Creating Curb Appeal: 6 Ways to Improve Your Home's First Impression

You've probably heard the old saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." That's true in life, and it's true in real estate. If you're in the process of selling your home, take a moment to walk across the street and look at your home with a critical eye. What are potential homebuyers seeing as they pull up? Is your home giving off a good first impression? Does it have good curb appeal?

Real estate agents and home staging services know how important curb appeal is to the home selling process. It only takes a couple of seconds for potential homebuyers to form an opinion of your home based on its curb appeal. Below are six ways to improve your home's first impression.

First Step: A Critical Review

Remember that trip across the street I mentioned above? Well, after living in your home for years, you may not be the best judge. Invite a friend or family member over to give your home a critique. What would they do to improve your home's curb appeal? If they can't make it over, take some photos and email them to some friends for their review. We tend to see things in photographs that we miss when we're casually looking at things. Print your pictures out on 8 ½-by-11-inch paper, draw on them, and make notes about what changes you want to make.

Give it a Fresh Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of paint can go a long way toward improving your home's curb appeal. If a potential homebuyer drives up and sees cracked and peeling paint, what impression will that leave? Not only will the homebuyer think you haven't maintained the exterior of your home, but he is going to wonder what other maintenance items have been neglected.

Make sure the colors you choose fit with the neighborhood and the character of the house. You want your home to have great curb appeal, but that doesn't mean it should stick out markedly from the rest of the houses on the block. If you're selling your home, neutral colors are the best because they will have broader appeal. However, a neutral paint color doesn't have to be boring. Add some pizzazz by painting your front door a more vibrant, complementary color.

Make it Welcoming

Whether it's a decorative wreath on the front door, some decorative pots with brightly colored flowers, or simply great porch lighting, make your front door visible and inviting. Don't overdo it. Keep things simple, but make it easy to spot your front door. If you have overgrown shrubs blocking the view to your home, it will feel less safe. Trim shrubs back to eliminate any areas where predators could lurk, and make sure your house number is clearly visible.

Get Rid of the Junk

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" applies to garage sales and antiquing. Improve your home's curb appeal by putting things away and storing items that don't enhance your home's first impression. The less clutter you have around your front door and in your front yard the better.

Maintain Your Lawn

If you have a home with a lawn, the best thing you can do to create great curb appeal is to keep it maintained. Mow your lawn to a height of about 2 inches. Many people believe that mowing a lawn shorter is better, but with a blade height of about 2 inches, the grass is long enough to provide some shade for the roots, which helps the roots retain moisture and promotes stronger root growth.

Manually remove weeds as soon as you see them to prevent them from going to seed and becoming a bigger problem. Weeds generally show up in areas where the lawn is weak or lacking in nutrients. Over-seed any areas where the grass is thin and use an organic fertilizer to provide nutrients and maintain healthy soil.

Near sidewalks, driveways, and planting beds, edge your lawn with a line trimmer or straight spade to maintain a nicely manicured edge. There is no need to buy plastic lawn edging. It rarely holds up over time. A spade and a little muscle can do the trick. However, if you find you really want a built edge to your lawn, use aluminum edging. It is far more durable than plastic and will cut down on some of the maintenance needed to maintain the shape and size of your planting beds.

Oh, the Pressure!

Maintaining concrete driveways, sidewalks, and patios is always important for providing safe walking surfaces. However, if you are selling your home, what is the one thing a potential homebuyer is going to do? They will walk up your sidewalk or driveway to your front door. If you want your home to make a great first impression, fix any major cracks and make sure your entry sidewalk is free of debris, moss, and uneven edges. Pressure-wash concrete surfaces to remove any built up dirt and moss.

As you can see, most of these tasks are things you are probably already doing, but when neglected, they can take away from your home's curb appeal. Creating great curb appeal really just comes down to maintaining your home. Performing these tasks on a regular basis means you'll never have to worry about your home making a great first impression.

Start your home search now or contact Katie Oakes by visiting WheatonHomes4Sale.com! 

Information and data provided by Katie Oakes with The Joe Champagne Team at Keller Williams Premiere Properties. 

The Joe Champagne Team is based in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn, has sold over 100 million dollars in real estate volume and ranks in the top 1% of DuPage County agents in Illinois.

Can You Use Your 401(k) to Buy Your Next Home

For many families, their 401(k) or other retirement plan is their biggest, most important asset. So it's very natural to wonder if you can use your 401(k) to help make a down payment on a house.

The answer is a qualified "yes." It is possible to use a 401(k) plan to help with purchasing a home, though if you are still working for the company, your plan rules have to allow for something called an "in-service withdrawal."

If You Still Work for the Company

If you are still actively working for the plan sponsor and your plan rules allow for in-service withdrawals, all you have to do is notify your human resources department or your plan administrator that you want to take a distribution to put toward the down payment of a home. Some plans also have a separate set of emergency or hardship distribution rules that allow you to access your 401(k) balance in the event of an "immediate and heavy need." Some plans include the purchase of a personal residence as such an event. This may also enable you to access your 401(k) balance for the purchase of a down payment on a personal residence.

If you can qualify for the withdrawal under the emergency distribution rules, that's even better, since that may enable you to sidestep the 10 percent penalty that usually applies to distributions prior to age 59½. (The 10 percent penalty is also waived if you are age 55 or older and you have left the service of your employer.)

If You Have Left the Company

If you have left the company, you can also take a distribution, paying income tax and – depending on your age, a possible 10 percent penalty. (To avoid the penalty, you may want to conduct a 401(k) to IRA rollover first. This may help because there are no penalties on up to $10,000 in distributions for the purpose of putting a down payment on a first home if you take the distribution from an IRA.)

Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantage to using a 401(k) to help with a down payment is obvious: You can get that money now, and save yourself from having to rent for months or years while you save up for a down payment.

You should also be aware of a number of downsides, though:

The 401(k) plan provider will withhold 20 percent of your withdrawal to pay income taxes with. So you won't see your entire distribution - only 80 percent of it.

You'll have to pay income taxes. Since you didn't pay income taxes on your contribution, you'll have to pay them in the year of the withdrawal. The plan administrator will send you and the IRS a Form 1099.

You are unplugging a tax-deferred vehicle. However, your home also grows tax-deferred, and the first $250,000 in gains are tax exempt. For married couples, you have up to $500,000 of gains exempt from capital gains taxes when you eventually sell the home.

401(k)s receive unlimited protection from creditors under federal law. Home equity may not have the same protection, depending on your state.

401(k) Loans

Some plans let you borrow from your 401(k), rather than make a withdrawal. This lets you tap the funds in your 401(k) with no taxes or penalties. You just have to pay yourself back with interest. But since you are paying the interest to yourself, this isn't a big deal.

Normally, the most you can borrow from a 401(k) is $50,000, or half the plan balance, whichever is less. This is usually enough for a down payment on a primary residence for most of us, though. Also, most 401(k) loans must be paid back over five years – normally via payroll deduction. So your employer will take your repayment out of every paycheck until the balance is paid off. Some plans, however, let you extend the repayment period to 10 or 15 years for loans to help buy a personal residence.

Use caution, though: If you lose your job, or leave your employer, you normally have just 60 days to pay off the loan. Otherwise, the IRS deems it a distribution, and the rules above apply.

Not every plan allows for 401(k) loans, so check with your human resources department for the rules specific to your plan.

Start your home search now or contact Katie Oakes by visiting WheatonHomes4Sale.com! 

Information and data provided by Katie Oakes with The Joe Champagne Team at Keller Williams Premiere Properties. 

The Joe Champagne Team is based in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn, has sold over 100 million dollars in real estate volume and ranks in the top 1% of DuPage County agents in Illinois.

Lead-Based Paint: Keep Your Family Safe

Lead is a metallic element found in rocks and soil virtually everywhere in the world. Tiny lead particles can be toxic if individuals inhale or swallow them. Over time, those inhaled or ingested lead particles may accumulate in blood, bones and soft tissue. The lead can cause permanent damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, brain, and red blood cells. This is lead poisoning, which can ultimately lead to death.

Infants and small children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that lead can harm children more readily for three reasons.

First, "babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them." Additionally, "children's growing bodies absorb more lead," according to the EPA, and "children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead."

Lead-Based Paint Dangers

Lead-based paint is one of the biggest sources of lead poisoning. "The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978," reports the EPA, while "some states stopped its use even earlier." While lead's toxic effects were understood early in the 20th century, it took decades before it was phased out of use in the United States.

Lead-based paint in good condition typically doesn't pose a risk. Trouble arises when the paint ages and chips or flakes. Small children might eat those paint chips and run the risk of lead poisoning.

Also, if lead-based paint is scraped, sanded, or heated with an open flame (as it would be in the process of paint stripping for the purpose of renovating or remodeling), then lead particles can become airborne and inhaled. Just as bad, those particles can land in carpet fibers and fabrics where they can gradually recirculate.

Be particularly mindful about using a vacuum to clean up paint chips; lead can penetrate your vacuum's filter system and recirculate through the air exhaust stream.

Government Efforts to Reduce Lead Exposure

Fortunately, the government has come to understand the potential dangers of lead-based paint. By 1960, lead-based paint was used in only one-third of all American homes. By 1977, the United States government banned lead in many household products as part of its Lead-Based Poisoning Prevention Act. Since then, federal and state agencies, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the EPA have taken additional steps to get lead out of paints, drinking water, automotive fuel, and other products and to minimize the dangers to people living with lead in older homes.

The EPA passed a rule in April of 2010 requiring renovators of 1978 and older homes to obtain training (for individuals) or certification (for firms) for "lead-safe work practices." Renovators aren't the only people with a legal responsibility to help prevent lead exposure:

• Landlords must share lead-based paint information with potential tenants of structures built before 1978. They must disclose "known information" about lead in the building prior to leases becoming effective.

• Sellers of 1978 and older homes are required to include a disclosure of lead-based paint hazards on sales contracts and to disclose "known information."

• Buyers of 1978 and older homes are entitled to have a check for lead performed within 10 days of being notified of the potential for exposure.

A pamphlet detailing some ways to minimize lead exposure in the home is available from the EPA. For more EPA recommendations, you can call 1-800-424-LEAD.

Testing for Lead-Based Paint

If you have reason to suspect lead-based paint is in your home, have it tested by a qualified laboratory. Contact local, county or state health and environmental services for information or referrals to certified testing laboratories. Home testing kits can be unreliable, but the government works hard to make testing affordable and accessible to residents of older homes. A booklet about how to test for lead is available from the EPA.

Lead Paint Removal

If you have lead paint in your home, and if it's peeling, chipping or excessively aged, have it removed immediately (if it's still in good condition, it's probably still harmless). Lead paint removal can be a costly and time-consuming process, but you might have to endure much dearer costs by leaving it alone and exposing yourself and your family to its very real dangers.

Call on a qualified, experienced professional to handle your lead paint removal. If you insist on doing it yourself, consider these important tips:

• First, conduct all testing for lead-based paint thoroughly and accurately.

• Be sure you meet the EPA's requirements for training before you begin.

• Move your family (pets, too) off the premises for the entire procedure. Do not move back home until the job is finished and the area is cleared.

• Make sure any pregnant (or soon to be pregnant) women are out of the house long before you start the paint removal process.

• Do not use belt sanders, propane torches, heat guns or dry sandpaper. These tools will spread lead particles into the air, creating an inhalation risk.

• Note that lead dust can remain in the air and throughout your house long after the procedure is completed.

Removal Alternatives

If your paint is still in good (intact) condition, you may be able to eliminate any potential dangers by covering it with wallpaper or simply repainting the surface with safe (non-lead) paint. Another alternative is to install a layer of wallboard over the surfaces painted with lead-based paint. Consult with a qualified professional for evaluation or paint removal.

The long-term danger of exposing growing children to lead is very real, but avoidable. With care, you can protect yourself and your family from lead by having your home tested for lead-based paint if it was built before 1978, undertaking any renovations only after obtaining EPA-certified training, and using trained professionals for lead-paint removal. If you think there's been lead-based dust or chipping paint in your home, have a blood test performed on any vulnerable family members. Therapies are available to help patients with acute lead poisoning, but the safest thing to do is avoid exposure in the first place by making the home safe.

All information and services are provided by Katie Oakes with Keller Williams Premiere Properties based in Glen Ellyn, IL.

Learn More About Katie Oakes - Wheaton Real Estate Agent

Glen Ellyn Housing Market: November 2012 Update

Market Statistics for Glen Ellyn - Updated November 2012

The inventory of homes for sale in Glen Ellyn has been contracting over the past year homes listed for sale have decreased by 11.1% (homes listed for sale in October 2011 compared to October 2012 have dropped a staggering 29.5%). Over the same time frame homes under contract are up by 77.6% and homes that have sold have increased by 117.2%. 

The median price of homes in Glen Ellyn have also been experiencing some noticeable changes from 2011 to 2012. Homes that are closing now are selling at a staggering 19.1% increase from year over while homes that are just being listed for sale now are up 14.5% higher than they were from last year.

This trend continuation of the shrinking number of homes on the market along with other indications of prices having hit bottom and even consistent price increases over the past few months signify a turn around in the housing market, specifically in Glen Ellyn. Take advantage of these rock bottom prices while they are still around and visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com to start searching for available properties right now!

As a local Realtor I take pride in staying informed on local markets, please do not hesitate to contact me with any real estate questions or concerns. Looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? I would love to help, please contact me and let me know how I can be of service!


Information and service provided by Katie Oakes at Keller Williams Premiere Properties.

Winfield Housing Market: November 2012 Update

The influx of homes hitting the market for sale has slowed tremendously and this month only shows about a 1% increase year over of home being listed for sale in Winfield compared to 12 months ago. Over the same time frame homes under contract (homes that have waiting to close) are up by 35.5% and homes that have sold (or closed) have increased by a dramatic 67.7%. From looking at the numbers it is clear that the rate of homes being put on the market is slowing dramatically while the increase of homes under contract as well as the number of sold are increasing at a much higher rate. This is an indication that a turn around may be starting in Winfield, following suit to other local areas like Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.

The median price of homes in Winfield have also been experiencing some noticeable changes from 12 months prior. Homes that are selling now are selling at a staggering 33% increase from a year ago while homes that are just being listed for sale now are also up about 12% higher than they were from last year.

Take advantage of these rock bottom prices while they are still around and visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com to start searching for available properties right now!

As a local Realtor I take pride in staying informed on local markets, please do not hesitate to contact me with any real estate questions or concerns. Looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? I would love to help, please contact me and let me know how I can be of service!


Service and information provided by Katie Oakes with Keller Williams Premiere Properties.

Wheaton Housing Market: November 2012 Update

The inventory of homes for sale in Wheaton has been contracting over the past year homes listed for sale have decreased by 11.2% (homes listed for sale in October 2011 compared to October of 2012 have dropped a staggering 22.3%). Over the same time frame homes under contract are up by 106.9% and homes that have sold have increased by 101.7%. 

The median price of homes in Wheaton have also been experiencing some noticeable changes from October 2011 to October 2012. Homes that are selling now are selling at a staggering 11.7% increase from a year ago while homes that are just being listed for sale now are up 14.2% higher than they were from last October.

This trend continuation of the shrinking number of homes on the market along with other indications of prices having hit bottom and even consistent price increases over the past few months signify a turn around in the housing market, specifically in Wheaton. Take advantage of these rock bottom prices while they are still around and visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com to start searching for available properties right now!

As a local Realtor I take pride in staying informed on local markets, please do not hesitate to contact me with any real estate questions or concerns. Looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate? I would love to help, please contact me and let me know how I can be of service!


Information and service provided by Katie Oakes at Keller Williams Premiere Properties.