Us Realtors can really talk a blue streak when it comes to preparing your home for sale.  Remove clutter! Clean the closets! Clean the garage! Organize the cupboards!   Well, you get the idea!   Those are the “normal” suggestions when a seller is preparing their home for the market. 

Today, just for fun we want to talk about some ‘unusual’ ideas for preparing your home for the market.  

Your refrigerator and freezer.  The outside should be clean, free of finger prints and “famous” art work, but what about the inside?   Potential buyers are known to look in cabinets, closets, so it is not that much of a stretch to think they may look inside your refrigerator and freezer – especially if the appliance is included in the sale!  So, let’s take a moment and think about what a potential buyer will see?  Old and growing food?  Foil wrapped mystery food in the freezer?  How many bottles of Vodka are in your freezer?  Is the appliance clean? Is there spilled milk or red juice stains?   Are there broken parts? Does it seal and close properly?   Now we aren’t saying this could be a deal killer but if someone looks in a refrigerator or inside the oven what they see may lead them to wonder how you care for the rest of the home.   Just some “food for thought”!   

While we are at it here are a few other ideas that may make your home more appealing or at least help it standout in the buyers mind:

• Bake cookies and have them sitting out for showings (the smell is appealing as is the treat)
• Have the bread maker baking (great smell)
• Put out a bowl of candy for your guests
• Light the fire in fireplace
• Have soft music playing
• Empty the trash can often so there is no worry of odor
• Put some baking soda, or Liquid Lysol cleaner (with a nice smelling scent) in the drains so there is no chance of a foul odor and it makes the whole house smell clean
• Turn on the lights in each room
• Be sure the towels in the baths and kitchen are straightened
• Close the toilet lids
• Do a quick run through the house with a laundry basket, anything that is out of place or laying around can be quickly loaded into the basket and then taken with you when you leave for the showing. 

Helping your sell your home is our goal,

Getting you through the process is our expertise!

 Keith       214-649-4823

Reechia   972-979-9978

As we begin the traditionally “busy” home selling season many home sellers are doing their best to make a great first impression but often times sellers get so wrapped up in fresh interior paint or de-cluttering their home they forget about the first thing home buyers see – your front door!  There is your real first impression! 

The front door is an important place to focus your attention on for many reasons.  It allows you to
show off your taste and style before guests enter your home.  Plus, you deserve to come home to a welcoming front door!   Good news, helping your front door put its best foot forward is simple. 
Here are three easy steps:

      
The Door – first choose a door that reflects your style and personality – painting or staining it a contrasting color makes it a focal point.  Consider Red, black or stained finishes.  

      
If your door is in good shape and you are preparing to put your home on the market a fresh coat of paint or stain will give it that “new” look without the cost of a new door. 

.      
The Accessories – just like any room in your home, the accessories are the finishing touch; you have several options: the door hardware, the house numbers, door knocker, doorbell, mailbox, doormats,
lighting and plants.  Since, typically, the area is small or compacted be sure to keep that in mind as you select your accessories.

  
A Commitment – keep the area neat and clean.  A simple sweeping or wiping down usually
does the trick.  But do it often – and pay attention to be sure you have removed webs, dust, finger prints or leaves.  Flower pots are a nice touch, keep the flowers looking fresh too. 

Last piece of advice, be sure that the entry way is clear of clutter, if they open the door can they get in too?  Many of us typically enter our homes through the garage so it can be easy to forget the front door and the front entry way.

We are here to help you prepare your home for the market, contact us!  

Helping you sell your home is our goal,

Getting you through the process is our expertise!

Reechia & Keith

Powell Realty Group

If you are preparing your home for the market one things real estate agents will tell you time and time again is that curb appeal is VERY important – think of it as the first impression you make at a job interview.  Curb appeal is your homes first impression!  In the current market you want to put as many “best foot forward” as you can – curb appeal should be at the top of that list.  

Besides sprucing up your home’s exterior with fresh paint and attractive landscaping, consider focusing attention on the gateway to your home. According to this year’s Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors, the one improvement that yielded the highest return on investment was a new steel front door. While homeowners’ ability to recoup their investment on many home improvement projects has gone down over the past year, this project really pays off. Nationally, the average cost of a new front door was $1,218 and the return on investment was 102 percent.

Helping you find your home is our goal

Getting you through the process is our expertise!

Reechia & Keith Powell

Plano Real Estate

If you are having a holiday party or if your home is for sale and your agent is holding an open house here are some quick and easy tips to make those entering your home feel at home: 

·        Define the space.  Party guests want to congregate in the space you have designed for entertaining – remove toys and exercise equipment and clutter so they can comfortably mingle.  Confusion on a set confuses the audience, so make the purpose of each room clear. 

·        Unblock the sight lines.  Actors need clear paths to maneuver, and so do home buyers and party attendees.  Make it easy to walk from room to room; be sure you can see out the windows, especially if there is a view; create an open space for seeing the entire group or hearing the music.  

·        Highlight the focal points.  For parties that will be the food table and bar area.  For home buyers the focal points will be the view, the fireplace, the open floor plan, the large kitchen.  Remember reds and yellows are “advancing” colors and blues and greens are “receding” colors. If you have elegant granite countertops place a bowl of red apples or peppers on top to draw attention to them (and remove all clutter).  Beautiful fireplace or a dreary corner, add a yellow flowering plant! 

·        Noise distracts!  For your parties very soft and subtle music is the perfect background noise, too loud and people can’t carry on a conversation.  The same is true for selling your home, add some soft music to set the mood but not distract.  

·        Smells – at this time of the year there are so many wonderful smells, but be sure they aren’t overwhelming for your parties or your open house!  

Good Luck & Have Fun!

Helping you find (or sell) your home is our goal.

Getting you through the process is our expertise.

Reechia & Keith Powell