Frank Dolski's Blog

1. The home must be de-cluttered and staged accordingly.  It is well worth the money to use the services of a professional tager and at a minimum, get a a professional analysis prior to listing your home.  I provide a free staging consultation at no cost with a very detailed analysis. Homes that I list which have been professionally staged sell quicker and for more money.  Many places like the Salvation Army, Purple Hearts and others will take your clutter (if it is in good condition) for free.  Less "stuff" in a home creates an impressions of a much larger space.  I have seen many instances where a family room just had too much furniture and items were taken out and utilized in other parts of the home. The result is a perceived las a much larger space!
2. How does your home stack up against the competition?  Do you need granite, stainless steel appliances or painting?  All of these items come into play when preparing your home for sale. Comments that I hear are, "The new owners will change it how will they like it or what if they do not like the paint"?  Buyers of today want to move into a home that is in move-in condition.  Again, I utilize my experience to help sellers realize they can maximize their profit and reduce their days on market if they just prepare their home for sale.  Sound easy?
3. The exterior of the home must be mulched, painted and show well.  Remember, this is a buyer's first impression! There is nothing worse than chipped paint, uncualked areas, weeds, and lack of exterior maintenance i enough to turn the client off before they enter the home.
4. I continue to stress that less is best.  Kitchen counters should be clear and only accented with a few items such as a cook book and other decor to dress it up.  An overpopulated counter top creates the perception of less counter space. Dining room and kitchen tables should be set just like you see at a model home.
5. The paint colors must match the decor and it is important to use earthtone colors in every room.  Have you every walked into a model home?  All of the rooms are painted, the home is staged and it is very inviting.  You can do the same thing within budget to prepare your home for sale. Price sometimes is a factor.  Every seller, myself included, always think that our homes are worth more than it really is.  You must be realistic and use the comparable sales as a guideline to price your home.  Keep in mind that there is a general discount rate so you must consider this as well when pricing your home. Also keep in maind that the market will dictate the price of your home.  Price it right but do not be afraid to reduce the price if it is warranted!  There are many variables that come into play when selling a home.  The home must also be properly marketed with plenty of good pictures.  Too many times I see poor lighting or pictures that do not portray a real image of the home. So what are your thoughts and ideas to sell your home.  What are the marketing mediums that your agent and broker use?  My homes are listed on over 350 websites, in print, social media and numerous other mediums.  I am interested to hear what you have to say on this topic and I look forward to your answers. Please visit my website at www.FrankDolski.Com for additional information.

Sincerely,

Frank Dolski   MBA, ABR, e-PRO
Associate Broker
CARTUS & SIRVA Certified Relocation Specialist
Previews Luxury Home Specialist
Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors
215-803-3237 (mobile)
215-794-1070 x-103
f.dolski@cbhearthside.com
www.FrankDolski.Com

So what are QR or Quick response codes? According to Wikipedia, a QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data (e.g., binary, alphanumeric, or Kanji symbols).

QR codes are used in many industries. You can see them in magazines, on websites, on products, signs or in many applications. I elected to use them in the marketing of Real Estate. As an Associate Broker and realtor for Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors, I use them in magazines, brochures, sign riders and on the web. They can be detected by smart phones such as the I-Phone, Blackberry, I-Pad, Android and many more.

The QR code contains information about my listings, my website or pretty much anything that I want to market to the public. For example, I have a QR code for each of my brochures. Potential buyers can scan the code and obtain information about homes in Bucks and Montgomery counties and the greater Philadelphia area. They can be used to provide real estate information, virtual tours, pictures and much more!

I also used them for my website. Listed below is a QR code that I generated for www.FrankDolski.Com. Please ckick on it and give it a try! So what applications do you use it for? I'd like to hear if you are using them and if you see the benifit for "quick response" information.

Frank Dolski
MBA, ABR, e-PRO
Associate Broker
CARTUS & SIRVA Certified Relocation Specialist
Previews Luxury Home Specialist
Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors
215-803-3237 (mobile)
215-794-1070 x-103
f.dolski@cbhearthside.com
www.FrankDolski.Com

Fire safety is one of the most important things that we have to respect and to be most informed. Thousands of homes are destroyed each year and most importantly, lives are lost or forever impacted.

My name is Frank Dolski, Associate Broker/Realtor for Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors. I attend many home inspections in Bucks and Montgomery counties and you would be surprised at the many fire hazards that are found. The key in fire safety from a non-expert is being proactive. I have the pleasure of knowing Ed Pfeiffer, the Warwick Township Fire Marshall and he was kind enough to share the following information.

ARE YOU COVERED?

“Coverage” is a term most often associated with a sprinkler
system. By design, complete coverage is necessary to insure that the
appropriate amount of water is discharged per square foot to extinguish a fire. Gaps in coverage may allow a fire to advance unchecked. A properly designed and installed sprinkler system has no gaps.

Applying a similar concept to smoke detectors, coverage can
provide the earliest warning of the presence of smoke. A detector in every roomthat is connected to all the other detectors would provide complete coverage. Anything less than complete coverage is a gamble. Undetected smoke can lead to an undetected fire. Conversely, early smoke detection can alert occupants and
action can be taken to prevent that smoke from becoming a fire.

Advances in technology have created “wireless” smoke
detectors. They are battery powered detectors that install like traditional detectors, except they send and receive signals to and from each other. When any detector senses smoke, they all make noise. Most important, when you are asleep the detector in your bedroom will make noise if smoke is detected
anywhere in your home.

Compare you present smoke detection system with a complete
“coverage” system. By investing in a few smoke detectors you can take the gamble out of a possible devastating fire in your home.As a minimum per the International Building Code, smoke
detectors are required in every bedroom, on each floor, the garage and each basement room. Larger homes may require additional detectors. Wireless detectors currently cost $30. each. Homes with a
limited “hardwired” system can be expanded by using wireless detectors.

Additional Thoughts
- Technology has eliminated rotary phones, typewriters, black & white TVs and many other appliances. Yet many people are reluctant to upgrade their smoke
detectors. I often hear “they are too expensive”, “I haven’t had a fire yet” or the general assumption that a fire can’t happen in their home. The thought that fires only occur in un-kept homes, by smokers doesn’t take into account that lighting strikes may damage wiring and that damage may not develop immediately. Products are recalled daily for fire risks that include dish washers, refrigerators, coffee makers, etc. Candles are lit and forgotten. Serious fires occur in new and old homes alike. They don’t always happen to someone else.

There is no perfect fire protection system. However, by being
diligent (keeping you guard up) you can use technology to prevent a fire in your home, inexpensively.

Frank Dolski   MBA, ABR, e-PRO
Associate Broker
CARTUS & SIRVA Certified Relocation Specialist
Previews Luxury Home Specialist
Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors
215-803-3237 (mobile)
215-794-1070 x-103
f.dolski@cbhearthside.com
www.FrankDolski.Com

It's a fact that 80% of all home-buyers begin their search on-line. There are an abundance of websites out there including the important, Realtor.Com, Trulia, Zillow and others.  So why are good pictures so critical?  I am assuming that the home is properly staged! The fact is that pictures attract buyers and Realtors to further look and consider showing and looking at your home. too many times is see poor pictures, very few pictures and in some cases, no pictures at all.
In my professional opinion, sellers should be more active in giving their opinion or observing the pictures that are used to market their home.  You will be surprised what you may find!  I know that I am. Sunlight blarring through the window, very low or no light, 1/4 of a room, pictures of a tree blocking the front exterior and more!   So how inportant do you think that good pictures are important to properly market your home?  I'd like to hear what you have to say.

It is quite common for buyers to have a home inspection on the home that they are purchasing. The majority of the time, they attend the inspection to learn about the home as well as see if the home that they are purchasing has material defects or concerns. In any case, I am posing the question, “Should the representing Realtors also attend the inspection?”

I will give you my opinion and that is if I am representing the buyer, I do my best to attend every home inspection. Perhaps not the entire inspection, but the largest majority of the inspection. I do this as a service to my clients. I am going to be the one who will be writing the reply to addendum and want to see firsthand, what I am requesting in representation of my client(s). If representing a seller, I try to attend midway through the inspection to answer any questions and to get a feel of how the inspections are going. Sellers are quite anxious to know how the inspection goes as they typically do not attend. Again, I see this as a service to my clients. What are your thoughts as a Buyer, Seller, Realtor, Broker, or Inspector?

Frank Dolski   MBA, ABR, e-PRO
Associate Broker
CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist
Previews Luxury Home Specialist
Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors
215-803-3237 (mobile)
215-794-1070 x-103
f.dolski@cbhearthside.com
www.FrankDolski.Com