Archive for month: October, 2022

As much as you love your home, you look at it completely differently when a young person is around. Whether you’ve just had a baby or your sister is bringing her kids around for the holidays, you’ll instantly see all the dangers that lurk in your bathrooms, kitchen, and living areas. While there are numerous products on the market that will make childproofing your home easy, many of them are designed more for function than visual appeal.

It is possible to make your home safer without sacrificing your décor. Here are three small things you can do to keep your smaller visitors safe and sound without creating an eyesore.

Cordless Blinds

You may not realize it, but the cords on your window blinds pose a serious choking hazard for young people. Instead of running yourself in circles, trying to prevent such an injury, consider changing out all of your old window blinds for one of the many cordless options available on the market today. You can find cordless options in almost every type of blind you’d want for your home and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing they’re safer. There are even motorized blinds that operate using a remote control. If you’re ready to make your house a smart home, you can even purchase blinds you can operate using your smartphone.

Decorative Baby Gates

Baby gates have come a long way over the years. Manufacturers are aware that parents often set up baby gates and leave them for years. As a result, decorative baby gates have emerged that will coordinate perfectly with your existing décor. Since many of these gates have built-in doors to allow adults to easily pass through, you could put these gates in place throughout your home to keep infants and toddlers away from stairs and other areas where danger might find them. Whether you can choose from wrought iron, wood, or traditional plastic to match the area where the gate is being placed.

Outlet Caps and Covers

Outlets remain among the biggest dangers to young household members. Not only are outlets placed within easy reach of young children, they seem to hold a certain amount of interest to these family members. The problem is, if a child sticks a metal object into one of those outlets, he could be seriously injured or worse. Baby-safe outlets are largely unattractive, but a great alternative is an outlet cap. These plastic caps can be purchased in bulk and placed on your existing outlets. You’ll be able to maintain the attractiveness of your decorative outlet covers without sacrificing your family’s safety.

With so many innovators on the home design market today, there are many ways you can keep your home safe while still maintaining the look you want. If you haven’t shopped around for baby-proofing furnishings lately, you may be surprised what options are out there to help. Even if you only have young people in your house occasionally, having some of these items on hand will give you peace of mind when they come around.

8051 Crossridge Rd, Dublin, CA 94568

$1,649,000 | 5 BD | 2.5 BA | 2,487 SqFt

Start living your best life now! Welcome to the highly sought-after Dublin neighborhood of Willow Creek. Located on a cul-de-sac w/open space to the rear, this gorgeous home has been completely remodeled throughout. Enter the magnificent living room with vaulted ceilings, crown molding and hardwood flooring. Formal dining room off the living room w/an addition downstairs that can work as a guest room or media center, to suit your lifestyle! Kitchen overlooks the pool and features a large island, SS Viking appliances, farm sink, wine fridge, custom cabinets, gorgeous glass brick backsplash & porcelain countertops. Family room off the kitchen w/cozy fireplace. This home has been lovingly maintained and updated throughout. 5 bedrooms upstairs w/primary BR w/large walk-in cedar closet and ensuite bath w/over-sized shower w/barn door, double sinks, towel warmers, and sky light. Hall bath w/dbl sinks & shower over tub with custom glass brick tile. Hiking nearby. I580/680.

FULL LISTING

Represented Buyer

1703 Monterey Dr, Livermore, CA 94551

$555,000 | 2 BD | 1 BA | 850 SqFt

This Charming single level end unit is in an ideal location on a quiet street in a well-maintained community! This two bedroom, one bathroom townhome is neutral, has a well designed floorplan, and is filled with natural light. The kitchen is updated with quartz countertops and stainless appliances. The master is spacious. The second room is ideal as an office or bedroom. The living/family room is open and near the dining area which has partial views of rolling hills. The laundry is conveniently located inside; the stackable washer/dryer is included in the sale. The enclosed patio is the perfect place to enjoy a meal, has a storage shed, and a gate which leads to two assigned parking spaces. The community has a swimming pool, and is conveniently located near parks. This townhome is within minutes of 580, and a short drive to shops, restaurants, theater, a vibrant downtown, and wineries. Come see all this charming home has to offer!

Whether you’ve got dogs, cats, hamsters, or bunnies running around at home, they’re part of the family. We love our pets, but that doesn’t mean potential buyers necessarily want to see them – or any evidence of them – when they’re scoping out your home for sale. While they’re cute and cuddly, they also smell, leave dander behind, and leave unsightly excrement and stains behind that can turn buyers off.

When it’s time to put your home on the market, you’ll need to make some changes before you can list it.

Make Any Necessary Repairs

A home with a pet is vulnerable to damage, no matter how minor. From scratches on the hardwood, to chewed-up chair legs, too scuffed up trim on the walls, pets can wreak havoc on a home. Pets might be valued members of the family, but they’re still animals, and as such, they’re likely to use just about anything in their home as a chew toy.

Before you list your home on the market and have photos taken, make sure you patch up any areas in question. Damage in the home from pets is never attractive in the eyes of buyers, so make sure you leave no stone unturned when it comes to making the necessary repairs. No matter how minor or major the repairs are and how much they cost to do, the value that you will put back into the home will be worth it when it comes to selling quickly and for more money.

Get Rid of Pet Stains and Odors

Pets have this uncanny ability to leave the scent behind, no matter how vague or potent. Even if they’ve just had a bath and are clean, they still smell. And don’t forget about litter boxes or food bowls, which carry their own unpleasant odors too. While you may have gotten used to these smells and have become “nose blind” to them, these scents still linger in the home and should be eliminated before the first buyer steps foot in it.

Don’t forget about any stains that your pet may have left behind as well, especially on your carpets. Have your floors and upholstery professionally cleaned, and make sure every stain is eliminated in problem areas. Worst case scenario: replace the carpeting altogether.

Eliminate Any Signs of the Presence of Pets

You may have gotten rid of unpleasant scents from your pets, but you also want to remove any signs that animals live in your home. Not every homebuyer is necessarily a pet lover, so you want to make sure that you appeal to as may prospective buyers as possible when you have your home on the market. That means you’ll need to get rid of litter boxes, beds, food bowls, toys, and any other remnant that points to the presence of a pet. The more clutter you can remove, the better.

Clean Up the Yard

Don’t just focus on the interior of your home when staging it to sell. Your pets likely spends a lot of time outdoors, and probably have made a mark on your yard. Buyers will probably have a quick walk around the exterior of the home to see what the outdoor lot is like, and they definitely don’t want to stumble upon any holes dug up or any excrement that you forgot to pick up. Clear the yard and patch up any areas that need repair. Once your yard is up to par, be sure to take your pet somewhere else to play and do his ‘business’.

Understand Your Liabilities

Your pet may seem to be the friendliest, gentlest animal on the planet, but you just never know if they’ll bite or scratch someone they don’t take too kindly to. If your pet ever bites someone while they are on your property, you can be held legally liable.

At the very least, check your insurance policy to see if it includes dog bite coverage. Check for any exclusions in the coverage section of your policy to see if it makes mention of dogs or any type of animal in general. Certain policies exclude specific types of dog breeds, such as Rottweilers or Pit Bulls.

Remove Pets During Showings

Your best bet is to make sure that your pets are nowhere near the property when there is a showing or an open house to avoid any complications. Having them off your property will also ensure that your home will remain in decent shape for the duration of the listing. If possible, consider having your pet stay with a family member or friend while your home is on the market.

At the very least, keep your pet in a designated and contained space and inform buyers and their agents about the presence of pets ahead of time. Your pet might not exactly like this idea, but it may be necessary when selling your home is top priority.

The Bottom Line

Pet owners love their furry friends, but pets can be a negative distraction to buyers. When you’ve got your home on the market, you don’t want your pet to be the first thing that buyers notice. Instead, be sure to eliminate all signs of animals in the house in order to make it more attractive to prospective buyers.

We are currently experiencing a fairly steady market. Inventory of homes has come down and buyers are out there buying. It’s a good time to buy and to sell. Sellers are not getting the prices they were getting at the beginning of 2022 however the prices are still high and as good as they were about a year ago. The most important thoughts for a seller right now is to price your home correctly and have it in “show ready” condition. 

Watch this video to see the stats that reflect this within the current market in San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Blackhawk & Alamo 🏡 

This week’s stats by city: 

San Ramon: 

– 101 ‘For Sale’ 

– 62 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 10 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Days on Market: 23

– Average Sale vs List Price: 96% 

Dublin: 

– 80 ‘For Sale’ 

– 55 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 12 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Days on Market: 23

– Average Sale vs List Price: 99% 

Danville: 

– 86 ‘For Sale’ 

– 48 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 10 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Days on Market: 26

– Average Sale vs List Price: 99% 

Blackhawk: 

– 17 ‘For Sale’ 

– 7 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 2 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Days on Market: 34

– Average Sale vs List Price: 93% 

Alamo: 

– 32 ‘For Sale’ 

– 11 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 3 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Days on Market: 29

– Average Sale vs List Price: 100% 

For more info anytime: 

📱(925) 899-0825 

📧 Jason@JasonCaskie.com 

🌐 https://lnkd.in/gVmTMYey 

🌐 JasonCaskie.com