Home Sales Heat Up as Spring Buying Season Melts Away Frigid Winter Market

CHESTER, Pa., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is traditionally the hottest season for home sales as families look to move between school terms, people have received their tax refunds, and the warmer weather makes moving easier. Sales tend to peak in April staying strong through June and July with over half of America's moves taking place in the summer. An uptrend in existing-home sales has continued as January 2011 sales increased 2.7 percent over last year and are forecast to keep rising throughout the summer, according to the National Association of Realtors. It's a good idea to list a home early in the season and with the first day of spring just around the corner, Power Home Remodeling Group, the nation's fourth largest home improvement company, offers tips to help homeowners ready their home for a swift sale.

"Fierce competition exists even in a warming housing market due to an unusually large inventory of available homes," said Jeff Kaliner, co-founder and chief executive officer for Power Home Remodeling Group. "Homeowners must distinguish their homes from their competition and cater to a new crop of buyers looking for more energy efficient properties in order to make a sale."

Below are Power's tips for homeowners looking to ready their home for sale this spring:

• Curb Appeal is Key: One of the quickest ways to draw buyers to a home is to increase its' curb appeal. Simple fixes like updating a home's front door or siding can drastically impact its value. Also, choose neutral, modern colors that will appeal to a wide range of buyers when changing your home's facade. Popular color palettes include yellow siding with brown shutters, slate blue with black shutters or white siding with a red door. These combinations are classic yet modern and will highlight your home without distracting potential buyers.
• Maximize Interior Appeal: The easiest way to enhance your home's interior is to be sure that it is thoroughly cleaned and clutter free. Begin storing personal items to remove your personality from the home allowing potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Also, tackle items that have been on your 'to do' list like repainting dingy walls, removing wallpaper, repairing cracks and fixing dripping faucets and shower heads. Staging a home with new bedding, showy towels or a neutral coat of paint can make a huge difference in landing a sale.
• Buyers Are Looking for "Green": Increasing a home's energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective improvement options available to homeowners looking to sell. Updating insulation is a great 'whole house' approach to reducing energy waste, making the property more attractive to potential buyers. Energy efficient windows can reduce heat flow in the winter and solar radiation in the summer while protecting a homebuyer's investment in carpet and furniture from fading due to sun exposure. Other simple greening tips include updating light fixtures with CFL bulbs, installing weather stripping around drafty doors and installing low-flow showerheads. Don't have the money to green your home before putting it on the market? Playing up your home's green potential can also help seal a sale. For example, if your house faces south or west it could be a great candidate for future solar panels.

Power's home experts are well equipped to assist homeowners in identifying improvement areas and developing effective solutions. Homeowners interested in updating their homes before putting them on the market can contact Power for a free in-home evaluation at 888-REMODEL or PowerHRG.com.  

About Power Home Remodeling Group

Family-owned since 1992, Power Home Remodeling Group is the nation's fourth largest home remodeling company with more than 900 full and part-time employees and $130 million in sales. Headquartered in Chester, Pa., Power provides energy-saving and environmentally friendly exterior remodeling solutions to residents on the East Coast, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, DC. An Inc. 5000 company, Power has served more than 40,000 homeowners and is recognized as a home improvement leader by its 2009 "Dealer of the Year" award from Window and Door Magazine and the 2010 "Top Workplace" from The Philadelphia Inquirer. For more information, please visit PowerHRG.com.

SOURCE Power Home Remodeling Group