Top 10 Ways to Sell Your House in a Slow Market

The current real estate market in most areas of the U.S. has stalled, with no dramatic upswing in sight. At the same time, there are sales being made because people still need to re-locate for a job or have health issues, they may want to down size or are ready to become a first time homebuyer. With such a high inventory of single family homes and condominiums on the market, here’s what you can do to get ahead of the curve and actually sell your home within a reasonable length of time.

#1 Beat your competition on price. Research what similar homes have recently sold for (not what they listed for) in your neighborhood and undercut by at least a few hundred dollars to start. A real estate sales associate can easily get you those sales figures. Indicate you are willing to negotiate.

#2 Assess your home’s negative points with a critical eye and make repairs. Fix leaky faucets, replace broken or cracked windows, tighten screws on loose cupboard doors, nail down squeaking floorboards, put fresh caulk around the tub or shower, fill in nail holes or cracks in wall board and repaint, replace worn out window coverings or shades that don’t work.

#3 Update and get with the times. Get a couple of gallons of paint in a soft or neutral color and go to work on those walls and trim. Replace those clunky, noisy ceiling fans with modern models. New faucets and showerheads will add sparkle. Change out worn (or missing) cupboard and drawer knobs. If your budget will allow, replace that old burner-top stove, ancient refrigerator, and worn out dishwasher. You don’t necessarily need to do a total makeover, but if you have orange, shag carpet in the living room I would seriously recommend installing a new, inexpensive carpet and pad!

#4 Use soap, water, and elbow grease. It’s a big turn off for potential buyers when there is visible dirt and grime and it can indicate that the seller has let other issues slide on the house as well. Mop floors and apply a good grout cleaner in tiled areas. Look for dirt and smudges on door trim and handles, dust furniture, vacuum floors and rugs and sweep down stairs. Clean out sink, tub, and shower drains, remove soap scum from bathroom walls, wash or replace shower curtains. Get on a stepladder and clean accumulated dust and dirt from ceiling fan blades, clean the oven, remove old food and wash inside of refrigerator. Replace air filters and wash all the windows inside and out!

#5 Do the Sniff Test. After being outside and coming into your house, how does it smell? Are there any obnoxious odors, such as wet dog, fish aquarium, birdcage, cigarette or cigar smoke, old garbage, gym clothes, stinky sneakers, mildew, or strong food odors from last night’s meal? If so, thoroughly clean offensive areas and dispose of stinky articles. It may be necessary to wash down and repaint walls and replace old curtains and carpet if the smoke smell is overpowering.

#6 De-Clutter! We’re all guilty of hoarding too much stuff. Getting ready to list your home is a great time to get a clean slate. Give away whatever you can to friends or relatives, or have a yard sale. Don’t forget there are any number of organizations that would welcome donations of your unused or extra appliances, clothes, knick-knacks, outgrown baby items, sports equipment, tools and other household goods. Local libraries will take books. Habitat for Humanity will take certain items that can be used for construction. Look for their number in the phone book.

#7 Don’t overstuff rooms, closets, or the garage. Make it easy to navigate through your house, even if it means rearranging furniture or removing a couple of overstuffed chairs. A small closet will look much larger if it’s not jammed with everything under the sun. Just have essential items on hangers or neatly stacked and pack up or dispose of the rest. In the garage, what can’t be thrown out can at least be stored or stacked in an orderly fashion.

#8 Remove distractions. Potential buyers should be looking at your house with intent to buy, not admiring your baseball collection, asking about the antique gun hanging on the wall, eyeballing risque posters in the bedroom, oooing and ahhing over the doll collection or the 9 x 10 glossy signed by Elvis.

#9 Don’t forget the all-important Curb Appeal. Ever drive up to a house hidden beneath hanging tree branches, knee-high weeds, large, worn spots in the lawn, rusty toys strewn about, an old tire with a dog chained up, a broken down swing set or a junk car in the drive? How about the swimming pool water that’s turned olive green? Trust me; that eyesore is not going to lure many serious buyers. It may, however, elicit ridiculously lowball offers from salivating investors.

#10 Market your listing every way you can. The more people that are aware your house is for sale, the more likely you will get interested buyers and a sale. Tell everyone you know. If allowed in your neighborhood, place a For Sale sign in your yard. But, be sure to have professional looking flyers attached, describing the good points. Real estate brokers can provide extensive advertising and marketing. They utilize computer multiple listing systems, ads in newspapers and magazines, agent pre-views, Internet web sites, email to other agents, etc. Post cards can also be mailed throughout the neighborhood announcing your listing. A well-planned Open House can also be effective.

Copyright (C) 2008 by Susan Bicksler, all rights reserved.

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10 Ways to Refresh Your Bathroom without Remodeling

Bathroom remodels look inviting once they’re finished and as long as someone else is doing the work. But what if you don’t have the money, time or energy to replace bathroom fixtures or flooring, add a tile backsplash or even paint the walls, but you’d like to give your bath a little pick-me-up? Pick and choose from among these 10 bathroom refreshers.

1. Make your faucets sparkle like new. Get rid of hard water stains and scaling with white vinegar on a clean rag or sponge. The whole sink area will look cleaner and brighter.

2. Put something new on the countertop. Replace your toothbrush holder, soap dish and tissue box for something new and exciting or add a pretty candle in a mosaic holder. Even a handful of fresh flowers in a pretty glass vase can make your bathroom more inviting.

3. Aromatherapy is cheap and easy. Introduce a great new scent to the bathroom with potpourri, scented soaps and candles, a new air freshener, or scented oil reed diffuser. Change scents with the seasons so that there is always something new and fresh.

4. Replace ratty towels with fresh new fluffy ones. Cushy new towels in coordinated shades gives the bathroom a new look. Really go crazy and add a coordinating shower curtain for an instant update.

5. Change your wall art. If you’re tired of the same old same old, change up your wall art with new metal art, framed photographs, cottage-inspired wrought iron, candle wall sconces or anything that appeals to you. Do it on the cheap by framing up your own digital photographs or a verse of poetry or inspirational verse printed on parchment and elegantly framed.

6. Add a fashionable new rug. If you haven’t looked at bathroom rugs lately you’ll be amazed at the colors, patterns and themes available. Whether you lust for climbing cabbage roses or bold modern color blocks, a new rug in the bathroom can give you a lot of decorative bang for your buck.

7. Improve organization and beat clutter. Runaway clutter can make the most luxurious bathroom look tacky. Take a few hours to pitch old jars of expired face cream and a zillion sample bottles of shampoo. Reorganize your stuff with drawer organizers, wall shelves, bins or over-the-door organizers. Then enjoy your ‘new’ clean countertops.

8. Brighten up with mirrors. Expand the visual size and brightness of your bath by adding new mirrors. Replace the vanity mirror or balance smaller mirrors on either side of it. Decorate an entire wall with wall mirrors for a wide open look or attach unframed mirrors to your cabinet doors with adhesive. Ooh la la!

9. Replace the shower curtain liner. Vinyl liners can get smelly and moldy in just a few months. If you don’t want the hassle of cleaning it, buy a new one for just a few dollars. The difference it makes in bathroom hygiene is priceless.

10. Add automatic cleaners. Automatic toilet bowl and auto spraying bathtub/shower cleaners make it easier to keep a busy bathroom clean without having to resort to the rubber glove and scouring brush routine everyday.