Being on a budget doesn’t mean that a seller can’t spruce up their Big Bear home! There are many budget-friendly ways to upgrade your house that won’t break the bank. Sellers often try to fix up their house before it goes on the market to help improve the chances of selling quicker.

Yet, these tips are also great for new homeowners who are looking to make their newly purchased house feel like home. The owner might want to put their spin on the place. Big Bear Lake is a beautiful mountain town that has different needs than other places in California. What may be a vast improvement on a home off the hill may not be for homes in Big Bear.

For example, a homeowner wouldn’t want to plant flowers to make their garden come to life until after the winter. Unless, they have a lot of knowledge of what types of plants will grow in the snowy weather or at least, stay alive until the cold season has ended. That wouldn’t be the same off the mountain because of the sunny weather that lasts almost all year.

Local Realtors in Big Bear can give sellers suggestions about what upgrades will help to sell their home quicker!

Curb Appeal: Spruce up how your home looks from the street.
It’s all about the curb appeal! For sellers, it’s easier to find buyers when the outside of the house is in good shape. When buyers are driving around the mountain or searching online through photos looking for homes to buy, their first impression is the outside of a property. If they don’t like what they see, there is a very low chance that they will even consider your house.

• Add a fresh coat of paint!

A lot of sellers will add a fresh coat of paint. You will be surprised the impact a new coat paint can make! What may have looked old and dirty will look new to potential buyers! As it was noted before, you don’t want to plant flowers that will wither away in the winter months, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on the landscaping of the front yard. Before you place your house on the market, get rid of the weeds in your yard to give off the appearance of being clean and kept.

• Pressure wash the house.

Pressure wash your driveway and porch, clean up any pine needles, and consider painting your front door! During the summer or springtime, flowers will be a wonderful addition to your front yard. Just make sure to ask what type of flowers live the longest in the mountains! Any flower or gardening shop should be able to help you. If you’re a Big Bear homeowner that doesn’t live up here, a good idea is to hire someone who will take care of your landscaping for you.

The exterior of the home triggers the first emotion the buyer feels as they pull into the driveway. A complete paint job on the outside of your house might be in your budget but if it isn’t, you could consider pressure washing your home. Dirt and grime can deter buyers from purchasing your house.

There is a huge difference when it comes to the curb appeal of your home after pressure washing it. Take a step back and look at your house to see if it’s an option for you. You will most likely see a return on that investment when you sell the property.

For new homeowners, these tips are great to bring life and color to your new house. You won’t have to worry as much about the outside appearance of your house because of all the snow we receive in Big Bear. A great tip is to buy a snow blower to blow snow out of your driveway and walkway. It beats having to shovel the snow by being quicker and easier.

Kitchen and Bathrooms: The little things.
Home buyers won’t notice the little things unless they are really old or dirty.

• Caulking

For example, how is the caulk in your bathroom or kitchen? Caulk is a silicon stripping that protects bathtubs, sinks, or other appliances from water. It’s a pure white strip of silicon and after a couple of years, can become dirty, yellow, and even break off in certain areas. The great thing about having to replace caulk is the price! Depending on where you go, it can cost $5.00 dollars up to $12.00 dollars.

When you replace the old caulk with a new white stripe, it will brighten up the appearance of the bathtub, sinks, and wherever area you update. It’s a simple but effective way to add an improvement without breaking the bank! New homeowners may want to check this as well. Thankfully, replacing the caulk isn’t a big chore or expense. You will be able to update your bathroom and make it look newer for the price of a cup of coffee.

• Faucets

Check how your faucet looks. Are you able to shine or clean it back to looking almost new? If not, a new faucet for your sink or shower could be a great idea! They’re not too expensive at around $30, but you can get the higher end ones that range up into the hundreds. That isn’t recommended for a seller but for a new home buyer? If you don’t mind spending the cash, then it could add a unique touch to your bathroom or kitchen.

How about the handles on your cabinets? These are not that important when it comes to selling or buying a home, but that can be dependent on how the handles look. If they are not on properly or broken, then you will want to buy new ones. Buyers don’t want to come in and see broken items or appliances. It can be a turn-off to them because they begin to worry about what else they will need to fix if they buy your house.

Deep Cleaning: How clean is the house?
Most sellers are surprised by how much of a difference it makes when they deep clean their home for potential buyers to come view or before the photographs are taken. A little elbow grease can make all the difference for buyers! They will immediately have a negative emotion or feeling towards your house if it is dirty. It takes them out of the idea that this could be their house. They want to walk in and not be distracted by bad scents but be able to see a spot on the wall that would be perfect for their family photos.

• Check the carpets

For all the pet lovers out there, how are the carpets? You may not be able to smell the dog or cat odor coming from them but others might. Don’t let the value of your house decrease because of the cleanliness of it. If your carpets look dirty, it’s time to get them clean!

Hire a carpet service to come out and shampoo your carpets. They will be able to advise you if the smell will come out or not. Sometimes, pet odors will stay in carpets. It depends on the length of their time at the house. Don’t worry, you have an option if that is the case. You could buy new carpeting but it is less expensive to simply have your carpets shampoo.

• Ask for some advice. 

Ask your Realtor if they believe you need to buy new carpet. They will be truthful and advise you on the best upgrades to do for your house as a seller. If you’re a buyer, purchasing new carpet is up to you! You can also have them shampoo the carpets before moving in.

It will be easier that way because you won’t have to move everything off of the carpets for them to clean them. Another way to go about this is buying new rugs. Many great discount stores have reasonably priced rugs. Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, and Ross are three examples.

Improving a Big Bear home doesn’t have to be a huge expense!

Use these tips to upgrade your house before putting it on the market. If you’re unsure able which upgrades would suit your home the best, ask your local real estate agent in Big Bear. They understand the market, what increases the chances of selling a house in Big Bear, and know the town well.

Sometimes owners live far away because their homes were actually vacation rental homes but don’t worry, Realtors in Big Bear can advise you on who to use and give you reasons as to why they trust their work.

You’ve found your dream home! Now, do you know what to look for while you walk through the Big Bear home? A first-time home buyer can be swept up in the thrill of becoming a homeowner but don’t let that be the reason why you make a mistake! Buying a home is a life-changing decision; make sure that decision will make you happy!

A good way to be positive is to know what to look for during your walkthrough. Thankfully, if you miss something, then the inspector should it catch during the home inspection. Knowing what to look for can save you time and money. Be aware of a couple of key factors that should influence your home buying choice.

• Layout/Floor Plan

Does the layout of the house work for you and your family? Take into account how big the rooms are and how many family members you have. Will everyone fit comfortably? If they don’t, are you able to renovate without breaking your budget? You don’t want to buy a home and then have to throw every penny you have into it.

A reasonable addition or renovation can work, but once again, it all depends on your finances. For Big Bear home buyers, some go into the process with the mindset of renting out the house as a vacation rental property. Ask your local experienced Realtor what could help in making the home become a good return on investment in the future.

What type of floor plan are you interested in? An open floor plan is one of the most popular layouts for a house in the Big Bear area. Especially if the buyer is planning on turning the property into a rental property. Most vacationers want to have the feeling of their whole family together, even though they may be in different rooms.

This is a great benefit for vacationers during the holidays since their family is spread out throughout the home. A handful of family members might be in the kitchen, others in the dining room, and the rest in the living room but with an open floor plan, everyone is able to engage with each other from other rooms.

As you walk through the property, knowing the type of layout and amount of space you are looking for will save you time while deciding if you like the house or not.

• Conditions of the Floors

Replacing flooring can be very expensive. It does depend on the amount you would have to replace! Big Bear is known for its snow but along with that glistening powder comes dirty and wet floors. When you are walking through a home, check to see if there are stains on the carpet or if the hardwood floor is fading. Too much water can cause the carpet to have an unpleasant smell.

For new homeowners, it’s time to be ready for snow season! When you track too much water or snow onto the carpets, remove the water as quickly as possible. You can use fans or a dehumidifier to help dry out the room.

There is a difference between your floors needing a carpet cleaning and replacing the carpets completely. A carpet cleaning is a lot easier to deal with and shouldn’t negatively impact your choice on buying the property.

Steam cleaning the carpets will sanitize and deodorize them. It is also recommended to steam clean your carpets at least once a year. You may have to replace the carpet padding, but that is an inexpensive route when you don’t have to replace all the carpeting.

Hardwood floors are pricey to replace entirely. If you don’t mind putting money into your house right away, then the conditions of the floors are not a huge issue at all.

• Keep an eye out for water damage.

Water damage is one of the major aspects that inspectors look out for when they are inspecting a home. You should keep an eye out as well! When you are looking at the ceiling, search for any discoloration or staining for signs of water damage. If there is any, make sure to have your inspector look into it! The ceiling is not the only area where there can be water damage.

How are the walls? If water has damaged the wall, then it could have gotten into the drywall and from there the structural supports and insulation. Keep an eye out for excessive moisture!

Have you found your dream home but saw a couple of signs of water damage? Then it’s time to consult with a professional. A licensed contractor will be able to tell you the extent of the damage and how much it would cost to repair it. Sometimes, the repair isn’t too expensive.

As a home buyer, you do have the right to an inspection. Use this time to have it inspected to be on the safe side!

• Take a look at the water heater

There should be a tag on the water heater that tells you how old it is. An inspector can give you an estimated guess on the condition of the water heater. Houses in Big Bear very rarely have air condition units. Big Bear is so cool in spring and summer that many businesses don’t even have AC. You won’t have to worry about checking those tags unless specifically informed about the home having an A/C unit. Ask your Realtor about the equipment in the home!

A seller may include appliances for the new buyer to keep in the home. If that is the case, double check that the appliances are working properly. Let’s say that the seller is letting the buyer keep the refrigerator; a good idea would be to inspect the water line that is supposed to be connected to the fridge. Is it hooked up and working properly?

These are little things that shouldn’t impact the sell in the long run, but it’s good to know what to look for. Though, the water heater is an important aspect. Water heaters are not always the most budget-friendly appliance to have to replace.

• Don’t forget about the exterior

As you’re walking around, don’t forget to go outside of the house and see how the outside is. The foundation of the house is critical! Yet, how can you tell if there is a problem with the foundation? There are a couple of signs, but a trained professional would be able to diagnose the situation easier.

1. Large cracks in the concrete.
2. Water accumulating in a basement or anywhere around the perimeter of the house.
3. Cracks in the drywall.
4. Do the windows and doors close properly?

According to one inspector, cracks that are less than ¼ of an inch don’t show that the foundation is bad. Those tiny cracks can happen when a home settles and simply needs to be sealed to stop any possible water damage. When that is the case, you can ask your Realtor to see if the seller would be willing to seal those cracks for you.

Windows that don’t close completely or doors that are rubbing the jam could be a sign of foundation issues; make sure to have a licensed contractor or inspector look into those issues. Keep in mind that sellers in California don’t have to do anything that is requested.

After having the Big Bear home inspected, you could use the items that the inspector found as negotiation tools during your inspector contingency period. Your Big Bear Realtor would be able to advise you in this area and negotiate on your behalf.

When a homeowner doesn’t have a real estate agent, then it can cause this part of the transaction to become a challenge. Real estate agents understand selling and buying homes in their local market.

Have your Realtor on your side to help you negative through all the different facets that come along with a real estate transaction.