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place your name and company here. Inspect and Organize your Home for resale
By Jim Neidner e The old saying "If it’s broke-fix it," is really important if you’re getting ready to put your home on the market for resale. The summer is the hottest time of the year for selling and buying a new home on a local and national basis. School's out, vacation time is here and people are relocating. So if you’re one of the thousands considering selling your home, here are several tips that might help you. Most buyers today hire a professional home inspector to check your home for minor and major repairs before they will close. So if you happen to miss something when you’re getting your home ready to sell, don’t worry-- the professional inspector will probably find it and that really helps you, too. I know you would hate it if something came up after you closed and the new buyer came back to you and said, "We did not know that your shower pan was leaking." The bad news is, you didn’t know it either, in fact you had filled out the "seller’s disclosure statement" and it was not listed because you didn’t know! That’s why a home inspector can help the seller, too. No one wants an unhappy buyer or surprises at the time of closing. If fact, on my radio show I have always suggested to the caller when the question comes up about selling their home, to get a home inspection before you put your home on the market. It never seems to fail; something always comes up right before closing on home inspections and everyone is in a state of confusion when it does. I’ve even seen several transactions fall apart over a home inspection. Sometimes it’s really sad because the seller has moved and their home has been on the market for some time and if they had only known there was a problem, they would had fixed it. Keep in mind, one inspector might find something another missed, so it’s not a fool-proof approach, but it’s sure a step in the right direction when you get a pre-home inspection before selling your home. Things to do: There are so many simple things we can do that will make a huge difference and help our home shine for resale. Cleaning windows inside and out. When was the last time you cleaned your windows? For most of us, it’s been years What do I see standing at the curb and looking back at the home I’m thinking about buying that might concern me? What are the areas outside that need fixing or changing that might give this home a better curb appeal? Maybe add some shutters or repaint the front door a different color or repaint the outsides of the home. Is everything working inside and out? Are the painted wall colors matching well overall with rest of the interior designs? Do the ceilings or wood trim need to be repainted or touched-up? Is the carpet clean and bright looking or are there stains that need attention? What about your landscaping? Do the flower beds need re-mulching, trees need dead wood removed or should I plant new shrubs? Are there any leaks or water problems in the home? Are there any bad odors in the home? It is important to walk your home inside and out, making a list just like a prospective buyer might do--and be tough on yourself. Normally, when we're ready to sell our home, we want it to sell quickly. We are not placing our home on the market to get attention from our neighbors. We want to sell our home, and again, we want it to sell fast. Here are several other tips from "home inside organizer" Debbie Williams that might help you. For most organizing projects, you have four choices: hang it, put it in drawers, store it on the floor or shelve it. One of the key rules in organizing and decorating is to utilize vertical space. Often we place furniture around the room with nothing above it, forming a nice horizontal line. There is a ton of unclaimed storage and visually appealing space right above the furniture line! Closet Space: Up off the floor? Use multi-level rods for hanging items. Bins and shelf dividers keep folded items stacked. They are inexpensive to buy and can usually be found in discount stores or home stores. The time you save sorting through things on the floor or in drawers for purses and accessories will be well worth the small investment. This will not only free up valuable drawer space, but can eliminate the need for chest or drawers altogether. When organizing your closet, keep all blouses together. Sort by color, casual or dressy, long sleeved or short sleeved. Do the same for skirts, dresses, slacks and jeans. Kitchen Counter Space: Since counter space is at a premium, don’t display all your knickknacks on the countertop. Hang framed prints rather than resting them on easels. Consolidate fridge photos with a magnetic mat, or adhere a magnetic sheet to each picture creating your own photo magnets. Store tall utensils in pottery or your favorite pitcher. This makes your favorite things do double duty, creating more drawer space and reducing countertop clutter. Kid Clutter: If you have a two-story home, upstairs toys are not dragged downstairs; they stay in the bedroom or playroom. Keep a few toys on a small shelf, in a wicker basket, or toy bin downstairs in the family room. These must be cleaned up each night before bedtime. Downstairs push or riding toys must stay downstairs and off the steps. I know Jim wrote a great story for this newspaper about "home accidents" and keeping things off the steps. If you did not get chance to read it, I suggest you call him for a copy. Try the three-toy rule. The child can only play with three toys at a time, and then it’s time to put them away before dragging out another one. It works well with puzzles, books and other like items. If you start young, they may continue this "clean as you go" rule throughout life. Using some of these organizing tips will allow you to reclaim storage space and cut down on clutter in your home. Use the basic principles of clutter containing for each area in your home. By containing clutter, your home will show much better and help you towards a faster home sell.
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