Easy Ways to Sell Your Home Faster

There's no denying that selling a home is a very stressful process. Not only do you have to say goodbye to a place you've most likely grown attached to over the years, but you also have to endure the long, drawn out process of vacating the house every weekend whilst buyers view it, never knowing quite when you'll actually be moving. So, if you want to avoid some of this stress, sell your home faster using some of great tips listed below.

Get A Great Real Estate Agent

Having a quality professional in charge of selling your home is absolutely essential in terms of getting it sold as quickly as possible and for the right price. These days, many homeowners are looking to online Estate Agents such as the House Network, as they consistently receive top ratings from past homeowners who have used their services. Who you use is immaterial though, so long as they are a good reputable company who understands your needs as well as those of the market. 

Give Your Home A New Lease of Life

No matter how good your Real Estate Agent might be, they're not going to be able to sell your home if it isn't in good shape. A poorly maintained house will get you nothing other than embarrassingly low offers from buyers trying to capitalise on your laziness, so put the hours in. Dry cleaning your carpets is a good place to start. After years of living in the same space, your nose naturally blocks out certain odours as you adjust to them. But your new buyers won't be in the same position, and any unpleasant smells embedded in your carpet is not going to help your chances of selling quick for the right money. Likewise, all of your walls could most likely use a repaint. Whether you've got some crazy colour in your home or if the ways could just use a freshening up, new paint helps to create that veneer of newness and cleanliness, which all buyers will want from their new home, even if it is second hand. 

Now Could Be the Time

The market is currently improving, and so you may find that now is a good time to sell. However, if you're hoping to sell quickly, don't expect the process to be easy unless you implement some of the essential advice given here.

The Cost of Living: United States vs United Kingdom

English: Blending of the flags of the United States and the United Kingdom. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you considering migrating to Britain and leaving your American homeland behind? It's perhaps not too difficult to understand why in these current times. It's not likely for instance that you'll see an American citizen receiving completely free healthcare or indeed tallying up how much money they'll receive from the government this month on a DSS Move Benefit Calculator. 

But before jumping to conclusions, you should be aware that many of the overall living costs in the United Kingdom are in fact far greater than in the United States. 

Food

In the United States, we are privileged to have a whole host of international delights fully absorbed into our mainstream culinary culture. From beef tacos to key lime pie, to pastrami sandwiches to the traditional US barbecue, there's not much that we haven't got covered. So surely all of this diversity must be expensive? 

Surely we can't expect to have all of these multicultural foods (in comparison to a fairly bland British offering) and actually pay less than the Brits do? Actually, you can. In a recent study analysing the cost of living in the United States vs the United Kingdom, guess who came up trumps? That's right, America. In fact, on average across the United States, our groceries cost 13.57% less than in the UK. Add that up over a few years and you'll see some big savings, or some big financial losses if you choose to head to Blighty. 

Rent

Well, food is only one of the chief costs of living you might say. The biggest cost is rent, so how does that compare? Even worse if you live in the UK. Yes, on average the cost of rent in the United States is 21.20% cheaper than in Britain, with 1 and 3 bedroom apartments in the city centre and outside of the city centre all costing substantially less than their British counterparts. 

Look at prices in the country and the situation is even worse. Someone living in Truro, Cornwall can expect to pay a whopping 70% extra on their rental cost than someone living in Little Rock, Arkansas. Whether you're receiving housing benefit in the UK or not, it's hard to argue with those figures.

Is the Grass Actually Greener?

Though the UK may seem like a good way of escaping some of the more difficult aspect of America, be aware that Britain is by no means without its own financial pitfalls.

Downsizing – Financial Freedom without the Fuss

As we all know, fifty isn’t the ‘over the hill’ marker it always used to be. Life expectation increases year on year and hitting the big five oh only means that there is every chance you have another thirty or forty years still in you. For many people, their fifties are as big a change as their twenties; families have flown the nest and mortgages taken out in the seventies are, in many cases, paid off. Using the equity in your home to finance early retirement or raising the funds to help your own children get on the property ladder has never been easier.

Downsizing doesn’t just mean buying somewhere smaller. Take the time you need to find a property you truly love in an area that will suit your changing lifestyle. If you still work, consider trading a couple of hours a day commuting time in the short term for the calm beauty of the countryside in later years. On the other hand, if you love the city and want to remain in the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life, luxury apartments in the heart of the city are not just for young up and coming business executives. Whether it is a serviced apartment or a barge docked in a countryside marina; now is the time to embrace your dreams and leave the shackles of the family home behind you.

Take advantage of the expert advice out there; Quick Move Conveyancing has an excellent guide to choosing and finding a dedicated surveyor, and Zoopla has a range of really useful resources on UK house prices and average house prices by area. Using online resources takes the time and ‘legwork’ out of a search that probably took months if you bought your current home more than twenty years ago.

Use your equity wisely; find a financial advisor you can trust – ideally one that is independent and not affiliated with your bank. If you are going to help out children with deposits for their own home, get the paperwork in order. Family trust is all very well, but should the worst happen, it is important that the legal documents are in order. Bear in mind that the UK has laws about cash gifts to dependents and that if death occurs within seven years of a gift of over £250. Research inheritance tax laws properly and thoroughly and draw up the relevant paperwork.

Your Business Should Use the Benefits of a Serviced Office

For a company, regardless of size, the initial investment in facilities is always a consideration when adding up all the costs required to start trading. The initial deposits of income, hiring all services such as electricity, telephone and internet and purchase of office furniture and computer equipment are certainly considerable expenses and sometimes one may even start to question whether or not to start a new business because of them.

In addition to the financial aspect, it is also important to consider the legal part of being a tenant and pattern of a greater number of people. As expected, in this way the risks that the company faces are greater, for example, if the leased premises suffer an incident such as a fire, flood or a landslide, the legal representative must demarcate the liability company and if that could not be the case, then the company must correct the damage caused itself, generating with this an involvement with their cash flows.

One of the options presented to most clients, both micro and small or medium businesses is to hire the services of a virtual office. One of the best examples are the serviced offices in Sydney. Such offices have considerable advantages that start in an easier and safer way a company.

For example, one does not need to consider the initial investment costs for the procurement of services such as electricity or telephone, nor will they incur a decrease in cash flow from having to spend 2 or 3 months' rent as a deposit for use in local offices which will be established.

In the case of staff who answer phones and perform some secretarial activities, virtual offices also offer this service, so occupational risks and costs of recruiting and training significantly decrease or even disappear.

To decide whether it is best to make expenditures for income adequacy and operation of office or virtual office, it is important to know what the requirements of the new company will be at different stages as well as the profits generated.

Investing In Sustainable Technologies In 2014

© Guerito 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2013 was a good year for companies in sustainable technologies. Investors took to the risk and put up their finance portfolios on green investment opportunities. The trend is expected to continue even further in 2014. Investment forecasts predict that investors are going to double their investment portfolios in sustainable technologies in 2014.

Growing trends in Sustainable Technologies

Over the last couple of years, sustainable technologies have generated a lot of interest. Sustainable technologies promise to bring down the cost of production and at the same time conserve the environment. Advancement in technology has seen a number of technologies deliver on this promise. This is why many companies are interested in implementing one form or another of sustainable technologies.

Qualified engineers leaning towards sustainable technologies are also graduating from universities. This means the sectors are not short on manpower. From the current going-ons, ambitious engineers are expected to drive inventions and innovations in sustainable technology to push it to greater heights.

Investing in Sustainable Technologies

The demand for sustainable technologies has been on the rise over the last five years. On the other hand, supply is working to satisfy this demand. If you are a keen investor, 2014 should be the year you put your money in sustainable technologies. Below are some of the areas of sustainable technologies that hold a lot of promise:

Solar Energy

Solar energy has been around for a while and has always been a good sector for high net-worth, low risk investors. The good news is that solar energy is not about to slow down anytime soon. On the contrary, this sector will see tremendous growth in 2014.

Technology advancement has increased efficiency in harvesting and storage of solar energy. This means consumers of solar energy are getting satisfied. Moreover, more homes and industries are expected to take to solar energy. Several solar energy companies are coming up to satisfy this demand. Now is the opportune time to invest in such companies.

Water and Waste Management

Demand for water is at its peak in the United States. A number of companies centered on waste management to reclaim water have been set up. These companies are riding on the water demand wave. The wave is going to get even bigger as households and industries compete for the scarce water resources. When demand outstrips supply, the country will turn to sustainable technologies in water and waste management to solve this equation.

Water and waste management is an area which will see a lot of innovation in 2014. You can invest in companies specializing in sustainable technology in water and waste management as they are about to see immense growth.

Large-Scale Energy Storage

To encourage the move to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, there is a need to fill the vacuum on how the energies are stored. 2014 is the year when we will see innovations to address this problem. Solar and wind energy uptake is on the rise and innovations to enhance storage will only see the graph climb higher. Both households and industries are turning to renewable energy to cut on costs associated with fossil fuel.

Lots of innovations on energy storage are on the offing. This can only mean one thing; a breakthrough is imminent. Energy storage will prove to be profitable sector to have in your portfolio for 2014.

The whole world has shifted focus to sustainable technology to solve problems and increase productivity. In 2013, we saw sustainable technologies prove they can solve global problems. In 2014, companies in sustainable technology will seek to take their efforts a notch higher and provide practical solutions. The demand for such solutions is at an all time high. This means 2014 is the right time to put part of your finance portfolio in sustainable technologies.

Author Bio
Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he explains new green technologies and aims to encourage further study with a Marylhurst University Sustainability Degree.

What To Watch For This Tax Season

The tax season is the time of year when many families and individuals have to figure out what they owe in taxes or imagine what they are going to get back in a refund. However, there are some items that families and individuals have to look at to make sure that all of the bases are covered before a tax return is filed.

Each of these items are things for people over 50 to look out for when they are preparing their tax returns. There are considerations for people over 50 that are unique to them as parents and people with greater earning potential.

The House

Many people over 50 own their home and have for many years. However, house payments usually contain interest payments that can be used as deductions on a tax return. If the individual is going to make their payments faithfully, they should also use their interest payments to get a write-off on their return.

College

Many parents over 50 are paying for their children to go to college. These loans also have interest payments that can be written off just as they are with a home loan. However, the stressed parent of a college student may forget to deduct the interest payments that they have made while their child is still in college.

Dependents

Parents over 50 may also have dependents that they can name on their income tax return. Having dependent children who live at home at least for part of the year can help to reduce an older parent's tax liability simply because the dependent helps to reduce the tax bracket that the individual falls under. Even if the child is an adult, they may be considered a dependent child who can be claimed on an income tax return.

Capital Gains

Many people who have been earning money for quite a long time may also have a long list of investments that they are juggling to produce income or as part of the retirement planning process. However, every dollar that is earned from the dividends on these holdings or from the sale of these holdings must be reported. Many people may forget these things and fail to report them on their income tax return. Failing to report these items on a tax return could cause the individual to be audited now or in the future.

Side Businesses

Many people who work for a living also have side businesses where they own properties and rent to tenants or do work on the side to earn extra cash. These side businesses all produce income meant to finance the family, but this money has to be reported on income tax returns to avoid the ire of the government.

Every person who does a little bit of work on the side must be certain that they are not only calculating how much money they are making but also notating the deductions they can take for that business.

Mileage reports, business expenses from internet connections to office supplies and even electronic equipment can be used as deductions for these side businesses. The only way the side business will be worth it at the end of the year is if the individual deducts all of the items they use for the business.

When looking at home to finance the family activities for the year as well as preparing for tax returns at the end of the year, the family can put together a tax return that accounts for interest payments, dependent children, side businesses and investment income. Wit all of these factors in play, any family can feel safe during the tax season.

Author Bio
Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he offers tax tips to individuals and aims to encourage further study with a masters degree in accounting.