What's on the inside and outside COUNTS

We encourage sellers to spruce up their homes interior and exterior so buyers will have no reason to turn on their heel. Well-thought-out improvements can draw buyers into your home and add value. The interior, facade and yard should say, "This home is loved."

EXTERIOR CURB APPEAL

1. Touch up painted surfaces. Sellers should remove peeling paint, primer and repaint affected areas.
2. Perk-up the front porch. Sellers should treat the front porch as an additional room. Guests should be welcomed with seasonal flowers, pots, boxes and nice clean seating. It should be well swept and if touch up painting is needed, make it fresh!
3. Make windows sparkle. No one likes looking thru dirty windows. Use a garden hose to wet outside windows before washing, it helps loosen dirt. Clean inside and out.
4. Clean dirty masonry. Pollution and Mother Nature can really stain brick and stucco. Use a nylon brush rather than steel and avoid cleanser which can damage finishes and color. GO to www.prosoco.com for suggestions on safe cleaning choices.
5. Paint gutters to match the trim. Enamel paints adhere to metal. Make sure they are clean of chalking and mildew. Contact your friendly hardware store for suggestions. Cleaned, well painted gutters are exterior trim as well.
6. Illuminate the site. Too many lights can make a walkway look like an airport runway. But well balanced and positioned lighting can make a home look safe and attractive.
7. Tidy the landscaping. We recommend you remove any dead trees and shrubs. Branches, shrubs and seasonal flowers be pruned and flowers dead headed. Freshen up mulch or visit www.groundscapelandscape.com and read about GroundScape Landscape which is a mulching material made from shredded recycled tires.
8. The front door says it all. A front door should be clearly visible since it?s the entry and focal point for prospects.

INTERIOR TIPS

1. Pack it away if you do not need it. Rid your home of clutter and store it in tubs in a rented storage unit- you want your home to feel spacious. If you have not used it in over a year and it is not a keepsake, consider throwing it away. Ask yourself, "Will I need this in our new home"?
2. Clean, Clean, Clean the kitchen and bathrooms. Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free. Have any leaky faucets taken care of. A call to a plumber is a wise investment.
3. Make it look spacious. You want your home to look spacious and clean. Remove any access or very large furniture which overpowers the room. Make sure table tops and dressers are free of clutter.
4. Clean and Organize ALL storage areas and closets. These areas also need to have the impression of space. Freshen up with a coat of paint if needed. They need to CLEAN.
5. Make sure walls and doors are free of smudges. You want to leave a lasting impression not a smudged one. A fresh coat of paint makes a room really feel clean and welcoming.
6. Look for anything that might indicate a maintenance problem, such as cracked windows, holes in the wall or stained ceilings. Take care of these problems before selling your home. A call to a plumber or maintenance professional could save you from any legal comebacks in the end.
7. If your basement shows any signs of dampness or leakage, seal the walls.