Tag: tips and tricks

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Home Insights

Twinkle Twinkle Simple

Holiday Tips & Tricks

Have More, Do Less

The holiday season is full of bustling from one place to another, seeing friends and family near and far. It’s also time consuming, so here are some tips to make your holiday season easier and richer. If you find yourself caught up in the kitchen for too many hours cooking for guests, here is a great brunch recipe to make the DAY BEFORE, so that you can enjoy opening presents and making rich memories!

Sausage & Egg Souffle

6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 pound sausage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions: Crumble and brown sausage. Drain on paper towel. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, salt, mustard and bread cubes. Mix well. Add cheese and sausage. Place in lightly greased 8″ x 12″ dish. Place in refrigerator overnight. On Christmas or New Years morning, bake the dish at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Pairs well with mimosas and coffee.

You Are a Superhero

Every thing homemade may be a tradition in your home, and is definitely amazing, but be encouraged to enjoy the moment this holiday and not feel like everything has to be homemade. Homemade eggnog is great, but don’t sweat it, just grab a carton of Southern Comfort at the nearest grocery and everyone will enjoy sipping. Sprinkle nutmeg on top for added flavor, or add 1oz. of kentucky bourbon for special toasting.

Remember, to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
Spread out your activities over the holidays. Pace yourself, tell stories, share gratitudes, listen, hug, love, laugh!

Making Memories

Sometimes simple is better. One way to make a memory that will be told for years or generations to come, is sitting down by the warm fireplace and reading the Christmas Story all together, or reflecting upon the past year, playing seasonal music, baking a family recipe or crafting a New Year Vision Board. Find chalk or bulletin boards and crafting supplies at a local craft store and cut out magazine photos of your 2020 goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Crafting

Need something TO DO over the holiday?

  1. String up popcorn and cranberries, or sliced dehydrated orange slices for a homemade garland. Tip: stale, day old popcorn is easier to string.
  2. Gather fresh greenery! Ask places that sell Christmas trees for loose branches and cuttings that have fallen off. Use silica gel packets to dry flowers and greenery. Place in lanterns or wreaths or candelabra for easy home decorations.

From everyone at Rector Hayden REALTORS, we hope that you have a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year! Here’s to 2020!

 

Make it a great one. Let us help you find your next home.

 

Categories
Home Insights

Twinkle Twinkle Simple

Holiday Tips & Tricks

Have More, Do Less

The holiday season is full of bustling from one place to another, seeing friends and family near and far. It’s also time consuming, so here are some tips to make your holiday season easier and richer. If you find yourself caught up in the kitchen for too many hours cooking for guests, here is a great brunch recipe to make the DAY BEFORE, so that you can enjoy opening presents and making rich memories!

Sausage & Egg Souffle

6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 pound sausage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions: Crumble and brown sausage. Drain on paper towel. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, salt, mustard and bread cubes. Mix well. Add cheese and sausage. Place in lightly greased 8″ x 12″ dish. Place in refrigerator overnight. On Christmas or New Years morning, bake the dish at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Pairs well with mimosas and coffee.

You Are a Superhero

Every thing homemade may be a tradition in your home, and is definitely amazing, but be encouraged to enjoy the moment this holiday and not feel like everything has to be homemade. Homemade eggnog is great, but don’t sweat it, just grab a carton of Southern Comfort at the nearest grocery and everyone will enjoy sipping. Sprinkle nutmeg on top for added flavor, or add 1oz. of kentucky bourbon for special toasting.

Remember, to KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
Spread out your activities over the holidays. Pace yourself, tell stories, share gratitudes, listen, hug, love, laugh!

Making Memories

Sometimes simple is better. One way to make a memory that will be told for years or generations to come, is sitting down by the warm fireplace and reading the Christmas Story all together, or reflecting upon the past year, playing seasonal music, baking a family recipe or crafting a New Year Vision Board. Find chalk or bulletin boards and crafting supplies at a local craft store and cut out magazine photos of your 2019 goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Crafting

Need something TO DO over the holiday?

  1. String up popcorn and cranberries, or sliced dehydrated orange slices for a homemade garland. Tip: stale, day old popcorn is easier to string.
  2. Gather fresh greenery! Ask places that sell Christmas trees for loose branches and cuttings that have fallen off. Use silica gel packets to dry flowers and greenery. Place in lanterns or wreaths or candelabra for easy home decorations.

From everyone at Rector Hayden REALTORS, we hope that you have a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year! Here’s to 2019! Make it a great one. Let us help you find your next home.

 

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#RHRTipTuesday – The Power of Words

In today’s market, visual marketing is truly the most important and effective way to market you listings.  But, that doesn’t mean you can put the same old phrases in your marketing remarks.  Thanks to keyword searchs, SEO, and smarter “google-ing” words are more important than ever!  Some can really boost your listing – some can really hurt it!  Check it out!

Words that could add value to your listings:

Statistics reviewed in a new report book from Zillow (The New Rules of Real Estate) show that spot-on and specific marketing remarks can add a couple grand to the final sale price of your listing!  See the excerpt below!

“Bottom-tier homes described as luxurious tend to beat their expected sale price by a whopping 8.2 percent,” write co-authors Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries (of “Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate”). “Top-tier homes described as captivating tend to beat theirs by 6.5 percent. That means, if your home’s estimated home value is $110,000, but your listing includes the key word ‘luxurious,’ you could pocket an extra $8,965.”

Words like “landscaped”, “upgraded”, and “stainless” add supreme over-all value no matter the price tier your listings is in!  But remember, you have to deliver on what your promise.  If your listing isn’t upgraded, stainless (or have stainless appliances), or landscaped – you’re more likely to completely turn-off potential buyers.

Words that can be detrimental to your listing:

Some words are great – but some can cost you!

 “If you’re not careful, picking the wrong adjective could cost you time, money, and in some cases, lots of both,” Rascoff & Humphries explain.

The image to the left shows words that caused mid-tier and top-tier homes to sell for less than expected.  The 9 Top perpetrators are as follows:

FIXER  –  TLC  –  COSMETIC  –  INVESTMENT  –  INVESTOR  –  POTENTIAL  –  BARGAIN  –  OPPORTUNITY  –  NICE

These words all seem pretty typical for marketing remarks, yeah?  It’s that over-use that has caused these words to now negatively impact listings.  Buyers have come to  associate these common words with negative connotations.  ( AND you should never use the word investor as an adjective or potential candidate – that violates EHO agreements. )  “Nice” can have so many meanings, and is usually just a filler word that conveys no real meaning.  If it’s a gorgeous view or a sturdy deck – those are much more qualifying than “nice”.

Sometimes just using an uncommon adjective can boost your listing better than others!  Consider writing out your marketing remarks and then “upgrading” them with some synonyms from a thesaurus.  Potential buyers will enjoy words like “captivating, inviting, chic, or durable” more than “improved, nice, big, etc.”