Home Value - 02-15-10
I recently got into thinking about the value of my home. Renting in a
Makati Apartment, I would eventually get out of here later on and try to find a home I can call my own. And when that time comes, I would like to be able to get rid of my apartment and get a decent amount for it. So I asked a friend on how to raise the value of my apartment and this is what I got:
When wanting to put a piece of real estate up for sale in the market, it is common to think of means on how to heighten the probability of getting a high house evaluation. It is good to note that increased appraisals lead to increased market worth. Prior to having the property assessed there are numerous activities to be done. These activities may need effort and time, yet they are warranted to be valuable in the long run.
Carry out some cleaning
A clean property, no matter how undersized or big is good to see. As such, it is ideal to have the house thoroughly cleaned as prelude to getting it appraised. Typical sweeping and scrubbing is not enough. It must be cleaned from one end to the other. Not even a spot must be remain from the outer yards to each bedchamber the home has. Comfort rooms must also be scrubbed and disinfected.
Renovate and Restore
A home that appears like it is well tended to can go a long way, firstly because it will keep the home standing for a lengthier time and cause it can produce a better assessment when planned to be sold||put on the market||. Therefore, it is good to retouch the coat, fix all that is busted and maintain the floorboards nailed to the ground. Removed wallpapers must also redressed.
Go green
Plants exude a feeling of rest and relaxation. A house fenced by plant life give off a warm vibe which may result to a nice notion. For a property to be appraised, it is good to have flora in the yard or on clay containers all over the place. It will make the property look like a haven.
Plot the Lot
Appraisers are usually driven away when a house is shown without papers that plot the full area of the property. Fences help when faced with this type of crisis. However, if markers are not fit it is best to have the house plan at hand. The property plan may be handed to the appraiser to help in finding the property’s size.
Point of Comparison
It’s also a nice thing for appraisers to learn the prices of other homes being sold inside the area of one’s home. By having an idea on the general value of homes in the area, giving a cost on your property can be effortless. There will be a basis for comparing.
Keep track of finances
It’s not a terrible notion to store the receipts of items or labors paid for. The total of cash utilized for having necessary upgrades as well as a few more alterations should be totaled. This is to ensure that the funds used as for the restoration of the home can be earned again via the property.
Look for the perfect appraiser
Finding the perfect evaluator is not an easy job. It eats time as well as need work. Even though there exist many fish available for hire, not all of them are capable of giving what can be required. Thus, it is essential to carefully select the evaluator.
Nothing should be left behind
Not a piece must be left points that after applying the pre-appraisal necessities like cleaning, repairing, and restoring, it must be seen to it that the appraiser will be able to assess all parts of the home. In most cases, other areas are left seen. This at times leads to a low appraisal, making the sale nothing but a money-eating venture.
Subsequent to getting everything prepared for the evaluation, it is now time to have the house presented.
Makati Real Estate Investment - 02/01/10
I recently had a talk with a friend of mine about my
Makati real estate. For me, it is really a fine piece of property. I'm living near my office which means big savings on transportation and I'm close to almost every establishment I may need such as restaurants, hospitals, malls and more. Plus, the service in Makati is great. You know that police and firemen can respond quickly to your needs. At the same time, crime rate here is lower compared to other cities in the Metro Manila area. But for him, it is a lot more than that.
Not only does my Makati home give me the freedom, comfort and accessibility that I need, but, according to my friend, it also gives me a great opportunity to earn big in the future. Living in an apartment, I don't really plan to spend my whole life here. Eventually I would like my own house in a gated village may such as a
house in Bel Air or even somewhere outside of Makati. Anyway, my friend told me that when that time comes, if I do it right, I may be able to turnover my apartment and earn more money than what I have spent.
Makati real estate is on high demand. More and more people, both foreigner and locals alike, are looking for a place in the city so that they can be close to work and close to everything else they may need; the exact same reason I moved into this apartment in the first place. Now what my friend told me is to really take care of the apartment. Make sure that there are no cracks anywhere, pipes are not clogged and that the apartment is ready for any connection such as cable, phone and internet. Basically this means preparing something old to be sold as something new. Instead of my apartment depreciating, the goal is to even increase its value.
For me this is something to really consider. If I am able to do this, then I wouldn't have a problem affording a house in the future. Turns out that my Makati apartment is an investment in more ways than one.
A Real Day Off
The meaning of a day off or vacation, or even simple rest and relaxation, can be different from one person to another. For some people, a vacation is comprised of traveling to an exotic location and doing something new or different. Other people loves to go out at night and party hard till the wee hours. On the other hand, for some people, a simple alone time is sufficient enough.
Last week, I was given an extra day off from my work and it landed on a Friday so I essentially had a three day weekend! Woohoo! Anyways, I thought about what to do with all the time I was given. I could've went on a trip to a beach or to Tagaytay to cool down; but it was already cold here in
Makati. I thought about catching a movie with friends, but again I decided not to since malls are usually packed nowadays and I hate crowds. Eventually, I found something out about myself. I was one of those people who simply wants to spend some time alone and ponder on stuff. So I went out Friday morning, bought a book, some chips and rented several DVDs from my local video store. I then crashed in my
Makati apartment.
I read the book, watched all the DVDs I love and movies I haven't seen before while stuffing myself with my favorite junk food (i.e. one pound burger, 9 piece sushi, couple of liters of Pepsi and more).
Monday came, and I felt like a million bucks. I never thought that doing "mundane" things can be very rewarding. I felt so refreshed, so energetic and stress free that Morning. Unfortunately I think it was kind of like a sugar rush effect as by Tuesday night I was again, stressed to the bone. Dang.
Helping a Friend
A friend of mine recently decided to move out from his dorm in Manila and move to an
apartment in Makati for several reasons. One, a dorm isn't fully equipped to meet his needs. A apartment or condo will be able to provide him with better security, connectivity and other amenities such as swimming pool and gym access. Although it will come at a higher price, it will certainly be worth it for the additional stuff.
The second reason why my friend will be moving to a
Makati real estate property is to be closer to his work. Although his dorm is only 20min drive from his work, traffic extends travel time to almost an hour. By owning his own place here, he will be able to simply walk over to work. Plus, he gets to save on gas.
After browsing through some newspaper ads, which aren't that much of a help mind you, and the internet, we were able to grab hold of a real estate agent to tour my friend (I was tagging along) and arrange a visit to a prospective apartment. He was looking for a properly located apartment, one which has great amenities and in a building which takes the initiative for using
green real estate technologies (he's a bit of a tree hugger). Sad to say, the agent canceled on several occasions and made lame excuses for it. Very unprofessional. I will not mention who the agent is anymore.
Eventually we got there this morning. The apartment that was featured on the ad and the apartment we saw were...well...like two completely different apartments altogether! Very very disappointing. My friend decided to switch to a different agent, one who is much more professional.
We are browsing through the internet again and hopefully will get better luck next time.
A Makati New Year
Spared no expense. That was what I did during my New Year here in Makati. Thousands and thousands of people gathered from everywhere to eat, be merry and have fun in Makati City. Me, instead of going to a big celebration (there was one hosted by a TV network giant in Mall of Asia), I opted to have my own big time celebration.
In preparation for the event, I first invited friends to come over at around 10PM on Dec 31. After seeing an estimated headcount of 20 people, I started preparations for the meal, drink and of course, the fireworks!
After a visit to the nearby grocery (I have to remember to send my realtor a greeting card for getting me this wonderful
Salcedo apartment), I started cooking. I planned to serve some Pesto Pasta, Grilled Chicken with lemon sauce, Mushroom sauteed in white wine and extra spicy Nachos topped with pickled Jalapeño peppers.
For the main event, I had bought four kinds of different fireworks. The real star however, is a simple firework that looks like a basketball. It's called "bawang" and I believe it is something that Bin Laden would want for his arsenal. Kidding aside, this thing really packed a huge punch. You should be at least thirty feet away if you don't want your ear drums to burst.
Aside from our own celebration of course, thousands of other people are also celebrating. It was really an awesome sight. Fireworks are going off everywhere you look. People are all cheering and shouting with joy optimistic that the New Year will bring better fortune.
My Top 10 Food Stops in Makati
Well, it’s been a while. I was out and about busily exploring the city (again). I was pretending to flip through pages of streets and spying on nice places to eat and hang out. My friends who also live in Makati were with me the whole time. It was both hilarious and tiring at the same time. Check out the troves we saw.
Try hitting Glorietta in mid-day and you’ll find that when there are no rushing people around, it’s the perfect place to catch a break. Go eat at:
• Burger King (BK)- This is a cool place because they offer meal packages that can really bring out a dino-burp.
• Magic Wok- The food is also fit for your budget and it’s really satisfying in a full-stomach kind of way.
• Sbarro- Yes. Me and my friends are fans of fastfood. We are part of the fastfood generation or perhaps just people without their own kitchens and cooking talents.
• Starbucks- you don’t just drink coffee, smoke, and hang out here. You can also eat here
Aside from these, also try The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Ayala. Their blue-berry cheesecake may just complete your day. There are also lower-priced stalls. If you live in Makati and don’t know these, you don’t really
live in Makati. There is Andok’s and Tapa King at Jupiter st., or go to Amber’s at Palanan and have a taste of their unforgettable spaghetti. In SM Makati’s food court, you can also find Paotsin. Eat the green Hainanese rice with a stick of dumplings. If you’re running out of cash swerve to the cheaper cheap ones. There’s a Barbecue and Tapsihan near Amber’s. The food and service is good there, but the price is really cheap.
My Slice of Makati
I got home late yesterday. For a BPO employee
renting in Makati, getting home at 11:30 is late. I forgot that it was Monday and the streets are jammed with more vehicles on this day of the week. I have been living in the city for almost two years now and I seem to have completely ignored this downside. But who can blame me? Makati has so many better things in its sleeves besides the traffic jam.
First are the malls. There are so many beautiful malls in Makati. Coffee shops in them are good hang-out places. Their department stores are on sale almost all year round. You can find everything you need, juts walk in. In Glorietta, there are lots of stylish boutiques. In Landmark, the grocery items are cheaper but of the same quality. And in Greenbelt, the scenery is just so relaxing, just looking around can already make you smile.
Second, the restaurants serve a gastronomic adventure. Amber’s which can be found at Palanan, near Cash and Carry just makes perfect spaghetti. Although the price is not as cheap as other local stores, it is all worth it. Plus, a slice of Brooklyn pizza can satisfy for hours.
A third reason that makes Makati such a nice place despite of the traffic is the trains. The MRT which has stations in almost all important corners of the city, the LRT at the end of Buendia, these trains make me feel close to every spot in the Metro. Just a ride and I can get to the heart of Manila, to Quezon City, or to Pasay. The trains are just a great help.
With these three things, my life in Makati becomes complete. I may not have my family around, but I got friends who are always with me, especially when touring the business district called Makati.
The City Life
I was just a fresh grad during the time I first moved in to Metro Manila. I thought this is the beginning of everything. I got hired in a great position in a BPO company, I knew that commuting from my province to the city is suicide. Sadly, I needed to get my own place and be away from my family. Homesickness was my main problem. But I eventually saw that the city presented several places that can lessen homesickness. Malls and plazas are plentiful, museums and libraries as well. More importantly, the night scene in Makati is extraordinary. I saw that this is the best place to live in.
Just like my job, I found my place through browsing the internet. A lot of websites offer numerous of rentable places, starting from affordable bed spaces to expensive condo units. I decided to go for the middle ground. It’s a really nice studio type apartment near my place of work. The monthly rent is well worth it. I can stay with a tight budget while living the life. I can go buying things I want, food, and visit places for recreation.
The key is budgeting. All the cash that is to be spent within a month should be added up then subtracted from the monthly wage. To get some savings, double check for products that can be scrimped. Purchasing in bulk especially every day items like salt and pepper, cleaning products and maintenance products can be very helpful. For home decorations, I tried to be resourceful instead of expensive. Through this, my place became an extension of my original home. All it took was some math and a big dose of discipline.
Discipline, I remember my mother kept on telling me to always have this value in me. At school I had a glimpse of it, but now that I’m already working and living by myself it just has a new meaning to me. Discipline does not hold back freedom like other people would think. As a matter of fact, discipline can help make freedom that much more appreciable. From following it I truly am capable to live the urbs life I have always dreamed of.
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