How to improve your home for selling

In this tough buyer's market, every home is under scrutiny, given the number of homes on the Orlando home market. What are some considerations as a seller you should consider when listing your home?

1. Obviously, curb appeal is a key factor in creating a good impression. Make sure you trim the grass, keep blooming flowers in the gardens, and take care of any ant beds and weeds. Paint the front door if it is needed, and treat any wood rot in the trim. Invite over a true friend who will give you an honest opinion, or ask your Realtor.

2. When entering a home, smell is the second consideration. If you or a family member smokes, then the home should be treated before it is sold. Smoke can be smelled in all fabrics, including carpet. Consider steam cleaning. Once the home is listed, the smokers should smoke outside.

As much as we love pets, they do smell. Make sure the odors are treated, and their areas are kept clean at all time. Spot needs to be regularly washed, and should be taken from the home (or kept in the back yard) during showings. If the dog is not friendly, the pet should be removed during the showing.

Key: do not try and mask the smells. This is not the time for short cuts, given this tight market!



Check out my website: www. audreybutlerhomes.com

Blame it on MTV

You sit back, watching Cribs on MTV, and start dreaming of your own mansion. When designing your place, consider how you entertain and what hobbies you enjoy.

Here are some of the latest ideas to customize your own home:

Your own home theatre: Have a mini-theatre placed in your house. At the Street of Dreams, I saw a mansion with a pirate-themed room---it looked like the inside of a boat. It may become dated in a few years, but a traditional style could work for quite a while. Don't forget the popcorn!

A home spa: Save all that money you spend traveling to an exclusive spa, and build your own! Include a giant shower, steam room, and aromatherapy. Masseuse not included.

A designer back yard: Besides a pool and deck, people are adding much more. Consider a backyard kitchen, a waterfall, a fountain, and lush landscaping. Or, combine the theatre idea and put in an outdoor theatre.

Extensive gardens: Instead of traveling to England or Versailles, create your own garden in your back yard. A landscape architect can design your dream.

Who knows...maybe you'll have your own episode one day....

How to get rid of Spot's spots

Have a bad pet odor and trying to sell your house? This is one of the first things buyers notice when they walk into a home. It has to be eliminated to sell. Some suggestions:

1. Use a fluorescent black light to find the spots. They sell them at pet stores.

2. Remove the spots with a cleaner, and after it dries, with a odor neutralizer. Never use ammonia, because it can trigger more pet accidents.

3. Sarah Casey Newman from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests 3 products---Bramton's Oxy Solution Pet Stain and Odor Destroyer (be sure to test it first) for cleaning; Safest disinfectant is Chlorhexidine, which is sold under such names as Novasan, Chlorasan, and Chlorhex by veterinarians and medical-supply outlets for deep cleaning. A temporary neutralizer: Fresh Wave.

4. If the odor is really bad, or there are a lot of spots, the carpet should be replaced or new wood flooring installed.

Remodeling an older home

How can you update an older home, and see some return in your investment when you go to sell it?

Eric Bramlett, with Broker Agent News gave these suggestions:

1. Gut the attic and raise the ceiling in the living room. Older homes have 8 foot ceilings, and it is one of the first things buyers notice.

2. Knock down the walls. Not the load bearing walls, but if you can open up the downstairs, it will flow better.

3. Overhaul the kitchen and/or master bathroom. Is one of the best returns.

4. If the house has one bathroom, add a master bathroom. Adds value, and convenience. Make sure there are 2 sinks, if possible.

Designing women

Women make 83% of consumer spending decisions in the US. What does that mean in home design?

Architect Ann Olson and Designer Paul Foresman offered these suggestions:

• pay attention to de-stressing areas, like the master bath
• rear foyers are important--include lots of storage
• people now gather in the kitchen---size matters
• busy women demand closet organization systems
• natural light makes her happy
• women crave kitchen storage
• outdoor maintenance is a burden, so use things like maintenance-free decking
• always include a home office
• consider the needs of blended families who don't want to share bathrooms
• women like change, so incorporate flexibility in the designs

Home improvements provide big impact

Sid Davis, writer of Home Makeovers That Sell (AMACON, 2007) warns sellers that if they don't make updates on their houses they may pay dearly. The Miami Herald shared some of his suggestions to get the most out of the sale:

• start with the kitchen; it's the most important room in the house for buyers
• update the bath; replacing the mirror and vanity will net the biggest payoff
• clean the laundry room, and add storage shelves
• scrub, scrub, scrub! A clean house wows buyers

Many of the buyers I have worked with confirm these suggestions. More people enjoy entertaining from their kitchen these days, and expect it to be large. Also, sellers will immediately leave a dirty house. I know it can be a chore to keep the house clean at all times, but buyers set appointments. Most people decide to buy a house in the first minutes of being in the house. Bottom line: If it does not show well, it will not sell well.