Palos Verdes Home Improvements Cost vs Value 2018

3 months ago • Buyer Resources, Homeowner Information, Seller Resources

Palos Verdes Home Improvements Cost vs Value 2018

Palos Verdes homes owners ask me what they can do to get the highest sales price for their home. In addition to a realistic listing price, it is important to remove the clutter and stage your home along with possible home improvements. Which home improvements and remodeling projects give the greatest return on investment? For owners of Palos Verdes homes (and Los Angeles County) who choose upscale remodeling, the top three projects for 2018 are the same as last year but the returns are higher. The remodeling project with the highest return on investment is Garage Door replacement at a 145.6% return followed by Window Replacement (wood) at a 96.1% return (vinyl at 95.3%), and Grand Entrance (fiberglass) at a 90.8% return according to Remodeling Magazine’s “Remodeling 2018 Cost vs Value Report” (www.costvsvalue.com) © 2018 Hanley Wood Media Inc. As you can see, curb appeal is important to buyers who are getting the first impression of your home. In the midrange category, Manufactured Stone Veneer received the number one return on investment at an outstanding 157.2%!

Of the top 8 upscale remodeling projects with the best return on investment for Los Angeles County, 4 are under $25,000 and include both vinyl & wood window replacement, garage door replacement, and grand entrance (fiberglass). A Midrange Bathroom Remodel is $23,684 with a 90.8% return. An upscale Master Suite Addition, which is the most expensive at $292,649, only nets a 63.6% return.

Owners of Palos Verdes real estate remodel for different reasons, like the need for more space, to improve the functionality of specific rooms and to update them. Kitchen and bathrooms are usually the most expensive remodel as plumbing and/or appliances need to be moved and/or replaced. There is no specific report for Palos Verdes homes but there is a Remodeling 2018 Cost vs Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) for Los Angeles County which is broken down into Midrange priced projects and Upscale priced projects. When you go to the site (www.costvsvalue.com), choose Pacific region and then Los Angeles. You will be prompted to register before gaining access to the report. The beginning of the Report has descriptions of individual projects (both mid-range and upscale) and you can then compare to your own.

Remodeling just for resale rarely nets you a dollar for dollar return. Most remodels are done for the enjoyment of the homeowner (who still wants to maximize their return when they do sell). My experience is that most buyers are looking for newer kitchens, bathrooms, master suites and nice yards. Curb appeal is very important because it is the buyer’s first impression of the home.

To read my prior article on Cost vs Value 2017, click here.

Photo courtesy of Arvin Design

Rancho Palos Verdes 2018 Annual Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal

3 months ago • Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes 2018 Annual Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes will host their annual Document Shredding and E-Waste Disposal for residents during April. Document shredding and e-waste disposal are important for Rancho Palos Verdes homes owners. This gives home owners an opportunity to dispose of articles that cannot be picked up at regular trash collections.

Rancho Palos Verdes residents will have the opportunity on Saturday, April 21, 2018, to have their documents shredded by EDCO and the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. They are sponsoring this free document paper shredding from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center. The center is located at 30940 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes. This drop-off is for Rancho Palos Verdes residents only. Residents can safely dispose of personal documents right there on site. You can bring up to three “bankers” boxes per household.

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Roundup will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center. Some of the acceptable items include paint, batteries, old televisions & computers.

For year round Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Waste Disposal, you can go to the Gaffey Safe Center located at 1400 N. Gaffey Street, San Pedro. They are open on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

To read my prior article on Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal click here.

Photo courtesy of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Palos Verdes Transit Offers Free New Year’s Eve Rides On Peninsula

6 months ago • Community Events, Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Palos Verdes Transit Offers Free New Year’s Eve Rides On Peninsula

Palos Verdes Transit is again offering free bus rides to Palos Verdes residents on New Year’s Eve. This bus service is available to any Palos Verdes Peninsula resident from 6:00 p.m. on December 31, 2017, to 2:00 a.m. on January 1, 2018. This can be to and from a restaurant, party or even just a small get together. Additionally, Palos Verdes Transit will pick you up from your own home and return you there at the end of the evening. The PV Transit has been offering this free service for years and it is just one of the great services available to Palos Verdes residents.

You can begin making advanced reservations for one-way or round-trip rides as early as December 27, 2017. Call (310) 544-3710 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. If you are unable to call ahead, you can also call on December 31st for evening reservations. This is a great way to have a fun and safe Happy New Year!

To read my prior article on Palos Verdes Transit free New Year’s Eve rides click here.

Photo courtesy of City of Palos Verdes Estates Newsletter

Palos Verdes Free Post Holiday Tree Pick Up 2017 Schedules

6 months ago • Community Events, Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Palos Verdes Free Post Holiday Tree Pick Up 2017 Schedules

Palos Verdes home owners once again can have their Christmas trees picked up after the holiday for free!

Palos Verdes Estates residents are scheduled for pick up of their Christmas trees starting one week after the holiday January 1 through January 15, 2018. This year, service will be provided during your normal weekly trash pickup. Trees will be removed from your normal trash enclosure or trash area. After January 15, 2018, however, you are responsible to cut and bundle your tree securely with twine or rope and leave it in your trash area. Stands and all decorations including tinsel must be removed. Lightly flocked trees are acceptable. For more information, you can call Athens Services at (888) 336-6100.

The City of Rolling Hills will be recycling their trees as part of their regular trash pick-up program. Just put it out on your regular green trash day, and the trees will be picked up from December 26th through January 19, 2018. Remember to remove everything from the tree including the stand; flocked trees will be picked up also. However, if your tree is over 6 feet, you are required to cut it in half. For more information, call Waste Management at (310) 677-6500.

Rancho Palos Verdes will be recycling trees as part of their regular trash pick up from December 26 through January 15, 2018. Please remove everything from it and place it next to the cart. If your Christmas tree is over 4 feet tall, they ask that you cut the tree in half. This year they will also be offering the extra trash bags pick up if they are placed next to the gray trash cart. For more information, call EDCO Waste at (310) 540-2977.

Rolling Hills Estates will be recycling trees as part of their regular trash pick up from December 26 through January 13, 2018. All trees must have everything removed from them including the stand before pick up. For more information, call Waste Management at (800) 774-0222.

To read my last article on Holiday Tree Pick Up click here.

Palos Verdes Home Owners 2017 Halloween Safety Tips

8 months ago • Children's Events, Community Information, Homeowner Information

Palos Verdes Home Owners 2017 Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Here are some tips below to make your Palos Verdes home safe for Trick or Treaters:

Do Halloween Dangers Lurk at Your Entryway?
By: Oliver Marks
Is your front entryway ready for Halloween visitors? Keep everything fun and accident-free with these seven safety tips.
Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween — as long as it’s just a trick.

To help you avoid any real-life scares — such as falls, fires, and traffic accidents — around your property this All Hallows Eve, play it safe while you’re setting up your Halloween lights and decorations.

Here are seven simple precautions recommended by John Pettibone, curator of Hammond Castle, a Gloucester, Mass., mansion that draws thousands to its renowned 20-room haunted house every Halloween season.

1. Light the Scene

Providing plenty of illumination ensures that your visitors can see where they’re walking, helping to avoid missteps and falls. Pettibone suggests using the highest wattage bulbs your outdoor lighting fixtures can safely take (check the label on the socket), and adding landscape lights every few feet along your front walk.

“We use the solar-powered kind because there’s no wiring needed,” he says. “Just push them into the ground, let them soak up the sun during the day, and they’ll light up the walk after dark.”

2. Secure the Footing

Clear your walk, steps, and stoop of any obstructions that could trip youngsters focused more on tricks and treats than watching where they’re going. That means moving potted mums and jack o’lanterns out of the way, and hammering down any nail heads protruding out of your steps.

If you have a concrete stoop, which can get slippery when wet, apply friction tape ($16 for a 60-foot roll of 1-inch-wide tape) to ensure stable footing, says Pettibone. He also stocks up on chemical ice melt ($20 for a 50-lb. bag) just in case of an early freeze.

3. Tighten the Railings

If your porch railings are wobbly or broken, family members and friends may know not to lean too heavily on them, but Halloween visitors won’t. So hire a contractor or handyman to fix the problem. It’ll make your home safer for guests all year round. Because more strangers come to your front door this night than the rest of the year combined, now is the time to take care of it.

4. Eliminate Fire Hazards

Don’t put real candles into your carved pumpkins or paper lanterns. “That’s a fire waiting to happen,” says Pettibone. Instead, pick up a bulk pack of LED-bulb faux candles, which emit a yellowish, flickering, battery-powered light that looks amazingly similar to the real thing — without the danger.

5. Secure your Property

To prevent burglaries and Halloween pranks — especially on mischief night the previous evening — make sure to keep all windows and doors (other than your main door) locked shut.

You might have an electrician add motion-sensor lights around your property, so anyone who walks down your driveway or around into the backyard will be discouraged from intruding any farther.

6. Set the Scene

In addition to spooky items like cotton cobwebs and half-buried skeletons, consider a few safety-related scene-setters. Pettibone suggests propping open the screen or storm door so it doesn’t get in the way when there’s a big group of kids congregated on your stoop. “We use yellow caution tape to tie open the door,” he says. “You can order it online and it works well with the Halloween theme.” A 1,000-ft. roll of 3-inch-wide caution tape is about $8.

You’ll also want a working doorbell, so if yours is broken, either hire an electrician or handyman to fix it — or install a wireless doorbell in its place.

7. Enhance Street Safety

Four times as many child pedestrians get killed on Halloween night than a normal night. So limit the danger as much as you can by clearing parked cars off the curb to allow better visibility and placing a reflective “watch for children sign” at the edge of the road. For for high-traffic roads in Halloween-intensive neighborhoods, consider posting an adult in the street with a hand-held traffic control light to help maintain safety.

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

Rancho Palos Verdes 2017 Compost Workshop, Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal

1 year ago • Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes 2017 Compost Workshop, Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes will host a Composting Workshop, Document Shredding and E-Waste Disposal for residents during April. Document shredding and e-waste disposal are important for Rancho Palos Verdes homes owners. This gives home owners an opportunity to dispose of articles that cannot be picked up at regular trash collections.

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Roundup will take place on Saturday, April 8, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center. Some of the acceptable items include paint, batteries, old televisions & computers.

On Saturday, April 15, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the City will be offering a Composting Workshop (Beginners Level) for residents at Hesse Park located at 30940 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes.

Rancho Palos Verdes residents will have the opportunity on Saturday, April 22, 2017, to have their documents shredded by EDCO and the City of Rancho Palos Verdes. They are sponsoring this free document paper shredding from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center. The center is located at 30940 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes. This drop-off is for Rancho Palos Verdes residents only. Residents can safely dispose of personal documents right there on site. You can bring up to three “bankers” boxes per household.

To read my prior article on Document Shredding & E-Waste Disposal click here.

Photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes City Newsletter

Palos Verdes Home Improvements Cost vs Value 2017

1 year ago • Buyer Resources, Homeowner Information

Palos Verdes Home Improvements Cost vs Value 2017

Palos Verdes homes owners want the highest sales price for their home. In addition to a realistic listing price, it is important to declutter/stage your home along with possible home improvements. Which home improvements and remodeling projects give the greatest return on investment? For owners of Palos Verdes homes (and Los Angeles County) who choose upscale remodeling, the top three projects for 2017 are a little different from last year. The remodeling project with the highest return on investment is Garage Door replacement at a 97.7% return followed by Window Replacement (wood) at a 77.5% return (vinyl at 75.6%), and Grand Entrance (fiberglass) at an 69.3% return according to Remodeling Magazine’s “Remodeling 2017 Cost vs Value Report” (www.costvsvalue.com) © 2017 Hanley Wood Media Inc. Curb appeal is important to buyers who are getting the first impression of your home. In the midrange category, Manufactured Stone Veneer received the number one return on investment at an outstanding 112.8%!

Of the top 10 upscale remodeling projects with the best return on investment for Los Angeles County, 6 are under $25,000 and include both vinyl & wood window replacement, garage door replacement, grand entrance (fiberglass) and universal design bathroom. A Master Suite Addition which is the most expensive at $153,368 only nets a 53.5% return.

Owners of Palos Verdes real estate remodel for different reasons, like the need for more space, to improve the functionality of specific rooms and to update them. Kitchen and bathrooms are usually the most expensive remodel as plumbing and/or appliances need to be moved and/or replaced. There is no specific report for Palos Verdes homes but there is a Remodeling 2017 Cost vs Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) for Los Angeles County which is broken down into Midrange priced projects and Upscale priced projects. When you go to the site (www.costvsvalue.com), choose Pacific region and then Los Angeles. You will be prompted to register before gaining access to the report. The beginning of the Report has descriptions of individual projects (both mid-range and upscale) and you can then compare to your own.

Remodeling just for resale rarely nets you a dollar for dollar return. Most remodels are done for the enjoyment of the homeowner (who still wants to maximize their return when they do sell). My experience is that most buyers are looking for newer kitchens, bathrooms, master suites and nice yards. Curb appeal is also important because it is the buyer’s first impression of the home.

To read my prior article on Cost vs Value 2016, click here.

Photo courtesy of Arvin Design

Free New Year’s Eve Rides In Palos Verdes

2 years ago • Community Events, Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Free New Year’s Eve Rides In Palos Verdes

Palos Verdes Transit is again offering free bus rides to Palos Verdes residents on New Year’s Eve. This bus service is available to any Palos Verdes Peninsula resident from 6:00 p.m. on December 31, 2016, to 2:00 a.m. on January 1, 2017. This can be to and from a restaurant, party or even just a small get together. Additionally, Palos Verdes Transit will pick you up from your own home and return you there at the end of the evening. The PV Transit has been offering this free service for years and it is just one of the great services available to Palos Verdes residents.

You can start making advanced reservations for one-way or round-trip rides as early as December 26, 2016. Call (310) 544-3710 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. If you are unable to call ahead, you can also call on December 31st for evening reservations. This is a great way to have a fun and safe Happy New Year!

To read my prior article on Palos Verdes Transit free New Year’s Eve rides click here.

Photo courtesy of City of Palos Verdes Estates Newsletter

Palos Verdes Free Post Holiday Tree Pick Up Schedules

2 years ago • Community Events, Community Information, Homeowner Information, Things To Do In Palos Verdes

Palos Verdes Free Post Holiday Tree Pick Up Schedules

After the holidays, Palos Verdes home owners can have their Christmas trees picked up for free!

Palos Verdes Estates residents are scheduled for pick up of their Christmas trees beginning December 26, 2016, through January 13, 2017. This year, service will be provided during your normal weekly trash pickup. Trees will be removed from your normal trash enclosure or trash area. After January 13, 2017, however, you are responsible to cut and bundle your tree securely with twine or rope and leave it in your trash area. Stands and all decorations including tinsel must be removed. Lightly flocked trees are acceptable. For more information, you can call Athens Services at (888) 336-6100.

The City of Rolling Hills will be recycling their trees as part of their regular trash pick-up program. Just put it out on your regular green trash day, and the trees will be picked up from December 26th through January 13, 2017. Remember to remove everything from the tree including the stand; flocked trees will be picked up also. For more information, call Waste Management at (310) 677-6500.

Rancho Palos Verdes will be recycling trees as part of their regular trash pick up from December 26 through January 13, 2017. Once again, remember to remove everything from the tree. This year, they will also offer free extra trash collection during those dates. However, you must place the extra trash bags next to the gray trash cart. For more information, call EDCO Waste at (310) 540-2977.

Rolling Hills Estates will be recycling trees as part of their regular trash pick up from December 26 through January 13, 2017. All trees must have everything removed from them including the stand before pick up. For more information, call Waste Management at (800) 774-0222.