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Making Houses for Sale Look Like Homes
Are any of your houses for sale out there? If so,
beware the appraiser! Appraisers not only use objective
criteria for evaluating houses (i.e. location, structural
integrity, they also use subjective criteria (i.e. landscape,
paint, overall appearance).
Buyers depend on appraisers and inspectors, as a rule,
to check out construction details but tend to rely on
their own feelings and impressions of how houses look
and feel to make their buying decisions. Five tips
for positively influencing those decisions with ease
follow.
1. Houses that are clean and clutter-free are more
attractive than houses that are not. Many of us, who live
with clutter, lose sight of that fact. Others of us live
with clutter because we believe ourselves too busy to tidy
things up on a regular basis. If you find managing clutter
to be overwhelming, check your bookstore or library for
great resources on how to eliminate the overwhelm in
clutter management.
2. Stinky houses are gross! You may not notice the odor
of last night's fish feast or the pile of athletic
socks fermenting in the laundry, but guests will. Try
two things to help this. First, keep your houses clean
and clutter-free (see above). Second, use potpourri
lamps, scented candles, or a realtors favorite: Place
a drop of vanilla extract on foil or a baking sheet
and stick it in the oven on low heat for a wonderful
household scent. Make sure you're not hungry if you
do that last one!
3. Look at your floor spaces. Do you feel cramped
as you move about your houses? If so, experiment
with your furniture arrangement and see if that helps
create more floor space. More floor space equals a
more comfortable living space.
4. Decorate! Don't go overboard and clutter your houses
with knick-knacks and plants (see number one, above),
but don't have so little decoration that your houses
have the appeal of prison cellblocks! Put some
pictures on the walls, tastefully arrange some books
or magazines on a coffee table, and place plants
near areas where they'll get sufficient sun.
5. Remember the advice the 5th Dimension gave back in
the late 60's: Let the Sunshine In! Even on the
gloomiest of days, opening your curtains brightens
your houses and creates illusions of greater area.
During the day, use curtains strategically as an
energy-saving measure.
About The Author
Paul Grunlerder is the founder and webmaster
of F M Houses, a resource for information
about houses. Visit http://www.fmhouses.com/
to learn more.
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