terry haas goods: YOUR questions answered!

i am thrilled to have terry haas from HGTV's "designed to sell" here today to answer all of your great questions! thanks again, terry, for being willing to share some of your secrets with us here on bovagoods.

wow! a big huge thanks to all of  my readers who wrote in with their questions for terry.  these questions are soooo good.  there are a lot of us out there that are in similar situations with our homes. i can not wait to see what terry has to say.

first things first.....

(you can check out this post to catch up if you are just now joining us.)

if you missed out on the opportunity to ask terry a question, never fear! i am willing to bet, the answer to your question is in terry's ebook. you can download it here. and it's your lucky day because terry is offering my readers $5 off!

just enter the code: BOVAGOODS at checkout.

jen (who asked about kitchens) is the lucky winner of a FREE copy of terry's new ebook, make every buyer want your house.  thanks jen for submitting your question. you will getting an email from me soon.

ok, terry! let's get on with the fun!

Hello 

What an honor for me to join in on your blog fun. I am not all that technically inclined so I apologize ahead of time…ha ha.

My name is Terry Haas. I am one of the featured Real Estate agents on the HGTV’s hit show “Designed to Sell” and the co-author of www.makeeverybuyerwantyourhouse.com A step by step guide to getting your home ready for sale today or in the future. 

I have been in real estate for what seems like 100+yrs and I still love it!

I believe in an honest, fun, no sugar coating approach to working with people. I have the privilege of helping people make decisions about one of the most important aspects of life. I take that responsibility very seriously.

I am lucky that someone as creative as Elisabeth would invite me to join in on all of the Bovagoods insight. So smart and creative!

So, bring it on, ask me anything.

QUESTION:
Hi Elisabeth and Terry!

Are wood decks out of style? Should I plan on a brick patio vs a wood deck?

Thanks
Teresa 

Terry's ANSWER:
Not at all! It really depends on what looks best and in all honesty what makes sense with the budget. Keep in mind that a brick patio may cost more today but less maintenance in the long term.

*********************************************************

QUESTION:  
Elisabeth! Terry! You are both AMAZING! Thank you both for doing this.

Here is my question, it's a loooonnngggg one.

My family and I frequently relocate b/c of my husband's job. We are looking at our next move in about a year. When we moved into our current house the carpet wasn't in great shape and after two years in the house, and three kids, it's no better, although not much worse. The previous owners hid a few stains that haven't come out with my Bissel Carpet Cleaner. Do I replace the carpet before I move? It will easily cost $7000 to recarpet the house (I've priced it out per square foot and even going really low end it's still a chunk of change!) and I don't think I'll ever see that money again in this market. I've thought about replacing just the rooms where the carpet is bad, however the entire house is the same exact carpet and I don't know where to stop replacing? And finally, adding to the confusion for me in this decision and without going into too much detail, my husband's company has an AMAZING relocation package and I don't have the concern of having two mortgages should we not sell. What's the best decision to make here?

Thanks!!!! Thanks for your time Terry! Thank you Elisabeth for sharing all your ideas and secret HGTV friends!

Susan 

Terry's ANSWER:

First of all...Thank you for the compliment. I think being invited to talk to all of you is the amazing part. I would replace the carpet. If you are telling me it looks bad and has un-removable stains...a buyer will turn their nose up as well.

The best part is that you don't have to buy top of the line carpet. It needs to be new, smell new and have a semi good pad. Buyers do not usually question the grade of carpet as long as it looks great.

Don't do it until the last minute (before the house goes on the market). You have kids!!! You still have to live there and keep your sanity for the next year.

In regards to the relocation deal, what is the other option, rent the home? That becomes a personal question of whether you want to be a landlord.

If you are going to choose to be a landlord, I personally would want to be in close proximity to the property. Being out of town/state is tough when you need to keep an eye on things.

 

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 

Again, thank YOU and Terry for providing this forum to ask questions!

I've attached a picture of the eat-in part of my home and the living room to give you guys a bit of a reference point. 

 My husband and I are looking to sell our home in about a year.  We need to replace the floor in the kitchen b/c of a ice maker line leak that damaged the floor.  Our home isn't very big, just about 1800sqft.  My husband thinks we can put tile in the kitchen and eat-in area and leave the hardwood floors in the living room and hall (the eat in area connects the living room and kitchen). 

I however, believe if we replace the floor in the kitchen and eat in area, then we need to keep it consistent and replace the flooring in the living room and hall.  I'd like to replace it all with laminate flooring or new hard wood. 

I'm afraid if the kitchen and eat in area floors are different than the living room, it will make the space seem much smaller. 

HELP Terry!!   What do you think??  -Jodi

Terry's ANSWER:

Because of the floor plan, you could do either. Tile would look fine and most likely be more cost effective. With that being said, I would choose hardwood throughout. In that amount of space, 1800 ft. the more open feeling the better. It will look bigger with consistent flooring.

Please try to avoid laminate...buyers will be more impressed with real hardwood and the value will be better perceived. That is really what it comes down to. How does it emotionally effect the buyer and do they “perceive the value of the home”. That is why we love HGTV….It teaches us how to change the perception to better something on usually a shoe string budget.

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 
You lucky duck! Terry Rocks!! My question would be how important is landscaping your yard? Maybe I will run into Terry one day!   -Natalie

Terry's ANSWER:

Natalie...

From where you are, can you hear me singing/dancing that you asked this question? 

Landscaping and curb appeal...top of list! You only have one shot at making a first impression...this is it (next to pictures on the internet/marketing)

You don't need to spend tons of money in landscaping, but it must look snazzy and well maintained.

Buy the cheaper plants (I don't have a good green thumb and am guaranteed that I will be replacing something)

Go to a nursery and ask advice, usually it is free!!!

 

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 
What are the most important things to do when selling a home without the furniture? Thanks  -Julie

Terry's ANSWER:

Please make sure that the home is clean! The average stats show that a vacant home has the potential to sell 50% slower than a home with furniture. So we want to beat the odds right…

In a vacant home, there is nothing to look at in terms of “stuff”. If it smells, feels and looks clean that will help them concentrate on the features of the home. Also, curb appeal is huge. First impression! (Please review the questions above—ha ha)

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 
Hi Elisabeth and Terry! What is your opinion on hardwood floors vs. laminate (both in terms of resale and everyday living/wear and tear)? 

Terry's ANSWER:

Laminate is more cost effective—yes but hardwood cannot be beat in terms of look, and overall quality of wear.

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 
So cool!

My question is in regards to kitchen remodels: What is the number one mistake individuals make when upgrading their kitchen and what are the top three kitchen "musts" when renovating.

Thanks so much!

xoxo,
Jen 

Terry's ANSWER:

They forget the value and impact of good lighting.

De-clutter and organize the cabinets and countertops.  Make sure that the cabinets make sense. Spices close to the stove, no dog food in the pantry, 47 shot glasses or coffee cups are not necessary. You get the picture.

If the budget allows, pick Granite and stainless steel. Pretty much a sure winner these days and has lots of shelf life in terms of trends. I am aware that many don’t like stainless steel appliances because of the upkeep and finger prints (I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old) it is not about you, it is about the buyers. They think they want stainless. Truth be told, they know it is hard to maintain too but they like the idea of it. It is about perception.

Clean your fridge and oven for goodness sake! Buyers will look in there.

*********************************************************

QUESTION: hi terry! how fun to be on hgtv! i love hgtv!!! you are such a natural on camera. did hgtv coach you or have you do any type of training to be on camera? thanks! -bethany

Terry's ANSWER:

That is very nice of you. It is really fun. What you see is what you get…not sure that is always a good thing…ha ha and thank goodness for the editing department. It is really important to me to be authentic and “real” with my reaction/opinions. So I don’t see the home prior. I walk in with Shane and go to work. I love what I do. 

*********************************************************

QUESTION: 
This is so fun! Thanks for taking our questions. Who is your favorite person on hgtv and why? -Jen

Terry's ANSWER:

I love Candice Olsen—super nice and thinks outside of the box with elegance

Favorite person on the Food Network?

Paula Deen—Because she is a good cook she has really great hair, and really enjoys what she does. More BUTTER!!!

Favorite TV personality?

Ellen Degeneres---I think she is hysterical!!! She is completely at ease with people, loves to make people laugh and then laughs at herself. Her show is also very “clean” and she never gets ugly just for ratings. It is a Happy Show.

Favorite movie actor—

Matthew McConaughey—no need to explain and I don’t care if he has a speaking roll in the movie…

*********************************************************

QUESTION: What is your ebook about? -Sandy

Terry's ANSWER:

It is a how to guide that goes step by step to get your home ready for sale, from a buyers prospective. I am lucky enough to be called or emailed by people all over the country for help. Although it would be fun, traveling to everyone’s house is not possible. So, we wanted to come up with a very easy AFFORDABLE guide for people to follow.  There are similar patterns no matter where you live. We just wanted to share information with everyone we could.

There is a room by room guide, a checklist to follow so nothing gets forgotten and also a bonus chapter that tells you exactly what to do for a showing or an open house.

There are a lot of homes for sale in today’s real estate market. We tell you everything you need to know about how to get your home sold quickly and for the most money. 

www.makeeverybuyerwantyourhouse.com

*********************************************************

QUESTION: hi terry! it's elisabeth here. ;)  my question is about hgtv. what do you like most about being on hgtv? do you ever get recognized when you are out and about?

Terry's ANSWER:

The fact that I am allowed to come into peoples lives because of the show and that I can use the “public celebrity” title to do good things. I know that sounds cliché’ but it really is the truth. If I can get the message out about something I am passionate about in a stronger way and more effectively because people know me from television…whoo hoo

I love it when people stop me in public. It means that I have made enough of an impact on the people that watch the show to remember. I love it when people see me somewhere and ask about their wallpaper! 

*********************************************************

wow! thanks terry so very much for such great information!  it's so true what you said about stainless steel appliances. definitely a love/hate relationship there. i love candice too. she is a genius when it comes to lighting. whenever my mom and i are working on a lighting project we say, "where is chico when we need him?"  it has been so much fun working on this with you. i hope we can have you on bovagoods again soon! 

thanks to my readers, too for your awesome questions!

for terry's ebook, go here.

for terry's website, go here.

for terry's home staging consultation business go here.

for terry's charleston, sc based real estate company go here.

for HGTV's "designed to sell" show here.

 tomorrow's going to be another big day for bovagoods! 

i will be here.....

goodness gracious!!!

until then....

~elisabeth