the best deal possible
  • The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
  • The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
  • The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
  • The appraiser if there is a question of value

4. Selling Your Own Home Has Become More And More Difficult

The paperwork involved in selling and buying a home has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 8% over the last 20+ years.

The 8% share represents the lowest recorded figure since NAR began collecting data in 1981.

5. You Net More Money When Using an Agent

Many homeowners believe that they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real estate agent’s commission. The seller and buyer can’t both save the commission.

A study by Collateral Analytics revealed that FSBOs don’t actually save anything, and in some cases, may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent. One of the main reasons for the price difference at the time of sale is: 

“Properties listed with a broker that is a member of the local MLS will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and again potentially enlarging the buyer pool.”

If more buyers see a home, the greater the chances are that there could be a bidding war for the property. The study showed that the difference in price between comparable homes of size and location is currently at an average of 6% this year.

Why would you choose to list on your own and manage the entire transaction when you can hire an agent and not have to pay anything more?

Bottom Line

Before you decide to take on the challenges of selling your house on your own, sit with a real estate professional in your marketplace and see what they have to offer.

Do You Need Marketing Assistance

If you’re looking to sell your home without help of a Real Estate Agent, please reach out to us and let us know how we can help you. We have an abundance of Free tools that can help you. We might even be able to bring you a buyer. Click here to contact us!

5 DIY Improvements to Make Your Home Classier

Updating your home to be more chic – without looking cheap – is completely doable on a budget.


5 tips to make your home classier1. Replace Your Light FixturesIf you’re looking to add more class to your home, taking on a DIY project can give your house that extra sense of style while saving you money. No need to cringe at those three little words: “do it yourself.” There really are fast, easy and affordable projects you can do on your own. Here are 5 DIY Improvements to Make Your Home Classier.

Switching out an old or basic light fixture for a more elegant one is an easy way to shift the ambiance of a room. By adding a sophisticated light fixture, you can control the intensity of the light and character of your room. And you don’t need to pay a pretty penny for expensive new fixtures – you can buy used fixtures online.

2. Add Floating Shelves
Installing floating shelves in your home combines the functionality of extra storage space with a bit of style and personal flair. Floating shelves can be mounted on walls in many different patterns, and they come in various materials to give your rooms a unique touch. For a small room choose shallow shelves to display framed photos; for a larger room you can afford to use deeper shelves to hold vases, books and unique trinkets.

3. Paint an Accent Wall
Painting an accent wall can add a pop of color and showcase your personality. Usually a low-risk project, a homeowner of any skill level can tackle this project in a day. You just need some painter’s tape, a brush and the color that suits you! Just make sure the color you choose is complementary with the other colors in the room. Stay consistent between warm and cool tones.

4. Install Decorative Molding
Adding decorative molding around your home can add an extra touch of elegance. Install molding to the ceiling by capping walls, columns and cabinets, or add chair molding lower to the ground. With detailed molding you can add character to your rooms while also making them feel taller and more finished.

Fire-pit5. Build a Stone Fire Pit

Take your sophisticated style outside by building a stone fire pit in your backyard. Completed in only a few hours, take uniquely shaped rocks or large stones and put them together to create a functional and stylish fire pit. Before starting the project, be sure to check your local fire codes or homeowners association to ensure you are safe and allowed to start building.

Adding a touch of class to your home doesn’t have to break the bank! Just be sure to start with one project at a time, allowing yourself to complete one before starting the next. Otherwise, you’ll fall victim to chronic project incompleteness syndrome – not a good look!

Now that you know about these 5 DIY Improvements projects, which will you try?

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