Archive for March, 2015

How to Grow a Garden at Home in Brooklyn

Monday, March 30th, 2015
Home in Brooklyn

You can grow a garden at home in Brooklyn

Even when you’re short on space, it’s possible to grow and enjoy fresh vegetables, strawberries or flowers at home in Brooklyn. All you need is a planting box or containers, a little dirt, water and sunlight.

Proper planning is the first and most important step to grow a garden at home in Brooklyn.

  1. Choose a layout for your garden at home in Brooklyn

  • Will your garden be a practical garden or a beautiful feature to add curb appeal to your home in Brooklyn?
  • What size will your garden be? 4-by-4? 8-by-4?
  • Will you build a planting box, hire to have it built or purchase a pre-made planter or containers?
  1. Choose the materials

  • Whether you build raised bed yourself, hire to have it built or purchase a pre-made planter, this article will give you a variety of ideas and looks to choose from. 8-materials-for-raised-garden-beds
  • If you choose to build or purchase a wooden planter, buy rot-resistant wood. The following link shares 8 rot-resistant woods to choose from: 8-rot-resistant-woods-for-your-outdoor-projects
  • DIYers, planting boxes are easy. Here is a complete list of materials, tools and instructions to make a beautiful raised bed for your garden at home in Brooklyn. http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/
  1. Choose the crops or plants

  • Purchase crops that will not outgrow the garden space. They should be vegetable plants that will produce all season long, not at the end of the season only. Think salad greens, beets, peas, beans, some tomato types and herbs here, for example. grow-a-kitchen-garden-in-16-square-feet
  • Some fruit bushes are patio-appropriate and provide great curb appeal. They are good choices for your container garden at home in Brooklyn. BrazelBerries, for example, are easy to grow. They do well in either containers or a raised bed. patio-perfect-berry-bushes

Spring has arrived! Add beauty and value to your home with the curb appeal of a garden at home in Brooklyn. For more ideas on spring curb appeal to prepare your home for sale, contact your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, Charles D’Alessandro at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected]. Enjoy the season’s best!

Resources:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/24538559/list/how-to-build-a-raised-bed-for-your-veggies-and-plants

6 Ways to Grab Attention With Your Brooklyn Home Listing this Spring

Sunday, March 15th, 2015
Brooklyn home listing

Grab the attention of homebuyers! Make your Brooklyn home listing stand out this spring.

Homebuyers in Brooklyn are tired. They’re tired of being cooped up. They’ve spent a lot of time online snuggled beneath a favorite throw trying to keep warm this winter. And what have they been doing online all winter? Shopping the housing market. They’re ready to buy! Low interest rates will begin creeping upward this summer, so homebuyers in Brooklyn will be eager to buy in April, May or June. Freshen up your Brooklyn home listing this spring. Make your home stand out to homebuyers, and grab their attention!

New listings inundate the housing market each spring making it the busiest season for real estate. This means homebuyers in Brooklyn have an over abundance of new listings competing for their attention. Your home must stand out to grab attention. If your home has been on the market since the holidays, your Brooklyn home listing needs to be updated now for the spring housing market. Take it off the market, and put it back on after a few weeks. Homebuyers will then view it as a fresh new listing. Here are 6 ways to grab attention with your Brooklyn home listing to make it stand out this spring.

  1. Impress with curb appeal this spring

First impressions are important. When a buyer sees your Brooklyn home, they know in about 60 seconds if your home is worth their consideration. Making a good first impression with a little curb appeal is easy to do. Pruned trees and bushes, freshly turned garden soil, freshly planted flowers, power-washed walks, porch, driveway, patio and home exterior and clean windows will make your Brooklyn home listing stand out and impress homebuyers this spring.

  1. Organize and start packing

Make your Brooklyn home look roomy and neat. Homebuyers need to see themselves and their belongings in your home. Take a good, hard look at each room, including the garage or shed. Look through your home thoroughly, one room at a time, to avoid overwhelm. Ask tough questions and be brutally honest. Do you really need that end table? Would you miss that knick-knack if you lost it to a fire or gave it away? Then, in accordance with your answers, start packing, donating or tossing. Now you’ll be a step ahead in the moving process when your home sells. Think about it. Do you really need eight sweaters?

  1. Clean and stage your Brooklyn home listing

Now that everything is organized and packed, start cleaning. Curtains, rugs, walls and baseboards, cupboards and drawers are dirtier than you probably realize. Once this cleaning is done, it’s time to freshen up your Brooklyn home listing with a few simple staging efforts. Add fresh flowers, pastel-colored throws and pillows throughout. Matching towels, a bar of soap and a candle in a clean bathroom will catch buyers’ attention.

  1. Groom your pets and clean pet items

If you own a pet, you need to be discreet about it. Homebuyers may love animals, too, but they still do not want to walk into your Brooklyn home and smell your pet or see your pet’s toys. Hide Fido’s presence in your home with lots of fresh air, clean drapes and clean carpets. While your home is on the market, make a special place in the house just for your pets. Keep toys, beds, food, dishes, litter boxes and all that pertains to your pet, clean and tidy in their special place until your Brooklyn home sells.

  1. Update your Brooklyn home listing with minor repairs and home improvements

Replacing old caulk and discolored grout, outdated light fixtures and carpets will do wonders to freshen up your Brooklyn home listing this spring. You don’t need to make major renovations before you list your Brooklyn home. Minor improvements such as matching hardware throughout, new switch plates, polished floors, neutral paint on walls and freshly painted trim will make your Brooklyn home stand out to homebuyers.

  1. Check interior systems and make repairs

Check and make sure all interior systems in your Brooklyn home are working as they should be – heating, ventilation, air conditioning, home security, smoke detectors, fire alarm and extinguishers, carbon monoxide alarms, window seals. If you find repairs that need to be made, make them yourself or hire someone to do it before the buyers walk through for a home inspection. It makes sense to pay $100 now instead of $300 later for the same repair when the buyer requests it.

Call your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, Charles D’Alessandro at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected] for more on how to make your Brooklyn home listing grab attention and stand out this spring. He’s the right listing agent. His experience will help your home sell quickly and for the right price. You can trust his knowledge of the Brooklyn area and the marketing strategy he will create for you. He will represent you well.

Resources:

Homebuying.about.com

Realtor.com

Bankrate.com

Forbes.com

wtnh.com