5 Tips for Bathroom Remodeling

That old bathroom has been on your to-do list for years now, but such a daunting task seems to always get pushed to the bottom Maybe now is the time. According to Remodeling Magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report, a bathroom remodel is a solid investment. A remodel of $16,600 (the national average) will recoup about 64% of those costs when it's time to sell your home. If you have decided that this is the year, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Stick to a plan: A bathroom remodel is no place for improvisation. Before starting, think hard about how you will use the space, what materials and fixtures you want, and how much you are willing to spend. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) recommends spending up to six months evaluating and planning before beginning work. Once work has begun (a process that takes 2 to 3 months on average), resist changing your mind. Work stopages and alterations add costs, especially if you are hiring a contractor for the work. If planning is not a strength for you, and if you have the money, consider hiring a professional designer for the job. A pro charges $100 to $200 per hour, and can spend anywhere between 10 and 30 hours on a bathroom project
2. Keep the same layout: Keeping the same footprint, and locating new plumbing fixtures near existing plumbing pipes saves demolition and reconstruction dollars. You will also cut down on the dust and debris that make remodeling so hard to live with. Try to make the most of the space you have. Glass doors on showers and tubs open up the area. A pedestal sink takes up less room than a vanity. A deep medicine cabinet can replace some of the lost storage space.
3. Make lighting a priority: Few items make a bathroom more satisfying than lighting designed for everyday grooming. You can install lighting for a fraction of the cost of pricier amenities. Well-designed bathroom task lighting surrounds vanity mirrors and eliminates shadows on faces.
4. Clear the air: Bathrrom ventilation is essential for removing excess humidity that fogs mirrors, makes floors slippery, and contributes to the growth of mildew and mold. Controlling mold and humidity is especially important for maintaining healthy indoor air quality and protecting the value of your home. A bathroom vent and water closet fan should exhaust air to the outside, not simply to the space between ceiling joists. Better models have whisper quiet exhaust fans and humidity controlled switches that activiate when a sensor detects excess moisture in the air.
5. Do-it-yourself: Shave labor costs by doing some (or all) of the work yourself. Tell your contractor which projects you will handle, so there are no misunderstandings later. Some easy DIY projects:

• Install window and baseboard trim: save $250
• Paint walls and trim, 200 sq. feet: save $200
• Install toilet: save $150
• Install towel bars and shelves: save $20 each

At any stage in your remodel process, Nothnagle Home Services can help. Find the service you need here. Visit Home Services' new Facebook page to view or latest service partners and their special offers.

Don't Forget the Inspection

For the seller, a visit from the home inpsector can be a nerve-wrecking time, especially in a market like this. It is not uncommon for the potential buyer to demand that a long list of problems be addressed before the sale is finalized.

No matter how well you prepare, realize the inspector is always going to find something wrong. Often, the problems are minor and inexpensive enough for the seller to either fix or allow a credit for in the home price. It is the discovery of major deficiencies, or an unwillingness to negotiate, that can kill a deal completely.

Still, it is in the sellers best interest to prepare the home as much as possible before the inspection. The best way to prepare is to do your own inspection before you list the home on the market. A pre-listing inspection will tell you exactly what needs to be fixed before you begin your search for a buyer.

Sellers should also inspect their home with a critical eye. Look at walls from floor to ceiling, under sinks, on the floor near the base of appliances --everywhere-- to check for signs of water damage, for example. Also check faucets, door handles and other details of the home as you are walking through it.

An inspector will be looking for problems with the home's heating and cooling systems, electrical problems, signs of water damage, mold or leaks, termites, and strucural or plumbing problems. They will also take a look at do-it-yourself projects, making sure ceiling fans are installed correctly and backyard decks are safe, for example.

As much as you can, get your house ready by fixing the problems or have a plan for how you will address them when the buyer inquires about the issues. Pay attention to the little things, too. Make sure everything is clean and the gutters are clear, take care of flaking paint and make sure windows open and close. Replace cracked caulking and fix leaky faucets and broken windows. You might also want to have the furnace and air-conditioning systems service by a professional to make sure they're in good shape.

Even after you prep your home for the inspection, expect some problems to surface and for the prospective buyer to present you with a to-do list. Some buyer requests will be reasonable; in other cases, especially when its cosmetic in nature, a seller would be justified in declining a request. But even when negotiations get tough, remember the buyer still wants to buy your home. They kept your home in mind over all the others.

Whether you are looking for a home inspector, someone to clean the gutters, paint a room, or fix a leak, Nothnagle Home Services will be an invaluable resource. Learn more about it here.

8 Reasons People Decide to Buy a Home

Renting can be frustrating. The money you pay every month disappears, leaving you with few benefits other than a place to stay. It is no surprise people want to stop renting and start owning. Here are eight reasons why:

1. They want to build equity Homebuyers build equity as their property increases in value over time. This equity has many benefits, and is a natural benefit of owning a home. Renters never gain equity in their rental space, and at the end of their lease have nothing to show for years of on-time payments.
2. They don't want to throw their money away Without equity, what does paying your rent on time each month gain you? The truth is paying rent guarantees you a place to stay for another month and nothing more. This makes renting a poor investment compared to home buying.
3. They want more space Most renters have to deal with cramped spaces and limited storage. The extra room that comes with most homes make them attractive to those who prefer to stretch their legs.
4. They want to make upgrades Most leases forbid the renter from altering the rental space. Home buyers are not only allowed to make upgrades, but doing so can be a great investment and raise the overall value of your home.
5. They don't want to be so close to noisy neighbors Anyone who has ever lived above or below neighbors in an apartment complex knows just how annoying all that noise can be. Homebuyers can sometimes deal with annoying neighbors as well, but at least they're not in the same building.
6. They don't want to deal with a landlord Dealing with a landlord can be tough. Some landlords are not friendly or flexible, especially when it comes to late payments. Other landlords can be so distant that problems don't get resolved for months or even years. Homeowners have no landlord to deal with and have the freedom and independence of conducting business on their own terms.
7. They don't want to deal with deposits Security deposits never seem to work out in the renter's favor. It seems like every little problem leads to forfeiture of the sometimes huge security deposits renters pay just to sign the lease. Homeowners can say "so long" to security deposits.
8. They want to live the American dream Owning a home is still a big part of the American dream, and most people would say that the independence, autonomy, and sense of accomplishment that owning a home brings is an essential part of the American way of life. Renting an apartment just doesn't seem to do the same.

Nothnagle Realtors Expands to Penn Yan

Nothnagle Realtors is pleased to announce the launch of Nothnagle REALTORS®, Hometown Choice, a franchised office under the ownership and management of industry veterans Carol Bodine, Jim Moon, Mark Moon and Richard Murphy.

The office will be located at 270 Lake Street in Penn Yan. From the Penn Yan location the agents will serve Keuka Lake and the surrounding areas to provide a high level of customer service and experience to the clients they work with.

“We want to give local real estate consumers and agents a world-class experience like no other. Jim, Dick, Carol and I have a strong track record of delivering top-quality service to our clients but now through our partnership with Nothnagle REALTORS®, we will be able to offer tools and systems never before available in the Western Finger Lakes area,” said Mark Moon, Partner.

“What appeals to brokers who join our franchise system is the fact that they can maintain their independence while tapping into our successful infrastructure. When you combine the wealth of knowledge and experience the Hometown Choice group brings to the table, combined with Nothnagle’s award-winning systems, it is a win-win for everyone – the brokers, agents and their customers and clients. We are thrilled to have them on board,” said Armand D’Alfonso, President and CEO of Nothnagle Realtors.

Nothnagle REALTORS®, Hometown Choice is the newest addition to the Nothnagle franchise system which currently offers locations in Amherst, Buffalo, Hornell and Skaneateles.

A Proven System That Will Work for You!

At Nothnagle, we have developed proven systems for doing the three things that are most important to real estate agents:

•Generating leads
•Marketing homes
•Switching to a better, more helpful real estate company

No real estate company does more than Nothnagle to provide our agents with leads. In the past 12 months, Nothnagle has delivered an average of 96 leads per agent.

How do we do it?

Our web site not only shows all Nothnagle properties, it also shows most properties that are listed with our competitors. Since our web site is the most popular real estate web site in the region, we attract the most inquiries—both for properties listed by Nothnagle and ones listed by someone else.

Those leads go directly to our agents. And with our LeadsNow system, leads can be easily displayed, organized and tracked.

Our 4-SALE LINE® is another source of leads for our agents. When home buyers call, they are transferred directly to a Nothnagle Agent after hearing the property description.

"Nothnagle’s web site is a lead generation vehicle. . . I get leads from my own personal business as well as my competitors’. Just the other day we got a lead on someone else’s property, and it was a $500,000 buyer". -Cathy McWilliams, Nothnagle Canandaigua Agents