Quick Tips - The Best Hiding Places Where Buyers Will Never Look!

What do you do when your Realtor calls and wants to show your home in say, half an hour? Jump for joy first, since someone wants to look at YOUR home, right? Then, panic. As you hang up the phone, you notice that your teenagers have been at it again…your house is CLEAN, it’s just not TIDY. Now, what do you do?

Since we all know that the first impression is important, especially if you want to sell your home in the next decade, we have a few tips that will help you quickly hide away “stuff.” But first, you have to know where the buyers are going to look, and ensure that these places are constantly tidy.

Places that buyers will look include the oven, any closets, kitchen drawers, laundry room, and the kitchen pantry. Think about it; these places give them an indication, essentially, of how much storage space there is. If they’re overflowing, the buyers will think there just isn’t enough room to store their own things, since obviously you don’t have the space. If you need a reminder of the basics of preparing your house for sale, refer back to our book, How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast.

Don’t defeat your efforts by stashing clutter in these places at the last minute, no matter how tempting it may be! Enough of that! What you want to know is, at the last minute, where CAN you hide things?

Under The Bed

It’s spacious, easy to get to, and no one in their right mind would get down on their hands and knees to look there during their first visit. In addition, kids are probably used to stashing things there anyway, and can help you.

In The Washer And Dryer

Who hasn’t seen the commercial where a little kid has stashed a pet in there? We don’t recommend putting your pets in there, but clothes and shoes and “stuff” can easily fit. Although buyers like to look in the laundry to see the size and neatness, they won’t be looking to see if you actually have things in there. Our caution is to let everyone in the family know that it’s a hiding place, and to never start the machines without checking the contents first.

Sensory Solutions - Using Your Senses To Locate Problem Areas (Cont.)

Is there a leak in the bedroom ceiling or windows causing mold and mildew? Often banishing odors takes little more than identifying the cause – cigarette smoke and butts, old tennis shoes, pets, dead critters in the attic or basement, dirty litter boxes – then cleaning and freshening the area. Ban smoking in the house while it’s on the market, send pets to live elsewhere, clean drapes and carpets, and empty ashes from the fireplace. Open windows and doors to allow fresh air to come in, and replace odors with lightly scented candles or potpourri.

Just as one gets used to looking at certain problems – such as the stain your son made on the carpet when he spilled his barbecue chicken last summer – it’s natural to stop hearing minor sounds after awhile. Be certain, though, that the buyer will hear them. Most likely your trusted friend will point them out, too. Is there a chorus of squeaks throughout the house?

Perhaps it’s time to have the air conditioner and heater checked for dirty filters or loose fan belts. Or is one of the squeaks coming from a lose door hinge? Squeaky doors and windows can be silenced with a good spray of WD-40 applied to their tracks. Does it sound like an intruder is trying to break a window? It could be the tree that scrapes the dining room window when the wind blows. A quick trim would alleviate the problem.

Bathrooms have their own set of noises – does the toilet keep running after it’s been flushed? Does the tub faucet drip when not in use? These are often silenced inexpensively by replacing the float mechanism in the toilet tank and washers in the faucet. Often taking care of noises will also reduce costs in electricity and water.

How does one experience the sense of touch – or feeling – in a house? Certainly the temperature plays a part. You don’t want a buyer to shiver while walking through your house, nor do you want her sweating bullets, either.

If you prefer extreme temperatures in your home, look to your trusted friend for guidance in the temperature department. Buyers will also touch doorknobs and mini-blind levers, so make sure they all turn easily. The same goes for knobs and levers on any appliances and cabinets. Repair or replace those that require extra pressure to turn or open. And don’t forget that fingers also find hidden dirt, so while the white glove test may seem a bit trite, this may be a good time to use it. Buyers don’t want to feel dust and grime on their hands after using the banister, opening a cabinet or leaning across a window sill.

Now you know what you should experience during your sensory home tour. Take a few moments to prepare your mind for the experience: Go outside for a few minutes, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths – a home selling equivalent to cleansing your palate between dinner courses. Enter your home, close the door and tour your home the sensory way.

Sensory Solutions - Using Your Senses To Locate Problem Areas

When preparing your home for the real estate market, one needs a fresh and honest perspective about the total effect of the house – and not just your own. Prospective buyers notice everything because walking through your house is a totally new experience for them. They feel the air temperature, notice cleanliness and colors, hear noises and smell odors. As a seller, you need to create a similar experience for yourself in order to locate all problem areas that need to be corrected. So, you think your home is ready to show?

Give your house a sensory test by changing your perspective. Walk through and analyze your house twice – once during the day and once at night. You’ll notice those dirty windows more during the day but may miss the debris clouding the overhead kitchen light that’s more noticeable at night. Also, try crawling across a room on your hands and knees – you’re more likely to come across those grimy baseboards or unsightly bare electrical outlets when you’re closer to the ground. Lying on your back will provide a better look at ceiling fans, lighting, spots on the ceiling, cobwebs in corners or cracks at the top of walls. Fix what you find and then give the home one more test: Recruit a trusted friend to put it through the same scrutiny. Be sure that you and your friend each use your senses to analyze the house – sight, smell, hearing, and touch.

Sight is the most obvious sense to use when searching for problem areas. Before analyzing each room, make sure light bulbs are the appropriate wattage and work properly. Then, look closely at the walls for scratches, marks, cobwebs, missing or broken light switch plates, and mold or mildew. Are wall clocks dusted and set properly? Check ceilings for brown spots, water stains, dirt, cob webs and dusty fans. Analyzing the floor may seem ridiculous since you walk on it all the time, but often defects are overlooked during the course of the day. Search for uneven floors, worn or soiled carpet, and water stains. Do area rugs need to be cleaned or replaced? Does the wood floor need refinishing? In the kitchen and bathrooms, test faucets for leaks and replace if necessary. Also check the walls, shower, tub and sink for mold. Scrub with a mixture of bleach and water to eliminate mold and mildew. Everything should look clean and sparkling.

Often odor is a more accurate indicator of a problem than sight. A carpet may look clean but after crawling across it you might detect odors from pets, smoke and ground-in food. A peculiar smell is often caused by mold especially in bathrooms, though unnoticed water damage my cause this problem in other areas of the house, too. Like other odor sources, mold can usually be removed but will return if the cause is not addressed. Do you need better ventilation in the bathroom?

Find Out More About Who Is Looking At Buying Your Home!

Why on earth would you want to know more about who’s looking at homes? Simply put, to help you sell it! The more you know about the types of buyers in the market, the better prepared you and your Realtor will be to package your house for sale.

In real estate there are some commonly used classifications that cover the bulk of home buyers. They are First-Time Home Buyers, Trade-Up Buyers, Trade-Down Buyers, and Empty Nesters.

First-Time Home Buyers:

More than one-third of all home buyers fit into this category. The homes they look for are modestly priced, often just enough to get them out of an apartment or other rental. This first home will hold them until their family or finances begin to grow and stabilize.

Coming from a rental situation, their requirements are privacy and storage space, although the true motivation is pride of ownership and getting away from paying rent.

Because this is a new experience for them, they’re more nervous about buying than someone who’s done it before. A special effort has to be made to assure them that they’re considering a sound investment, which they’ll have no trouble selling in later years.

Usually when you work with a first-time home buyer, financing is the biggest obstacle to getting the house sold. The key to this transaction is a great mortgage lender. Many people in this group who actually could buy your property don’t believe that they have enough money or good enough credit to own a home.

Trade-up Buyers:

This group is typically well-established in their careers and has stability in both their professional and personal lives.

With today’s economy and the influx of Internet entrepreneurs, many of these families are getting to this stage in their early 30s. Bearing in mind the shrinking family size, the trade-up buyer is motivated by prestige; therefore curb appeal and nice neighborhoods are high on their priority list.

Their principal goal is to find a larger home. Specific features that this group considers important include a formal living room with a separate family room, a formal dining room, extra closet and pantry space, and an impressive entry.

Price is not as important to this segment as the size of monthly payments, a motive that provides the opportunity for creative financing.

Trade-Down Buyers:

As the baby boomers head toward retirement and life span lengthens, there’s a growing category of buyers who are moving from large homes to smaller ones. This group includes those who because of divorce or financial difficulty have decided to move into a more manageable space. The other component is the people whose children have grown up and left a home that has become too large for two people – the Empty Nesters.

With the prevalence of divorce, there’s been an increase in single-parent households. Trade-down buyers often have the emotionally difficult task of facing a cut in their standard of living. These buyers want to have the shock minimized by being offered similar lifestyle statements provided to the trade-up buyers.

Empty Nesters:

Nearly 60% of people 55 and older who plan to move, do so to smaller homes. They want lower cost and maintenance, better security and more convenience.

They also prefer a more casual living space. They would opt for a great room over a formal living room and they prefer a combined kitchen and eating areas.

By emphasizing different features of your home, you can appeal to the special needs or desires of each market segment.

The unique skill of the Realtor is to match a home buyer with a home seller, so they both get what they need and desire out of a home. Chances are, as a seller, you’re also in one of these categories. What are you going to do after you sell? Move into a larger home, or move into a smaller one?

Questions That Buyers Will Ask Themselves About Your Home!

Before you list your home, think about the five questions that homebuyers will ask themselves about your house – and be prepared to answer them. If your house measures up the best against others when these questions are asked, yours will be the quickest to sell.

Is This A Good Location?

We’ve all heard the adage, “location, location, location.” There's a reason for that. No one wants to live in a bad neighborhood. They’ll even drive a little further to get to work if they love the neighborhood and/or their kids can go to better schools. Think about how many people live in Greenwich, Connecticut and commute into New York City. Why would they do this? The perception of better schools, cleaner air, more house for less money, more space, and people like themselves, among other things.

You have to create the perception of a great neighborhood – that you're “next to” the ritziest area of town, or near a great park or museum, or in the best school district, or have great access to the highway or metro for commuters, or that it’s the “new hot place to live.” Think of the benefits and create a “headline” of the benefits.

What Does It Cost?

Be realistic. You’re competing with other people who have a three-bedroom, two-bath home to sell. If you ask much more than the market will bear, it will take longer to sell your home.

When you sit down with a Realtor to list your home, you should ask what other homes have sold for in your neighborhood – and what homes in similar condition, with similar features, are selling for in your area.

How Does It Look?

Make your home the jewel of the neighborhood – the place that everyone wants to be. Assuming nothing is majorly wrong, here are a few things that you can do to give a great first impression.

Fix the driveway. It’s the first thing they see close-up, and sets the tone for how the buyer will see the rest of your home. If it’s cracked or stained, they’ll look for similar problems inside your home.

Mow the yard, trim the shrubs and plant some flowers – this gives a warm, inviting feeling. Think about how new homes are always so perfectly landscaped and strive to be the same.

Paint the front of the house – or at least the front door. This is the first actual contact that a buyer has with your home; give it the feel of a well-tended home.

Lastly, unclutter the place. Start packing the knick-knacks and moving your furniture into storage. This gives you a head start on moving, and gives the buyer a chance to imagine their own “stuff” in the house, leading them one step closer to making it their own.

Spend A Little Get A Lot!

• Improve safety by ensuring that windows and doors can’t slam shut; fixing loose handrail on porches, decks, and stairways; and removing dangerous tools, sharp objects and hazardous materials from the garage.


• Rent a bank safe deposit box to store cash and small valuables as long as your house is being shown.


• Consider replacing hinges and springs on the garage door. They’re relatively inexpensive and improve safety.


• If you’re three or four months away from marketing your house, consider reseeding the lawn instead of laying sod. Reseeding takes longer, but is much less expensive than sod.


• Replacing a cracked and broken walkway with cement stepping stones purchased from a home improvement store is an inexpensive but attractive way to create a new path to the front door.


• Your house should be comparable to others in the neighborhood. For example, if most of your neighbors have granite counter tops or tiled floors, consider upgrading yours.


• Begin the repair process by making your own home inspection. Walk around the yard and through the house and take notes about the problem areas, needed repairs, items to discard or store, and things to replace.


• Crayon and marker on walls require treatment before painting the room. Sand the marked area with sandpaper; seal it with shellac and then paint over the spot. This will enable the paint to stick and cover the marks.


• As you self-inspect your home, make notations on Post-it Notes and stick them in the area that needs attention. This gives an instant visual reminder of what needs to be done in each room.
• Use the proper type of paint for each surface you need to cover. Kitchen and bathrooms require paint that can withstand heat and moisture. Consult a professional at a paint store for advice.
• Create an information booklet containing property tax statements; records of maintenance, service work, warranty work and improvements made to the house; utility bills; and warranties for the roof, pool, spa, electrical systems and major appliances.
• Immediately before showing the house, make the home inviting by cleaning windows, opening the drapes, turning on lights and playing soft music.
• Keep under-the-bed storage containers handy for last minute clean up. Fill them with clutter and shove them out of sight.
• Light a couple of lightly scented candles to give a feeling of warmth and add a nice aroma
• If basement stairs lack a handrail, then add one. It’s safer and, in most states, required by law.
• Revitalize a tree or bush by trimming dead leaves and branches.
• Get rid of odors by cleaning drapes and carpets, scooping out the cat’s litter box daily, and emptying ashtrays each day.
• Keep a log of all improvements made and appliances purchased so you can remember what to include in the real estate listing.
• Adding closet organizers, building shelves, and adding rooms are not cost effective and won’t add to the sale price of the house.
• To save money, fix a leaking roof instead of replacing it.
• Professional window cleaners suggest donning rubber gloves then washing windows with a commercial window cleaner and newspaper. The newsprint creates extra sparkle.

The Kitchen - Heart Of The House! (Cont.)

mileage out of fewer dollars.

When the basics are completed, invest in good cleaning supplies and scrub every inch of that kitchen like it’s never been scrubbed in the house’s history. Remove magnets and everything else from the refrigerator door. In fact, clean out the inside as well. Use a sponge and antibacterial cleaner to scrub dirt, grease and food particles from the surfaces. Unless you have a self-cleaning oven, use oven cleaner to make the oven spotless inside, including the door.

Use antibacterial cleaner to clean the stovetop and any other spot you can reach. Clear off all counters in order to clean and disinfect them. Replace only the items you use every day and limit them to three.

Remember to clean small appliances before returning them to the counter or cupboard. Everything else should be packed away and stored.

If your kitchen also serves as “command central” for the family, be sure to take care of this area as well. Clean the phone with antibacterial cleaner and a paper towel. Remove outdated notes from the bulletin board or remove the entire board and store it in a closet. Sort through items in the mail organizer and throw out as much as possible and file everything else. If you can do without the organizer for awhile, clean out the letters and store it with the bulletin board. If there’s an alternate space to locate your command central, then do so. This will make the kitchen area look more organized and functional.

As long as your house is open to prospective buyers, be extra careful to keep the kitchen free of dirt and clutter. Wash and put away dishes, pots and pans after each meal.

Never, ever leave dirty dishes in the sink for others to see. Clean and store small appliances, such as food choppers, immediately after each use. Be sure to wipe down the counters and sink following each meal.

Sweep the floor daily and wipe up any spilled food as soon as it hits the tile. Give the floor a good mopping at least once a week or whenever it looks less than spotless. Keep the towel and dish cloth clean and hanging on rails. If the kitchen is put back into top shape after each use then it will eliminate frantic, last-minute efforts to clean leftover messes.

Just before prospective buyers arrive to look at the house, double-check the details. Have you turned on all the lights? Are the towels clean and hanging on a rail? Do you need to give the faucets a quick wipe? Does the garbage need to be taken outside? Everything is ready? Light a gingerbread-smelling candle, put on some soft music and wait for the doorbell to ring.

The Kitchen - Heart Of The House!

The kitchen. Yep, it’s the room that holds the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and assorted smaller appliances. But it’s also the center around which the house revolves – a gathering place, communication center, and a warm and cozy room to receive nourishment. As such it must be spotless, sparkling and spacious. Potential homebuyers want to feel they can eat off the floor or the tops of appliances even though they would never do it.

While massive kitchen remodeling isn’t a good idea when you’re preparing to put your home on the market, replacing old, inefficient appliances may be a good idea. Not only does this make the kitchen seem updated without a lot of work, but also “new appliances” looks good on the listing.

Make sure your garbage disposal is in good working order. If it doesn’t work properly, have it fixed or replaced. You don’t have one? Have one installed. Many a cook has said that the garbage disposal is the one appliance they must absolutely have in their kitchen!

Check your sink, pipes and faucets for leaks. Replace chipped porcelain or a rusty stainless steel sink. If faucets leak, replace them with an inexpensive set with a simple design. If your faucets are in good condition, this is a good time to replace the washers to keep them from wearing out while your house is on the market.

For heavy duty plumbing issues, call a professional plumber.

Sellers need to “lighten up” when preparing their kitchens for the onslaught of potential buyers. At the very least, clean the walls until they sparkle by scrubbing them with detergent and a sponge. However, spending some extra money on a light shade of paint will make the room look fresh and clean. Paint the walls and trim. If your cabinets are dark and out of style, paint them, too. Go with neutral colors like beige or white because they make the room look bigger and brighter.

Keep rooms bright with natural sunlight and light fixtures. Keep windows clean and curtains open. Install lights over counters, food preparation areas and the stove. This is a convenient time to reset the stove clock, too. Replace light bulbs in existing fixtures and increase wattage if necessary. Allow maximum light to shine by cleaning anything the light shines through – domes, shades, chandeliers, etc.

Adding new accents instead of making major changes will save time and money. New handles on cabinets and drawers will complete their updated look. Ditch dark window treatments and replace them with an inexpensive, airy-looking valance in a pale color. If flooring is damaged and must be replaced, opt for a simple pattern no-wax floor or neutral tile. The idea is to get the most

Spend A Little Get A Lot

• Opt for neutral paint and carpets but add splashes of color with area rugs, napkins, flowers, pillows, curtains, drapes and towels.


• Make the fireplace a focal point – polish your fireplace tools and arrange logs in the fireplace. On cold days, light a welcoming fire.


• Selling a vacant house? Consider renting a few pieces of furniture to create a cozy atmosphere.


• Just before showing your house, turn on all the lights – including closet and oven lights, and those over the stove and kitchen counters. This makes the house look bigger and brighter.


• Place a small rug in front of doors leading outside so visitors can wipe their feet, particularly if it is raining or snowing.


• To give your house an inviting aroma, pour a small amount of vanilla extract on a cookie sheet and place in a warm, NOT HOT, oven.
  
  

Casting Out Clutter! (Cont)

Keep in mind that nothing is sacred when a house is on the market. Anything that can be opened in any room – closets, drawers, cabinets, shower curtains, pantry doors – will be explored by potential buyers. Clean out and organize closets, drawers and the pantry. Keep the shower spotless and remove shampoo and conditioner bottles or any other personal care items.

In the bedroom, remove half the clothes from each closet, put shoes on a rack and hang purses and belts on pegs or organizers. Don’t forget to recycle all those newspapers you have stashed in the hall closet. Leave no cabinet door unopened or unclean.

In her book, Simple Steps You Can Take to Sell Your Home Faster And for More Money in Any Market, Ilyce R. Glink suggests creating a “clutter collector” in areas where papers and writing utensils seem to collect.

Glink’s clutter collector is a large, flat storage box that’s kept where mail and schoolwork seem to end up each day. Keep all receipts, old phone messages, pens and pencils, children’s artwork, permission slips and other miscellaneous papers in the box. Just before a potential buyer is scheduled to arrive for a showing, store the cutter collector underneath a bed.

Whew! Now that you’ve decluttered your house, what do you do with the items that you no longer need but are still usable? You have several options. If you donate them to a charity, you may be able to receive an income tax deduction for the value amount. An added bonus: Often these organizations will pick up donations so you can spend your time elsewhere.

You can always sell unwanted items through consignment shops, classified ads, garage sales, tag sales or an auction. It might be nice to have a little extra cash to help pay moving expenses. But if you can’t bear to part with these unnecessary treasures, self-storage may be the right answer for you. Rented storage units are particularly convenient places to keep furniture, seasonal sports gear, holiday decorations, and patio furniture.

If clearing clutter seems like an overwhelming task, just remember two things. First, reducing clutter makes each room easier to clean. There are fewer objects to move when dusting and vacuuming. And don’t forget what’s down the road: The move. The more you clean out or box up, the easier it will be to prepare to move after your house sells. Since you’ll have more important things to do at that time, doesn’t it make sense to get it done before your buyer looks at the house?

Casting Out Clutter!

Love those toy trains from your childhood? Totally attached to your collection of moose stuff? Dedicated to your college fraternity memorabilia? Take a deep breath and a long gaze – then box ‘em up and ship them out to a storage facility or at least to a hidden spot under your bed. For no matter how much sentiment these personal items hold for you, these little treasures are nothing but CLUTTER to prospective buyers.

Clearing clutter from your home accomplishes two things; it makes areas of the house easier to clean and it neutralizes the space so prospective buyers can picture their own treasured items there. So, if you begin cringing as you read the following suggestions, repeat this mantra after me: Space sells.

Many folks find it easier to begin with clearing out the garage, an area where unwanted items often land. Throw away worthless items you can do without and store important items in a warehouse or friend’s garage. As you collect “disposable” items from your house decluttering, organize them neatly in your garage in preparation for a garage sale.

Many home sales experts recommend removing half your furniture from the house. This is a good time to repeat, “Space sells.”

Accent tables, extra chairs, and cabinets that hold huge collections are good choices for removal. For example, a dining room table with chairs should be kept in the room while a corner china cabinet or curio shelf would be removed. Bedrooms should contain just one double or queen-size bed or two twin beds. Extra beds should be stored. Take an inventory of those items you can do without for awhile. Make a note of where you plan to put each item when it’s removed. Store it, sell it or give it away.

Depersonalize space. Remove your teenage daughter’s poster of Orlando Bloom from her bedroom, your husband’s stuffed deer head from the study, and any partisan items like bumper stickers, books or magazines from the family room. All spaces should be neutral zones so potential buyers can picture their own belongings in each room. Remind your family members that they can have these items back as soon as the house sells!

Just as it’s good to remember that space sells, it’s also important to remember The Rule of Three. Step one of the rule: Take everything off the kitchen counter, bathroom vanity, table tops and mantles and wipe them clean.

Step two: Return only THREE items to each space. Yes, ONLY three. As for the leftover items – store them, sell them or give them away.

Making the Move Easy on the Kids (Cont.)

• Don’t just promise to let them decorate their own rooms – take them to the paint store and let them bring home color swatches. Shop together for bedspreads and towels and carpets.


• They must leave old friends behind. Plan a going-away party and let them invite their own guests to bring closure to that parting.


• Take pictures of everyone and make a photo album. If a child is old enough, send him or her out with a roll of film in the camera and the assignment to photograph the scenes he’ll want to remember.


• Give each of them a long-distance telephone call allowance so they can keep in touch with people who are important to them.


• Buy a stack of picture postcards that show positive views of your new community and encourage them to write messages to the friends and relatives they left behind.


• Try to pack children’s things last and include your preschooler in the packing process.


• Keep security objects such as a favorite teddy bear or blanket close by. Keep your routine as normal as possible. Regular eating and nap times are important.
  

Encourage children to get outside and get to know the people and the neighborhood. Encourage older children to distribute fliers for babysitting, lawn care, or car washing. Encourage them to participate in school activities that appeal to them. Get them on sports teams and into clubs. Throw a housewarming party for yourselves and invite all the adults and children on the block.

Teenagers

Most teenagers see themselves as adult members of the family, and may feel disrespected if they don’t hear about the move early in the process. Also, they’ll need time to work through the ordeal of leaving their friends. Ending relationships and saying goodbyes takes time, and is best done before the move. Some relationships will be extremely difficult to bring to an end, and these will require thoughtful, personalized planning. How, for instance, do you move a 17-year-old a thousand miles from her steady boyfriend?

Even though teens seem more advanced in their social skills, they may worry a lot about making friends and fitting in. Visit their new school and check out local activities and employment opportunities for young people.

Communities have their own culture and way of doing things, and this is often reflected in the way teens dress. How they look is really important to teens. Before spending money on a new school wardrobe, your teen may want to observe what’s “in.” Purchasing a few new outfits can often help a teen feel more comfortable.

It’s particularly important to let teens known that you want to hear about, and respect, their concerns. Blanket assurances may seem to your teen like you’re dismissing his or her feelings. It may help to explain that the move is a type of rehearsal for future changes, like college or a new job.

At any age, get help if emotional problems arise. Ask a teacher for assistance. Consider professional counseling. Don’t let a serious problem slide.

Eventually, the strangeness and temporary discomforts should diminish. New friends will become good friends. The new house may become the family gathering place that your grandchildren will visit on holidays. In the long run, everything will work out fine.

Making the Move Easy on the Kids

Most often, a move represents an important step forward for the adults in the family because of a new job, promotion, transfer to a different office, or financial success has allowed them to buy a more comfortable house in a different neighborhood.

Moving from one house to another is seldom easy and enjoyable for adults (who chose to move), and can be especially troubling for children (who prefer to stay where they are). But if parents are mindful of their children’s concerns and needs, they can minimize distress and discomfort.

A Move Affects Children Differently From Adults

People typically live in a house for about five years and then move on as their jobs and incomes allow. Five years is a small percentage of an adult’s life, but it’s half the lifetime of a 10-year old: it includes almost all the years he or she can remember. It may be the only home the child’s ever known, and the place s/he feels most safe and comfortable.

A house is much more than a place to live to children. It’s the center of their world, associated with familiar activities, sights, and sounds. A move threatens their security and leaves something unknown in its place. Their friends, and the familiar streets, schools, shops, trees and parks are gone. The new neighborhood is someone else’s world.

The impact of a move on a child starts about the time he or she first hears about it, and often continues until the new house becomes home. It’s not necessary to tell young children about this big change immediately, although they must hear about it from their parents before someone else tells them.

Expect that your children may be even more distressed after the move. The new house will not be comfortable or beautiful the night the moving van leaves, or for months after. The furniture won’t fit the rooms, and the floor will be covered with half-unpacked boxes. The children won’t know anyone at school and, if you move during the summer, they may have little opportunity to meet others their age. They’ll need your help: plan ahead to support and comfort them and ease the stress of the move.

Easing The Stress Of The Move

Young Children Have Special Needs

Describe the move in a truthful, positive way. Tell upbeat stories about the benefits of the new house and location. Plan together to make the new setting feel like home:
Ask about their favorite activities (e.g. soccer), and plan to investigate youth programs in the new community.

• Ask what they like best about the present house (e.g. the swimming pool) and assure them that you’ll find a place for them to swim in the new town.



• Ask what they like best about the neighborhood (e.g. their friends), and make plans to invite the children on the block to a Welcome to the Neighborhood Party once you’ve settled in.



• Ask what they like the most about their school (e.g. their teacher), and let them know that you’ll request a tour of their new school and a chance to meet their teacher beforehand.



• Ask what they like most about their community (e.g. the video game parlor), and assure them that those activities will be available in the new location.



• Use children’s literature. Books can help children prepare for and understand difficult situations. Story characters who model successful coping strategies are an excellent resource for children.
  
  

If the new home is too far away for the entire family to visit, show the children pictures of the house, yard, and neighborhood. Videotape it if you can. Include pictures of each child’s new room.

Ask the children to name the house with an inviting description, like “Oak Hill,” for the big trees and sloping lawn.

Young children need protection from fear of the unknown. Listen carefully to their concerns and respond quickly to relieve their apprehensions. It’s normal, for instance, for a young child to worry that his or her toy box and shelf of stuffed animals might be left behind. Uncover those anxieties by actively involving your children in the process.

How to Sell Your House For the Most Money - In the Shortest Possible Time

Your imagination is the most powerful tool you have to improve the value of your property – and it’s free. Here’s how: Step out of your own shoes and step into your potential buyer’s shoes. Then take a good, realistic look at your house and property, and consider: Is it appealing? Can you imagine yourself living there comfortably? Or do you imagine yourself putting in a lot of work to make the house and property acceptable?
Most buyers are interested in three things about a property they’re considering

• Visual appeal (landscaping, spaciousness, cleanliness, color, lack of clutter)



• Maintenance (everything in working order, nothing to repair or paint)



• Safety (locks and deadbolts, burglar/fire alarm systems, busyness of the neighborhood)
  

If a potential buyer can’t form a good mental picture of living in your house – no sale! With this in mind, you’ll want to give your property a good, hard look from the outside in. You want to create a fabulous first impression so everyone will want to come inside.

What to Look For On the Outside

• Roof and gutters: When buyers look at your house from their car, about 30% of what they see is your roof. Be certain it’s in good repair.


• Landscaping: A well-manicured yard and a smooth, even driveway reassure potential buyers that you care about your property. A yard free of mud and weeds suggests a good sprinkler system and low maintenance.


• Paint and siding: Neutral colors and a clean appearance are important. Consider repainting or power-washing both your house and roof.


• Porch or covered patio: Make sure it’s clean and uncluttered.


• Fence: Fencing should be in good repair.
  

What to Look For On the Inside
There are three key selling points for your home:

• Kitchen: Regardless of your kitchen size, you can make it feel spacious: Remove appliances and gadgets from your counter tops and store them. Repair broken or cracked counters.


• Bathrooms: Replace faucets, medicine cabinet, and towel racks if necessary; be certain the bathrooms are spotless and fresh-smelling.


• Master Bedroom: Spaciousness and décor are important. Remove and store nonessential furniture.


• Flooring: An investment in new carpeting almost always increases the perceived value of a home. Select a neutral color of medium-grade carpeting and padding. Replace cracked and broken tiles.


• Wall covering: A fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Always use neutral or soft, warm colors. Avoid wallpaper.


• Personal touches: Eclectic personal touches may distract potential buyers.
  

Deciding What to Do First

The most important thing to think about first is this: Fix what you can see! Cosmetic changes, regardless of the cost, will make a world of difference when it comes time to sell. Whatever you saw when you put on your potential buyer’s shoes, that’s what you do first, from the outside in.

Keep in mind that you want the best return on your investment. When you make cosmetic changes, you maximize popular appeal. People will see what looks great, and they’ll picture themselves living there. Conversely if your home looks untended, people will imagine how much work they have to do – again, no sale!

The cost of such a project might frighten you; however, think about the cost of not doing it. If it costs $2,000 to repair your roof and gutters and you balk at the price, think again. The same roof repair will probably decrease your asking price by $4,000 when a buyer begins to negotiate. Ask The Reel Team For Guidance.

The Secret To Curb Appeal (Cont)

For damaged driveways, excessive cracks may be more unsightly if they’re filled with patches. In this case, resurfacing the driveway may be necessary.

Landscaping and lawn maintenance create the backdrop for the house. Like the scenery in a play, it showcases the main attraction. In his book, Sell It Yourself, Ralph Roberts vividly describes the ideal lawn. “You want your yard to look like a golf course fairway – lush, green and meticulously maintained.” This requires filling bare spots with grass plugs or sod, applying fertilizer and bug killer, and regularly watering the lawn.

For those with little spare time, it may be worth the money to hire a maintenance service to shape up your yard and keep it maintained as long as your house is on the market.

Add some color with a flowerbed or two of various annuals. A newly mowed and edged lawn accented with flowers makes a good first impression. The yard should look clean and green...with a few splashes of color.

Of course, once the lawn is golf course quality, you don’t want to spoil the effect with a cluttered yard. Neatly trim bushes and hedges so they accent the yard. Keep leaves raked and walkways swept daily. Trash cans, hoses, yard tools and toys should be stored in the garage or a shed. And while lawn ornaments – pink flamingos, elves, concrete geese or a statue of David – may make your life brighter, someone else might find them offensive. Put them in storage.

Want the most dramatic improvement in appearance for the best value? Paint the exterior of your house, including trim, window frames, shutters, gutters and downspouts, mailbox and front door. Opt for neutral shades of white, light gray, or pale beige, which are more universal.

If the existing paint on the outer walls is in good shape, consider touching up everything else in the list. This will make the house look brighter.

The front door is the transition area. At its best, it carries the pleasant look of the lawn – and the opinion of the buyer – over the threshold of the house. At worst, it undoes everything you achieved with the lawn and casts a pallor on the rest of the house. The buyer won’t miss the entryway, so the seller must not overlook it. Pressure clean the front steps, railings, and door. Clean out light fixtures, replace burnt-out bulbs and fix the broken doorbell. If the door is solid and in good working condition, give it a fresh coat of paint. If it’s damaged, cheaply made or otherwise unsightly, invest in a new, hardwood door. When this is done, add the final touch to the threshold: A brand-new doormat. After all, with all the work you just finished doing to spruce up the place, you want buyers to feel welcome.

By the way, Pam’s place now looks like a European country house, complete with shadow boxes, a wrought iron gate and English gardens. But the very first thing she did was paint the exterior...soft beige.

The Secret To Curb Appeal

The huge, dark gray house was more than unkempt; with a crumbling front wall, missing shingles, thigh-high grass, broken window panes, and household items scattered in the yard it looked sickly. THIS was Pam’s dream house?

“Ummmm, Pam, with all due respect,” I said with my usual candor, “This place looks like it should have a black cloud and thunderbolt over it.” She sighed.

“But it was cheap, really cheap. You just have to look past the rundown condition and see the potential. How else could I afford a house this size?”

Though Pam, an artist with an incredible eye, was able to look into the future and see what the house could be after cleaning and repair, I was more like the average home buyer – extremely dubious. If I had been the one looking to buy a house, I wouldn’t have stepped a foot on that property. I wouldn’t have even slowed down the car.

Pam did get the house for about half the price of similar homes in comparable neighborhoods, which means the seller made 50% less on the sale because he was unwilling to do the repairs necessary to improve its curb appeal. It also took him over two years to find a buyer.

“Curb appeal” is real estate talk for the initial appearance, and the impression it makes, of the house as seen from the road. It’s what the buyer sees and feels as she parks her car across the street, crosses the road, strolls up the front walkway and pauses to knock on the door. Curb appeal includes the overall neighborhood, the house’s location on the block, condition of landscaping, the overall look of the house, and attention to details.

A house needn’t sport a cloud and thunderbolt look for prospective buyers to bypass it for another one. Sometimes little irritants – weeds, peeling paint, or tacky lawn ornaments – can create enough doubt to make them go elsewhere.

Luckily, most of the little irritants can be corrected with a little time, a bit of money and an open mind.

Most real estate experts agree that the most important steps to take in preparing a house for listing include fixing the driveway, landscaping the yard, painting the exterior, and painting or replacing the front door.

Improving the appearance of the driveway can be as easy and inexpensive as cleaning up oil spills, pressure washing to remove mildew or moving extra cars to another location.

Light Is For The Living (Cont)

Do shades or domes have dead insects or dust in them? Clean them and see how much brighter the room looks. Are there scratches, dents, dings or tarnish on fixtures? If they can’t be buffed or cleaned, consider replacing them.

If fixtures need to be replaced, consider your target buyer and the style of your house when choosing the replacements. For example, if the architecture and furnishings of your home are traditional, modern-style fixtures of polished gunmetal would look inappropriate. Or if you’re targeting younger buyers, the original circa 1970 pea green mod-style hanging lamp may need to go.

Lighting can minimize a room’s idiosyncrasies, creating optical illusions that make a room seem wider, a ceiling higher or hallway longer. Long, narrow hallways, common in today’s condominiums, can be transformed from wasted space to an art gallery with the addition of track lighting to illuminate artistic treasures. Is there a room that feels like the ceiling and floor are gradually closing in on you? By avoiding hanging fixtures and using those that throw light up a wall, such as floor can lights, one can make ceilings feel higher.

But if your ceiling has cracks or other blemishes, light that flows down to the floor moves the eye in that direction, distracting a potential buyer’s attention away from a negative feature. On the other hand, bowing walls of older houses require lighting that moves straight from floor to ceiling without hitting the wall. Here, the lamps or fixtures must be placed away from the wall and face the ceiling.

Often one can take fixtures already used in the house and move them to more appropriate areas. Life’s little horrors, real or imaginary, tend to disappear when rooms are lit properly.

Have a particularly small room? A mirrored wall will look double the size that it did when it was only painted. If the mirrored wall is across from a window, the natural light will be reflected and the room will seem brighter.

It’s important to remember that it isn’t enough to just have the proper light fixtures. You need to use them. Even during the day, lights should be on in every room of the house, including hallways, closets, bathrooms, on the stove, in the oven and under hanging cabinets. At night, be prepared for an evening buyer drive-by with lamps illuminated in rooms with windows that face the street. After all, folks need to know that Dracula isn’t lurking in the shadows.

Light Is For The Living

Professor Von Helsing approaches the house with trepidation – the lone light is from the moon and even that scarcely illuminates the entry way. He wonders what horrors are hidden in the shadows...

A potential buyer for Count Dracula’s castle might also question what is tucked in the dark corners and hallways of the eerie abode.

Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and old Hollywood horror-movie directors understood the impact proper lighting has on a situation. A multitude of horrible, dirty, dangerous, unsightly, disgusting surprises can be lurking about, waiting for the most opportune time to make their presence known.

But while Von Helsing overcame his fears and entered the castle despite them, potential homebuyers may not make it past the unlit foyer, no matter how attractive it is. If buyers can’t SEE it, they can’t love it. Even worse, they can fear the unseen (and quite possibly insignificant) qualities, and become uneasy in a home that may be just perfect for them.

Lighting can be a relatively inexpensive but effective way to highlight the positive qualities of your home or downplay areas that are less attractive.

The most desirable and inexpensive lighting is natural sunlight. The easiest way to capitalize on this natural resource is to show your home during the daytime when the sun is shining brightly, throwing open blinds or shades, decluttering windowsills, and washing panes to allow light inside. This is also a good time to move Aunt Gerties’s antique walnut wardrobe away from the window. To do its job, light needs to enter a room unhindered.

Unless your window overlooks a neighbor’s collection of rusting cars or a grimy, graffiti-ridden wall of the building next door, it’s good to keep curtains open when showing your home. It makes the room look bigger and more inviting. If the view is less than attractive, hang sheer curtains over the window that will allow some light in while subtly distracting the buyer’s attention from the unsightly scene.

If the house is dark with few or very narrow windows, take heart. A trip to your local home improvement store can lighten things up quickly. Even naturally lit houses can benefit from the addition of appropriate electric lighting.

Begin by slowly walking through your house, taking special care to flip all switches and look at each light fixture and lamp. Are there burnt-out bulbs that need to be replaced? Keep a list of all the size bulbs you need to purchase.

The Buyer's Bathroom (Cont.)

Discard items that are unnecessary and store the rest under the sink. Test the faucets and showerhead. Do the faucets turn off all the way? If not, change the washers. Is the water spraying freely from the showerhead? No? Then remove it and check to see if it’s clogged. If it still doesn’t work properly after cleaning, replace it.

Carefully examine tiles and the tub. Does the tub have chips and discoloration? It may need to be resurfaced or replaced.

How do the tiles look? Any loose pieces or chips? Are there cracks in the grout? Scrub the bathtub, tiles and grout until they are mold and mildew free. Regrout gaps between tiles. Scrape and replace discolored caulking.

When the shower and bathtub have been overhauled, top off your repairs with a new, crisp shower curtain or liner in a neutral color.

Take a good look at the ceiling and walls. Do you see any mold, mildew, fingerprints or grime? If so, scrub it with bleach. Cracking or curling paint should be scraped and repainted in a neutral color.

A rule of thumb: Place only three items on the vanity area. Many real estate experts suggest these include potpourri, a new or clean, filled soap dispenser, and a plant. It’s a good idea to keep the toilet tank top cleared as prospective buyers and inspectors may want to peek inside it.

After the big clean-up and repair job in the bathroom, it’s important to maintain the fresh smell and appearance each day the house is on the market. The space should be kept uncluttered, clean and sanitized. It should reflect well on the house of which it is a part and offer few glimpses of the personalities who currently live there.

At this point, a homeowner enters the sprucing-up stage. After cleaning every nook and cranny in the bathroom, it’s time to add the finishing touches. All dirty towels and wash cloths, bath mats and robes should be removed. A clean set of towels should be displayed before the house is shown. Trash baskets should be emptied and floors wiped daily. All personal grooming items – tooth brushes, make-up, combs and brushes, hair dryers, perfume, etc. – should be tucked away, preferably in a container and stored in a drawer or cabinet.

The Buyer's Bathroom

When a house is on the market, it becomes less the owner’s home and more of a display item. Nowhere is this more important to remember than in the bathroom. Buyers don’t want to see the seller’s personal hygiene items, moldy remnants of steamy showers or a soap scum-covered collection of empty shampoo bottles. They want to be confident that this most private of rooms is well maintained and sanitized. The trick to make the area seem less, well...private.

Preparing a bathroom for touring potential buyers is a four step process: clean, repair, sanitize and spruce.

Every surface that can hold something – vanity, toilet tank, shower window, floor – should be divested of as many objects as possible. The same thing applies for anything that can be opened – medicine cabinet, drawers, and linen closets.

Cleaning begins with throwing out any expired medication, make-up that hasn’t been used in a year, nearly empty containers, and any other useless objects found while emptying cabinets and drawers.

The process continues with wiping each shelf, drawer, and cabinet door. When everything is out from under the sink, take the time to check the faucets and pipes for leaks.If faucets leak, washers probably need to be changed. In some cases, the faucets may be corroded and need to be replaced. If this is the case, opt for an inexpensive and very plain model. Fill the sink with water. If it drains from the sink slowly, pour in some drain clog remover and see if this helps. If not, call a plumber. When everything is clean and in working condition, neatly return items to the cabinet under the sink, using containers for small objects like bath toys, sponges or cleaners.

While the top of the toilet tank is bare, lift up the top and check the water level and condition of the inner mechanisms. Flush the toilet. Does the water refill to the correct level? Does the water shut off when it reaches this level? If not, then the inside mechanism with the seat and stopper at the bottom of the tank will need to be replaced.

This is quite easy and inexpensive to do yourself. Parts are available at your local hardware or home improvement store.

Folks will notice a filthy shower. So, spend some time here. Remove personal items – cleanser, shampoo and conditioner, shave cream, razor, body sponges – from the shower/tub area.

FSBO: Why It's So Hard to Sell Your Own Home

Granted, some people are able to sell their own homes without the services of a real estate agent. Some of these successful do-it-yourselfers are very experienced home sellers. Others are transferring ownership of their home to a child, a coworker or a tenant who's already living in the home. These circumstances are the exception, not the norm, however. For most people, a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) transaction simply isn't in the cards. Here are five reasons why.

1. FSBOs can't list their home in the MLS. FSBOs aren't permitted to put their home in the multiple listing service (MLS) because these industry membership organizations are open only to licensed real estate brokers and agents. FSBOs are also locked out of many home search engines and Web sites, including the gigantic Realtor.com. Sure, a determined FSBO can put a for-sale sign in his or her front yard and run a tiny advertisement in the local newspaper, but the home won't receive nearly as much exposure as it would through the MLS.

2. Agents won't show FSBO homes. In a typical home sale, the buyer's agent receives a percentage of the commission that the seller pays the listing agent. Without a listing agreement, there's no guarantee that the buyer's agent will be compensated for his or her services, unless the buyer has signed a buyer's brokerage agreement that specifically provides for such compensation. Even if a FSBO offers to pay the buyer's side of the commission, most agents won't want to go through a transaction with an unsophisticated self-represented seller across the table. That means the pool of potential buyers for FSBO homes is limited primarily to unrepresented and probably unqualified prospects.

3. FSBOs usually overprice their home. Like most homeowners, most FSBOs honestly believe their own home is worth more than comparable homes in the same neighborhood. Usually, they're wrong. A real estate agent can provide an update on market conditions, an assessment of the likely selling price of the home and tips for improving the home's buyer appeal. Overpricing a for-sale home is a sure way to deter potential buyers.

4. Buyers will feel intimidated. Potential buyers will spend less time in a for-sale home if the owner is present during the showing, and they'll be shy about discussing its pluses and minuses with their own agent if the owner is within earshot. Buyers will also be less inclined to make an offer if they know they'll be negotiating directly with the seller. Having an agent on each side creates an effective emotional buffer between the seller and buyer.

5. FSBOs are likely to stumble into legal trouble. Real estate transactions are fraught with potential liability for unwary sellers, particularly in states that have extensive disclosure requirements (e.g., California). A FSBO who overlooks even one required form or legally mandated disclosure could face a protracted and expensive buyer lawsuit after the transaction closes. - By Marcie Geffner

Setting the Stage Sells Your Home

The age-old observation that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" certainly applies when it comes to attracting buyers to a for-sale home.

Making a good first impression can mean the difference between receiving serious offers for your home or being subjected to months of lookie-loos dropping by but never buying.

How can you ensure that your home will make the best impression possible? Here are six tips for savvy home sellers:

1. Focus on curb appeal. The outside of your house can be the source of a very good first impression. Keep the grass well-watered and mowed. Have your trees trimmed. Cut back overgrowth. Plant some blooming flowers. Store toys, bicycles, roller-skates, gardening equipment and the like out of sight. Have at least the front of your house and the trim painted, if necessary. Sweep the porch and the front walkway. After dark, turn on your front porch light and any other exterior lighting.

2. Clear out the clutter. Real estate agents say buyers won't purchase a home they can't see. If your home has too much furniture, overflowing closets, crowded kitchen and bathroom countertops or lots of family photos or collectibles on display, potential buyers won't be able to see your home. Get rid of anything you don't need or use. Fill up your garage or rent some off-site storage space if that's what it takes to clear out your home.

3. Use your nose. Many people are oblivious to scents, but others are extremely sensitive to offensive odors. To eliminate bad smells, bathe your pets, freshen the cat litter box frequently, shampoo your carpets, dry clean your drapes, and empty trash cans, recycling bins and ash trays. Place open boxes of baking soda in smell-prone areas, and refrain from cooking fish or strong-smelling foods. Introduce pleasing smells by placing flowers or potpourri in your home and using air fresheners. Baking a fresh or frozen pie or some other fragrant treat is another common tactic.

4. Make all necessary repairs. Buyers expect everything in their new home to operate safely and properly. Picky buyers definitely will notice-and likely magnify -- minor maintenance problems you've ignored for months or even years. Leaky faucets, burned-out light bulbs, painted-shut or broken windows, inoperable appliances and the like should be fixed before you put your home on the market. These repairs may seem small, but left undone they can lead buyers to question whether you've taken good care of your home.

5. Introduce lifestyle accessories and make your home as comfortable and attractive as possible. Set the dining room table with your best dishes. Put out your only-for-company towels. Make up the spare bed. Hang some fresh curtains. Put some logs in the fireplace. Use your imagination.

6. Get a buyer's-eye view. Walk up to your home and pretend you've never seen it before. What do you notice? How do you feel about what you see? Does the home seem inviting? Well-maintained? Would you want to buy this home? Your answer should be an enthusiastic yes!
(Adported from Marcie Geffner)

Tips for Making Your Home More Saleable

Before you put your home on the market, there are some things you can do to differentiate your house among the competitors.

When preparing to put your home up for sale, your first concern is the home's exterior. If the outside, or "curb appeal" looks good, people will more than likely want to see what's on the inside. Keep the lawn and landscape nicely manicured. Trim the bushes and season permitting, plant some flowers. Be sure your front door area has a "Welcome" feeling. A fresh coat of paint on the front door looks great.

Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free. A fresh coat of paint just may do the trick. Have any leaky faucets taken care of. A call to a plumber is a wise investment.

Since you want your home to look as spacious as possible, remove any excess or very large furniture. Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter. Don't use your garage, attic, or basement to store these extra things. These areas also need to have the impression of space. Instead, put them into storage. Make sure walls and doors are free of smudges and look for anything that might indicate a maintenance problem, such as cracked windows, holes in the wall or stained ceilings.

Finally, if your basement shows any signs of dampness or leakage, seal the walls.

Quick tips for showings:

• Keep counter tops cleared
  


• Replace all burned out lightbulbs
  


• Open all drapes and window blinds
  


• Put pets in cages or take them to a neighbor
  


• No dirty dishes in the sink
  


• No laundry in the washer/dryer
  


• Clean or replace dirty or worn carpets
  


• Put on soft music
  


• Burn wood in the fireplace on cold days, otherwise, the fireplace should be clean
  


• Always look at your home from the buyer's point of view. Be objective and be honest.

Get the House Ready

A house that "sparkles" on the surface will sell faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both are structurally well-maintained.

From experience, The Reel Team also knows that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can't see has probably also been maintained. In readying your house for sale, consider:

• how much should you spend
  
• exterior and curb appeal
  
• preparing the interior

How much should you spend

In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and "touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen. The Reel Team, who is familiar with buyers' expectations in your neighborhood, can advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made. Don't hesitate to ask for advice.

Maximizing exterior and curb appeal

Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal. Tips to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal:

• Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
  
• Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.
  
• Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling.
  
• Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
  
• Clean and align gutters.
  
• Inspect and clean the chimney.
  
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
  
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
  
• In Northern winters, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
  
• During spring and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
  
• Re-seal an asphalt driveway.
  
• Keep your garage door closed.
  
• Store RVs or old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
  
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

Maximizing interior appeal

Enhance your home’s interior by:

• Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have actually rented storage garages and moved half their furniture out, creating a sleeker, more spacious look.
  
• Hiring a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. This may be a good investment for owners who are busy elsewhere.
  
• Removing the less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics, making these areas much more inviting. Since you're anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage sale at this point is a great idea.
  
• If necessary, repainting dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
  
• Checking for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
  
• Repairing cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
  
• Replacing broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.
  
• Repairing dripping faucets and showerheads. Buying showy new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way.
  
• Sprucing up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral paint.

How Much Is Your Home Really Worth?

Gather information from several sources and compare the findings rather than rely on just one approach to home valuation.

Your home's market value is an important factor in a long list of financial decisions, including selling the home, refinancing your mortgage, borrowing against your equity, estimating your annual property tax bill, buying homeowner's insurance, calculating the expected return on remodeling costs, managing your other investments, estate planning and so on. The trick is figuring out how much your home is worth -- and remembering that how much you paid for it months or years ago isn't relevant to its current market value. It's not a bad idea to gather information from several sources and compare the findings, rather than relying on just one approach to home valuation.

Here are four suggestions to start:

• Call a REALTOR®. Even if you're not planning to sell your home right away, The Reel Team will be willing to prepare a comparable market analysis (CMA) for you as a marketing service with the goal of getting your business whenever you decide to move. A CMA shows the prices of recently sold homes that are comparable to yours and the prices of comparable homes on the market. A market-savvy we can give you a rough idea of what your home would be worth, given its size and condition and local market conditions.

• Purchase a professional appraisal. Unlike a CMA, a professional appraisal is rarely free. However, the several hundred dollars you'll pay for an appraisal, depending on size of your home and the complexity of the work, could be money well spent if you're making a major financial decision that hinges on the value of your home. Appraisers rely on an in-person inspection of your home, recent sales of comparable homes and other data to arrive at an opinion of value. The appraiser's report is a full-blown description of your home and the criteria used to formulate the valuation.

• Go to neighborhood open houses. Open houses are a good opportunity to view comparable homes for sale in your neighborhood and chat with real estate professionals about the local real estate market. Two caveats: It's not easy to be objective about your own home and you shouldn't assume that the listing price on a for-sale necessarily reflects the home's true market value. If you keep those points in mind, information gathered at open houses can be worth considering along with data from other sources.

• Do research online. A number of Web sites offer home valuation information free or for a fee. The free service at ReelEstate.com displays sales prices of comparable nearby homes and market activity data.

• TIP: Price per square foot is a time-honored method of real estate valuation and not a bad rule of thumb. However, it doesn't account for a choice location, a move-in-ready home or personal criteria and you should factor in how the property was measured and whether the square footage includes the garage or other detached buildings on the property. Adapted from Marcie Geffner article

Questions To Ask Your Realtor Before You List (Part 3)

Question 16 - What will you do to keep me informed?

· On the weekly report from your agent, are you comfortable with email, or phone calls?

· Determine how much communication you want, then find an agent who will give you the attention and time you deserve.

Question 17 - What listing price do you recommend for my home and what is that price based on?

· Pricing your home is the most critical step to selling it, and you should choose a Realtor® who has the knowledge to price your home wisely.

· Here are some things to keep in mind: Don’t go with a “yes man” who will promise a high price in order to get your listing—your home may languish on the market.

· Don’t let an agent talk you into an artificially low price designed simply to sell as fast as possible.

· Do have each agent justify the price through comparable properties and facts about the market.

· The selling price should attract prospective buyers to your home, get you top dollar in the current market and reflect the condition of your house.

· Be realistic. A good Realtor® will be honest with you about the value of your home and have the cold, hard facts to justify that value—both to you and to prospective buyers.

Question 18 - Can you provide me with further resources that I may need?

. Most agents work with a team of professionals in many fields, including title, escrow, mortgage, home inspection, pest control, carpet cleaning, etc. While you are not obligated to work with an agent’s team, often you may find it is the optimum way to go.

· The best agents have built strong relationships with their teams, and can often get expedient service or be able to cash in a favor for your transaction should a crunch or problem arise.

Question 19 - Can you give me some references from other clients you have worked with?

· Don’t be afraid to ask for references. This is not confidential information, even though many sellers would never think to ask for it.

· Real estate transactions are a matter of public record, and if you want to take the time to go down to the courthouse, you could compile your own list.

· However, any agent who provides good service and is proud of his or her work will be happy to provide references.

· If possible, contact a few of these references directly. Check to see how well the situations described by these previous clients fit your situation, particularly if you have a complex transaction or special circumstance that requires specific expertise.

Question 20 - What does the listing agreement entail?

· Have the agent go over every detail of the listing agreement with you before you ever sign it.

· This is a legally binding document and your agent should be open and up front with you about exactly what you're signing.

· Ask to know exactly what each portion means and be aware of what the contract will legally obligate you and the agent to do.

Questions To Ask Your Realtor Before You List (Part 2)

Question 11 - "Will you produce a flier or brochure for my home and what will it look like?"

· Take a careful look at the materials the agent has produced to market their current listings. Do the quality, design and wording of the materials seem to present each home in the best light?

· Put yourself in a potential buyer’s shoes: Would you be interested in the homes after seeing these materials?

Question 12 - How often will you hold open houses? Will they be public or broker-only or by-appointment only? How do you feel open houses will work best for my home? Are they even necessary?

· Simply putting a sign on your lawn and holding an open house every Sunday afternoon will not get your home sold.

· In addition, a house held open too frequently can begin to look like a loser, making it a prime target for low-ball bidders.

· Your agent should have a carefully planned rationale for each open house - if they are appropriate for your area and the overall marketing plan.

Question 13 - What is your advertising plan for my home?

· Most people believe that advertising a home in the newspaper is the way a home gets sold. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. The truth is: Good real estate agents sell homes. And they do this through their own personal advertising, networking, skill, and creative advertising methods like the Internet and toll-free hotlines that give potential buyers 24-hour access to information about your home.

· Don't be concerned with traditional methods of advertising houses. Make sure your agent uses innovative, cutting edge methods that make your home stand out from the rest.

Question 14 - How else will the property be exposed to other agents?

· Exposure is the key to any home sale. In many cases your home will be sold because another agent knows a buyer who is looking for a home like yours.

· Beyond simply listing your home in the MLS, your agent should be using a wide variety of techniques to let those other agents know about your home and keep them aware of it until it is sold.

Question 15 - Are you going to help me in staging my home?

· Preparing a property for sale, or staging it, is very important in maximizing the value and minimizing the time on the market.

· If a prospective agent does not mention this aspect of the sale on his own during the listing presentation, he probably has no plan to offer this service to you.

· Or he may be afraid of bringing it up for fear of offending you by telling you about negative aspects of your home that should be changed or positives that need to be highlighted to increase its appeal to potential buyers.

· A confident and competent agent will find ways of broaching the subject and let you know of specific ideas beyond lighting a scented candle and putting out fresh flowers for open houses to make your home more salable. - Last Part Is On Friday

Questions To Ask Your Realtor Before You List (Part 1)

Selling a home involves many critical and personal decisions. One of the most important decisions is the first decision you need to make after deciding to put your home on the market:

Which real estate agent should you work with?

Unfortunately, many people make this decision based on the idea that all real estate agents are basically the same. They sign with the first agent to come along, only to realize too late that they should have shopped around.

This special report by The Reel Team is designed to help you avoid that mistake by equipping you with what to look for in selecting your agent.

Start by asking your friends and family for the names of agents they know. Look around your neighborhood for the signs, ads and marketing materials of active agents in the neighborhood. Once you've compiled a list of several names, use this guide to help you determine which agent is best for you.

Here Are The Questions You Should Ask Each Agent:

Question 1- Could you send me some information about yourself?

· You can often get a good idea of which agents are most professional and most committed by looking at their personal marketing materials—brochures, direct mail, listing presentation book, etc.

· Call each name on your list and ask them to send out any information they can before you actually meet with them for a listing presentation. When you get the personal brochure or other materials, look them over and determine your initial impression of this person.

· Are the materials they presented professional? If not, you might ask yourself: If they don't have the wherewithal to properly market themselves, how will they market my home?

Question 2 - How do you approach your work?

· What you should be looking for, first and foremost, is an honest and knowledgeable individual, who works full-time, represents a solid and reputable real estate agency, and will treat your best interests as paramount. Length of time in the business, track record of success, previous experience, expertise in and knowledge of the local real estate market are all factors to consider.

· While the right agent to market your home may not be number one in every aspect, you want to make sure that the person you hire is a well-rounded individual whom you can trust and respect as a professional.

Question 3 - How many homes have you listed in the past six months?

Look for an agent who is active in your area and has experience dealing with homes and situations like yours. This Look for an agent who is active in your area and has experience dealing with homes and situations like yours. This is especially critical if your home or transaction has special features or terms that may make it more challenging than the typical home sale.

Question 4 - How many homes have you sold in the last six months?

· Beware of agents who simply gather listings and let them sit and wait for someone else to sell them.

· Your agent should have a good track record getting homes sold, which is, after all, your ultimate goal.

Question 5 - What is the average length of time your listings are on the market?

· You may automatically assume the shorter time on the market, the better.

· But take note: If an average length of time on the market is significantly faster than the average for homes in the area, is it because this agent is more effective or because he or she likes to low-ball the asking price in order to get homes sold more quickly?

· Also, take a look at what the original asking prices are for homes the agent lists versus what the homes finally sell for. This “swing” number will tell you how effective the agent is at helping clients determine the right asking price and doing what it takes to help them get it.

Question 6 How long have you been in the business?

· Depending on the agent’s background and track record, there is no hard and fast rule for what to look for here.

· An agent may have been a licensed real estate professional for 15 years, but only selling part-time and never really an active seller or maybe only handling one or two transactions per year.

· Whereas another agent may have only just become licensed one or two years ago, but has a background in real estate finance, worked in real estate law for a number of years or has been a private real estate investor and has bought and sold more than 20 homes himself in the last 10 years.

· Either way, you need to find someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the legal ins and outs of the business as well as the characteristics of the local market, and has demonstrated competence and professionalism in getting homes sold.

Question 7 - What professional organizations do you belong to?

· The minimum here should be a fully licensed professional who is a member of the local real estate board and multiple listing service as well as the state and National Association of Realtors.®

· Local community groups and business associations may also be pluses in terms of networking and insight into the community.

· However, make sure your agent is focused on what is important selling your home.

Question 8 - Do you have a personal assistant or other support staff working for you?

· Some agents employ an assistant or staff. This doesn’t necessarily mean better service, but it can be an indicator that the agent treats selling real estate as a business.

· By employing someone to handle the small details, he or she can devote more time to serving your needs.

· However, be sure you know up front how much involvement you can expect directly from your agent, and how much is usually handled by someone else. It may be fine that most of your interaction after the listing is with an assistant or other staff member as long as you don’t feel passed off onto someone else and you are kept informed of exactly what the agent is doing to get your home sold.

Question 9 - Do you have any questions for me?

· In the interview, look for an agent who asks pointed, specific questions, not someone who’s just filling in blanks on a form.

· That’s the sign of someone who is already thinking about your situation and is creating a plan of action specifically for you rather than just using a cookie-cutter approach for every client.

· Make sure you feel comfortable being around this person you will be relying on his or her expertise.

Question 10 - What marketing approach will you use for my home?

· Despite having the same basic marketing tools at their disposal Multiple Listing Service, office tours, fliers and brochures, for sale signs, MLS lock boxes, public open houses, advertising, direct mail and personal networking every real estate professional has a different marketing strategy.

· Learn each agent’s marketing philosophy, and determine what will work for you.

· Make sure the agent you choose doesn’t rely on the same marketing tool for every sale. What worked for yesterday’s seller may not get the results you want. The key is to find an agent who will use all the tools available to your best advantage.

I will have Part 2 on Wednesday