Tis the "Selling Season"

The holidays have come and gone, LSU won the National Championship and Mardi Gras has turned into the Lenten season. Simply put, it’s time to get down to business. Let’s get ready for the start of the buying and selling season, take advantage of the increased demand and catch those buyers and sellers at the peak of their interest.

This month’s issue of the newsletter contains practical tips, advise and checklists for home sellers while their home is on the market.

Cleaning for Dollars

Everyone has heard of Spring Cleaning. When a home is about to be put on the market Spring Cleaning needs to be taken to the next level. About one (1) week before the home goes on the market is the best time to start seriously cleaning. A week-end and a couple of hours each evening should be enough to do a thorough job.

Staging in the Turbulent Mandeville Market

Here is what a Realtor in Mandeville, Louisiana said about Home Staging by Amie:

"I used Amie for my listing in The Reserve Subdivision in Mandeville. This property had been vacant and on the market with another agent for around 15 months when I took it over. The sellers were very open minded and took my advice on some updates and to stage the house. Since the living room did not feature a fireplace; I needed the buyer to be able to visualize the flow since most of the living area was in the keeping room. After Amie staged it I got a good reception at the open house. It took 45 days for the first real buyer to see the property. That buyer bought it! Thanks Amie"

The following tips are provided as a guide to help homeowners while their houses are on the market and take the guess work out of what needs to be done daily, weekly and before open houses.

Daily Tidy Up Tips

• Make the beds
• Get clothes off of floors and into a hamper or back on hangers
• Hang towels and on towel bars to dry; put in hamper when dry.
• Give tubs, showers, sinks and ovens a light scrubbing after use.
• Wash dishes or put them in the dishwasher as soon as a meal is finished – empty it as soon as dishes are clean; letting clean dishes sit in the dishwasher encourages dirty ones to pile up in the sink
• Sort and file or dispose of mail as soon as you get it
• Find a home for everything. Newspapers go in the recycling bin, coats and shoes go in the closet, dirty clothes go in the hamper – no exceptions
• Put away personal items, such as eyeglasses and magazines on a nightstand and lotions, toothbrushes and other products on a bathroom vanity.

Weekly Tidy Up Tips

• Tend to the yard (mow lawn, water plants, pick up debris)
• Dust, vacuum, and sweep bare floors (do more often if needed)
• Lightly scrub refrigerator and oven
• Shake throw rugs; vacuum or wash if very dirty

Other General Tips

• Windows and light fixtures need to be cleaned and dusted – remember to keep a watch on all light fixtures to make sure bulbs are not burned out
• Laundry should not be piled up in a heap on floors or by the washing machine
• Pet food bowls and litter boxes should be kept in an out of the way place and the area around them clean
• Avoid cooking foods that leave strong odors, such as bacon or fish. If you must cook them, open windows.
• Garages and carports are spaces that easily become too crowded. If these areas are overcrowded and you cannot part with these items, rent a storage unit so you don’t give buyers the impression there is not enough storage in the house.

Open House Checklist

• Grind half a lemon or orange in the garbage disposal
• Make sure all of the toilet seats and lids are down
• Empty every trash can and put them away out of site
• Open curtains to let as much natural light in as possible
• Wipe down all sinks, faucets, and mirrors
• Empty the dishwasher
• If you are using fresh flowers make sure they are fresh and not wilted
• Make sure all of your green plants are tended too and look their best
• Turn on all of the lights in the house
• Turn on classical music on low volume
• Close the shower curtains
• Fluff up the pillows and bedspreads
• Sweep off the front porch
• Shut all the closet doors
• Be sure that everything is off the floor (clothes, toys, papers, vacuum, ironing board, etc.)
• Put away all mail or newspapers