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Martha
and Don Woods PA
the
internet savvy REALTORS®
Watson
Realty Corp.
1504
S Atlantic Ave
New Smyrna Beach,
Florida 32169
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| Preparing
A House For Sale |
Before
Showing A House: When potential buyers look at
property, small details can make strong first impressions.
There's only one chance for a good first impression. You
might like to try some of these ideas while preparing a
house for the best first impression possible.
1. Safety First: Remove items
that could cause visitors to stumble, trip, or become
injured in any way. Inspect the house from top to bottom.
Correct any potential hazard. Check carpeting and floor
covering; tighten loose stair treads and handrails. This
protects the owners and the guests.
2. Fix-up: Small repairs could
make the difference between a house that is appealing and
one that has to be sold. It is easier to show how beautiful
a home is, than to ask buyers to imagine how it could look
after simple repairs are made. A small amount of time and
money invested in sprucing-up can pay off. A loose door knob
or leaky faucet can make potential buyers wonder about other
repairs, and cause them to look harder for problems. You can
try to tell a buyer how easy and inexpensive a repair will
be (and hope they believe you), or you can repair it to
prevent disillusionment that could impede a sale.
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3. Clean-up:
How does the driveway look? First impressions start with
curb-appeal and continue as the prospects walk to the house.
Keep the lawn cut and edged, leaves raked, shrubs trimmed,
and garage arranged neatly. Of course, spring cleaning
inside and out, is one of the first steps in preparing a
house for sale. Check everywhere for odors, and remember to
change the air conditioning filter often.
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4. Touch-up:
A freshly painted front door and touch-ups around screen
doors and windows add eye-appeal.
5. Light and Sound: Bright
cheerful lighting creates a positive environment when
potential buyers look at a house. Replace burned out light
bulbs. During showings: turn on lights, open drapes, blinds
and shades to reveal sparkling clean windows. Reduce noise
levels. Turn off the TV, dishwasher, washer, and dryer. Add
soft music.
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| 6. Kitchens
and Bathrooms are very important: A bit of extra
scrubbing and caulking here, can go a long way to help a
sale. Potential buyers judge how the entire house is
maintained, by the condition of the bathrooms and kitchen. A
bowl of fruit in the kitchen, or a plant in a bathroom, is a
nice touch. |
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7. Inspections:
Consider a Home Inspection now, to prepare for a smoother
closing when a sale is underway.
8. Furniture: Thin out
furnishings to expand pathways and create more open space.
This gives the rooms a feeling of more size. It is a good
idea to delay any discussion with lookers about selling your
furniture or other personal possessions, until after they
are sold on the house.
9. Closets: Plan to tidy
closets, store or dispose of unwanted items, before showing
the house. Is it time for a Garage Sale? Neat closets seem
larger. Here is a decorator's tip: fresh white paint inside
of an almost empty foyer closet creates another good
impression.
10. Breakables & Valuables:
These should be stored temporarily in a bank, or maybe with
family.
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11. Pets:
Animals should be away from the premises during appointments
and Open House,(maybe with a neighbor,) or at least safely
confined. People who avoid dogs, cats or other pets, may not
react well to them.
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| 12. Appointments:
Have a Guest List ready for prospects to write their names,
addresses and phone numbers, as they enter the house. With
this information, follow-up phone calls can be made, to
invite prospective buyers to take a second look. |
 Working
with the best pays off.
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- Contact us for -
Legendary Quality Service
Watson Realty Corp.
Direct Phone: 386-478-9202
Office
VM/Page:
386-428-7355 x210
Direct Toll Free: 877-281-7432
MarthaDon@MarthaDon.com
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Revised:
March 15, 2007
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