Category: News

While “tiny houses” take storage planning to an extreme, your typical smaller home still needs accessible, well-planned storage to make it both efficient and livable. Making better use of existing space is a leading trend in home design and usage patterns throughout the home in both renovations and new construction.

Most people use a back or garage entrance to the home more often than the front door. It’s a great idea to incorporate “drop zones” at these entryways to corral shoes, outerwear, dog leashes and everything else that seems to end up where it shouldn’t. Baskets under benches provide both seating and storage. A tray or shallow box for mail keeps it visible but doesn’t let it pile up too high. As a high-traffic area, a drop zone should be well organized and systematic to really work. If one system doesn’t quite function well for a particular household, it will always be best to try another arrangement until settling on one that really works.

Home offices are another area where storage is at a premium as functionality changes. Effective, multi-purpose closet storage can be created by replacing hanging rods with shelving and drawers. A dresser can be repurposed to store project materials for easy access. With multiple users, this multi-function room, like the drop zone, needs to have a workable system that everyone can follow.

In the kitchen, pantry space has become more important as more people cook and eat at home. In large homes, a pantry might be a separate room with plenty of space for storing everything from china to dog kibble. The smaller kitchens found in smaller homes need to at least accommodate kitchen staples and larger, bulky items that aren’t used often such as large mixing bowls, seldom-used small appliances, and serving pieces. Pantry shelving for food items should be relatively shallow so that everything is easy to find and reach. This type of shelving can even be added to a niche in the wall between two studs.

Smaller homes aren’t going away, and continue to be especially popular as first homes and with down-sizers. But with efficient, practical storage solutions, even a smaller home can accommodate the needs of almost any household.

You invest a great deal of time, money, and energy to market your listings, and you need to get a good return on that investment. Don’t be caught unaware of problems that could seriously undermine your dedicated efforts to sell a home, or that could keep a property from selling at its highest potential price. One of the best steps you can take to avoid this is to recommend a professional home inspection prior to listing.

A pre-listing inspection can uncover previously unknown problems – major and minor – allowing sellers the opportunity to make repairs, updates, or replacements as needed or as they wish. By addressing these issues before the home goes on the market, you can list a home with greater knowledge of its condition and have a better chance of maximizing its value. Being aware of issues in advance will also allow for disclosure of problems when selling, which can result in cleaner offers and a smoother transaction for both parties. Having well-informed sellers and buyers works to everyone’s advantage, including yours.

Be sure that the home inspection is comprehensive and that you will get the written report immediately upon completion of the inspection. This allows your sellers to get the information they need right away, so they can decide on their next steps prior to listing their home. Photos should always be part of a professional report so that full documentation of conditions is available to both the sellers and potential buyers. This is especially important when it comes to issues that might not be addressed or repaired prior to sale.

With a pre-listing inspection in hand, you can market your sellers’ homes with confidence and an eye toward better offers.