If you're preparing to buy or sell a home, why should you be forced to work with a real estate agent who won't listen to your concerns and questions? Instead, hire a real estate agent who is a great listener, and you can receive consistent support throughout the homebuying or home selling journey.

There are many signs that a real estate agent is an outstanding listener, such as:

1. Your real estate agent responds to your concerns and questions as quickly as possible.

Let's face it – buying or selling a house can be stressful. Fortunately, a real estate agent who is an active listener will do what it takes to help clients alleviate stress time and time again.

An active listener will learn what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. Meanwhile, a real estate agent who actively listens to a homebuyer or home seller will be ready to respond to urgent client requests without delay.

Furthermore, it is important to employ a real estate agent who boasts comprehensive homebuying or home selling experience. With this housing market professional at your disposal, you can get expert responses to your concerns and questions. Then, you'll be better equipped than ever before to make informed homebuying or home selling decisions.

2. Your real estate agent follows up with you regularly.

A real estate agent who understands the value of active listening will follow up with clients regularly. By doing so, this housing market professional can limit the risk of miscommunication and mistakes along the homebuying or home selling process.

In addition, a real estate agent who provides constant updates will take the guesswork out of buying or selling a home. He or she will make it simple for you to streamline the homebuying or home selling process. And as such, this real estate agent will reduce the chance that you'll encounter potential homebuying or home selling roadblocks that otherwise could prevent you from achieving your desired results.

3. Your real estate agent asks questions and requests feedback.

When it comes to choosing a real estate agent, it is vital to select one who asks questions and requests feedback. In fact, this housing market professional may prove to be an amazing listener who will go above and beyond the call of duty to support you in any way possible.

Ultimately, a real estate agent who asks questions wants to learn about a client's homebuying or home selling needs. He or she wants clients to succeed and will dedicate the necessary time and resources to help each client buy or sell a home.

On the other hand, a real estate agent who requests feedback is always searching for ways to improve, and this commitment to excellence usually separates an ordinary real estate agent from an exceptional one.

Kick off the homebuying or home selling process by hiring a real estate agent who knows how to listen to his or her clients. That way, you can increase the likelihood of a successful homebuying or home selling journey.

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If you plan to list your house in the foreseeable future, you should do everything possible to differentiate your residence from the competition. That way, you can show homebuyers exactly what your house has to offer and increase the likelihood of a fast, profitable home sale.

Now, let's take a look at three tips to help you optimize your home's potential.

1. Boost Your House's Curb Appeal

Your house's curb appeal may dictate how quickly your residence sells. If you allocate time and resources to transform your home's exterior from drab to fab, you may be able to reap the benefits of a speedy home sale.

Mow the lawn, trim the hedges and perform other home exterior upgrades. By doing so, you can take your house's curb appeal to new heights.

Also, if you need assistance with home exterior projects, you can reach out to local home improvement professionals. Contractors are available in cities and towns nationwide, and these professionals can help you enhance your house's curb appeal in no time at all.

2. Remove Clutter

Clutter is an eyesore that home sellers need to eliminate. Because if your home is overloaded with antiques, decorations and other items, it may be tough for homebuyers to envision what life may be like if they purchase your residence.

If you own lots of items but want to keep these belongings, there is no need to worry. You can always rent a storage unit where you can store various items until your house sells. Or, you can contact family members and friends to find out if they can store some of your belongings for the time being.

On the other hand, if you want to get rid of assorted items, you can host a yard sale or sell items online. This will enable you to simultaneously remove clutter from your house and earn extra cash.

3. Conduct a Home Inspection

Identifying home problems sometimes can be difficult. Luckily, home inspectors are available who can analyze your residence and offer valuable property insights.

Typically, a home inspector will review your residence over the course of a few hours. The inspector then will provide you with an inspection report that details his or her findings. If you analyze the inspection report closely, you can gain comprehensive insights into your house's strengths and weaknesses and prioritize home improvements.

If you need help finding a home inspector or completing other home selling tasks, you may want to hire a real estate agent as well. A real estate agent will help you revamp your house both inside and out and ensure your residence stands out to property buyers. Perhaps best of all, a real estate agent is happy to respond to any of your home selling concerns and questions, at any time.

Maximize your house's potential – use the aforementioned tips, and you can update your residence and differentiate your home from the competition.

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If there is one project you will be thankful for taking on before a move it’s a giant declutter session. Or even sessions. It doesn’t matter how many it takes you, getting rid of the stuff that just sits around taking up space and collecting dust feels liberating.

Because stuff is more than just stuff. Everything comes with a reason or attachment that is keeping us from letting go. Even your cell phone from 2012 that you’ve been planning to recycle responsibly for years.

Sometimes the “junk” we collect in drawers and boxes has a lot more to say about us than the more sentimental items like holey t-shirts and ticket stubs.

But don’t worry we won’t go there. Instead, here are four different tactics for getting the clutter out before moving day. Because less stuff means fewer boxes, less to carry and less unpacking.

Let’s start with the most extreme, what would you do if you had to start over from scratch? If you couldn’t take anything with you what would you need to run out and replace ASAP? What are the non-negotiables that make your life yours?

Alternatively, schedule small bursts throughout the next few weeks where you tackle decluttering room by room. Breaking down a total declutter into smaller projects makes it easier to wrap our brains around. I’d recommend tackling one room per weekend.

If you’re finding that breaking up your declutter room by room is too overwhelming, here’s a different technique. Plan a few days a week where you set a timer for just an hour or two to go through one junk drawer/closet/bookshelf at a time. This works because it puts an immediate end in sight that you can quite literally count down to.

Struggling with what to keep and what to toss?

Consider how often do you actually use the item in question. If it’s of sentimental value how often do you pull it out to reminisce? Did you think to yourself “Wow! I totally forgot about this”? What value does this item add to your day to day to life? If the answer is rarely to never, it’s time to let go.

Sort items into the classic four box system. Create four boxes or piles: keep, donate, pack away, toss. And then, once everything is sorted, take action! Actually, donate those items. Toss out your collections of dead pens and old cell phones.  

Or box everything up, bring it with you to the new place and toss or donate anything you haven’t unpacked within a month. With the exception of seasonal items, of course. The downside here is that you’re still going to have to pack it all up and move. But it’s a less extreme version of imagining you are starting over from scratch. 

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Making your own candles is a fulfilling endeavor to take. You’ll learn about the art of candle-making, get the chance to make something for your home yourself, and reap the rewards once you get to burn it and diffuse whatever (if any) fragrances you choose to use.

Many people are surprised to learn that it isn’t all that hard to make a candle. However, to make one that will burn well and smell nice can be tricky.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through how to make your own candle for your home.

Chandlery

In the times when households weren’t yet powered by electricity, candle-making or “chandlery” wasn’t just a fun skill to have--it was downright useful.

Since the earliest times in recorded history humans have been making candles. First from tallow, or beef fat, and then of beeswax and other animal-produced substances.

Today, however, the most common candle wax base is paraffin, due to it being the cheapest base. As a petroleum byproduct, many people are concerned with potential health risks of paraffin and have elected to use alternatives. The two most common are beeswax and soybean oil.

The wax base you choose is up to you, but you’ll likely find that soy is a good middle ground between quality and price.

Gather your supplies

Once you’ve decided on a wax, you’ll need to think about a few other ingredients--namely your wick, container, and any oils you’d like to add for fragrance. You’ll also need a way to melt the wax, such as a double boiler.

When it comes to wicks, it’s easiest to buy them pre-assembled. However, you can buy a roll of braided rope and tabs to make and cut them yourself. When cutting your wick, leave an inch or two extra so that you can cut the wick to the proper size later on.

In terms of a container you have several options, some of which might be laying around in your house at this very moment. You could reuse an old candle container, use mason jars or coffee cups, and most other heat- and flame-resistant containers. If you plan on making several, buying a pack of candle tins of mason jars online is an economical way to go.

Finally, you’ll need to choose some fragrances if you want your candle to smell like anything. There are hundreds of essential oils to choose from. However, they don’t all go nicely together. It’s best to do a bit of research and find out which oils make good pairs. Some examples: Cedarwood and bergamot, lavender and rosemary, orange and lemongrass.

Making your candle

Put water in the bottom of your double boiler and add roughly ½ lb wax to the top pan. Heat slowly until the wax melts, stirring and chopping up the larger chunks throughout the process.

Once the wax is melted, take your wick and dip the tab into the wax, then carefully press the tab into the bottom of your container. Use a pen or other tool to do this to avoid burning yourself on the wax.

Next, add your essential oils to the double boiler. A pound of wax typically requires only an ounce of oil. Then, stir it for a minute or so to distribute the oil throughout the wax.

Then, pour the wax into your container with one hand. With your other hand, keep the wick held in the center of the container.

Finally, you’ll need to keep the wick in the center of the candle until the wax dries. You can do this by tying or taping the wick to a pen or pencil and resting the pencil on top of the container so that the wick stays in the center.

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Selling a home requires time, dedication and patience. As such, you need to be aware of the biggest dangers associated with selling a residence before you add your home to the real estate market; otherwise, you risk wasting your valuable time and resources. One of the biggest home selling dangers often remains ignored – self-sabotage. And if you're not careful, you may sabotage your chances of selling your residence without even realizing it's happening. So what can you do to avoid the danger of self-sabotaging your home sale? Here are three tips that home sellers can use to eliminate this risk altogether: 1. Be Realistic About the Price and Value of Your Home. Employ a professional appraiser to evaluate your home before you list it on the real estate market. By doing so, you'll be able to better understand what your home is worth and price it appropriately. Also, keep in mind that what you ask for your house may not be what homebuyers offer for your residence. For instance, in a seller's market, you might actually receive multiple offers that exceed your initial asking price. Conversely, in a buyer's market, you may wind up getting numerous offers at or below your original asking price. Regardless of whether you're selling your residence in a buyer's or seller's market, however, it is important to remain flexible. Ultimately, you need to feel comfortable with the initial asking price you set your house and the offers you receive for your residence, and only then will you be able to finalize an agreement that works well for both you and a homebuyer. 2. Act Fast on Any Offers You Receive. It is paramount to prepare for offers before they arrive, as this will enable you to act quickly and efficiently. Typically, you'll only have a short amount of time to decide whether to accept a homebuyer's proposal. And if you plan for prospective offers you'll receive, you can act confidently under duress. Consider how you'll respond if you receive an offer that meets or exceeds your initial asking price, along with how you'll respond to an offer that falls below your initial expectations. Because if you plan for the best- and worst-case scenarios, you'll be better equipped to minimize the chance of sabotaging a home sale. 3. Work with an Experienced Real Estate Agent. Collaborate with an experienced real estate agent, and you'll be able to prevent the risk of self-sabotage. A real estate agent will help you determine the best price for your home and get your residence ready for a home showing. Meanwhile, this professional likely will possess years of experience and ensure you understand the ins and outs of the real estate market, allowing you to make the best decisions possible relative to your home sale. Find the right real estate agent to sell your home – you'll be thrilled you did! With an expert real estate agent at your disposal, you'll be able to improve your chances of finding many interested homebuyers and getting multiple offers for your residence. Understand the danger of self-sabotage, and you can prevent this problem from arising as you attempt to sell your house.

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