May 2022 Your Monthly Real Estate Digest
10 Things You Might Forget After A Move
Whether it’s an item you didn’t pack up or a task you neglected to do, it’s not uncommon to get to your new home, only to say, “What happened to the ______?!” Here are some of the most common things people forget. IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS: This includes birth certificates, medical records, social security cards, etc. You only need to access them occasionally, so you put them away in a little-used space, where you can find them if you need them. Then during moving, you forget to check that little-used space, and it all gets left behind. They may be little-used, but they’re also extremely important, and take a lot of time and money to get new copies of. Pack your important documents and records up well in advance of your move, to be sure you bring them with you. VALUABLES: Do you have jewelry, valuable antiques, or even cash, hidden away for a rainy day? Maybe you’re keeping something under a
loose floorboard, or behind a panel in the wall. It’s surprisingly common for people to leave their hidden valuables behind when they move. Wherever your “secret spot” is, don’t forget to check it, and get everything out. KEYS: Keys are small, and easy to lose during a move. Take particular note of the keys you use that aren’t on the keyring you carry with you, such as to cabinets, or safety deposit boxes. If they get lost or forgotten, at best it’s a major hassle. At worst, it can be a disaster. Don’t forget them. If you have any spare, hidden housekeys in the yard, collect those too, and give them to the new owners. GARDEN TOOLS: While you’re packing up everything in the house, don’t forget the things in the garage, or in the yard. Is there a garden hose connected to an outdoor spigot? Shovels, spades, and rakes in the tool shed? Be sure to check your outdoor areas for forgotten items. PLANTS: If you have any potted plants outdoors, it’s easy to forget about them. The same goes for lawn ornaments. Anything that’s not a permanent fixture of the yard, needs to be packed up and brought with you. Kitchen Appliances
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Moving to a new house can be a stressful and chaotic ordeal. You have a thousand different things to worry about. There’s a good chance something will be forgotten.
FEAT URE
Prep your
garden
after a move... (continued) You’ve had your coffeemaker and microwave so long, it’s like they’re part of the decor. In your mind, you think of them as part of the kitchen, rather than belongings to be packed up. Then you get to your new home and realize this kitchen doesn’t have a coffeemaker or microwave. That’s because you left them behind. DRY CLEANING AND LIBRARY BOOKS: If you’re moving a long distance away, don’t forget to take care of any local business before you go. Picking up your dry cleaning is a task that can fall by the wayside, as is returning library books. Then, when you’re a thousand miles away, you suddenly realize you don’t have your favorite suit, or you DO have the book your child did a book report on last month. MEMBERSHIPS: If you pay for membership to any local clubs or facilities (e.g. a gym membership), see if there are branches near your new home, to which you can transfer your membership. If there’s not, be sure to cancel, so you’re not paying for a club you’re too far away to attend.
May is an exciting and busy time in any garden. You can start to plant out summer bedding, harden off half-hardy plants, take cuttings and prune as well as keep on top of weeding. There is an endless list of vegetables, salads and herbs that you can plant in May, along with many flowers. When planning a kitchen garden, make sure that you will have a succession of crops, so the trick is not to plant everything at once, but rather space out the sowing and planting so that crops will be ready to harvest at different times, ensuring as long a harvest period as possible. There is a long list of jobs you can do in the garden in May also. Just some of the tasks include:
MAIL AND BILLS: Don’t forget to make arrangements with the post office to forward your mail to your new address. Then, go through all the bills you receive at your current address and notify each of them of your new address. The last thing you want is unpaid bills or important letters that you didn’t receive because they were sent to your old house.
Plant out summer bedding
HEALTHCARE: Getting your prescription medication at a different pharmacy from your usual one can be a difficult process, and may take time. Don’t wait until you run out of an important medication before making arrangements with a pharmacy in your new neighborhood. Take care of it ahead of time, so you don’t have to deal with a gap in your medicine. It’s also important to notify your doctor and your health insurance provider that you’ll be moving. Depending on how far you’re moving, you may need to switch doctors, or you may not be covered anymore by your current policy.
Harden off dahlias that were potted up in early spring, and other tender plants, by bringing them outside during the day to acclimatize, and plant out once threat of frost has passed
Harden off half-hardy plants Take cuttings from tender perennials Tie in climbing plants, to vertical supports to encourage them to grow upwards, such as if you’re growing sweet peas
Prune spring flowering shrubs after blooming, such as forsythia, viburnum and lilac, so that they can put on new growth for next year’s display Weed beds and borders weekly with a hoe or by hand to prevent weeds from establishing and taking nutrients from your flowers Article adapted from homesandgardens.com/gardens/what-toplant-in-may
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Open House Tips for Buyers and Sellers An open house is a tried and true way to attract potential buyers and create buzz when your house goes on the market. So how do you make sure your open house goes smoothly and gets the job done? Consider the following insider tips and tricks to help ensure you have a successful open house. Out with the old. It might sound a little harsh, but you’re going to want to remove about half of your belongings. The goal is to sell your house, so any unnecessary clutter is really just getting in the way of that. This might mean storing away all those sentimental vacation knickknacks, framed family portraits, toddler toys and bulky furniture. Buyers want to see fresh, clean open spaces. They need to imagine their things there, not yours. If storage is an issue, look into a nearby short-term storage facility to help move things out during this time. What’s on the outside counts. In this instance, what’s on the outside matters. First impressions are huge, so make sure your lawn is cut, trees trimmed, toys and garbage cans … are all stored away. Think about planting some pretty flowers or adding a few big flowerpots and a welcome mat by the door. This would also be a good time to power wash the outside and clean the windows. Also, replace any outdated light fixtures and consider painting your front door a welcoming color.
decluttering these spaces. Buyers want to see your counter tops, your backsplash, your shiny appliances – not your blender, toaster and junk mail. It’s also smart to clean out your pantry and refrigerator because, let’s be honest, people do like to snoop around. Always take a final lap. Look at your house objectively, through the eyes of a buyer. Make sure you’ve depersonalized every room. That means dog beds, little Jimmy’s 3rd grade artwork, closets stuffed with old clothes, toothbrushes on the bathroom counter … And then look at rooms that could use a little more sprucing up. There are a few simple and cost-effective ways you can make a room look brand new. Invest in a couple new throw pillows on your bed and sofa, a new entryway rug, a neutral-colored shower curtain and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Always make sure your home smells good. There’s nothing that turns a buyer off faster than a stuffy, smelly house. Holding an open house is a great way to gauge buyers’ interest in a property and quickly assess whether the asking price is appropriate. And preparing for an open house really comes down to two things: cleaning and decluttering. With these tips, you’re well own your way to your next real estate adventure.
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KING
PIERCE
ZIP CODE 98108, 98118 + 98144
SNOHOMISH
MARKET STATISTICS APRIL 2022
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77 HOMES For sale in the month of April Zip 98108, 98118 + 98144
10 DAYS Average Days on Market Zip 98108, 98118 + 98144
121 sold Sold in the month of April Zip 98108, 98118 + 98144
$965,000
Average sold price Zip 98108, 98118 + 98144 All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. (1) Data pulled from Trendgraphix/ NWMLS as of 05/11/22 for SFR & Condos.