Home sellers showing preparedness checklist.

One of my often used sayings with those selling their home at a listing presentation is; “Marketing a home is not the same as living in one”. The rebuttal from property owners is usually a groan and then after the staging and streamling is completed, the question is what do we need to do before each time our home is shown? I developed a handy checklist that is a good reference guide for day-to-day pre-showing “must do’s”. Pass this list on to house and pet sitters, nannies or anyone else who will be responsible for preparing your home for a buyer showing.

Following these simple tips will make your home shine in the best possible light. Plus you’ll be anxious to know how the showing went. I’ve included some standard “showing feedback” and what it means to home sellers.

-During daylight open all draperies, shades, and blinds. Natural light is at the top of most buyers’ wish lists.

-At night turn on all the lights. Dark homes are not inviting. Don’t forget outside light by front door. Can your house numbers be read at night?

-Have photos of your garden available. Remember to display before and after pictures of major remodeling projects.

-Use feature cards around your home to reinforce home benefits such as air-conditioning or nearby parks in winter months.

-Clean sinks, bathrooms before each showing.

Vacuum rugs and carpets before each showing.

-Wash dirty dishes and put away.

-Empty waste baskets and trash.

-Put away clothes and personal items.

-Organize mail, magazines, and newspapers.

-Fold towels and make beds.

-Eliminate offensive odors from pets or cooking. No smoking in the house when your “on market”.

-Keep landscaping neat and mowed. Sweep driveways and sidewalks. Shovel snow.

-Pick up litter on property.

-Clean litter boxes and pet food and water bowls.

-Pick up animal droppings in yard.

-Minimize religious effects.

-Put sexually explicit materials away.

After the showing you’ll be able to get feedback from the buyers agent. Here is some common feedback and what it means.

-First day out.=Just started home search, could come back.

-They’re thinking about taking another look.=Second showings usually show elevated interest, but if it isn’t how they remembered it, it’s over.

-Loved it!=Looks like they could be writing an offer.

-It’s on their short list of homes to buy.=Find out what your competition is.

-They have some questions.=Good sign, serious interest. Don’t be vague or untimely with answers.

-They want to bring their parents back.=Family members or friends can build confidence in or kill a home sale.

-Nice first floor (in a 2-story home).=The second floor layout or number of bedrooms on the second floor didn’t work.

-Too many projects.=Buyers are not prepared to do major updating or remodeling.

-Too much wallpaper.=If this becomes reoccurring feedback, take it down.

-Poor room flow.=Hard to change.

-Tired or needs tender loving care (TLC).=Buyers can’t see past the clutter, dirt, or damaged walls, floors, or fixtures.

-Overpriced.=Be thankful they’re honest. The rule of thumb is after 20 showings or 30 days and no offers, you need to adjust the price, and not up!

-Just didn’t work.=The buyers might not have clear home parameters, or their agent stretched them.

-Nice house, wrong location.=The house worked but buyers have different location needs than your home offers.

Home sellers shouldn’t force pets on prospective buyers.

We know you love your pet and it loves you too. But many home buyers won’t and it could get in the way of selling your home. Buyers can afraid of dogs big and small, allergic to cats and turned off by lingering pet odors. Here’s some do’s and don’t for home sellers when marketing their home.

Do

-Have carpets and area rugs cleaned before showing your home to potential buyers. Those allergic to animal dander and hair, even if they can’t see your pet will know when their eyes and nose start to alert them to an allergic reaction. Many will not purchase a home that poses strong allergy problems.

-Clean litter boxes daily and replace litter before it’s time. Urine smells permeating from litter boxes are a turn=off to home buyers.

Vaccum pet hair off carpets, rugs and furniture before every showing. No one likes to leave a home tour covered with pet hair.

-Brush your pets daily to keep ahead of shedding hair.

-Verify that old pet urine mishaps in carpets and under rugs on hardwood floors are gone for good. Hot humid weather can bring these old scents back to life.

-Train pets not to jump up on strangers, furniture and countertops. It is distracting for buyers to see cats running in food preparation areas and dogs mauling quality clothing.

-Take the high road and offer to pay medical bills if your pet bites a buyer or real estate agent. Agent communities are small and word gets around fast about home sellers that don’t take responsibility for unruly pets.

-Clean up and buy new dog bowls before placing your home of market. Fresh pet bowls filled with fresh food and water finish off a pristine home.

Don’t

-Leave pets unattended for property showings especially when you know they can be aggressive or territorial around strangers.

-Take for granted just because you have never seen you pet be aggressive that if around new people, scents and noises they might show a side you’ve never seen.

-Overlook picking up dog dropping in the yard. Buyers out to take a look at the roof don’t want any “take away”.

-Underestimate how a barking dog or overly friendly cats can kill a showing. Be pro-active and take your pets off site for showings. Hire a dog walker to occupy pets if you can’t be home.

-Forget to groom your animals more regularly when your home is for sale. Dog breath and wet dog hair aren’t becoming to buyers, even if they love dogs.

-Leave chewed window sills and door frames in that condition. It’s hard for buyers to get past this type of property damage. Especially if you have young children in the house.

Consult with your real estate agent if you have uncommon pets such as reptiles, spiders, and talking birds. Believe it or not these can cause more anguish to those not accustomed to being around them.

Tried and true menus for real estate open houses.

Spring’s arrival kicks off the largest annual exchange of residential real estate in the United States. Open houses are as much a part of this ritual as cherry blossoms, your Saturday or Sunday best and freshly mowed grass. While great food won’t sell a tired mid-century ranch, having food and beverages can make some buyers linger longer and provide a quick pick-me-up for weary homebuyers do a lot of walking, climbing up stairs and in and out of transportation viewing potential properties. I’ve field-tested these with real estate agents at brokers open houses as well.

The bascis.

-Forget silverware. If a guest at your open house needs to use silverware to graze at your open house buffet, the food is too fussy.

-Stage a pretty food and beverage station. Cut some flowers from your yard or buy some seasonal fresh flowers as the focal point. You can use a tablecloth but make sure it’s not too formal. Quality disposable cups and plates are okay, buy some colorful ones that match the theme of the room. Place a waste container in a very visible place adjacent to the station.

-Utilize cocktail size napkins and plates. Smaller size plates and napkins send the signal that it’s not a meal. It also helps control portion sizes so guests don’t feel that it’s a meal.

-Place some scented votives candles around the table to make it feel extra special.

-Bottled water is a must-have. Guests on-the-go will appreciate the the portable pick-me-up.

-Coffee is natural with house hunters. If you don’t want consumed away from the station don’t provide covers and sleeves.

-Before your open house ask your agent or visit some other open houses in your community to see how many people attend. It’s hard to predict how many will show and what they’ll eat or drink. The weather and time of day will surly impact how little or much you need to prepare.

-No alcohol. Open houses are business events. If people drink they stay forever and forget why they came.

Menu ideas.

-Mark’s Lofty Cranberry-Lemonade. A great make-ahead that’s always a hit. The authors field-tested receipe.

12 ounces lemonade.
4 ounces cranberry cocktail
1 Cup sliced lemons
Cold mineral water to taste
Ice Cubes

In a blender combine lemonade and cranberry cocktail. Add chilled mineral water to taste. Repeat receipe until amount is reached. Garnish total amount with lemon slices. I usually make 4 batches of receipe or 64 ounces, eight-eight ounce servings.

-Mark’s High-Rise Hot Chocolate. A twist on the old stand-by. Rave reviews by young and old.

4 Cups whole or reduced-fat milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup mineral water
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanila extract.
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

In a medium saucepan combine water, chocolate and sugar. Stir while cooking on a medium-low heat until choolate melts. Add vanila, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from heat, do not boil. Beat until frothy. Makes 6 isx ounce servings.

-Mark’s Turn-key Turkey Roll-ups. Portable and easy to eat with one hand. Healthy too.

1-8 ounce package light cream cheese, softened.
cup light sour cream
1-Teaspoon prepared mustard
Teaspoons died basil leaves
8-10 inch flour tortillas, warmed
8-1 ounce slices turkey breast
1-10 ounce package broccoli slaw mix
8-1 ounce sliced provolone cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 sliced black olives

Combine cream cheese, mustard in small bowl, mix at medium speed, scrape bowl, until smooth. Stir in basil. Place slice s of Provolone cheese on tortilla. Spread 1/4 cup mixture onto each tortilla almost to edge on top of Provolone cheese. Combine broccoli slaw, onions and olives in bowl. Place turkey on top of cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle broccoli slaw mixture on top of turkey. Roll up tightly; secure with toothpick. To serve, cut each roll-up into thirds. Place toothpick in each third to hold together. You make these up to four hours ahead. Makes 24 roll-ups.

-Mark’s Condo Chocalate chip raisin cookies. The bread and butter of open house food.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup raisins

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small mixing bowl. Neat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, beat well after adding; gradually beat in flour mixture. Add milk and beat for one minute. Stir in morsels and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake in 375-degree oven for nine to eleven minutes, cookies should be golden brown. Makes 24 cookies.

Extras

-Snack-size single serve bags of corn, potato or tortia chips. No dips please, spares you the drips.

-The new eight ounce soda cans chilled ready to go.

-Washed whole fresh fruit. Pick varieties that don’t need to be peeled or cut.

-Miniature wrapped candy bars. A home run at open houses.

-Take a good look at your artwork before you put it reinstall. Pack and store excessive amounts of family photos, religious art and anything offensive including nudity.

-Heavy drapes weigh rooms down. A quick decorating update for any room is new blinds or shades. Choose neutral colors so buyers perceive that they won’t have to spend the time or money to install new window fashions.

-Thinning closets, cabinets, basements, attics and garages will also help your storage spaces look larger. If you can’t part with items, rent a storage locker to hold items for decision making later.

-Fireplaces are a big plus. If you have one but don’t use it, hire a chimney sweep and have the firebox and ash pit cleaned.

-Don’t forget the basement, dark, dirty and musty basements are a turn-off to buyers. Add extra lighting, paint the floor and vacum out all the cobwebs. Organize storage areas and take the time to clean the washing machine and dryer. To spruce up the hot water heater and furnace, wipe down with a strong cleaner. Scrub the laundry tub and sweep left-over leaves out of exterior stairs and window wells. Run a dehumidifier to reduce basment moisture.

-Have your furnace and air-conditioning systems serviced.Test smoke detectors and install carbon monoixde detectors if you don’t already have. Home inspectors red-flag homes without pro-active warning systems.

-The garage might not be a top priority, but neat, well-maintained garage/workshops are in big demand. Verify if your automatic garage door opener operates properly and lubicate all overhead door tracks.
-Don’t overlook the landscaping. Over-grown trees and shrubs can be pruned back or cut down in the winter months.

Don’t overlook resale impact when remodeling.

Pickled oak floor and cabinet finishes, whirlpool bathtubs and indoor-outdoor carpeting were once the rage. Careful planning when remodeling today can save you time and frustration when you sell your home. Here are some tips to save you the aggravation of steaming off all your expensive wallpaper. Here’s some tips to consider before starting a project, especially if you plan on selling soon.

-Choose light to medium stain colors when refinishing or installing hardwood floors. Black might be in, but expensive to lighten later.

-Dated ceramic tile and bathroom fixtures need more than today’s paint colors and new bath rugs in buyers eyes.

-Choose wall colors than let homebuyers overlay their style. Strong commitment colors can block buyers from seeing themselves in your space.

-Parquet and laminate floors might be a quick fix, but you’ll pay later with low buyer perceptions of these products.

-Granite countertops on 1980’s oak cabinets with new hardware are a sure sign of a quick but incomplete update to buyers.

-Remember to size walls before applying wallpaper, so it is easier to remove. Homebuyers stay away from homes that have any more than one room of wallpaper. Ditto wallpaper borders.

-Think twice before converting third or fourth bedroom to a master bath. The majority of homebuyers would rather have the flexibility of an extra room.

-Install new kitchen cabinets to the ceiling, today’s buyers want the utility of the extra storage 42” cabinets provide.

-Buyers choose homes with first floor family rooms over basement recreation rooms. Compare costs of adding on to the first floor versus building out basement space.

-Include generous walk-in closets, pantries and laundries near bedrooms. Buyers will walk away from a home that can’t handle their belongings.

- Consider that buyers will see your in-ground swimming pool as a negative in clod climates.

- Kitchen back splash, ceiling and wall to wall ceiling mirrors are number one on the buyer hate parade!

-Keep finishes and proportions of new rooms similar to existing spaces. The huge new living room with crown molding next to the old galley kitchen with metal cabinets screams poor remodeling planning.

- Spiral staircases might solve space limitations; most buyers will stay away from a home with one, or discount your price to add a full-size staircase.

-Textured walls and popcorn ceilings are a common turn-off for buyers.

- Remember to add sufficient heat and air-conditioning when remodeling. After -thought baseboard heating and the only window air-conditioner in a centrally air-conditioned home denotes poor planning.

Low cost decorating ideas that say luxury to homebyers.

Forget shabby-chic and white-on-white. Homebuyers want warm understated elegance in homes they would consider their own. Going through hundreds of homes a month as a broker, I see first hand the body language and hear the comments from today’s homebuyers on what reels them in or turns them off. One of the most interesting examples on how decorating and reformulating a home came early this spring market when a two-story center entry colonial became available.

The home was filled with late 1990′s colors and way too much furniture, artwork and bric-a-brac.The property lingered for a couple of weeks and the buyer feedback was that they couldn’ t see through all the stuff in the house to get an idea of what the homes “bones” were. Plus the deep jewel-tone paint job was dark and over-bearing. So, we did a low-budget overall using some of my basic design principles. The home went to contract soon after the edit and update was completed. Here are some good basic decorating tips.

-Don’t forget first impressions. The entry hall is where you set the tone for the entire home. Keep it simple and spare as this is where buyers and their agents congregate. Have a console table (for listing materials) with a mirror over and one side chair for guests to sit down and put booties or shoes on, or to park purses and coats. Eliminate family photos and throw rugs, less is more.

-Rooms need design basics for functional elegance. Group accessories together. Don’t spread like-kind decorative objects around a room. Place collections together to give them more visual power. If you have a chair it needs a table next to it and a lamp, so it is a cozy reading station. Artwork should be streamlined and focused for impact. Hang artwork close together instead of scattering around a room. Keep the range of colors in a room tight. Too many colors is distracting and not inviting, you want buyers to linger.

-Getting a home update organized. Take room and furniture measurements first and record on graph paper. Move furniture around on paper (saves your back) until your happy with the look, edit pieces that don’t work. Look at the room and furniture, do you need new paint colors, slipcovers or accent pillows, all a quick way to add visual punch and unify a space design-wise.. Minimize window treatments to draw attention back into the room and let the sun shine in.

-Simple furniture rearrangement can bring new life to a tired space. Float sofas and coffee tables away from walls for a designer look. Use area rugs to anchor furniture groupings on bare tile and wood floors. Place groupings of candles and clear glass bowls filled with natural potpourri, fresh fruit or glass crystals on side and coffee tables.

-Discover ways to organize day-to-day room needs. Substantial wicker baskets or square stainless steel or brass can organize magazines, remote controls and toys. Books provide a good look, but vary them by laying some down and standing some up.

-Fresh flowers and green plants complete any space. Don’t get too fussy with flowers and plants, their basic beauty should be featured in plain containers without ribbon. Natural stones or bark covering the soil gives them a finished look. No silk flowers, period.

-Homes should look comfortable. Comfort is the ultimate luxury and buyers love it and want to stay. So if you’re trying to make a decision, let comfort rule. Comfort is feeling like you can sit down on the sofa, floor or window seat and feel at home in your Sunday best or Friday night pajamas.

-Lighting can make or break a room. Too bright and it looks like a movie set and too little like a creepy bar. Use a variety of table, floor and built-in lighting, use appropriate wattage bulbs. My rule of thumb is that as the sun rises the lighting should rise and as it falls so should it.

-Wallpaper is considered fill-in-the-blank decorating. No two people have the same taste in this instant decorator wannabe. If it’s more than three years old, take it down and paint in a neutral color. And wallpaper boarders are out.

-Clean is comfortable and elegant. Buff hardwood floors, clean tile, polish cabinets and don’t forget the windows. Cleanness is the foundation for a beautiful room and can overcome a room with problems.

-Every home must have a good sofa, comfortable chairs, a retreat to get away, good natural light, atmosphere, and practicality.

Selling? The cleanliness quotient matters to home buyers.

Some home sellers just don’t get it. They’ve upgraded their home with every whistle and bell, had an interior designer in to spruce everything up. Potential buyers though take a brisk tour with their arms folded, before you realize it the showing is over, but maybe it never began. Outside they can’t wait to wash their hands and breathe some fresh air. Dirty homes no matter how fancy are more difficult to sell.

Home sellers need to understand that marketing a home is not like living in it day-to-day, and you have a very limited window of time to make a good first impression from the cleanliness quotient. The cleanliness quotient can seal or kill a home. Here’s some home cleaning tips for home sellers who want to get it right the first showing.Here’s a few ways to say clean to buyers five senses.

-Sense of smell rules the cleanliness quotient. No smoking inside the house from the day you decide to sell. Stale cigarette smells says yuck to buyers. Forget the exotic spices in recipes, even if you have an exhaust fan, they permeate upholstery and carpeting. Clean the litter box and bird cage every day. Many buyers are allergic to pets and in hot humid weather, overwhelming urine smells are not the right greeting or a red allergy flag for your home. If you cheat on this one, open all your windows and turn on every bathroom exhaust fan for an hour.

-Buyers need to see the house not your stuff or dirt. Stepping around or over books, clothing or misplaced furniture frustrates buyers because they focus on maneuvering and not on the home. Dirt is your number one enemy on home showings. Kitchens and bathrooms should shimmer and shine. Baseboards and moldings should be clean and chip-free. Hardwood and ceramic floors should glow. Clutter follows dirt on buyers top turn-offs.

-Sound is an often overlooked but important part of the cleaning quotient. Background noises such as barking dogs, out-of-sight ringing cell phones and loud neighbors are noise pollution when house hunting. Ditto busy streets, overhead planes and nearby trains. To set the right tone, play some light jazz or new-age music at a low level, especially in rooms adjacent to your entry way.

A few details of the cleaning quotient.

-You must pick-up and de-clutter every day. The mail piles, newspapers and toys need to have a place, purchase some decorative wicker baskets for catch-alls. My motto is “when in doubt, throw it out (or recycle)”. If you are moving soon, will you really have the time to read all that stuff?

-Wipe down the kitchen sink, bathrooms and empty waste baskets every morning. You won’t always have much notice when buyers might be touring your home, be ready. I like the new Mr. Clean (melamine) sponges, they cut the elbow grease required for daily spruce-ups and work great on painted surfaces.

-Buyers love natural light, make sure that your drapes are fully open, the blinds or shades work properly and your windows sparkle inside and out. Use newspaper or fresh coffee filters on windows with a vinegar and water solution, dry in opposite directions to determine which side is streaked.

-Dust turns into dirt. You’ll never know in advance when Mr. or Ms. Clean will be coming through. You might have a high tolerance to dust, but now is not the time to be lax. Vacuum dust first and follow up with a micro-fiber cloth. If you’re in a pinch , used dryer sheets make a great recycled duster.

-Hardwood floors are a must-have for homebuyers. Before you market your home take the time to thoroughly clean and polish your floors. Black tea is a green pick-me-up for hardwood, the tannins in tea leave a lovely shine.

-You can’t hide dirty showers. Every buyer pulls back the shower curtain. Rid yourself of mold and dirty grout. I use a solution of vinegar and water, followed by toothpaste for those hard to remove stains. Don’t forget to wash the shower curtain liner, throw it in the washer with some towels and line dry.

-Buyers always peek inside refrigerators. Make the time to give your appliances a good cleaning, because if they’re included buyers will inspect them. Old food, gummy spills and moldy condiments don’t sell homes. My dishwasher takes everything from the stove top grates to the vegetable drawer in the fridge and even the lint filter from the dryer.

-Change furnace and air-conditioner filters. This is often ignored but many buyers and home inspectors see dirty filters as a sign of an under-maintained home. Clean the blade tops on ceiling fans too, I’ve see too many rainstorms of dust bunnies from dirty ones in unused rooms.

-Clean light switch plates, door knobs and kitchen cabinet hardware often. These are the number one places that all buyers interact with on showings, if they keep running into dirty ones, it could be their over all take-away.

-Don’t be afraid of hiring some cleaning help. It can be over-whelming with all you have to do to get your home ready to sell. Consider hiring a professional team for a top-to-bottom cleansing. Once you have everything up to the same clean quotient, it will be easier to maintain.

Landscaping can make or break curb appeal for homebuyers.

Homebuyers love an inviting home even before they see the interior. Home sellers can take some easy steps to turn a drive by or Internet photo of their home into a showing appointment. Here’s some easy tips for your readers and viewers to prepare their home for spring market.

-Purchase a seasonal wreath for your front door.

-Place a pair of planters that match the style of your home on the front porch. Fill with blooming flowers or loosen frozen soil with hot water and fill with evergreen boughs and red or yellow dogwood available at your florist or garden center. If you have window boxes duplicate flowers or evergreen look.

-Don’t put silk flowers or plants into any exterior landscape.

-Give buyers a glimpse of your summer gardens when selling a home in the winter. Display a collage of photos of your landscaping in spring, summer and fall.

-Clean up any tree branches, leaves, trash and pet droppings in front and rear yards.

-Position spotlights from home center stores at the base of ornamental trees to up light branches for a dramatic effect.

-Spread decorative bar mulch over flowerbeds and around tree bases for a manicured and professional look.

-Take down any leftover holiday decorations. Resist using clear Italian lights to accent trees or shrubs. Kitsch is out.

-Clear away snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways immediately, to illustrate pride of ownership.

-A fresh application of driveway sealer on asphalt can give it an update.

-Edge sidewalks and driveways, irrigate and mow lawns and prune shrubs and trees. Well-maintained homes attract buyers.

-Spread new decorative gravel to freshen up driveways. Bare spots and irregular levels can distract buyers from the overall look upon arrival.

-House numbers should be easily visible from the street. Make sure they’re lit at night.

-Limit yard ornaments to a favored few. Excess ornaments can make yards look busy and buyers might want them included in a purchase contract.

-Make sure your barbecue grill is clean and operational, especially if you plan to leave it.

-Clear gutters of debris and make sure there are no weeds growing in them. Look for clogged and dented downspouts. Place splash pads or gutter extensions to move rainwater away from the foundation, a typical home inspector complaint.

-All soil should be graded down hill away from foundations. Do it before an inspector red flags it.

-Trim trees and shrubs back around air-conditioning condensing units. Remove covers for home inspection testing.

-Take a good look from the street or road at the front of your home. Look for shrubs that are over grown or dead and remove and replace with shrubs that are to scale to your home. Small inexpensive bushes send the wrong message.

-Add annual flowers in home foundation beds. Select one or two colors to create visual uniformity. White and purple are a good choice to add color punch to a landscape.

-Paint and refresh yard lights, flagpoles, mailboxes, window boxes, fences and trellis. Don’t forget the swing set or play equipment.

-Have pool bottom painted and any deferred pool maintenance performed. Keep water crystal clear and inviting. Keep pool temperature on the warm side when buyers stoop to test the water.

-Lay sod or bare spot grass seed in lawn areas that need attention, near play equipment, dog runs and non-paved pathways. Unkempt lawns are the number one landscape turn-offs for buyers.

-Replace broken bricks on terraces, cracked concrete patios and steps. Eliminate trips and falls on property showings.

-Restore screens on porches and lanai’s. Dirty, rusty and ripped screens limit functionality to homebuyers.

-Have irrigation systems flushed and checked. Don’t overlook outside water spigots.

-Verify that drains in exterior basement stairwells and garages drain properly and are free of debris.

-Hire a landscape designer to make plan to perk up a tired landscape. Professionals can provide a fresh perspective that can appeal to buyers.

-Plant low maintenance plants and shrubs that are appropriate to your area.

-Educated plant lovers are on the rise and they know which plants are winter hardy. High maintenance plants such as roses can overwhelm first-time buyers.

-Evaluate if your neighbors yard detracts from yours. Call or even better drop by in person to offer to clean up a neighbors property. And have a written plan to leave behind. Be aware that if the neighbor is elderly, physically challenged or doesn’t owner-occupy they might need you to hire someone to do major clean-up work. Your real agent should do any talking with the neighbor in conjunction with you taking the lead, since you have the relationship with the neighbor. Care should be taken not to imply, insult or pass judgement on the condition of the neighbors yard. Neighbors yard are a marketing issue for home sellers.

Use winter months to prepare your home for spring buyers.

To do it right, home-owners can utilize the quiet mid-winter months to do their decorating and marketing homework for today’s home buyers. The dated wallpaper and faded parquet floors say more about the way you’ve kept house and possibly the way you have maintained your home to prospective buyers than you realize. It might also lower the bottom line on the sale of your home. The best way to shorten the time your home is on market and possibly bring the highest price is take the time during the winter months to make a plan of action and put it into motion, so when the robins sing you can place a “sold” sign in your yard.

-Host a pre-market open house. Invite friends, family and three full time real estate agents to an early Sunday afternoon “get to know” your home open house. Prepare some hot chocolate, coffee and homemade sweets to serve your invitation-only guests. People love a sneak preview and it will help get the word out that you’ll be selling your home in spring market. Ask for feedback from all guests and be ready for what you’ll hear, the good and the bad.

-Start a file on the sale of your home. Have a to-do list of repairs, updates and streamlining with a timeline to complete before your home goes on market. Gather references for contractors if you need to hire work done. Mid-winter months are typically slow for the building trades and a good time to schedule repairs.

-Establish a must-do list of items that have to be completed before you go on market. These can include cleaning or installing new carpeting, refinishing hardwood floors or eliminating dated and worn wallpaper. New kitchen appliances can do wonders for otherwise tired kitchens, and buyers love new stainless steel look.

-Don’t forget to have all the inside and outside surfaces of your windows cleaned. This often over-looked and laborious job can be hired-out and should be done within a week of placing your home on market.

-Take all left-over holiday decorations down, organize and donate any you haven’t used in years.

-If a room requires a freshing-up with new paint, trend colors might be right for you, but neutral warm colors are favored by the majority of homebuyers.

Slowing real estate markets feature St. Joseph.

With the slow down in the real estate market even my Jewish home sellers have discovered St. Joseph. A statue of The Holy Family’s foster father buried in the yard of home being sold, buried upside down should bring a buyer, or so goes the folklore. Several web sites on the Internet offer a kit that outlines the correct procedure and includes your own St. Joseph.

The Catholic church does not formally recognize the practice. But Joseph was a carpenter and thus a builder of homes and he contributed to one very important family’s home. Remember to complete the good luck cycle when you sell. Dig up the statue and place it in a featured location in your new home. St. Joseph can’t cure all home selling problems, for a more realistic perspective on getting a home sold here are some quick tips.

-Pricing. If your home has been on more than 30 days and has had at least twenty showings, the real estate agent rule of thumb says over-priced. In an evolving real estate market take a long hard look at sold comparable properties from only the last six months.

-No or low showings. Is it easy for home buyers to see your property? Your home won’t sell if no one can get in. Make sure your home and your agent are available to show it when the majority of buyers are out looking. Once you get them in, make sure its presentable.

-Presentation is key. Clean sells. Take the time every day to pick up clutter and clean, be pro-active for possible showings. Pets can be annoying and distracting to home buyers, take them off-site for showings.

-Don’t forget broker open houses. Many home sellers focus on public open houses to attract buyers, while missing the point that real estate agents represent almost ninety of those buyers. Have your agent host a brokers open house with light food and refreshments to attract agents on a week day.

-Have a virtual tour. Over three-quarters of home buyers start their home search on the Internet today. Require your agent to have a virtual tour and at least six still photos on real estate web sites.

Practical kitchen design is winning recipe to 2011 homebuyers.

Open shelving, gleaming granite countertops and glass doors on refrigerators are the rage in kitchen design today. But these looks don’t fool many who have interacted with them. Homebuyers in 2006 look for practical design options to make their time in the kitchen more leisure and lower day-to-day maintenance.

-Fingers and pets easily soil and scratch stainless steel finishes. For an alternative use matching cabinet panels on appliances for a custom look or black appliances with black colored countertops. Research traditional upright refrigerator options such as built-in separate refrigerated and freezer drawers.

-Trendy custom colors and ceramic tiles look great today but will look dated sooner than you think.

-Organized your dishes and glassware if you select open shelves. Consider cabinets with frosted glass doors for a similar look with less work.

-Polished granite countertops show smudges, watermarks and wiping streaks. Research alterative’s like matte finishes. Stone and concrete are hard surfaces and record every noise by glasses, dishes and pots placed on them.

-Include double-ovens to speed baking, two dishwashers for heavy entertaining and second sinks for multiple cooks.

-Don’t overlook basic functional design elements for distances between workstations, appliances and sinks.

-Allocate space for people to congregate or sit when your kitchen is the focal point for entertaining in your home.

-Kitchens adjacent to great rooms with hardwood floors might require hardwood floors, but remember to have extra coats of wood sealers applied as spills and water don’t mix with wood.

-Look for quality cabinets that offer features such as slide-out shelves, dovetailed drawers and solid construction.

-Specify cabinets to ceiling for extra storage. Use 32-inch tall cabinets with 10-inch glass door cabinets above to lighten look and provide dust-free display of serving pieces.

-Plan for places to store cookbooks and favorite wines within easy reach with shelves and racks built into the ends of islands.

-Pantries, under cabinet task lighting and cook top ventilation fans vented to the outside offer high returns on functionality.

-Factor in resale perceptions and values of high-end European cabinets, fixtures and appeal of commercial stoves.