Deciding to place your home on the market is a major decision. Many people downsize once children leave home. Others look for a larger home to accommodate growing families. In today's high-tech world, setting your home up for a virtual tour increases the potential number of buyers.  

When you get your home ready for a virtual tour, enticing the buyer is the primary goal. You want to show the potential new homeowner the possibilities of owning your home. If you need help, our real estate agents can provide suggestions. Here are general areas to consider when preparing your home for a virtual tour.

Online listings have long been a crucial element in selling a home since most buyers start their search for a property online, and your listing is the first chance to make them fall in love. With so many communities sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, online listings have taken on even greater importance. Buyers are forced to shop from a distance, but that hasn't stopped them from wanting to find the right home! As our real estate agents can tell you, there are many reasons why your online house listing is even more important than ever before.

• More Buyers Than Ever Start Their Search Online
  Even before COVID-19, buyers from nearly every age and demographic flocked to online listings when trying to find their dream home. Whether shopping from across town or across the country, online listings provide an easy way to form a solid first impression of a home ... and maybe even fall in love. Buyers can easily filter search results to hone in on exactly the type of home they want, making it even more likely that your home catches their eye if it matches their needs. If you want to maximize the market for your home and reach the largest number of potential buyers, then an online listing is a must.

Working from home has become the new normal for so many people in these uncertain times, and making the transition can be a big adjustment. You may not have had to worry much about your home WiFi network when it was used for browsing, streaming, or gaming, but working from home makes strong WiFi performance a necessity. Our real estate agents have had to adapt along with everyone else, with virtual open houses and videoconferencing becoming the norm in our industry. So let's take a look at some tips to get the most out of your home WiFi, to make the work from home transition as smooth as possible.

• Is Your WiFi Network in Need of an Upgrade?
  There are a wide variety of tech tools available to improve your WiFi network, and while the cost is rarely prohibitive it can add up quickly. So it's worth considering whether your home network truly needs an upgrade, especially if you've purchased new WiFi equipment relatively recently. If you do need an upgrade, then it's important to decide whether you need to improve speed, coverage, reliability, or all of the above. Once you know exactly what you need to fix, it's easier to find the right tools for the job.
  
  

With the weather warming up, it's a great time to experiment with gardening. Not sure you have a green thumb? Don't worry, it's easier than you think! Even some of our real estate agents who have never gardened before are excited to start this new hobby. Here are some of the best tips to help you get started.

1. Decide What You Want to Grow
   First, it's helpful to think about what you want to grow. Do you want a full vegetable garden with a variety of foods? Would you prefer to plant some pretty flowers? Or maybe a small herb garden is more your speed.
   
   Don't over-think it! There's no right or wrong answer to this question and, remember, you can always change your mind next year.