New England is infamous for its old homes and with old homes comes gorgeous, original hardwood floors. Maybe homebuyers have original flooring at the top of their wishlist when home shopping. While you may know how much you adore your hardwood floors, you may not know how to properly care for them. Keep reading for tips on how to keep your new to you hardwood floors in boast-worthy shape. Preemptively prevent scratches and tough to clean buildup by adding mats to any doors leading outside. Not only do they add a nice visual touch, but more importantly they help prevent dirt and outdoor grime from being tracked over your hardwood floors. You will make daily clean up easier on yourself while saving your floors from potential scratches. Institute a no-shoes in the house policy to further prevent any debris from finding their way throughout your home. You will especially want to avoid wearing high heels and cleats in any rooms with hardwood flooring. These types of shoes can put dents and scratches in to the floor that will require a professional to help resuscitate your floors back to their former glory. Create a mudroom area in your home with a bench and shoe rack. This will make it easy for your family members to follow the no shoe rule. Investing in a mat that catches water and slush run off from shoes on bad weather days is also a great way to prevent water damage to your floors. Sweep your floors daily to catch any dirt they may have found it’s way into your home and onto your hardwood floors. Vacuum once a week for a more thorough clean. Once a month you will want to clean your floors with a microfiber cloth and light mist of water. Ensure that you do not soak your floors as water can cause them to swell and become damaged with time. Avoid cleaners for tile or vinyl surfaces and never steam clean your hardwood floors. Install felt pads to the bottoms of any furniture you have in rooms with hardwood flooring. This will help prevent scratches from everyday furniture use. You will want to regularly replace these pads however since dirt can build up on the bottoms and create a sandpaper-like surface that can lead to damage. When rearranging furniture lift the piece off the floor to carry it over to where you would like it placed and then carefully set it down instead of pushing it across your hardwood floors. While this may entail extra help from a family member to do, it will prevent unsightly gashes along your floors from dragging your furniture across the room. Original flooring in an old New England home is a major selling point for many homebuyers. Restoring old hardwood floors to their original condition can be pricey, however, by taking preliminary measures to prevent damage you can avoid bringing an expert in to fix your mistakes. And when all it takes to maintain your floors is a few minutes each day it’s a win-win situation!

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If you want to acquire the best house at the lowest price, it pays to conduct an in-depth home search. In fact, there are many reasons why you should perform a comprehensive house search, and these include:

1. You can define your dream house.

For those who enter the housing market without a clear-cut definition of a "dream home," there is no need to worry. If you perform an extensive house search, you'll be better equipped than ever before to differentiate home must-haves from wants.

Ultimately, the definition of a dream home varies from buyer to buyer. As you map out your homebuying journey, it helps to put together a list of house must-haves and wants so you can tailor your home search accordingly.

Once you determine what you want to find in your dream house, you can assess the housing market and search for your ideal home. Then, when you locate your ideal residence, you should have no trouble submitting a competitive offer and moving one step closer to buying your dream house.

2. You can avoid the dangers associated with paying too much for a home.

Oftentimes, it is easy to attend a home showing and submit an offer on a home. But if you do so without performing housing market research, you risk overspending to purchase your ideal residence.

When it comes to determining the best price for a house, it helps to look closely at real estate market data. This information can help you differentiate a buyer's market from a seller's market, analyze the prices of houses in your city and town and much more. Perhaps most important, reviewing housing market data may enable you to avoid the temptation to spend too much to acquire your dream home.

3. You can reduce the risk of purchasing a home that fails to meet your expectations.

An in-depth home search reduces the risk that you'll be forced to "settle" for a home that fails to meet your expectations. Instead, you can allocate plenty of time and resources to search far and wide for your ideal residence. And if you find your dream home, you can rest assured that you'll be able to purchase this residence and enjoy it for years to come.

Clearly, there is a lot to think about if you intend to buy a house in the foreseeable future. But if you collaborate with a real estate agent, you can receive expert support at each stage of the homebuying journey.

A real estate agent will learn about you and your homebuying goals. Next, this housing market professional will keep you informed about available houses in your preferred cities and towns and set up home showings. A real estate agent will even help you submit offers on houses and ensure you can get the best price on any residence, at any time.

Take the guesswork out of buying a house – consult with a real estate agent today, and you can get the help you need to make your homeownership dream come true.

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Do you know home selling lingo? If not, miscommunications may arise that prevent you from maximizing the value of your house. Perhaps even worse, you risk making poor home selling decisions due to the fact that you don't fully understand the real estate terms included in a home sale agreement.

Fortunately, we're here to bring clarity to assorted home selling terms that you may encounter as you proceed along the home selling journey.

Let's take a look at three common home selling terms that every property seller needs to know.

1. Depreciation

Over time, the value of your home may deteriorate due to age, wear and tear and other problems. This is referred to as "depreciation," and depreciation ultimately may impact your ability to get the best price for your house.

To find out how much your house's value has depreciated, it may be worthwhile to conduct a home appraisal before you list your residence. That way, you can analyze your house's strengths and weaknesses. You also can uncover innovative ways to boost your home's appearance both inside and out, thereby ensuring you can set the optimal initial asking price for your residence.

2. House Closing

A house closing refers to the final transfer of ownership from home seller to homebuyer. Thus, once you and a homebuyer are ready to dot the I's and cross the T's on a home sale agreement, you'll complete the house closing process.

During a house closing, all terms of a contract between a home seller and homebuyer must be met. Moreover, the home deed will be recorded, and the house will finally be sold.

The house closing is a key part of the home selling cycle. At this point, a home seller will receive final payment for a house and transfer ownership of the property to the buyer.

3. Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent plays a pivotal role in the home selling process, and for good reason. If you hire an expert real estate agent, you should have no trouble navigating the home selling journey.

Typically, a real estate agent handles all of the tasks associated with listing and selling a house. This housing market professional will help you promote your residence to potential homebuyers, host open houses and home showings and even negotiate with homebuyers on your behalf. Plus, if you receive an offer on a home, a real estate agent can offer honest, unbiased recommendations about whether to accept or reject the proposal.

You don't need to look far to find a qualified real estate agent in your area, either.

Real estate agents are employed across the United States. In fact, if you interview multiple real estate agents in your area, you can find a real estate agent who makes you feel comfortable and confident about selling your house.

Allocate the necessary time and resources to learn various home selling terms. With a clear understanding of home selling terms, you can avoid potential pitfalls throughout the home selling journey.

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