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Member You - Prepare Your House for a Successful Sale
One of the strategies I teach to PULL your business forward, almost effortlessly, is to create a powerful vision for your business. My private clients have found this exercise to be both motivating and inspiring, and I'm certain you will too.Once a year, I take a short retreat to work on revising my vision for my business (and my life). This is an annual break I take away from my business (but with my family, although some of my clients prefer to go it alone, which is perfectly fine) to really think about and decide what I want the next 1 to 3 years to look like. I write my vision and I create a whole bunch of goals for my business. I also use this time to talk with my husband about my vision and goals. He is a great sounding board for all the ideas I come up with... and we usually have this conversation while hanging out on the beach... :)Being near the water definitely has some powerfully positive effects on my brain, and I always come away
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remo
The goal to increase sales involves many elements within the sales process and overall process improvement plan or strategic plan. These 7 tips to increase sales focus on how to gain the attention of your prospects. Look and act professionalGaining the attention of your prospect begins with how you look and act from your business cards to your professional attire. As large as the business community is, it is still very small. Remember, not to knock your competitors. See tip 5Focus on the customer not on youBy having the focus always on the customer and not on you as the sales person will quickly change your results. People are by their very nature, self-centered. Use that to your advantage.Listen activelyIf you are focusing on the customer, you should be actively listening. Active listening is a skill that can be developed and helps to gain your prospect's attention.Ask
Paradigm Shift
Don’t wait for the sold sign to get started with packing. Packing away items that are used infrequently has multiple benefits:
It’s a head start for you when you do have the house sold; It removes the clutter that might impact negatively on prospective buyers; and It creates a more spacious atmosphere making rooms appear larger.
Be the Buyer
To determine what improvements should be tackled first, view your house as though you were the buyer. If you have a difficult time with objectivity, ask a friend, neighbour or relative to help.
Exterior View
Begin with driving or walking on your street. Does your house stand out as less attractive than those around it? Does your landscaping match up? If not:
Make sure your lawn is well trimmed and free of any bald or brown spots.
Plant mature bushes and flowers to add volume and colour. Avoid any plants or trees that will take time to mature. You are going for immediate appeal, over long-term results.
Clear away any lawn furniture that mainly provided function over aesthetic appeal (i.e. resin chairs).
Clear away the kids bikes and toys from the lawn and driveway.
The path from your curb to the door should be unobstructed and clean. Rent a power washer and clean the walkway, if needed.
Tighten any loose banisters or steps that lead to your door.
If you have personalized items on the door and mailbox remove them.
Add a clean mat at the door (this is a purchase that can be taken with you when you move).
If your doorknob, street number, mailbox, or light fixtures are dull or rusty, polish or replace them.
Clean Doors and windows at the front entrance.
The Entry Way
You’ve made it past the curb and are in the door. When you enter the house, the first thing that will grab you is not going to be visual. If your house does not have a pleasant odor, it probably won’t matter how beautiful it is visually.
Avoid sprays that cover up odor. Although it is better than an initial unpleasant scent, Buyers will pick up on it and feel tricked. Instead, try ‘lightly’ scented candles, potpourri, or a pot on the stove with vanilla and water. If you are very ambitious, bake a pie.
Remove odor at the source:
Smoke - For those who have smokers in the family, it would be wise to restrict smoking to outdoors until the house sells. Purchase an ozone spray which eliminates odor rather than covering it up
Pets – Clean kitty litter daily and add baking soda. Keep dogs outdoors as much as possible and make use of carpet freshener on a frequent basis.
Cooking – Use the overhead exhaust while cooking and clean up immediately after you are finished. Lingering food odors are not noticeable while you are in the house but are very apparent when stepping in from outdoors.
Interior
The most expensive renovations are the kitchen and bathroom. If these rooms are not appealing to a Buyer, it might be very difficult to sell your property’s other assets.
Kitchen and Bathroom
- Counter tops -
Keep them cleared of all clutter. In the kitchen, put away all counter top utensils such as toasters, coffee pots, etc. If you have a microwave on your counter, consider purchasing an inexpensive microwave cart instead. Bathroom counters should be cleared of hair products, hair dryers, electric shavers, etc.
Loose trim on counters should be glued. If your counters are in need of replacement, consider replacing or painting with a melamine paint.
- Cupboards and Drawers -
Clean the cupboard and door fronts with a grease cutting cleaner. You will be surprised at how much brighter they will appear afterwards.
If that doesn’t help brighten them up, you should seriously consider painting with melamine paint as an inexpensive update.
Replace outdated cupboard hardware for an instant updated appeal. For an inexpensive alternative to replacing hardware, spray paint with a metallic finish.
Clear out as much clutter as you can live without. You want your cupboards to appear as though there is more than enough room for the Buyers to store their items.
- Sinks and Bathtubs - You can bring your stainless steel sink back to its original shine, with comet cleanser. Be sure to pay close attention to the drain, drain plugs, and outer edges, where grime builds up. Taps and faucets can be brought back to original shine with the use of a dry cloth and q-tips. Simply polish with the dry cloth to remove dullness and add shine. Q-tips in between cracks and tap grooves will remove the ‘gunk’ and have your taps looking brand new. If your faucet and taps are hopeless, you should replace with a set of inexpensive ones.
- Flooring - It is a common fact that people tend to look down more than up. If your kitchen or bathroom floor is in need of repair, repair it. If the floor is beyond repair, this might be the best investment to consider in making your house more sellable. Remember, if you are going to invest in a new floor for resale value only, purchase inexpensive neutral flooring. You are making the purchase for immediate appeal to buyers and not for yourself.
- Kitchen Appliances -
Whether or not the appliances are included, they need to be presentable to add to the appeal of the kitchen. Clean the oven and stove to a shine. This will also take care of some possible odor sources as well. Remove the magnets, notes, and artwork from the fridge and clean the top.
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remov
When you have decided to approach a lender for a loan to fund your holiday tour, you surely ensure that the holiday tour does not prove to be a burden. And so in taking a loan, your concern is that it must come at low cost. Well secured holiday loans are especially meant for the purpose of a cheap loan so that you can repay it without feeling the burden. Even for bad credit people, secured holiday loans are approved without a hitch.Secured holiday loans are approved against your property that has some value. Home, jewelry, automobile etc serves the purpose of collateral. With the security of the loan in place, lenders approve secured holiday loans at lower interest rate. What is more, if the borrower places collateral like home that has higher equity and borrows an amount that is below equity, then the lender is most likely to reduce the interest rate. Secured holiday loans become even cheaper in case the borrower opts for a larger repayment duration
The Entry Way
You’ve made it past the curb and are in the door. When you enter the house, the first thing that will grab you is not going to be visual. If your house does not have a pleasant odor, it probably won’t matter how beautiful it is visually.
Avoid sprays that cover up odor. Although it is better than an initial unpleasant scent, Buyers will pick up on it and feel tricked. Instead, try ‘lightly’ scented candles, potpourri, or a pot on the stove with vanilla and water. If you are very ambitious, bake a pie.
Remove odor at the source:
Smoke - For those who have smokers in the family, it would be wise to restrict smoking to outdoors until the house sells. Purchase an ozone spray which eliminates odor rather than covering it up
Pets – Clean kitty litter daily and add baking soda. Keep dogs outdoors as much as possible and make use of carpet freshener on a frequent basis.
Cooking – Use the overhead exhaust while cooking and clean up immediately after you are finished. Lingering food odors are not noticeable while you are in the house but are very apparent when stepping in from outdoors.
Interior
The most expensive renovations are the kitchen and bathroom. If these rooms are not appealing to a Buyer, it might be very difficult to sell your property’s other assets.
Kitchen and Bathroom
- Counter tops -
Keep them cleared of all clutter. In the kitchen, put away all counter top utensils such as toasters, coffee pots, etc. If you have a microwave on your counter, consider purchasing an inexpensive microwave cart instead. Bathroom counters should be cleared of hair products, hair dryers, electric shavers, etc.
Loose trim on counters should be glued. If your counters are in need of replacement, consider replacing or painting with a melamine paint.
- Cupboards and Drawers -
Clean the cupboard and door fronts with a grease cutting cleaner. You will be surprised at how much brighter they will appear afterwards.
If that doesn’t help brighten them up, you should seriously consider painting with melamine paint as an inexpensive update.
Replace outdated cupboard hardware for an instant updated appeal. For an inexpensive alternative to replacing hardware, spray paint with a metallic finish.
Clear out as much clutter as you can live without. You want your cupboards to appear as though there is more than enough room for the Buyers to store their items.
- Sinks and Bathtubs - You can bring your stainless steel sink back to its original shine, with comet cleanser. Be sure to pay close attention to the drain, drain plugs, and outer edges, where grime builds up. Taps and faucets can be brought back to original shine with the use of a dry cloth and q-tips. Simply polish with the dry cloth to remove dullness and add shine. Q-tips in between cracks and tap grooves will remove the ‘gunk’ and have your taps looking brand new. If your faucet and taps are hopeless, you should replace with a set of inexpensive ones.
- Flooring - It is a common fact that people tend to look down more than up. If your kitchen or bathroom floor is in need of repair, repair it. If the floor is beyond repair, this might be the best investment to consider in making your house more sellable. Remember, if you are going to invest in a new floor for resale value only, purchase inexpensive neutral flooring. You are making the purchase for immediate appeal to buyers and not for yourself.
- Kitchen Appliances -
Whether or not the appliances are included, they need to be presentable to add to the appeal of the kitchen. Clean the oven and stove to a shine. This will also take care of some possible odor sources as well. Remove the magnets, notes, and artwork from the fridge and clean the top.
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remo
Massachusetts General Law 93A, titled Regulation of Business Practices for Consumers Protection, is designed to protect those consumers who would otherwise be unaware of their legal rights. Mass. Gen. Law 93A. As it was originally drafted, 93A did not create a private right to sue, an issue which was quickly addressed by the legislature, and now both consumers and businesses can use 93A as a basis for enforcing their rights through private law suit. Unlike some other states, the Massachusetts consumer protection statute provides for an express, rather than an implied, right to sue for businesses who feel they have been victim of a deceptive or unfair act. It is often easy to spot a consumer protection issue with standard businesses, such as: bait and switch advertising, failure to disclose defects, price-fixing, faulty warranty claims and un-bargained for return/refund policies. It becomes much more difficult to determine when a con
Remove odor at the source:
Smoke - For those who have smokers in the family, it would be wise to restrict smoking to outdoors until the house sells. Purchase an ozone spray which eliminates odor rather than covering it up
Pets – Clean kitty litter daily and add baking soda. Keep dogs outdoors as much as possible and make use of carpet freshener on a frequent basis.
Cooking – Use the overhead exhaust while cooking and clean up immediately after you are finished. Lingering food odors are not noticeable while you are in the house but are very apparent when stepping in from outdoors.
Interior
The most expensive renovations are the kitchen and bathroom. If these rooms are not appealing to a Buyer, it might be very difficult to sell your property’s other assets.
Kitchen and Bathroom
- Counter tops -
Keep them cleared of all clutter. In the kitchen, put away all counter top utensils such as toasters, coffee pots, etc. If you have a microwave on your counter, consider purchasing an inexpensive microwave cart instead. Bathroom counters should be cleared of hair products, hair dryers, electric shavers, etc.
Loose trim on counters should be glued. If your counters are in need of replacement, consider replacing or painting with a melamine paint.
- Cupboards and Drawers -
Clean the cupboard and door fronts with a grease cutting cleaner. You will be surprised at how much brighter they will appear afterwards.
If that doesn’t help brighten them up, you should seriously consider painting with melamine paint as an inexpensive update.
Replace outdated cupboard hardware for an instant updated appeal. For an inexpensive alternative to replacing hardware, spray paint with a metallic finish.
Clear out as much clutter as you can live without. You want your cupboards to appear as though there is more than enough room for the Buyers to store their items.
- Sinks and Bathtubs - You can bring your stainless steel sink back to its original shine, with comet cleanser. Be sure to pay close attention to the drain, drain plugs, and outer edges, where grime builds up. Taps and faucets can be brought back to original shine with the use of a dry cloth and q-tips. Simply polish with the dry cloth to remove dullness and add shine. Q-tips in between cracks and tap grooves will remove the ‘gunk’ and have your taps looking brand new. If your faucet and taps are hopeless, you should replace with a set of inexpensive ones.
- Flooring - It is a common fact that people tend to look down more than up. If your kitchen or bathroom floor is in need of repair, repair it. If the floor is beyond repair, this might be the best investment to consider in making your house more sellable. Remember, if you are going to invest in a new floor for resale value only, purchase inexpensive neutral flooring. You are making the purchase for immediate appeal to buyers and not for yourself.
- Kitchen Appliances -
Whether or not the appliances are included, they need to be presentable to add to the appeal of the kitchen. Clean the oven and stove to a shine. This will also take care of some possible odor sources as well. Remove the magnets, notes, and artwork from the fridge and clean the top.
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remo
The FOMC tightened the money supply on Tuesday by raising the Fed Funds rate 25 basis points to 3.75%, for the 11th time in about 18 months. Consequently, SPX fell over 30 points Tuesday through Thursday, and closed the week down about 23 points, to just over 1,215.Price stability is the main goal of the Federal Reserve, because when the Fed targets inflation, growth fluctuates little. However, when growth is targeted, inflation fluctuates a lot, which eventually leads to instability. The data show the Fed has done an excellent job of smoothing-out the business cycle over the past 20 years. Sustainable growth is optimal growth, which raises living standards at the fastest possible rate.The current Fed Funds Rate is still accommodative. Normally, a neutral stance is well over 5%. However, the Fed has been brilliant in lowering inflation expectations, which lower future inflation, over the tightening cycle using a combination of "jawboning" and
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remo
Sometimes Tow companies can be your best friend and get you out of a real jam. Other times a tow company hands you a bill, which makes your life hard. Or you remember them from a negative experience such as towing your car from a no parking zone or after an accident. Thus often, towing companies are not looked on so favorably.Nevertheless it behooves every business to maintain community goodwill and a positive image and therefore public relations campaigns should be considered to keep your business elevated and in good standing in the publics eyes in your area or town.What kinds of proper public relations concepts work well for tow companies? Well consider participation in a neighborhood mobile watch program in your area. Why you ask, consider the business model and you will see;TOWING COMPANIES: Towing companies are very well connected directly into the police department radio system; they have scanners and are listening to things like
The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small, remove extra furniture and all clutter items such as papers, remotes, videos, etc.
If you have a lot of personalized items, such as family portraits, trophy’s, collectibles, pack them away. Personalized items tend to alienate potential buyers.
Bedrooms
Make the beds and remove clutter from under the bed.
As with the kitchen cupboards, clear out the clutter so they appear larger.
If you have teens or themed rooms, replace bedding and curtains with a more neutral alternative. Patterned bedding will detract from buyers viewing the room and its features.
Take down any posters that may be on the walls. Fill holes left behind or hang framed artwork in their place.
Converted Rooms
Finally, if you have converted any rooms in your house, you should convert them back to the house’s original design. For example, a bedroom converted to a den or home office should be changed back to a bedroom, especially if it is one of the rooms that you have included in your listing as 3 bedroom home.
Conclusion
The decision as to the amount of improvements you are willing or able to make will always be your own and there is definitely quite a bit of effort involved with implementing some of the suggestions above. It would make sense to think that buyers should look beyond the personal items that will be removed after a sale and, although there are some buyers who will be able to do that, most buyers won't. The suggestions made above are for ensuring a quick sale by targeting the majority of buyers rather than those rare ones that can see beyond these items.
© February, 2004 - XstreamRealty Incorporated
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