Before putting your beach house on the market, you might be questioning whether it requires a roof replacement. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, provides insights on determining if your beach property is in need of a new roof.
Your Beach Home Needs a New Roof. If your property needs a new roof, here are some things to consider:
New Roof Does NOT Increase Value. Buyers assume the house already has a good roof, so pricing isn’t a factor.
Old Roof Decreases Value. An old roof brings down the home’s value, not vice versa.
Lenders May Require a New Roof. A home inspection may reveal that the house needs a new roof anyway. This then becomes part of the requirements for you to be able to list the property.
Your Choice: Spend or Discount. The reality is that you won’t get your money back for a new roof. So, you can either spend the money for a new roof or discount the price appropriately.
Keep these tips in mind when preparing to sell your beach property. While these tips may not particularly apply to condos, they are important when selling homes. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with expert beach agents who are ready to sell your home.
When your beach home isn’t selling, it can be easy to pin the blame on your agent. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, discusses if it’s your agent’s fault your home isn’t selling.
Definitely “Maybe“. If your property hasn’t sold, there are only two reasons it hasn’t.
Exposure. You need to ask yourself if your property is being presented correctly. Here are a few ways to gauge that:
Quality Staging & Photos? Make sure to leave a positive first impression for buyers when they see your home online. You should make your house look appealing while not being deceptive.
On the MLS? You should ensure that your home can be found on the MLS.
Syndicated? Additionally, your home should appear on multiple websites, not just the local MLS. Homes get better exposure when found on different websites.
On Beach-Homes.com? Listing with a Beach Homes Realty agent means featuring your home on our website. A well-syndicated listing will appear on the website as well. Buyers searching on beach-homes.com have already decided they want a beach home and are much more deliberate about purchasing.
Price. If your property has good exposure but isn’t selling, you need to evaluate your pricing.
Getting Offers? If you’re getting offers, even low offers, that means you have enough engagement to make buyers serious about buying your property. Heavily overpriced homes don’t receive offers from buyers as they don’t think you’re serious about selling.
Getting Showings? Are people taking the time to come look at the property? This doesn’t include open houses but buyers scheduling time to look at the property. If you aren’t showing the house to anyone, it indicates an outside-the-market price.
Agent Getting Questions? If your agent is getting questions about the home’s value, they’re trying to justify the pricing.
More Exposure Never Fixes Price. If your home is getting exposure but not selling, it’s an issue of price. Appropriately priced and properly promoted homes move quickly.
If your agent properly promotes your home and appropriately prices it, it will sell. Be sure to get an agent who does all of this to ensure a quick and smooth transaction. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with expert beach agents ready to sell your home.
Get into the holiday spirit with this delightful Christmas playlist. From timeless carols to today’s holiday favorites, these songs are ideal for snuggling up by the fireplace, decorating the tree, or sharing happiness with family and friends at your beach house. Whether you need a soundtrack for your festive get-togethers or wish to soak in the magic of the season, this playlist has everything you need for a festive time at the beach.
Let It Snow! – Dean Martin
All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Last Christmas – Wham!
Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson
Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney
Holly Jolly Christmas – Michael Buble
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Perry Como, The Fontane Sisters
Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys
Hallelujah – Pentatonix
Carol of The Bells – Trans Siberian Orchestra
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Frank Sinatra
Santa, Can’t You Hear Me – Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande
Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
Mary Did You Know – Pentatonix
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Idina Menzel, Michael Buble
Christmas Tree Farm – Taylor Swift
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – The Jackson 5
Snowman – Sia
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
We Need A Little Christmas – Glee Cast
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
O Holy Night – Celine Dion
I’ll Be Home – Meghan Trainor
Christmas Eve / Sarajevo – Trans Siberian Orchestra
The holidays are quickly approaching. Are you ready? If you’re celebrating the holiday season at the beach, here are some beach-inspired decorations to help make your home comfy and coastal:
We’ve found ourselves right in the middle of the -ber months, meaning November and December. Along with that come the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year all come back-to-back. So, how can you best prepare your home for these holidays? Follow along for ideas in each season that will reflect a beach lifestyle.
For many people, when they think of Thanksgiving, they think of food. The holiday swarms the dining table, surrounded by friends and family. That makes it the perfect time to have a fabulous tablescape. According to Bower Power, you need three things for a great table setting: a table runner, chargers, and napkins.
You can provide a coastal element by incorporating those coastal colors of cream, seafoam green, and light blue. The table runner can contrast with any centerpiece while matching the plates to tie it all together. Lucky for beach homeowners, non-orange pumpkins are usually readily available for needs like this! Connecting the napkin colors to the pumpkin colors would be a great way to tie the whole table together.
If pumpkins or pastels aren’t your thing, try using oysters! You’re bringing the sea inside. You can find oyster shells, clean them up, and paint the insides for a gorgeous centerpiece. Then, following the advice above, use whatever color you paint the oysters on your plates or chargers to tie the look together.
A Christmas tree is the heart of holiday decor. The best part about them is that they are customizable. Some people fill trees with childhood crafts, some lean on the latest trends, and some are entirely random. But you can also make it very beachy. There are a plethora of beach-themed ornaments and tree toppers on the market. There are so many that there are even a few directions you can go with them. You could do sea animals with whales, seahorses, and fish. You could go more modern with seashells, driftwood, and coral. Or, you can do a great mixture of everything!
Another eye-catching area of the home is the fireplace. For Christmas, it’s where you hang stockings with care. Today, there are so many coastal options for stockings. One of our favorites are these burlap and coral-designed ones. It gives you a touch of beach without being overly flashy. Other options include starfish, palm trees, and more.
Before you know it, it’ll be time to ring in the new year. Lucky for beach homeowners, New Year’s and coastal colors go so well together. It’s all about silver and gold, but when it comes to beach decor, it is mostly gold. Gold accents are the best way to ring in the new year while complimenting beach-themed decor.
An easy way to incorporate those accents is by using long candlestick holders. The trend of using candlesticks is coming back around. This is also a great DIY project. You can find all sorts of candlestick holders at your local dollar store or thrift store, then spray paint them gold. Mixing and matching different styles adds depth to the decor.
The countdown is on, and it’s time to pop the champagne! How cute would the champagne look on its own themed bar cart? A bar cart is essential in a home that hosts a lot. To match a coastal style, consider a wicker or gold cart to match the interior decor. Then, for New Year’s, you can add gold champagne glasses, bows, party hats, and gold confetti to celebrate.
The holidays are so celebratory and fun. Homes are filled with family and friends, so it’s time to ensure your home is ready. These beach home-inspired ideas are a great way to bring the holidays to coastal towns.
To create a beach-inspired Thanksgiving table setting, you’ll want to incorporate coastal colors like cream, seafoam green, and light blue. Start with a table runner, chargers, and napkins in these colors. You can contrast the table runner with centerpieces and match the plates to tie everything together. Non-orange pumpkins can also be used to add a coastal element to your table. To complete the look, connect the napkin colors to the pumpkin colors for a cohesive and beachy Thanksgiving table.
If you’re looking for a unique centerpiece for your beach-themed Thanksgiving celebration, consider using oysters. Clean and paint oyster shells to create a gorgeous centerpiece that brings the sea inside. You can use the color of the painted oysters for your plates or chargers to tie the look together. This coastal-inspired centerpiece will add a touch of the beach to your Thanksgiving table.
To decorate a beach-themed Christmas tree, you have several options. You can choose beach-themed ornaments and tree toppers, such as sea animals like whales, seahorses, and fish. Alternatively, you can opt for a more modern look with seashells, driftwood, and coral ornaments. For a balanced approach, mix and match different beach-themed ornaments to create a beachy Christmas tree that suits your style and preferences.
For beach-themed Christmas home decor, there are many coastal stocking options available. Consider burlap stockings with coral designs for a subtle beachy touch. You can also find stockings featuring sea creatures with Santa hats, palm trees, and other coastal motifs. These coastal stockings will add a festive and beachy vibe to your fireplace during the holiday season.
To incorporate gold accents into your New Year’s coastal decor, consider using long candlestick holders that you can spray paint gold. Mix and match different styles of candlestick holders to add depth to your decor. Gold accents work well with coastal colors and are a great way to ring in the new year while complementing your beach-themed decor. Additionally, consider adding gold champagne glasses, bows, party hats, and gold confetti to a bar cart for a stylish New Year’s celebration.
It’s important to ask questions when selling your home; this is no different with beach homes. However, some questions will lead to better transactions than others. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, discusses better questions to ask when selling your beach home.
“Would I Rent This?” After depersonalizing your home, ask yourself if you would go to the property. Think about it like you would a hotel room. Think about the cleanliness, comfort, and other factors that would lead you to rent the property.
“Would I Rent This Again?” After thinking about if you would rent your home, ask yourself if you would rent it again. Additionally, go a step further and ask if you would pay more to rent it again.
“Would I Pay More Than List?” Once determining if you would rent your property, think about if you would pay more than the list price you’ve established. You could also compare your home to similar properties and consider if you would pay more for your house than those properties.
“Would I Buy at This Price?” If you don’t pay the list price you set, then your property is overpriced. Appropriately priced homes quickly sell at or even above their list price.
“Is It the Best Value In This Market?” Determine if your home is the best value in your local market. This doesn’t necessarily mean the lowest price, but your home should have the most “bang for your buck” in the area.
When it Doesn’t Sell, You Won the Bidding! When your overpriced home doesn’t sell, you’ve effectively “won the bidding,” keeping the property.
When selling your beach home, asking better questions leads to a quicker and better transaction. Look at your property from the buyer’s perspective and compare it to other properties like a business transaction. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with expert beach agents ready to help you sell your home.
When selling a beach home, it can be discouraging if it sits on the market. Sometimes, while trying to figure out why, you may ask the wrong questions. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, discusses a few questions that you shouldn’t be asking.
“How Many Views?” Wanting to know how many views your house has online can be deceptive. The truth is the seller will never be happy with the answer. It doesn’t matter how few or many views your house gets. The perfect amount of views is the one buyer who wants the property.
“Can We Promote it ‘Better’?” Sometimes, poor promotion causes your home to sit on the market. However, buyers tend to do their search online. Having an online presence for your listing brings it to the attention of buyers who are interested instead of promoting it to random people.
“Have an Open House?” With beach properties, you most likely aren’t selling to the neighbors. Most beach home buyers come from somewhere else and have to travel some distance. Interested buyers from out of town will contact the agent to get a showing since they can’t travel for open houses.
“Should I Change Agents?” Changing agents depends on your situation. No amount of marketing or agent changes can fix an overpriced home. If you just chose your friend as an agent but now you need an expert, a change of agents may help. However, if you already have an expert beach agent who gives you good advice, you may want to follow their advice instead. Additionally, other agents have seen your home on the MLS; if they had a buyer, they would have brought them to you with an offer already.
After Exposure, Price Fixes Everything. After considering these questions, if your property hasn’t moved, it may be a price issue. You need to find the number that makes a transaction happen.
Be the Best VALUE. When setting your price, aim to be the best value in your area as well as other beaches.
It’s normal to ask questions about why your beach home isn’t selling. However, you should be asking the correct questions. Instead of asking if you should have better exposure or a new agent, ask if your price is the best value in your market and other markets. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with expert beach agents ready to sell your house.
When selling your beach home, you want to ensure that you’re setting yourself up for success. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, discusses how to avoid failing to sell your beach home.
After Exposure, Price Fixes Everything. The location of the house helps establish its value. However, pricing establishes getting a transaction done. Here are a few ways to fail to sell your home based on pricing:
Overprice. Often, homes are so overpriced that buyers don’t even call agents to contact the sellers. This causes the homes to sit for long periods of time on the market.
Planning “The Haggle.” Sometimes, buyers intentionally overprice so they have room to come down to their actual price during negotiations. However, appropriately priced homes typically sell for about the listed price.
“Test the Market.” When buyers want to “test” the market, they often don’t have a way to score their test. Buyers sometimes do this to try and justify trying to get a lottery ticket price. If you decide to test the market, you should have a plan to adjust if the test fails.
DOM (“Days on Market”). Extended days on the market devalue your property. After several price cuts, you’re telling the buyers that you’re willing to cut the price of your home. This almost guarantees a lower price from the buyers when they offer.
“Death Spiral.” Overpriced homes can lead to a “death spiral.” This happens when you keep making cuts and wind down without doing enough to correct it. Consider how to make the property valuable to the point that someone wants to negotiate.
The simplest way to avoid these steps to failure is to DON’T do them. Proper exposure and appropriate pricing will guide you to success when selling your beach home. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with agents ready to lead you in selling your home.
When selling your beach home, it can be easy to attach monetary value to your memories of the house. However, you might want to reconsider this thinking. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, explains why memories do not add beach home value.
“Gateway to Memories.” Buying a beach home is exciting. It provides opportunities to make future memories of family and friends, relaxation, and more. However, keep in mind whose memories they are.
Whose Memories? Your memories of your beach home belong to you, not the buyer. These memories don’t add value simply because they’re personal and meaningful to you. Additionally, any work you’ve done to the house doesn’t add value only because you’ve put time into it.
Selling? Depersonalize (and Protect!) When selling your beach home, take out any personal items with memories attached to them to help the buyer envision their future memories. This also helps protect these items from damage or even theft.
Buying is Desire. Buyers have a desire to buy your home. Removing personal items helps them start thinking about their future memories there and not digesting yours.
Selling is a Business Transaction. When selling, you should think analytically about how the value of your home is reflected in the current market. Your memories are important to you but not so much to the buyer.
In the eyes of home buyers, memories do not add beach home value. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t take these memories with you. They are valuable to you even after you’ve sold the home. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with agents ready to help you get your beach home sold.
Many buyers and sellers forget how to negotiate or lean on their agent to do it for them. Additionally, their agent may not understand how to negotiate. Glenn Phillips, CEO of Beach Homes Realty, discusses 5 tips when negotiating beach real estate.
Any Offer is Better than NO Offer! Don’t be offended by low offers. Part of negotiation is leveraging and moving the price point to get a transaction. You should always counter offer to keep the discussion open. Let the buyer be the person to step away from negotiation, not yourself.
Don’t Get “Stuck” on Single Points. Instead of one single point, the whole package of many points in negotiation gives a comprehensive deal.
Agent Commission. Don’t immediately get stuck on the idea of having to pay agent commission. Instead, consider if you’ll get more money from your house by paying that commission.
Seller’s Compensation. Think about if you want to help the buyer by giving them compensation to help with agent commission or closing costs.
Closing Costs. Closing costs are sometimes split between the buyer and seller. However, you might want to negotiate for one party to pay more or all of the cost.
Personal Property. Whether it’s a boat, furniture, jet skis, or other toys, consider if you want to exclude them for simpler negotiations or include them as a bonus to the buyers.
Cash Only Means Less Closing Risk. Cash offers simply mean the offer isn’t contingent on lender approval for a mortgage. Otherwise, you’re still receiving the same amount of money.
Restructure Offers. Consider if there are things beyond adjusting the price to improve negotiations.
Be Creative. Whether you’re the buyer or seller, it often takes creative measures to complete the transaction. It can be a shorter moving time, more time in the home, or anything else that moves the process along.
When negotiating for a beach home, there are several things to consider. There are several moving parts, so you need to know how to negotiate whether you’re buying or selling. Visit beach-homes.com to connect with agents who are ready to help you navigate beach real estate.
