| Using a home equity loan or line of credit to | | | | wonders. Further, buy a thick, heavy, one |
| finance renovations and improvements on a | | | | coat covers all, texture paint for the |
| property can be profitable and quite | | | | interior. This will solve a multitude of |
| rewarding if done properly. | | | | minor problems without a lot of work or |
| | | | time. Clean the windows! Let me repeat |
| When you are planning to sell a property and | | | | that, clean the windows so that someone |
| you do not have funds on hand to improve, | | | | viewing the home from the inside will only |
| repair, renovate, or rehabilitate it, then a | | | | see brilliant sunshine streaming through the |
| home equity loan or line of credit can get | | | | windows into this nice, clean, new carpet and |
| you over this hump. | | | | paint smelling environment. If it is not |
| | | | sunny out, the windows will allow as much |
| If you are not planning to sell the property, | | | | light as possible and make the interior look |
| and expect to live there for an extended | | | | larger. If the windows are dirty, and there |
| period of time, then a refinance package with | | | | are dead bugs and dirt in the globes of the |
| a mortgage lender for first or second | | | | ceiling fixtures, your prospective buyers |
| mortgages, would likely be preferable. | | | | will cringe. Even the very interested |
| | | | prospects will undoubtedly offer less money. |
| Unless you are the recipient of large amounts | | | | Five dollars worth of cleaning supplies can |
| of monthly cash inflow, I would advise that | | | | bring you hundreds in return. |
| you do not contract for major improvements or | | | | |
| purchases on a credit card if you are looking | | | | Make sure all the appliances are clean and in |
| to sell the property. This tends to make | | | | working order. If you need to replace |
| spending more than you really should on | | | | anything, a good used appliance store is the |
| things too easy, and the bills linger long | | | | ticket. When prospects open the door to the |
| after the property has been sold. | | | | refrigerator, it should be clean inside and |
| | | | cold. When they open the door to the oven, |
| Using an equity loan or homeowner line of | | | | it should be clean. The burner pans on the |
| credit can be very helpful if you keep an | | | | stove should always be replaced. Installing |
| eagle eye on the bottom line. Also, these | | | | a used dishwasher can be problematical, |
| types of loans are paid off at closing when | | | | however, if the property already has a |
| you sell the property, leaving no residual | | | | dishwasher installed that does not work, it |
| bills and should be taken into account in | | | | should be replaced. For this, the used |
| price negotiations. | | | | appliance store is the place to go. To |
| | | | install a new dishwasher becomes expensive, |
| If you have been watching television and | | | | particularly if the property does not already |
| believing what they tell you regarding how to | | | | have a dishwasher. Sometimes plumbing and |
| improve the resale value of your home, it is | | | | electrical may be required to do so. A |
| important to remember on TV the homeowners | | | | pre-existing dishwasher, eliminates those |
| are receiving a great deal of labor, | | | | problems. I personally, always try to |
| materials and design help that you will | | | | install a garbage disposal in the kitchen. |
| likely have to pay for. So, if you are only | | | | They are reasonably inexpensive, easy to |
| looking to sell your home, putting $10 in to | | | | install, and generally very well received by |
| get $10 out is futile. The real goal is to | | | | buyers. Because of the low price of |
| put $10 into your home and to receive $300 to | | | | disposals, this should only be a new item. |
| $500 out at time of sale. If you are | | | | |
| planning to stay in your home, then your | | | | If it is summertime and very warm out, make |
| decisions should not be based on dollar | | | | sure the air-conditioning is working, and it |
| return, but only upon your personal likes and | | | | is cool (72-74 degrees) when the prospects |
| dislikes and comfort levels. | | | | walk in the house. If it is winter, make |
| | | | sure the heat works and that it is warm |
| Before you start this project, it is | | | | (68-70 degrees) when they walk in. This |
| imperative that you decide precisely what | | | | gives the prospect the immediate feeling of |
| your goal is. Decisions you will be making | | | | comfort in the property. Subliminally, in |
| may be quite different depending on what | | | | the back of their mind, they have already |
| you're planning to do. You may personally | | | | begun to feel that the home is sheltering |
| love long white shag carpet in your bedroom, | | | | them from the elements. For you, the |
| however, very few buyers will share that with | | | | seller, this is a good thing. |
| you. You may want to put shelves high in all | | | | |
| the rooms with holes connecting a model | | | | Make sure that the kitchen and the bathrooms |
| train set throughout the house. Again, very | | | | are clean and smell clean. Renovating these |
| few buyers are in the market for that. | | | | rooms can be very profitable, but, you need |
| | | | to do some of it yourself. Don't panic! The |
| If you are planning to stay in your home, | | | | skills involved are not that complicated, and |
| then by all means redecorate for your | | | | the home-improvement giants such as Home |
| pleasure and taste. If however, you | | | | Depot and Lowes will even teach you how. All |
| sincerely wish to sell your home, and are | | | | faucets should work without leaks. Leaks can |
| looking for the most money out for the least | | | | usually be fixed with just a few simple |
| in, then I have some words of wisdom for you. | | | | washers from a hardware store. The hot water |
| | | | faucet, should have hot water coming from it. |
| 1.0. Remember that no matter how beautiful | | | | The water in the toilets, and the tanks |
| the inside of the property is, if your | | | | should be clean (put a bowl cleaner in the |
| prospective buyers do not get inside, because | | | | tank, it's a good idea) and should flush |
| it has no curb appeal, you have no chance of | | | | easily. Do not place any toilet tissue in |
| making a sale. The first place to start in | | | | the bathrooms of a vacant property that you |
| making your home attractive and sellable is | | | | or anyone else is showing for sale. This |
| with curb appeal. In the summer, the grass | | | | discourages people out of your control from |
| should be green (fertilize, water, weed n | | | | using the facilities and leaving a nasty mess |
| feed), neatly cut, edged, with no weeds or | | | | for you to clean up. What is worse, if such |
| bare spots. Put down some sod if necessary. | | | | a mess is left, imagine a buyer's reaction to |
| If you have concrete driveways, pressure | | | | it when they may be viewing the property with |
| clean them so they are bright and white. If | | | | a Realtor. |
| you have asphalt driveways, seal them so that | | | | |
| they are glossy and black and new and clean | | | | Always remember that out of a hundred |
| looking. Paint, at least the front and | | | | prospective buyers, more want to buy a |
| sides, of the house (all is better) with a | | | | property that is clean and neat rather than |
| bright, light, inviting color (eggshell, | | | | dirty and smelly. More of those same buyers |
| white, etc., it makes it look bigger and | | | | will buy a property with neutral colors and |
| cleaner!). If the home is brick or siding | | | | carpet, walls, accessories, etc. Very few |
| of some sort, then pressure cleaning may well | | | | prospects will be interested in purple walls |
| be appropriate for it also. Paint or | | | | or carpet. The same goes for other loud and |
| refinish the front door. If the door is in | | | | outrageous features, be it colors, textures, |
| bad shape, then replace it with something | | | | or graphics. Gothic symbols on the walls or |
| attractive. Clean all the windows so that | | | | any socially offensive political or |
| they shine like Crystal from the outside | | | | religious icons will only work adversely |
| (more on this later). Make absolutely sure | | | | toward your goal of selling the property |
| that there is no trash, debris, or junk cars | | | | profitably and easily. Regardless of what |
| on the premises. There are a thousand little | | | | you may personally believe or think, extremes |
| things that you can do to improve the curb | | | | will offend someone, somewhere, somehow. If |
| appeal, but clean, neat, and neutral are the | | | | you wish to make a political statement, go to |
| guidelines to work with. | | | | a demonstration or vote. If you want to sell |
| | | | the property to the widest available market, |
| 1.1. No one wants to buy someone else's | | | | neutral and milk toast should be your |
| fleas, pet smells, grease piles, or expensive | | | | guidelines. That is not to say that you |
| outrageous/ridiculous colors, treatments, or | | | | cannot add some nice touches such as tile in |
| idiosyncrasies. Buyers, by and large, are | | | | a bath or kitchen or porch, but looked toward |
| looking for a neutral palette to place their | | | | earth tones and not dramatics or absolutes. |
| own mark on. If the property has old and | | | | |
| worn carpet or floors, then replace it with a | | | | Lastly, if you are living in the home, while |
| neutral carpet or laminate (look for large | | | | renovating and trying to sell, take half of |
| remnants and leftover stock with carpet and | | | | the furniture out and put it in storage |
| flooring dealers for an overall installed | | | | somewhere. This will go a long way toward |
| discount price). Paint the inside of the | | | | reducing clutter and making the property feel |
| property, again with a neutral white or | | | | much less small and congested. Buyers want |
| eggshell color, to make it look bright, | | | | to stroll through a prospective home, not a |
| inviting, and neutral. If there are small | | | | minefield or a maze. |
| nail holes, anchors, or damage to the | | | | |
| interior walls, a little spackle and | | | | I hope these tips will serve you well with |
| self-adhesive patching and joint tape will do | | | | your project. |