Save money on moving into your Millburn-Short Hills, NJ home

Congratulations on closing on your Millburn-Short Hills, NJ home! Buying a new house is a very exciting part of life. Moving into the new home, however, can be frustrating and stressful. Most people are looking to save money at this time since they've just made such a large purchase. Follow these tips in order to save money on your move to Millburn-Short Hills, NJ.

Move during an off-peak time


Most moves occur between March and October. If there is any way you can move during the off-peak season, you will save money on moving costs. Renting moving vans is often cheaper during this time. If you go with a moving company, don't hesitate to try and negotiate prices during off-peak times. If their business is slow, they might provide additional discounts off of listed prices. If you can't move during off-peak season, consider moving during the middle of the month. Even during peak moving months, most people move in either the very first few days or very last few days of the month. If you can move the second or third week you might be able to save money.

Move fewer things


Don't make the mistake of moving everything hurriedly and then sorting through your belongings after they're in the new space. It doesn't make sense to pay to move things that you don't plan on keeping! Moving is the ideal time to sort through your possessions one-by-one, asking yourself, Do I use this often enough to keep it? Do I really like it? Sell items of value on ebay or in a garage sale to make some spare cash. Donate or throw out the remaining items based on the condition they're in. Don't forget that donated items can be written off during tax time. Save receipts!

Do not buy boxes or packing materials


Depending on how much you have to move, moving materials can costs several hundred or even over one-thousand dollars. Save on those unnecessary costs by planning ahead and stocking up on cardboard boxes and packing materials ahead of time. Ask friends and neighbors to donate boxes they are not currently using. Stop by local grocery and retail stores and ask them to save cardboard boxes for you. (Be sure to tell them you only want ones that close.) Instead of buying packing peanuts, use newspaper. If you don't have a subscription, ask a friend or neighbor to hold onto theirs for a few weeks for you. You can also be creative about packing your fragile items. A bath towel or t-shirt can keep that china safe just as well as butcher paper sold by a moving agency.

Hopefully these tips help you save money on your upcoming move to Millburn-Short Hills, NJ. If you have any other questions about moving, buying or selling real estate, or the local community, do not hesitate to contact me. Welcome to the area!

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Tips for finding your Millburn-Short Hills home

You know you want to move into a Millburn-Short Hills home, but aren't sure where to start.  There are many things to take into consideration.  Do you want a condominium or single family home?  Which neighborhood is the best for you?  What style of home best suits your needs?  The options can be overwhelming!  Here are tips that can help make your home search easier to handle.

Calculate your budget
Calculating a budget before starting your home search is a good idea.  There is no point in looking at homes that are not in your price range--that will only set you up for disappointment.  When figuring out a budget, take into consideration how much money you have to put for a down payment and how much you can afford for monthly payments.  Don't figure to also figure in regular home maintenance and property taxes.  Your budget should be something you can make comfortably, not something you can only handle if everything goes perfectly.

Pick the towns and neighborhoods you'll consider
Narrowing down your choice by neighborhood will help a lot and keep you from feeling torn after you find the "perfect" house that just isn't located in a place you like.  Each location has its pros and cons, so think carefully about what is most important to you.  For example, maybe you are only willing to move somewhere that falls within a 30-mile radius of your work or is within a certain school district.

Determine the house type you want
Do you want a single family home, or would you prefer a multi-family home such as a condo?  The answer to this will depend quite a bit on your stage in life and your lifestyle.  Seniors and young professionals, for example, often prefer condos because it saves them the trouble of lawn care and many issues of home maintenance.

Make a list of home necessities
Write a short list of necessities for the home you want.  This isn't a wish list--it's a list of "must haves" and you will only consider homes that meet your criteria.  Maybe your ideal home must have three bedrooms, a backyard, and space for a dishwasher.  This will save you time.  If you know you are not willing to live somewhere that has less than three bedrooms, you won't waste time looking at homes that will never work for you.

Hopefully these tips help put you on the right track as you search for that ideal Millburn-Short Hills home.  If you want the help of a professional, do not hesitate to contact me.  Have a good week!


Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Cleaning up your credit before buying in Millburn-Short Hills, NJ

One of the very first steps in home buying is cleaning up your credit.  Without good credit, you won't qualify for a good loan.  Without a good loan, you might not be able to buy the house of your dreams.  Cleaning up your credit before finding the home you want to buy is the way to go.  That way you can figure out an accurate budget and there won't be any last-minute surprises or obstacles when closing on a home.  Here on tips on cleaning up your credit before buying a home in Millburn-Short Hills, NJ:

Order a credit report and correct any mistakes
Everyone is entitled to free credit reports from the three major credit agencies on an annual basis.  Click here to request yours.  Once you've received the reports, comb them for any inaccuracies.  Even something small such as an old credit limit on a card can affect your score.  Remember, you may also request to have anything over seven years old removed from your report.  That includes late fees, cards you've closed, and accounts that went to collections.

Pay off anything in collections
Having something in collections hurts your credit score big time.  Pay off any outstanding debts you have immediately.  Call and try to negotiate paying a lower price if you pay immediately, in full.  Sometimes creditors will remove the debt for half of its worth if they are worried they won't get any payment otherwise.  Shortly after paying off outstanding debts, obtain your credit reports again and make sure they have been updated.

Ask for an increased credit limit
An increased credit limit will give you a better debt-to-credit ratio and that is taken into consideration when developing your credit score.  Basically, you want to have much more credit available to you than what you are currently using.  Call current credit card companies and ask for an increased limit.  Don't put more debt on the credit card, however, because then your ratio will stay the same!

Practice good habits now
If your credit history has some blemishes that you can't remove yet because they aren't over seven years old, just relax and do the best you can now.  Pay all of your overdue accounts and bring them up to date so they are current as soon as possible.  From now on, make sure to pay every bill on time.  A credit history that has some rocky parts, but shows improvement in recent months can still be used to obtain a loan.

Hopefully these tips will help you clean up your credit score so you can get the mortgage and the Millburn-Short Hills, NJ house that you want!  If you have any questions whatsoever about local real estate or the community, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Tips for moving into your Millburn-Short Hills home

You have found the perfect Millburn-Short Hills home and are incredibly excited about it...until you remember you haven't moved for years and aren't sure where to begin.  Moving can be an intimidating task beforehand and a frustrating process during if not approached correctly.  Here are some tips that will help you make the move into your Millburn-Short Hills home go as smoothly and worry-free as possible.

Start early
Moving is much harder when you wait until the very last minute to take care of all the details.  Start making preparations at least a month or two in advance.  Long before it is time to actually pack you can start collecting cardboard boxes from friends or local stores and creating a list of the accounts that need to be opened or closed when you move.  You can also research and book a moving agency, storage unit, or moving van.

Downsize
The more you have to move, the more expensive your moving costs will be, the longer time it will take, and the more energy involved.  Before moving is the time to go through all of your belongings and get rid of anything you no longer use.  Hold a garage sale and donate whatever doesn't sell to charity.  Grocery shop less that final week or two and use up all of the food in your kitchen before moving day.

Organize
If you pack without a plan, unpacking will be a mess.  Put similar items together in boxes, or organize boxes by room.  Clearly label each box so unpacking goes more smoothly.  Set aside a box, bag, or piece of luggage for each person and dedicate those to the items that will be needed the first few days after moving, before everything is unpacked.  (Think toiletries, undergarments, work- and school-related items, etc.)

Hopefully these tips help you create a easier move for yourself.  If you have any questions about moving, real estate, or the area, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Tips for buying your Millburn-Short Hills home

I enjoy being your Millburn-Short Hills, NJ Realtor and helping your home-buying process go as smoothly as possible.  That's why I'm sharing these home buying tips today.  There is a lot to know when buying a home, and it can be intimidating if it's your first time.  I've helped many people buy Millburn-Short Hills real estate, and hopefully I can help you too!

As the real estate market and economy improve, more and more people across the United States are looking to buy homes.  Recent reports have indicated that it is a great time to buy, for many reasons.  Mortgage rates are at all all-time low.  Housing prices are on the rise, making real estate a good investment.  Buying is actually cheaper than renting, in many cases.  This means there are many more first-time home buyers in the market than there have been in recent years.  There are a few tips that can help ensure buyers are aware and prepared for everything involved in home-buying.


Really do your research on the area
Sometimes first-time buyers get so caught up in the amenities of the house itself, or looking for a good deal, that they don't stop and ask serious questions about the location.  What will your (and your spouse's) commute time be?  If you have (or are planning to have) children, is the school district one you'll be happy with?  How close are the nearby schools--would your child have to take a bus, be dropped off, or walk?  How do property taxes here compare to other places you've looked?  Is the house near grocery stores, restaurants, shops, parks, gyms, the library, etc.?  Is this somewhere you can see yourself living five or more years from now?


Outline all of your costs
A mistake many first-time home buyers make is not knowing the full cost of buying a home.  It will be more than the settled-upon purchase price of the house.  Within the paperwork should be a "Buyer Cost Sheet," which should be looked at closely and taken into consideration of the buyer's budget.  This sheet will be given to you by your lender or possibly your realtor and should include everything you'll be paying for, such as inspection and appraisal fees, transfer fees, closing costs, and more.  Some of these fees could be paid by the seller, but that would depend on what happens during negotiations.

Get a disclosure statement
State laws vary, but in general, sellers are required to disclose information about the property to you.  Because houses are sold "as-is," you want all of the information you can get so as to avoid unexpected costs later.  Realtors have detailed disclosure forms with a variety of questions.  You'll want to know if the house you're consider floods during heavy rains, for example, or if the foundation has a crack that has been covered.

If you're serious about home buying, you'll want to do more research than this, but hopefully it provides a good start!  Please contact me about buying your first Millburn-Short Hills home so we can talk about specific details and what is best in your situation.

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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Get Your Millburn-Short Hills Home Organized This Winter!

Whether you’re ready to put your Millburn-Short Hills home on the real estate market or not, getting your home organized is important. Think about it: you have a limited amount of square footage that you can truly call your own, and since we are finally in the post-holidays phase of winter, now is the time to get that space spruced up. After all, it’s much easier to enjoy living in your Millburn-Short Hills home if you can actually find your way around in it.

As a Millburn-Short Hills real estate agent, I have to be knowledgeable about home organization because it can become a large factor in my job. When my clients set about putting their home up for sale on the Millburn-Short Hills real estate market, one of the biggest tasks they need to complete is going through their belongings and de-cluttering their house. That’s why, in the spirit of getting your home in tip-top shape this season, I thought I’d share a few storage solutions with you. That way, you can live your in beautiful home clutter-free:

Use your stairway for seasonal extras. Put some drawers under sturdier stairs and use them to store extra linens, towels and seasonal items. This is a convenient way to create more storage space at an affordable price.

Use your crawl space to its best potential. Whether you have a crawl space underneath the floors or in your basement, lining them with shelves and using that as extra storage space creates an extra room for your belongings. Having shelves will also keep you from having a large pile build up in the crawl space, which can create a disorganized mess. Using the shelves will allow you to truly maximize your home’s potential, and it’s a great bonus to use if you ever choose to put your home on the Millburn-Short Hills real estate market.

What’s under the mattress? Did you know that you can buy a mattress that lifts to reveal extra storage space? This is the perfect place to keep extra blankets and linens for guests, and it won’t require any additional space or building on your part. The best part? You can find this wonder mattress at IKEA, so you know it’s relatively affordable.

Hide the cat litter, if you can. We know that it’s imperative to keep the litter box inside, but that doesn’t mean that you have to keep your cat’s business out in the open. Invest in a small, inexpensive storage cabinet that you can put the litter box in. The cat can slip in and out of the cabinet through a small opening in front, and voila. Your room will look cleaner and your cat will still have a place where it can do its business.

Use lockers. Before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Locker space is an inexpensive way to create extra pantry and storage space in your kitchen without a costly remodel, and you could paint or conceal them to go with your home’s décor. We know the idea sounds strange, but look around the kitchen and think about it: it could really work for you.

Use overhead areas to your advantage. Do you have some narrow hallways in your home? If so, use the narrow space between the walls to your advantage. Place a floating shelf or cabinet area above the next doorway and create another, convenient storage space. This can look discreet if you do it right, and it’s yet another way to create a storage solution without uprooting your home in a remodel.

Get creative when hiding the extras. Items like wrapping paper and holiday decorations are important to have in the house year-round, but it can also get aggravating when you need to find a place to put it all. Utilize wire racks on the ceilings and walls of your closets to store gift wrap and smaller decorations. That way, you have a hidden storage space for these items that is easy to access and organized at the same time.

If you take a look at the suggestions above, they all have one thing in common: they don’t require you to spend a lot of money for more storage space. Part of what makes a Millburn-Short Hills home appealing to home buyers is an abundance of storage space, and the small steps that you take to add small shelves and additional drawers will help add to your home’s overall value. If you have any questions about how you can get your Millburn-Short Hills home ready for sale, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d love to use my many years of experience and expertise to help you out.

Elaine Pruzon
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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