De-cluttering is an essential part of your preparation, and is virtually cost free. This activity is goes hand in hand with moving. Before you put your home on the market, have a garage sale, throw some things out, and box stuff up. Your move will be easier, and you will create an open, spacious, simplified look that buyers love. If you need support, a local home staging service can work with your furniture and create a whole new look. When it comes to selling your home, less is truly more.

1. Front Yard
* De-cluttering starts with your front yard. Make sure the yard is mowed and edged, and remove toys, junk piles, empty flower pots, etc.
* An evenly cut yard is pleasing to the eye. Fertilize the grass a month or two ahead.
* Overgrown, woody shrubs give an old, tired look. Trim or remove them.
* Do not allow shrubs to cover windows. They block light on the interior, and give an appearance of crowding on the exterior.
* Coil hoses and place any tools inside the garage.
* Find a place to store extra cars or boats – other than the front of your house.
* De-clutter flower beds. Mulch is inexpensive (about $2.00 per bag), and does wonders to simplify garden beds, especially in winter when plants are thin. Add flowers on the porch or in beds if weather permits.
* Too many flowerpots are distracting – use a few large pots with healthy plants.
* Never have empty pots or dead plants sitting around.
* Dried wreaths may be used on doors in winter, for a simple focal point.
2. Entry
* The buyers’ first impression is critical, and shapes their attitude throughout the showing.
* Invest in a brand new welcome mat.
* Stains, scratches and dirty spots create distractions to the eye, and are a form of clutter. Clean, paint, and eliminate as many of these as possible.
* Pay close attention to your front door. Is it dirty, darkened by mildew, or in need of re-finishing? Fresh paint or stain will make a huge difference.
* Consider having your whole house power washed to remove stains, spider webs and other clutter.
* The foyer should be clear of shoes, coats, or excess items on the walls.
* Create a single focal point in the entry with an attractive table or painting.
3. Living Areas
* Rooms should be sparsely furnished to appear larger and lighter.
* The garage or an off-site storage room can be used to hold extra pieces of furniture.
* Move large pieces of equipment – drums, telescopes, exercise equipment, etc. – to the garage or off-site.
* Do not allow furniture to block windows, doorways, or traffic patterns through rooms.
* Do not allow wires to cross traffic patterns.
* Choose one or two elements as the main points of interest in a room – wood floors, a view, a table or piece of furniture, a nicely made bed, etc.
* Too many personal collections and photographs are distracting for buyers.
* Buyers must be able to imagine their own family in the home.
* A few decorative items or photographs on tables are fine, but reduce these to just a few nice pieces.
* Remove hunting trophies. They can be overwhelming in a small room, and may bother some buyers.
* Large plants often take up too much space. Allow only a few healthy plants in the house.
* Bookshelves add a warm touch to a room, but be sure that they are not overloaded.
* Place books so that the backs are even. Lay some books horizontally, and leave open space for art objects.
* Open window blinds and leave on a few lamps for pleasant lighting.
4. Kitchen
* The kitchen is the heart of the home and plays an important part in attracting the heart of a buyer. This is an active area that usually needs special attention.
* Clean, evenly finished cabinetry is a must. Add new paint or stain, if necessary.
* Benjamin Moore Paints has a product called “Howard’s Restore-a-finish” that works wonders on scratched or worn cabinets.
* New cabinet pulls are an inexpensive item that can help tie the room together in terms of colors and finishes.
* Remove purely functional items – such as baking pans, small appliances, vitamins, phone books, plastic bags, etc.
* Do not have notes or photos on the refrigerator.
* Clear the counters completely, then add back a few decorator items.
* Choose decorative pieces that contribute to a warm, elegant, organized look.
Some suggestions: Flowers, fruit, cookbooks, wine, bowls, antiques, new dish towels, small designer appliances, etc.
* Often the area under the sink needs organizing and cleaning.
* Never leave trash containers out in the kitchen.
5. Bathrooms
* It is important to de-clutter bathrooms to give them a touch of elegance or romance.
* Keep in mind that you will give up some privacy during the marketing period.
* Start by removing everything from the counters.
* Remove any toilet brushes or cleaners that are visible.
* Put items that you use daily – toothbrushes, soaps, razors – in a container, and place the container inside in a cabinet.
* Decorate with fresh soaps, flowers, bowls, photos, or designer bath items.
* Invest in new towels and fold them carefully.
* Never leave medicines, money, x rated magazines, jewelry, guns, or personal possessions of this type on display.

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• If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around your town to find color schemes that are appealing.
• Install a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts.
• If you can’t justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive.
• If new hardware is beyond your budget, repaint or stain the door and polish the hardware?

* If you are selling a non-distressed home then you need to make sure that it is in the best condition possible because chances are your home will be competing with short sale and bank owned propeties. Most of those homes are not in good condition and that is where Sellers of non-distressed homes have an advantage. A party wanting a move-in ready home will look at the condition of the home and that means the paint. If your home needs paint, then paint it. It will make it look cleaner, brighter and although it may not necessarily increase the value of your home, it could decrease the days it is on the market.

* Paint, both inside and out, is the best investment a Seller can make when marketing their home. Curb appeal is an essential element in the sale of a home so first make every effort to clean up and beautify the exterior of your house. Freah paint, power washing, a manicured lawn, trees and bushes all contribute to enticing a buyer to come inside and look more.

Once the exterior is in pristine condition, then and only then, do you devote your efforts and money to the interior. A fresh paint job in attractive neutral colors (no harsh white please) is always a good investment of time and money.

First de-clutter your home; no use in painting if no one can see the walls once they are done. Put excess furniture, toys, photos and pictures in storage. Get rid of any odors including cigarette or cigar smoke, cooking smell and pet odors. If you feel you have to “perfume” your home, you need to deoderize more. Perfumed air fresheners are often as offensive as the original odor and do nothing to mask smells. Finally, choose a popular neutral with a white trim to make the colors “pop.” If you are not an expert painter let someone else do the job. Paint spatters, drips and smudges on the ceiling and floor are universally unappealing to buyers.

So yes…paint your interior, but do it in the context of an overall careful preparation of your home for sale. In this tough market your efforts might just be rewarded with happy buyers and a quick sale for a good price.

* If your home’s interior paint is in great, clean condition and isn’t a wild color like hot pink or purple you can get away with leaving it as is and spend more time on simple staging techniques. If you are going to paint, make sure it is of neutral colors and is trimmed perfect. A shotty paint job will hurt your potential sale as much as an old paint job will.

So bottom line is if it looks bad and needs to be painted then yes paint at least the major rooms in the house and always stay with neutral colors.

1. First impressions really do count.

Curb appeal is very important, it’s the first thing the perspective buyer sees. The lawns should be mowed, the bushes trimmed and the exterior paintwork in good order. There is nothing worse than a prospective buyer driving off without setting foot inside the home because the outside just wasn’t appealing.

2. Don’t undertake any unnecessary major capital projects.

Although good quality kitchens and bathrooms sell homes, now is not the time to spend your cash reserves on a major renovation as you are most unlikely to get your money back in the form of a higher selling price.

3. Cosmetic improvements are the order of the day.

Make sure that you replace any broken door or cabinet handles, tighten any loose screws, replace any tap washers if necessary and make sure that the home is spotlessly clean.

4. Shed some light on the matter.

Replace any burned out light bulbs.

5. Let the sun shine in.

Open the curtains, blinds and windows. It’s time to let both light and air into the home. On the other hand if it is bitterly cold ensure that your fire is ablaze or your heater on high.

6. Your realtor will be at the home with a prospective buyer in 15 minutes – what do you do?

Don’t go into a cold sweat, just make sure that –

· your pet is outside
· there are no dirty dishes in the sink
· all clothes have been picked up and
· the house is clean

7. Don’t volunteer any information to the prospective buyers unless you absolutely have to.

You never know just what a buyer is hoping to hear in the answer to an apparently innocent question. You are paying your realtor to handle matters like this.

8. It’s an ideal time to check out your garden when the prospective buyer is inside the home. No buyer wants the owners breathing down his or her neck when they are inspecting a home. Let your real estate agent point out all those fabulous features which you’re just itching to talk about.

9. There is a difference between aromas and odors.

It’s always a good idea to have a pot of coffee on the stove or freshly baked cookies set out, as you just can’t beat that welcoming aroma. The same applies to freshly cut flowers. At the very least give the home a good spray of aerosol to remove any of those unwanted household odors.

10. Don’t let the fact that your home is on the market take charge of your life.

All buyers understand that you live in your home and therefore don’t expect that there will never be an item out of place at any time.

These tips won’t guarantee success in selling your home but if the asking price and presentation are reasonable you will be packing your bags in the near future.

Absolutely immaculate home on 26.65 acres. This home is approximately 4300 square feet and offers 3 BR and 2 full BA, a wide open floors plan including an eat-in kitchen, a great room, a dining room and a family room all on the main level all floored in ” white oak. The master bedroom has a spacious master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower as well as a loft area that would make a great office or exercise area. The lower level features an additional family room, an exercise room, a safe room and lots of storage. The large 2 car garage also includes a separate workshop. All appliances to remain including built-in oven, convection microwave, refrigerator, smooth-top cooktop and washer and dryer. There is a barn on the property with four 12 X 12 stalls, a tack area, separate water and electric and 10-12 acres in pasture with automatic water. This home sits high on a hill and borders Fox Run Creek.

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