This Sold House

Another poster mentioned using Old English on your cabinets.  If you have wood trim around your house, use it on the trim too.  Takes away scratches and makes your trim looking shiny and like new. 

By Brooke on 11/18/2009 12:25:50 PM

Clean, fix, organize, and make sure you're priced right.

By Christine on 11/10/2009 5:27:45 PM

I've had my house on the market for 4 months without much movement.  Internet viewings are high but visitors are slim.  I had a person stage my home removing a lot of our extra furniture and kid's toys which has helped because the few people we have had walk through say the house is decorated beautifully and very clean.  Unfortunately, what has hurt us is living on a busy street and the neighbors on either side of our home not caring for their properties...things I really have no control over.  Ugh. 

By Stephanie on 11/2/2009 9:50:08 PM

Use OLD ENGLISH on the wood cabinets.Smelld great and shines them up.If the handles are old buy some updated ones,makes it look great.Do it in the bathroom also.Those handles or nobs make a big difference.

By Barbara on 11/2/2009 10:28:33 AM

We have sold 2 homes.  One took 3 months and the other took 1 week.  We left both homes as they were - walls painted and my stuff out.  The homes were neat and clean but looked lived in.  I had glade plug-ins in the first home and got constant compliments from realtors and buyers alike that the home smelled good.  The first home had every room painted a different color.  People will buy a home b/c they like the home and can envision themselves living there - not because they don't like the color of paint on a wall.  The second home we sold with the condition of as is and didn't have to worry about fixing all the little things that an inspector finds.  We did that with the first home and it was a pain.  You don't have to kill yourself redoing a home to sell it.

By Mary on 10/24/2009 3:53:02 PM

My sister is a real estate agent and when she had to sell her rental house in a hurry. She spent a little over a week getting it ready and spent some money on paint and new carpet. She borrowed a few pieces of furniture and artwork for each room so the house looked livable but not cluttered. A few plants, candles and flowers made it very homey. Her neighborhood has many, many houses on the market, but by staging her house right and competitively pricing it from the get go, she found a buyer in less than 30 days and should close on the sale in about a week. I think many people overprice their homes and it sits on the market for month as they continue to make markdowns. They need to be realistic and price it right from the get go. The proper staging is the icing.

By Sharon on 10/22/2009 1:01:29 PM

When it comes to family pics, I've heard it both ways...one realtor said to remove them so the potential buyers could see it as thier home, not yours.  While another said to leave the pics because it helps them to see the potential memories that could be made by their family in the home plus it adds warmth to the house as well as hide any wall imperfections.

By Kelley on 10/22/2009 10:33:43 AM

IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED,THEY WILL STAY ON TOP.I AGREE ITS BEST TO HAVE FURITURE ,ITS MAKES THE HOUSE LOOK BETTER,BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.PICTURES ON THE WALL OR FURITURE CAN HIDE ALOT OF PROBLEMS.

By JUDY on 10/21/2009 1:25:18 AM

Sorry, I mean the previous poster. I thought the oldest posts were at the top.

By sally on 10/20/2009 11:23:32 PM

To the first poster, K. Please don't type in all caps. It's considered "yelling" and it's obnoxious.My husband and I recently bought our first house; if I had walked into any house that had a burning candle anywhere I would have thought the sellers were whacko.

By sally on 10/20/2009 11:22:44 PM

USE CITRUS PEELS TO FRESHEN UP THE DISPOSER; RUN A FEW SECONDS. REMOVE POTS & PANS OUT OF THE OVEN. USE PLASTIC SHOE BOXES TO ORGANIZE PANTRY, BATHROOM & CLOSETS. NEUTRAL COLOR CURTAINS, PAINT & COMFORTER FOR THE BEDS. REMOVE PETS, TOYS, DOGHOUSE ETC.. REPLACE W/ AN INEXPENSIVE BISTRO SET & FRESH CUT FLOWERS. REMOVE ANY SIGNS THAT MIGHT INDICATE YOU OUTGREW THE HOUSE W/ A WELL ORGANIZED HOUSE & GARAGE. REMOVE HUGH PIECES OF FURNITURE (IT MAKES THE ROOM SEEM SMALLER)GIVE THE ROOM AN APPEARANCE THAT THEIR FURNITURE WILL FIT BY DECLUTTERING THE ROOM & CLOSET & ADD SMALLER PIECES. DO NOT BLOCK ANY OF THE WINDOWS W/ FURNITURE, LET THE SUN SHINE IN, TO GIVE THAT WARM & COZY FEEL. DO A WALK THROUGH, TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN FALL/TRIP OVER. HAVE THE A.C. RUNNING W/A CLEAN FILTER. REPLACE ANY BURNT BULBS & IF YOU HAVE AN CHANDELIER MAKE SURE ALL BULBS & LT SWICHES WORKP; ALONG W/GFC PLUGS IF YOU HAVE THEM IN YOU'RE HOUSE. STORE ALL OUTSIDE HOSES, YARD TOOLS IN A NEAT MANNER, WHERE THEY ARE NOT IN THE WAY. BUY SOME INEXPENSIVE PLANTS, HANGING BASKETS & POTS TO ADD CURB APPEAL. A NEW DOOR MAT.  

By K on 10/20/2009 7:29:57 PM

What happens if there isn't anywhere to store or move boxes and furniture? Expecially when you can't afford to rent a storage room . The way the economy is now you may have to pay for a storage room for a year.

By Linda on 10/20/2009 6:59:54 PM

Definately all the above, remove personal items (pictures), paint inside and out, and bake somethine right beofre you leave so the house smells good.  I wouldn't leave a lit candle, but in the sink, maybe.  Also clean up after yourself.  Pick up clothes and toys and move toys (if you have children) out of the way.

By Cathy on 10/20/2009 6:43:50 PM

when we sold our house we removed everything that was personal to us; pictures of anyone, favorite fingerpainting on the fridge, etc.  What made it 'our' home did not make it the buyers home.  We painted the walls a semi-gloss white and sold that on easy clean up after kids and pets, waxed the floors and cleaned the carpets.  Nothing on the counters in the kitchen or bathrooms.  Needless to say the first looker also bought the house; we had a total of 3 families in 3 days and the first family bought it on day 3.  Clean the yard because the buyer also envisions their lawn furniture out there and also the garage; leave it wall to wall empty.  It works.

By Nancy on 10/20/2009 2:22:12 PM

Don't want to leave a scented candle burning while you're not there? Put it (and its holder) in a shallow Pyrex dish and place in the kitchen sink.

By Julie on 10/20/2009 2:15:10 PM

Where is the old tip of freshly baked bread on the counter?  Get some frozen stuff and it's a snap :)

By Carolyn on 10/20/2009 12:08:56 PM