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Posts tagged preparing your home for sale

6 Decorating Don’ts When Selling Your Home

Aug09
2008
2 Comments Written by Shanna

Decorating

Motivated sellers know that putting time and energy into preparing a home to sell can more than pay off in the end. Getting things clean, organized and up-to-date is all part of the process. But what many sellers may not know is how important the specifics of these changes can be.

How can you know what updates to make? When you replace things-from carpeting to kitchen appliances-should you go with top-of-the-line or more moderately priced?

The most important thing to remember is to make decorating decisions that emphasize your house, not your style. Here are six tips to get you started:

  1. DON’T paint with bold colors: Repainting the walls of your home’s interior may be a very good idea, especially if you have spots, stains or any kind of damage showing. But if you repaint, choose neutral colors that could accommodate a variety of tastes. Remember, your preferences don’t matter here-this is about appealing to the largest number of potential buyers.
  2. DON’T showcase personal mementos: It’s no secret that well-framed photographs can make a house a home. However, when you’re selling, you want to remove yourself as much as possible from the decorating. Take down degrees, kids’ artwork and anything that may overemphasize your personality.  Focus on making your home a blank slate for someone else’s living space.
  3. DON’T install the most expensive appliances: If your kitchen appliances are very dated, you should probably replace them. Don’t choose the fanciest, most upscale products, however. Remember that everyone’s taste is different. What you want to choose is something simple, clean and modern, which makes the kitchen look its best.
  4. DON’T install the most expensive carpeting: If you’ve lived in your home for a while, you’ve probably seen some wear and tear on your flooring.
  5. DON’T fix what ain’t broke: Now is not the time to make gigantic, sweeping changes to your residence that aren’t necessary. Also, don’t remodel features that are already in good condition.
  6. DON’T continue living as you always have: As soon as you decide to sell, you need to switch gears in the way you’ve been living. Put as much of your things away or into storage as possible. Declutter. Clean out spaces. Only leave out enough furniture to define living spaces.

Believe it or not, going into your home sale with these simple tricks in mind will definitively set you apart from the pack in terms of home quality. Buyers will be able to visualize themselves in your home more easily, making them more likely to move towards a purchase.

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Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged decorating, for sale by owner selling, fsbo, how to decorate, real estate, selling, selling Buy Owner, selling by owner, selling your home
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Do-It-Yourself vs. Professional Home Improvements

Aug02
2008
Leave a Comment Written by Allegra

Home ImprovementIt often seems that the general thought on home improvements is, “Don’t pay someone for something you can do yourself.” In some cases this may be true. However, there are certain home improvement projects that should, contrary to popular belief, be left up the professionals.

Home improvement projects typically fall into one of these categories:

Beautifying your home: Painting the walls, installing new flooring and upgrading cabinets or fixtures

Creating comfort: Upgrading your heating or air-conditioning, waterproofing or soundproofing

Maintenance and repairs: Replacing the roof, repairing the foundation, plumbing or electrical

Energy-saving: Installing energy-efficient appliances, insulation, windows, solar panels

Adding space: Turning unused space into livable space, adding an additional onto your home

Safety: Installing storm doors or windows, creating a storm cellar for hurricane and tornado protection

How do you know which projects to take on yourself? Well, there are certain considerations to be made before any work gets started. Think about the project, and these considerations will help you determine whether you can do the project yourself or whether you need to hire a professional.

Do you have the time to take on the project? If it’s something simple, like painting a roof or updating cabinet hardware, you probably will, but if it’s a large-scale project, like a whole room remodel, it can take weeks to complete. This might mean that a room in your house is out of commission until the project is completed. If the inconvenience is too much a problem, hire someone who can get the job done quicker.

What is your skill level? If you are an accomplished home improver with a wide array of skills, you can consider doing many projects yourself. However, if you don’t really know much about home improvements beyond painting a wall, you may want to hire someone who’s professionally trained to make sure the work gets done right the first time around.

What materials will be needed for the project? Certain projects require specific tools to get the job done. If this project would be a one-time deal for you, it might not be wise to invest in the pricey tool you’ll never use again. Also, you need to know what building materials will be needed, such as tile or wood. You can go ahead and use the cheaper stuff but it might not be as durable. A professional may have the better quality materials you’re looking for.

Do you understand the safety issues that come along with the project? Putting on a new roof runs you the risk of falling off the house. Running electricity runs you the risk of getting electrocuted. If you are sure you’re completely capable of avoiding of getting the project done safely you can probably do it yourself instead of hiring someone.

Does this project require a permit? Small, cosmetic home improvements don’t need one, but larger projects like additions, electrical wiring and plumbing do require permits. If you hire a professional for these jobs you can be sure that all of the legalities will be taken care of properly.

Once you have answers to all of these considerations you can decide which route to take, they D.I.Y. route or the professional route. If you choose to go D.I.Y., make sure you’re up the challenge. Whichever way you go, the end result will be a beautiful, updated home you can be sure to enjoy!

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Posted in Home Improvement, Tips and Ideas - Tagged DIY, do-it-yourself projects, getting your home in good condition, Home Improvement
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Eliminating Odors

Nov28
2007
9 Comments Written by Kim

Smelly“Peeyew!” “What is that smell?” “Oh, yuck!”

Do you hear these comments every time someone walks in your door? Could it be that you have a severe odor problem in your home? Well, have no fear. Here are several tricks to help you sweeten the smell of your house.

DON’T JUST MASK IT

There are a number of products and sprays available that claim to eliminate household odors, but the truth is most of them simply mask the smells. Truth also is that a lot of those products contain potentially dangerous ingredients, especially if used over and over again. However, there are a number of items you probably have in your refrigerator or pantry that can efficiently and safely eliminate odors.

IDEA: CITRUS

GRIND IT

A number of products on the market boast an orange or citrus scent, so why not go right to the source. Grab a lemon, orange or lime and cut it into quarters. Then place one piece into your garbage disposal, turn on the hot water and grind away. (Save the other pieces in a closed baggie in the refrigerator for another day) You can also eat or use the inside for a recipe and just grind the peel. Any way you look at it, those ground up fruits will keep your kitchen smelling delicious. This is especially helpful if you’ve put something with a pungent smell in the disposal recently.

POUR IT

If you have a wooden cutting board or countertop that smells, consider pouring some lemon or lime juice on a wet rag and wiping the board or counter with the rag. Leave it there for a few minutes and then wipe the counter again with a clean, wet rag to keep the surface from getting sticky.

IDEA: BAKING SODA

Everybody knows about placing an opened box of baking soda in the freezer or refrigerator to eliminate odors. Here are a few other uses for baking soda to consider as well:

  • Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of the trash can before placing a bag in.
  • Sprinkle a generous portion of baking soda in the disposal before turning it on.
  • Place a box of baking soda behind the toilet in the bathroom, behind the diaper pail or in a corner of the crawl space.
  • Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets or rugs, leave for a half hour or so and then vacuum up.

IDEA: INFUSE WATER

If you still have odors in the kitchen, consider placing a pot of water on the stove to boil. You can throw in a variety of items depending on your preference-citrus peels, a cup of vinegar or cinnamon and cloves. Once the water is boiling, set the pot to simmer and enjoy the aroma! These items not only eliminate odors but make your house smell great as well.

IDEA: VINEGAR

Ever get a nasty smell from your washing machine? I did and none of the suggestions from the company got rid of the stink. It was vinegar to the rescue.

Fill the tub of the washing machine and add about a cup of vinegar to the water. If you want you can throw in some stinky exercise or gym clothes as well and continue through the wash cycles. The smell should be gone.

IDEA: SWEET SMELLS

Do you like different aromas? Do you have any cooking extracts in your pantry? Soak a cotton ball in an extract and put the cotton ball on a saucer or lid and place it on the kitchen counter, in the bathroom, in the front room and even in your car. The best part is there are many different flavors to choose from including vanilla, coconut, mint, raspberry and chocolate.

With just a few household items your house can smell wonderful in no time at all and those negative comments will turn those of praise.

Posted in Home Improvement, Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged getting rid of smells, Selling strategies, tips for showing
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