Home Staging Guide

Home staging is an exciting real estate industry which is changing the way property is sold. Real estate staging has proven itself to be the best investment an owner can make in their property when they preparing their home for sale, featuring a dollar for dollar ROI second to none. Staging is fast becoming a necessity when selling a home, especially in today's sluggish and competitive real estate market.

Home staging is not interior design or decorating. Staging is a form of advanced real estate marketing which involves aspects of design, landscaping, psychology and sociology all rolled into an artistic science (or maybe a scientific art). Staging is defined as preparing a property for sale by improving the aesthetics of the home or commercial space to appeal to the greatest number of prospective buyers. Home stagers seek to create an atmosphere of universal appeal to the target buyer demographic, increasing the chances for a solid offer on the property. To put it very simply, home staging is all about removing your stylistic influence on the property and making it easier for the buyer to see themselves living there instead.

Home staging uses a variety of techniques to improve the desirability of a home. The exact methods used to stage a home vary depending on the specific details and circumstances of the property, seller, anticipated buyer type, real estate market condition and home price. However, there are some universal ways which virtually all home staging strategies have in common when enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a property.

The first thing which must be done in any good staging job is to de-clutter and de-personalize. This means to remove the footprint of the current owner on the home and replace it with neutral décor which will connect to buyers. Owners are encouraged to clean out their homes and move most of their nonessential possessions into temporary storage. This will give them a head start on their anticipated move and provide a nice clean and clutter free atmosphere for the home. De-personalizing means to remove taste-specific décor and accessories from the home, as well as any personal items, such a collections, photo galleries, trophies and souvenirs, as these can be incredibly distracting to potential buyers.

Now that the home is ready for improvement, owners are advised to redecorate using a combination of their own salvageable furniture or rented items which will bring out the best character in the home. Layout and proportion are key elements of good staging, as these will increase the perceived size and functionality of the space. The entire color palate should be neutralized to provide a warm, but universally appealing presence all around the home. It is crucial when decorating to accommodate the wish lists of prospective buyers, not base the decisions on the preferences of the current owner. After all, this is the purpose of home staging! Owners must put their needs behind their desire to make their home more marketable.

It is vital to stage a home both inside and out. Curb appeal is a term used to describe the first impression a property makes when potential buyers view it from the street. This first impression has been statistically proven to set the tone for the entire tour of the home, so it is truly crucial to make a good one! Additionally, yard space must be prepared with the same attention to detail as the interior of the home. Outdoor spaces and secondary property structures, such as garages, guest houses and sheds, should all be given personalized attention before listing real estate for sale.

In conclusion, it is extremely important to remember to stage the home first and then list it on the open market. This will maximize the value of your staging investment and will provide all the marketing buzz your home needs to stand out from the competition. After all, a staged home will appear flawless in those all so important MLS and print ad photos, as well as look fabulous when the first agents and buyers come knocking. As a final note, be advised that home staging is a safe investment, since it is tax deductible in the US and is known to create incredible increases in sale price, while minimizing the time it actually takes to sell the property. Home staging is a winning strategy for anyone who wants to sell their home for top dollar in the shortest time possible!

Six Element Approach To Home Selling

According to Home Staging Diva Debra Gould, six basic elements are necessary for the successful design, appeal and sale of any home. Creator and President of Six Elements, Inc., a Toronto-based company that caters to homeowners and real estate agents across Canada, the United States and abroad, Gould claims that using such elements are vital to the sale of any home, any where, and at any time.

Gould's business has grown into a real estate niche called 'House Fluffing' or 'Home Staging', which at its most basic definition, means decorating a house to sell quickly and for top dollar. Following her guidelines, Gould has helped clients sell homes in a matter of days after allowing her team of experts to transform their homes from blase' to exquisite.

The six elements that Gould swears by; energy, form, style, design, color, and passion, have stood her in good stead as she built her own Home Staging Business from scratch to what it is today. Profiled on numerous television stations and admired magazines both in Canada and the U.S., the Staging Diva has been credited with nearly single-handedly creating one of the most popular home business start-ups of the 21st century.

Regarding her six elements approach, Gould believes that one without the other just doesn't work. Gould's expertise and experience in both the home decorating and real estate fields helps to make any home work better for clients interested in placing their properties on the market. Her processes may seem simple taken one at a time. However, the process is not to be considered typical. "We don't believe in homes looking 'decorator done'," says Gould. "I refer to myself as the decorator for people who would never hire decorators."

Gould focuses on items homeowners already own, and offers shoestring budget methods to improve and enhance rooms or entire homes for greater selling appeal. Her use of colors to create a cohesive design overall or patterns to create custom designs and looks are just one of the ways the Home Staging Diva has become so popular in Canada and America. Clients from around the world are now taking advantage of Gould's expertise and experience. "Patterns and color can completely transform a room," Gould says. However, many people are hesitant to experiment with colors and patterns, but that's where Debra Gould's eye for design offers clients more than they bargained for.

"We often use what you already have in new ways," Gould assures clients. Clients of the Staging Diva don't need to be rich to afford her services. As a matter of fact, Gould's Six Elements team of experts typically save homeowners thousands of dollars in needless renovations or remodeling costs through her simple approach to use color, style, design and her passion and gift for pleasing arrangements to bring out the best in even the worst case scenarios.

Building Your Dream House With The Help Of Residential Drafting And Home Designing

Most of us dream of owning a house which is just perfect to meet all our needs. But is it possible to transform this dream into reality? Well, the answer to this question is positive. Residential drafting and home designing are the upcoming factors which promise this aspect.

Residential drafting is the technique of planning to build a home. Be it the normal storey-building or houses with some special appearance, residential drafting caters to all your needs. The work starts by making the preliminary design in accordance with what the owner wants and then working on it to make the design more feasible. It involves graphic designers who build up graphics based on the designs. The engineers, design blueprints and also assist the customers with concepts to improve the look of their houses. The customer is also provided with home builder guides or real estate magazine to choose from a range of home designs.

Different residential courses are offered by different institutions. The students undertaking such courses develop skills such as:

  • Blueprint reading and drafting.
  • Computer skills.
  • Knowing the residential building codes.
  • Computer-assisted drafting (AutoCAD).
  • Construction process for wood-frame housing.
  • Good knowledge of the materials used and their costs.
  • Making exquisite designs and presenting it.
  • Marketing skills.
  • Making the design more environment-friendly.

Home designing involves giving an exquisite look to your house. It does not only involve the external look but also involve different internal aspects. These include:

  • Living room design: You can choose from a variety of designs ranging from inspirational design to modern living room designs or rooms with skylight.
  • Bedroom design: The bedroom is one of the places where you share your private moments. Most people want their bedroom surrounding to be designed in such a manner that it creates a romantic mood.
  • Bathroom Design: You have the choice to shape up your bathroom according to what you want. You can give it a tinge of nature by making it open or you can also associate a spa with it.
  • Kitchen Design: You can choose the appropriate design for your kitchen from traditional or magnificent modern designs along with associated chimneys and cleaners.
  • Teen Room Design: You can design it according to what you or your child wants.

You can also decorate your house with accessories. However, make sure that irrespective of all these designs, you must have proper ventilation, emergency exits and other safety measures associated with your house.

Maximizing Curb Appeal and First Impressions to Sell your Home

We all know that a home or property of any kind, in order to sell faster and at a higher price, should have what is known as curb appeal. Frequently, it is not the expensive things that make a difference. Here are some things that can be done.

Keep the grass cut, not too short, but well groomed and frequently - you never know what day a prospective buyer will drive by. Include edging along all sidewalks, driveway, and other trim items. Use the weed eater around all areas where the weeds grow up. Use hedge clippers on every possible hedge and bush. In particular, trim down any and all hedges that block views from any windows or cut down on light coming in the windows. Use lots and lots of thick, fresh, mulch. Mulch is inexpensive but does wonders in dressing up a home. If your yard or acreage has been let go too long, start with a professional service the first time and then keep up the property yourself if you want. If you have to hire a lawn and gardening service to keep the property in pristine shape, during the for-sale period, please do so. Well maintained grounds are key to best selling and a few hundred dollars during the sale period will bring you thousands more in price.

Make the property and the home inviting and showcase it by using bright colored flowers; red and yellow flowers of the brightest colors are the best. Keep the flowers well maintained and the beds well kept. Buyers won’t likely see other homes in your price range with similar floral treatments and your home will rise to the top of the buyer’s list.

Repair, paint, and renew, all outdoor furniture, porch furniture and decorations and all decorative items on the property. This includes the mailbox, if there is one. In fact, a bed of mulch, flowers, shrubs, to decorate the base of the mailbox can be a great first impression if it’s well done and well kept.

Open the windows daily or turn on all the vent fans in kitchen and baths to freshen the air in the home. Many people are allergic to perfumes, spices and aerosol sprays so don’t do the old tricks of potpourri, aerosol air fresheners, etc. Vanilla extract is usually safe. You can use some REAL vanilla extract, a few drops, on a piece of bread and put it in the oven on lowest (about 100 degrees) heat for 20 minutes or so before the house is shown. You can buy or rent electronic room deodorizers to freshen the air with filtration. If you have pets, a thorough cleaning and daily vacuuming and constant running of air cleaning units is a great idea. There are lots of people who are allergic to pet dander and the slightest smell of cats or dogs will kill the sale.

Rent a storage unit if needed, have at least one and better yet two or three yard sales and get rid of more and more of the stuff that you no longer need or use. Clean out the attic and TOTALLY organize it. Clean out the garage and out buildings and totally organize anything left inside. The more stuff you have OUT of the garage, attic, storage buildings and out of the yard (if it’s not a landscaping asset) and the more you get out of the closets the more spacious the home seems to buyers.

Even a cleaned out, emptied out and fully organized garage, looks far larger and better if the cars are out of it. Before the showing, move ALL of the cars to another location, down the street (not in front of the house) or to a neighbors house or driveway. There should be NO cars in the garage, in the driveway or in front of the house when the buyer arrives with the agent.

Go through the entire home and get rid of most of the nick-knacks and about three quarters of everything else. Go to a model home or a furniture show room and study, perhaps even take pictures, of how they are decorated. Clean the home, clean the shelves and tops of things – until your property shows like a model home. This goes for every room in the house! Clean off the counters in the kitchen, clean up or put in storage MOST of the stuff in the kids rooms (everything that they don’t use a lot) and get rid of any old paperback books or unsightly books on the book shelves. If the book shelves are packed, open up the shelves by putting over half of the books in storage, or sell them at the yard sale. Remove a lot of the furniture and sell what you don’t want to keep at the next home, or put lots of it in storage. Dust and polish everything!

Remove all of the family pictures from the walls and furniture tops. Remove all of the non-professional pictures and art from the walls. Mend the holes. Family pictures, a very few, in the master bedroom and in the kids rooms, however, make the home seem like a happy home.

If you have a fireplace. Clean it up. Clean it out with concrete and brick cleaners and clean all the bricks and the inside of the fireplace with the appropriate professional cleaners from the fireplace store or building supply stores. In the winter, especially if it’s cold or dreary and overcast outside, light the fire before the showing. In this case, stay with the fire until the Realtor gets there and then just go a short space away, to a neighbors house for instance, and return (for safety sake) as soon as the Realtor leaves. Just be certain that if you get ANY smoke in the home when lighting the fire, air out the home fully before the showing. It’s great to build and establish the fire a half hour before the showing.

Make certain to wash all the windows inside and outside the home, this includes second story windows, storm windows and pressure washing or brushing and soaping all the screens too. If there is a screened porch, make certain all the screens are in perfect repair, well stretched and well cleaned. Keep every piece of glass and mirror inside the home sparkling clean.

Flower boxes are a great and profitable touch. The perennial favorite is bright red geraniums in outside window boxes, under all the windows that can be viewed from the street. There is very little that can elevate the curb appeal of a home like geraniums in window boxes, and they are inexpensive to do!

Clean, organize and clean out all the cupboards, drawers and cabinets in the kitchens and baths. Buyers frequently pull out drawers in the kitchen and bath and open cupboards to better see the size and quality of construction as well as the quality of drawer runners, whether there are pull out shelves, etc. Wow them with the quality of your inside cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and baths.

Note: You should leave the home during the time the agent is showing the house. Leave just before they get there or immediately upon their arrival. Sellers in the home are deal killers. The prospective buyers are uncomfortable speaking about the property to the agent and uncomfortable even looking too carefully at the home, if the seller is present.

Fencing is another area where you get far more back than you spend, with increased sales price and reduced time on the market! The new white vinyl fencing is a great investment to increase the value of your home, above the cost of the fencing, and set your home apart from all the others on the market.

Even condos and townhouses need to have curb appeal. If there is no yard; make certain that every bit of the steps, sidewalk, and entrance is clean, neat and in good repair. Check with the condo association to see if they will immediately and professionally repair anything that needs to be done. It is to the advantage of every owner in the complex to have your home sell for as much as possible and as fast as possible; that increases the value and salability of every unit in the association. Make certain your entrance door and surrounding areas are LOOKING GOOD!

Check all around your unit; check the parking lot and surrounding grounds; check the community landscaping too. If something needs to be done, find out if the association will attend to it, or if you can do the work yourself in some cases. For instance, if edging and weed pulling need to be done, you may be allowed to do the work near your unit. If you have concrete sidewalk and steps, for instance, just brushing on and scrubbing them with bleach will do a lot to improve the looks and first impression.

Bleach does wonders. If there is ANY mold and mildew on the outside of the home, a pressure washing with bleach will clean it and kill the mold and mildew. In case of wood siding and shingles, pressure washing with bleach (consider the double or triple strength Sodium Hypochlorite, same as bleach but stronger) will clean up wood shingles and make them look renewed. You can also use oxalic acid wood bleach or one of the professional wood and shingle cleaners. Pay attention to the labels these are effective chemicals and strong!

Proper and efficient landscaping and image enhancing techniques like these will usually add at least 15% and as much as 25% to the perceived value and thus the sales price and appraisal value of a home. Most of these techniques will bring you at least $4 back for every $1 spent.

Curb appeal should be suitably powerful that it causes people driving by the home at ten to thirty miles per hour to stop or at least turn their heads to look at your property as they go by. With a sale sign from the Realtor on your property, and great curb appeal, you should get lots and lots of people stopping, writing down the sign information and picking up brochures from the brochure box attached to the sign. Curb appeal sells!

Maximize your curb appeal and improve your first impressions when you want to sell your property. Otherwise, you will be selling slower and for less money than you will with the use of these tips.

Copyright 2000-2005 by www.JodyHudson.com

How to Stage a Vacant House and Get it Sold!

One of the most difficult positions in which to be is selling and buying a house at the same time. Relocating for any reason may make it more difficult because of possible time restraints. You may find yourself in a position where you have to move before you have sold your house.

Statistics have shown that furnished houses sell faster than vacant houses. It is hard for most potential buyers to visualize their families living in a house when it is vacant because there are no focal points to draw them into the rooms. Most buyers need to see where furniture should be placed.

But all is not lost. Fortunately, there is a way to solve this dilemma. You guessed it...Home Staging. There are many ways to make a vacant house look more attractive to potential buyers.

o Paint walls a warmer color. If all the walls are white or off-white, chances are the ceilings are also white. This sea of white will make the house appear cold and sterile with no definition of the rooms. Or on the other hand, if the walls are a loud and unappealing color, that is all the buyers will see. If walls are a warmer, neutral color, the house will become appealing to more buyers.

o Rent furnishings and accessories. If you're on a tight budget, just stage the main areas such as the living room, foyer and master bedroom. If you're on an even tighter budget, at least stage with accessories which helps to give the room depth. Bring in color and warmth using items such as greenery, silk trees, candlesticks, vases and towels in the baths.

o Create curb appeal. First impressions are everything and the outside is, of course, what the buyers will see first. Your goal is to get them into the house so it has to look inviting and well-maintained. Again, think of color and how it appeals to the emotions. Plant colorful annuals, re-mulch or re-sod, if necessary, but make it as attractive as possible. The outside is a good indication of how the inside is maintained.

The following are some drawbacks of a vacant house:

o Every flaw will show up because there is nothing else to draw their attention away.
o No character and warmth
o Buyers have a hard time visualizing their furniture in the house
o It is difficult to see a room's potential

Before you put your vacant house on the market, think about what you can do to make it appealing and inviting to the greatest number of buyers. Putting a little time and effort staging your vacant house, can pay off in the end.

© 2009 ReDesign Concepts, LLC

Home Staging Essentials - 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey

"Home staging" was coined by Barb Schwarz back in the early '70s, and the concept has become well known as "house fluffing," "dressing to sell," and "home presentation" to name a few, but the concept has not taken hold among home owners when selling a home because many people do not understand the idea or cannot create a workable plan for staging their home correctly.

The focus of staging is to make a home more marketable by creating the most appealing home to the greatest number of prospective buyers. It should be impersonal enough not to infringe on a buyer's own sense of style.

Decorating is optional. Staging, on the other hand, is essential - that is if you want to sell your house for the most possible money in the shortest amount of time. Staging - it is the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

Since home staging is truly an essential part of selling your home, I wanted to share these 50 Tips To Get You Started on Your Home Staging Journey.

1. Be sure that your home is staged before you or your realtor takes the photos for the web. Over 70% of all new apartment/home searches are started on the Internet. It is imperative that the property looks good in the photos so that it can attract as many people as possible to see the real thing.

2. You should not have one person look at your house until it has been staged completely. It should not go through the broker walkthrough, MLS, open houses, or anything. Stage first!

3. Kate Hart of Hart & Associates Staging and Design LLC knows that home staging works for all properties regardless of the price point because home staging is about preparing your home for a faster and more profitable sale and marketing your property to the most potential buyers for its target audience. "I have staged homes ranging from $100,000 to $10 million and have had the same result- the homes sell faster and for top dollar compared with the competitors within their price range."

4. If you have dark cabinets, a light colored handle or something in shiny gold will enhance them. If you have light cabinets, you can give them the sleek look by using handles of the same color so that they are hardly noticeable or by using brushed silver handles. With light wood, you can also use darker handles, gold, bronze, or even colors.

5. Sometimes renovations are needed. However, here are five that you should avoid:

· Adding high end appliances to a modest home

· Adding hand painted tiles to the bath or kitchen

· Adding a central vacuum

· Adding air conditioning (unless you are in an area that all homes have it)

· Replacing windows with newer models

6. Be sure to check with your city or county building inspector before beginning a new project. Many departments require permits, even for things as simple as changing a dishwasher.

7. Everything in its place is a good motto to remember. Always find appropriate places to store your items. Litter boxes in the kitchen and trashcans in the pantry are just two examples of inappropriate placement.

8. Julie Dana of The Home Stylist has the following tip: Do not have any cleaning products visible. You want the buyer to think that the house cleans itself. You do not want to remind buyers that there will be work to do in this house, so put away laundry baskets and dish drainers as well!

9. Lisa Wonsey of Space/Lift explains that selling an empty home can be a huge mistake. Buying or renting furniture is especially vital in an empty home. Empty homes do not show well and can sit on the market for months until a buyer with a good visual imagination comes along, or until the seller drops the price so low that the home is a steal.

10. Your refrigerator will need to be cleaned, even if you are not leaving it. People will still look inside and a dirty refrigerator will turn them off. If you are taking it with you, you may as well clean it now. If you are leaving it, then it is imperative to have it sparkling.

11. Ruthanne Hatfield of Art of Interior Placement emphasizes that taking away items is needed, but adding back is essential, too: Each room should be embellished with accessories artwork, mirrors, accent tables, silk trees and florals, as well as dishes, bedding, and towels so all areas look inviting.

12. Check for unusual odors in your house. It may come from a pet or even from your upholstery.

13. Cleaning is rarely fun for anyone, but it does not have to be a terrible chore. Play some fun, lively music. Before you know it, your adrenaline will start pumping and you will be dancing your way through the house.

14. To clean those irritating stains in the bathtub, make a paste by using hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Use an old toothbrush to rub the mixture into the stain and rinse thoroughly.

15. To clean the microwave, fill a paper cup with water and a few tablespoons of baking soda. Nuke it for about 30 seconds, or until you see the contents explode. Then just take a paper towel and wipe it all off. The explosion spreads the cleanser over the entire area, and you can even use the moistened rag or paper towel to wipe outside the microwave and its surrounding area.

16. Mary Larsen of Larsen-Trochlil Designs offers the following professional tip: Do not offer money towards painting or installing new carpeting. Remember, if you are not willing to do it, your buyer is not likely to either.

17. Take a look around you. Do you have items in your home that are unused and have no real sentimental value? If so, get rid of them! These types of items can often be found in closets, cupboards, basements, and garages. Sometimes they are on bookshelves or even in your everyday living space. The more you are able to move out the more the next buyer will want to "move in."

18. If you do not have a plan for what to do with the stuff you no longer need, it will get put in the basement or the attic or the garage or simply stay in a pile in the room where it began. If this happens, then you really did not get rid of clutter - you just moved it to another location. When you are clearing the clutter for home staging purposes, you will have many different piles. Some things may go to a thrift store such as the Salvation Army, some things may go to the dump, some things may go into storage, and some things may be set aside for a garage or yard sale. Knowing what you are going to do with the extra clutter is essential to really decluttering your home.

19. Sylvia Beez of m.a.p. interiors inc. reminds us that: A home for sale should always be presented in its best light and immaculate condition, which is not the reality of everyday life. Potential buyers do not want to see how you live, with your children, cats and dogs, and mess. They want to see themselves in a perfect house under perfect conditions and that is how a home on the market should always be presented.

20. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers - even your refrigerator - look jammed packed, it sends a negative message to the buyer. This message is that there is not enough room in your kitchen. If they were looking for plentiful storage space, after opening your crowded cupboards, they will believe that they will not find it in your kitchen. The best way to change this negative first impression is to have as much "empty space" as possible.

21. Marlene Feldman of Marlene Feldman Associates has the following suggestion for small dining rooms: If the dining room has an oversized china cabinet, consider removing it. Or, if has a top and bottom, remove the top. This will open up the space considerably

22. Take a look at your bathroom. If you are like most people, you will find half-used shampoo bottles, a jumble of hair accessories, a curling iron, foam curlers, several cans of shaving cream, tub toys, lotions, medication, books and magazines, oils, candles, toilet paper, and on and on and on. The amount of stuff we store in our bathrooms is far greater than the storage capacity for these small rooms, especially, if like many bathrooms, you have just a medicine cabinet and a very small vanity. The "stuff" that is not in use needs to be boxed up and moved out.

23. Katie Joanow of Star Staging explains that: You should remove extra chairs from the tables. Unless you have a massive space, you will not need more than 4 chairs around a table. Also remove extra leaves from the table. This will make the room feel larger.

24. Buyers want to see your carpet or your hardwood floor or your linoleum. Most home stagers suggest removing all area rugs, unless you have a large area of hardwood, where one rug is acceptable. Area rugs make spaces seem more crowded. Without them, your floor plan opens up.

25. Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think of it as clutter. Perhaps the clutter is wrapping paper, or Christmas items, or an old sewing machine. Maybe you have some keepsakes, or photo albums. Then of course there are the extra clothes and shoes. None of these things are likely to be in the throw away pile, but they should not be in your closet if you want to reduce the look of clutter.

26. Gail Greer of All Rooms Great and Small gives this tip about painting your home: You need to be willing to change paint colors. There are certain universally accepted colors and these should be used when repainting your home. Yellow or shades of gold are warm and inviting. You should also accent with yellow. Your eye absorbs more yellow and therefore sees it first. Green or blue in the bedrooms are great colors because they are restful.

27. Stand a few feet away from the entrance to the bedroom. What do you see? Whatever you see is the first thing that a buyer will see. Is it pretty? Is it bulky? Does it make the room feel small? Move anything from the doorway that is not inviting.

28. A spare room should be viewed as a bonus. It is a "plus" feature of your home, but only if the buyers can view it as such. For example, if your spare room is used mostly as an office, then, during the selling process,you need to make it just that - an office! Get rid of the spare bed and the extra dressers full of last season's clothes. Get rid of the boxes of storage items in the closet. Keep the essentials of your office such as a desk, filing cabinet, bookshelf, and a nice chair in the corner with a small table and lamp.

29. Holly Weatherwax of Momentum Realty explains that whenever possible, she recommends leaving the garage free from storage. If people see that the seller does not have enough storage and has to use the garage, they will begin to wonder if the same thing will happen if they buy the house. People like to think that they might actually be able to use a garage!

30. Find out what organizations in your area pick up items. Such organizations often include Goodwill, The Salvation Army, veteran's associations, and other local organizations. Another good way to get rid of items you no longer need is to use Freecycle. Here, you can list items you no longer need and then choose someone from a list of takers to have them. The best part is the person wanting the items comes to your home on your timetable to get them. You can find a freecycle group in your area by going to http://www.freecycle.org.

31. Get everything off the counters. Everything. Remove all appliances from the countertops. Even the toaster. Doing so will make you kitchen look larger and more spacious. It will also keep the buyer's eye from stopping on a particular item rather than getting a full view of the room. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers.

32. Charlie Ann Taylor of C.A.T.'S ROOMER has a lot to say about these focal points in your home: The kitchen and baths need to be model perfect because the kitchen and baths sell the home.

33. Have you taken away so much that your home no longer has any sparkle? Although YOUR personality needs to be removed, the personality of the house still needs to come through.

34. One of the most important factors to consider when placing items into a room is the idea of transition. As your eye moves around the room, you do not want it jumping from place to place or piece to piece. The movement of the eye should flow - not bounce. To accomplish this, you want to avoid abrupt changes in height.

35. Gail Jackson of Weichert Realtors explains that home staging does not need to be expensive: Paint is very inexpensive and gives you a big bang for your buck. Although a bit labor-intensive, painting is not expensive and gives your home a new, fresh, clean look.

36. Give each room a touch of the unexpected. This can be done with artwork placed in an unusual way, using a piece of furniture in a way that you normally would not use it, or adding a dash of color where the eye least expects to find it. Be creative.

37. Follow the "like-with-like" rule of the thumb. Tall with tall, small with small, wide with wide, and narrow with narrow will guide you throughout the decorating process. Mimic the shape of each space you are decorating. For example, a sofa should be accessorized with horizontal art so you are complementing wide with wide.

38. Marcia Smart's (Smart Interior Styling) tip is to: Recognize that your major competition comes from newer homes. People will take a newer home over an older home if all else is equal. That is why it is essential to give an older home something that puts it above the rest.

39. My favorite decorating tip is to look outside the box. You do not always need to use an item for its intended purpose. For example, do not just use a tablecloth for a table; make it a slipcover for your ottoman. It can save you lots of money and time when you purchase a tablecloth at a local chain verses buying yards of fabric and by purchasing the correct size it can become a no-sew project. Always keep your eyes open for new uses for everyday items.

40. Select a focal point for your room and subtly orient other furnishings and some lighting toward it. If there is a fireplace, it will nearly always be the focal point; other focal points might be bookcases or built-in shelving to house lovely collectibles, or a sofa with a striking painting on the wall above it.

41. Donna Reynolds of Home Rearrangements explains that there are two times that you can angle furniture: In a square room and if a room already has an angle in it, like a corner fireplace or a bay window.

42. In a bedroom, unless you have no other choice, you want to see the foot of the bed when you walk in. You do not want a bed to cross the doorway because it blocks the flow and makes the room look smaller. It is better to see the foot so that you can see the pretty pillows.

43. One of the easiest ways to create color is to add beautiful accent pillows to any room. Introducing a complementary accent color in a room can make a room "pop" and come alive. Accent pillows not only add color but texture and warmth as well. By adding throw pillows in a coordinating or contrast fabric to a couch chair, bench, or bed, you can transform your room and add instant warmth inexpensively!

44. One way to see if your home has curb appeal is to walk across the street and have a good look at your house. where did your eyes go? They should be drawn to the front door and entryway. If they are not, then you need to do something about it.

45. Kimberly Cash of ASPM Tidewater Home Staging Consultants, Inc. offers the following advice: People do not see their house as a product that you have to market and sell. However, selling your home is like packaging. People look at the outside before deciding to come in. Then they look at the inside before deciding to buy, and it is mostly based on looks. It is packaging. You need to wrap up your product, your home, like a beautiful package.

46. Once you have gotten the front yard in shape, it is time to work on the backyard. The most important areas of the backyard are the patios, decks, and porches. Getting these areas up to date will give the buyers a feeling that they are getting bonus space.

47. New window treatments can make a world of difference. They can add value and style to your home and be something the buyers view as a bonus - something they will not have to buy or replace when they move in. The caution, however, is that you keep the treatments neutral (keep your personality out of the room) and that you make sure they do not block the amount of light that comes into a room.

48. Debra Blackmon of Blackmon Design offers the following suggestion for your windows: Many homes have the louvers of the blinds turned down to face the floor. A more enhancing way to use blinds is to turn the louvers up to reflect much-needed ambient light onto the ceiling.

49. Sometimes, refreshing a room can be as easy as changing a light bulb. Bulbs like GE Reveal filter out yellow rays common in ordinary light bulbs, making colors, fabric, walls, and artwork appear richer, crisper, and more vivid.

50. Add pampering accessories! Things like bath bubbles, fluffy towels, and candles not only add the pampering feeling you are trying to achieve, they offer visual comfort with color and texture as well. Psychologically, we all crave that long soak with a good book, and even if we are only in the bathroom for 10 minutes to whip on some make up, just seeing those items displayed promises wonderful baths to come!

As you know, your home becomes a house - a product for sale. Staging your property gives you a more competitive edge in today's market by transforming it into a marketable product. A staged property helps you sell your investment for top dollar and is the first line of defense over lowering the price. Do not settle for less at the closing table simply because you did not understand the value of staging or did not want to take the time or spend the money to do it properly.

In this world of busy buyers, a property has to be staged to appeal to the their imagination. They want to be able to look at your home and know that they can live there. They want to know that their furniture will fit. They want to know that everything is in "move in" condition. That is why staging is so important. It allows buyers to imagine themselves living in your home with their stuff, not yours.

Presentation is everything and staging is presentation! The result is improved functionality and complementary space. Following the techniques in this book will maximize your equity while reducing the market time for your home.

First Time Home Buyers: Tips to Buying Your First Home that will Reduce Stress and Buyer's Remorse

The purchase of a first home is likely to be the biggest one-time purchase in your life. There is a huge shift from living with family or renting, to owning a home. It can be an overwhelming experience and at times you may feel that you are barely keeping in step with the process. We are now at a point in our lives where our children are buying their first homes and we see the worry and signs of stress that make this FIRST BIG PURCHASE such a momentous event for them. The learning gained from buying a home and selling a house six (6) times - four different cities and two different provinces - has given us experiences that we share here with our children. The tips we can give you when going through the mind-game process of buying a home are insightful and are especially for people just like our children - first time home buyers.

Every step along the way to becoming a property owner brings a new rush of questions.

This first-time home-buying torrent of questions can, at times, feel like you are fighting river rapids in a kayak. Just like novice kayaker, it is fear of the unknown in home-buying that creates the stress.

Can we afford this house?

Did we pay too much for this property?

Will we be able to make the monthly payments?

How will we pay property taxes and still have money for any maintenance and renovation costs?

Will we have a mortgage forever?

Notice most questions and fears are centered around finances. Not surprising then that this big purchase would cause you stress. Finances or Money is the number ONE cause of stress in our lives.

Our experiences can be the information that can help you steer the ship named 'Home Equity'. Equity - the difference between the market value of a property and the claims (loans + mortgages) held against it.

Here are a TEN pointers that helped us and can help you through the psychological aspects of buying your first house (you might even experience an adrenalin rush):

1. Accept that buyer's remorse will happen and it could overcome you early in the process of purchasing your first home. Buyer's remorse is a natural feeling where we doubt ourselves and question our purchasing actions. It may last for months after you buy. These are natural feelings to have; a home is a large purchase with significant impact on your lifestyle. Remorse will give way to a contentment as you make this house your home. Buyers remorse usually lessens as you become more experienced in buying and selling houses.

2. Buy a House, Sell a Home. Buy to resell. Buy with resale in mind. Remember that this is your FIRST house purchase, and not likely to be your last. Within 3-10 years of buying a house you are likely to sell and buy a second, third, or fourth house. Perhaps you will buy more than that number. No matter the number of houses you buy, do so with the view that you will re-sell, make a profit, buy UP (larger home) and/or reduce your mortgage on subsequent house purchases.

3. Pay the minimum Down Payment on your first house - unless you are paying 25% or more against the total price of the house (this may provide you with some relief on the mortgage rate), THEN pay the minimum. Use your cash for legal fees and transfer taxes PLUS for household improvements (like painting), maintenance and furniture/appliances/tools purchases. Remember point number "2" - this is your first home.

4. Don't make yourself 'house poor' - Amortize your first mortgage to the limit (25 years plus). This will reduce the impact to your monthly cash-flow (mortgage + interest payments). Don't concern yourself with paying down this FIRST mortgage in 5, 10 or 15 years. You expect to build equity in your first home to apply to your next home purchase(s). Remember item "2" - this is just your first home.

5. Loans and Mortgages are a Fact of Life - settle into the idea that you will likely have a mortgage and some form of loans for most of your working life. Unless you come from "material substance", i.e. money, or have won the lottery, you will have large debt for most of your life. Accept that you are likely not to be in a position to eliminate your mortgage until you have worked 20-25-30 years.

6. Shop around for your mortgage - mortgage hunting can be an exciting thing. Use it as a learning experience. Bankers, Mortgage brokers and Real Estate agents all want to give you the money! Talk to other first time home owners. Compare interest rates, terms of mortgage and payout penalties. It's a numbers game - have fun with this financial aspect of home ownership by familiarizing yourself with financial terminology and ask those 'mortgage financiers' to break it down into layman's terms so you can understand it.

7. Separate an 'emotional' buy from a 'good' buy - this ONE THING will be your biggest hurdle, causing additional stress between a couple in their hunt for the first home. Real estate agents may try to leverage (manipulate) this couple tension to their advantage - like getting you to buy beyond your means or buy NOW because other offers are on the table. As difficult as it may become, agree as a couple that if things are not right for you as a couple that you are willing to walk away from any house deal on the table. Be vigilant in reaffirming this point to each other.

8. Create a "Must Have / Would Like" list of features - accept compromise as an element of home buying - unless your first home is custom built, accept that you will need to compromise on some of the features you have on your list of features. Remember item "2" - this is just your first home. Getting all the house features you want requires a longer term view - a goal on your next home.

9. Scope out any neighborhood in which you want to own a home - just like test driving an automobile before you buy it, walk around your potential neighborhood. Check out schools, shopping and city hall (use the web) for zoning (building projects), crime levels and types, community involvement. Talk to people who live and work in the area you are considering a home purchase.

10. Accept the fact that your current social lifestyle may shift a bit - entertain at home instead of going out on the town; mowing the lawn and garden maintenance might replace some of your gym activity; interior decorating and carpentry become new hobbies to replace Nintendo and X-Box.

11. Breathe - Breathing is good. Enjoy the rigors and rewards of home ownership. Learn and continue to educate yourself on home ownership.

First time home ownership can be a highly stressful situation. But buying your first home can still be a wonderful experience. Home buying and home ownership should complement your life and relationship with your spouse and family. You may want to do it more than once. Buy a House - Sell a Home. Make your house the home that others will want to buy. Be the Consumer, Not the Consumed.

Home Improvements and the Television Shows That Can Guide Them

The kitchen is one of the areas of a person's home that is most often improved. Many people are simply not satisfied with the kitchen that their house or apartment has when they move in. Lots of people ultimately look to redo their kitchen lighting, possibly by adding sky panels. There are lots of television shows that can in fact help people decide what to do with their homes, or whether to buy a new one entirely. While watching these shows people can see some renovations done on other people's homes and decide if the same renovations or similar ones would be right for their homes.

One show that can both entertain and sometimes help viewers decide what to do with their homes is the show called House Hunters on HGTV. The show features a person or couple that is looking for a new home. They are then taken around by a real estate agent in their chosen city and shown three houses from which they can choose. Each of the places the participants are shown usually has their own pros and cons, some are too expensive, some do not have the proper floor plan and others are too much in need of fixing. At the conclusion of the show, an offer is put in by the person looking for a new home and then an update is given on what they have done with their new living space since moving in and how they like it.

Another show that can sometimes help people with their own home renovations is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. On the show the crew, including a carpenter, various designers and decorators, takes a family that is down on their luck and helps them redecorate and completely redo their house. This can help people watching at home because again, some of the renovations seen on the show could be appropriate for the home of the viewer. The people on the show are some of the best in the business when it comes to carpentry and interior design and decoration so it could be very beneficial for people looking to do home improvements to watch the show and see what each of the experts' think of certain things regarding home makeovers.

Finally, a last show that can help people with home renovation ideas was Trading Spaces. Currently in syndication, Trading Spaces revolved around two neighbors who trade houses. Then each neighbor, with the help of the team of designers and carpenters that the show provides, renovates one room in their friend's house. This is another show that could ultimately help people decide what to do with their own renovations from watching what the people on the show do.

In tough economic times and with the housing market not doing well home improvements are a very important part of the economy. By watching just a few episodes, or for those with very small amounts of patience a few minutes, of certain television shows people might be able to figure out what they want to do with their house renovations.

Home Staging a Must-Have Marketing Tool For Real Estate Agents

Home Staging a Must-Have Marketing Tool for Real Estate Agents

I receive countless emails from real estate agents asking if they should recommend a Home Stager to their clients. In my opinion, real estate agents are hesitant to utilize the services of, professional home stagers for three key reasons:

1. They do not fully understand what a stager really does.
2. They feel that they provide adequate advice to their clients regarding improvements needed for the home to sell.
3. They are afraid that by recommending a Home Stager they will be expected to pay for the services.

A professional Home Stager will look at your client's home through the eyes of a highly critical buyer and make recommendations that will create the best first impression for potential buyers. Their services allow a home to stand out from the crowd and that benefits both the seller and real estate agent. It is a clear win-win situation.

If your listings show well it reflects well on your professionalism and helps your clients sell more quickly and for a higher dollar.

Let's be frank. It is your name on the sign that is on the front lawn, and people driving by notice whether your listings say "SOLD" or whether they sit for a long period of time. It's your reputation on the line. Wouldn't it be nice to be known in your market for always having listings that show well? Other agents will more likely show your listings over others, and clients looking for a listing agent will seek to be listed with you.

Turning your listings more quickly results in less hassle and higher profits for you.

I am sure you know what it's like to be stuck with a weak listing. Your clients call you daily wondering why it hasn't sold, when you'll be running another ad or when your next open house is scheduled.

You know the issue isn't how many ads you run but how bad the house shows. If you have run out of ideas of changes to make, or you simply do not want to discuss other options that you feel might upset your clients, you can have a Home Stager address issues you may not feel comfortable discussing with your clients. This is a huge drain on your time, energy and pocket book!

Home Stagers, or real estate stagers as we're also called, tackle sensitive topics like odor problems, ugly decor, etc. in a diplomatic way. And if the husband and wife can't agree on anything, wouldn't you rather we got in the middle than you? After all, you don't want to jeopardize your listing by taking sides. Home Stagers broach these subjects and consult with your client, and you get a better listing without having to face an uncomfortable conversation with your client.

Home Stagers free your time to focus on what you do best.

Yes you might offer decluttering or repair suggestions, but do you go into the same level of detail that a stager would? And more importantly should that be how you're spending your time when your real money is made getting and turning your listings?

We take over the worry of getting a home showing-ready and on time for your photography and agent open house. Imagine how nice it would be to show up for your open house knowing that all you have to do is open the door and everything else will be perfect!

But who pays for it?

Some agents will pay for a home staging consultation as part of the service they offer homeowners when they get a new listing. However, I don't think homeowners or Home Stagers should necessarily expect real estate agents to pick up the tab for a home staging consultation.

Just because you recommend home staging does not mean you have to pay for it; in the same way you wouldn't be expected to pay for a real estate lawyer or home inspector recommended to a client.

Homeowners who pay for the initial consultation themselves are more receptive to what the Home Stager recommends, unlike homeowners who only have us there because their agent is paying. Often when I do a consultation for homeowners whose agent is paying for my services, they continuously look at their watch hoping I don't go over my time because they have no interest in investing any of their own money in the process. These homeowners are less likely to act on many of my recommendations because they're just "playing along." For them it's free advice so they don't necessarily value it.

Home staging makes a huge difference in the presentation of a home. And for agents this translates into homes that sell more quickly and for higher amounts. It's only common sense that more buyers will be attracted to a fabulously presented home and be more willing to pay more for it.

Home Staging - A New Business Opportunity In Dubai?

Home Staging, as it's called in the US, or Home Doctoring if you are in the UK, is a long established practice when preparing a house for sale. Traditionally, it is almost always a lived in home or property that is 'staged' in preparation for a sale or open house viewing day.

The reason a home is staged is to make it look fresh and inviting to interested people who come in for a viewing.In many real estate markets worldwide, a real estate agent or consultant will always advice you to either stage a home yourself, or seek the services of proper home staging firms.

Yes, such a service may not be that familiar with residents and even real estate agents here in the UAE, and why should it be? There are hardly any homes that are lived in for that long, that they need to be staged to sell them.

In fact, it is radically different here. Properties and homes still have that fresh brick and paint smell whenever there is an open house. If indeed there even is such a thing as an open house! With most properties being bought out within a few hours of their launch announcements, it still is a virgin market for real estate. But the market is changing, and there are many sought after projects that have been completed, lived in and most importantly, have become established communities to live in.

The homes in these projects are what would benefit from Home Staging services. Such projects as Emaar's The Greens which feature apartments only, and projects such as the Springs and The Lakes, which feature villas and town houses, are today going head to head with newer villas and apartments coming on the market.

Are these 'older' structures really that old and lived in that they need Home Staging? Far from it! they are around 4 to 5 years old, hardly what you would call 'lived in'. Yet, as with all things nice and shiny that is the way of life here, it is not uncommon to find clients say that they want to buy into new projects only.

This is where there is a small Home Staging market opportunity. But wait, that really isn't the market potential we are talking about here in this article...

Home Staging Newly Built Homes:

This is a different take on Home Staging, and would be best suited to the unique real estate market in Dubai and the UAE. Currently, as is witnessed by picking up a news paper, there are apartments and villas getting completed and delivered at a phenomenal rate here. There is also no dearth of ready investors as well as people who are re locating to this oasis to start of their lives. So why stage them in the first place if everything sells without effort?

The reason we see a good business opportunity in staging newly built homes, is to attract the attention of buyers who will soon be able to physically visit these completed projects and they may be a completely different perspective than when they were sold only from brochures and DVD videos earlier.

Consider some truths...

1) The Building is completed, but is in the middle of a construction site, because other buildings and towers in the vicinity are still being completed over the next couple of years. - Will home buyers prefer a home here over a more peaceful locality?

2) On paper and on DVD a 389 sq foot studio apartment does not convey a true sense of space, after all, the tiny graphics used to denote beds and wardrobes always seem to fit in perfectly in a drawing - not so in real life! So a properly appointed interior decorator / Stager is needed to do up a studio apartment to convey a feeling of coziness, yet space and richness to the client. An empty studio is a box and will not make the cut!

These are only some reasons how and why Home Staging is a beneficial proposition for newly constructed homes.

Getting into the Home Staging Business:

Typically a Home Staging business either uses whats available in the home that is for sale, or has an inventory of furniture, and other home fittings that they rent out to a client to spruce up a home for open house day.

This is exactly how Home Staging works... They come in, fix up the place, and then take away the equipment that has been placed in.

Now, there is no way a Home Staging business would be able to cope up with having inventory for the multitude of homes that are freshly 'baked' here and coming online. So how would a small property developer or interior decoration firm diversify into the Home Staging scenario?

We saved the best tip for last! - By getting into a tie-up with Luxury goods, furniture giants and home electronics companies here.

Consider this - One of the primary reasons people are buying a home in Dubai and soon AbuDhabi, is that they are already sold on the lifestyle of the country!

They are sold on the luxury, the environment (social and climate) and have made a choice of wanting to live here. The speculation phase of real estate is soon coming to an end and thankfully real home owners are showing up asking to buy properties.

So for a single person looking at living in a studio apartment or a small family moving into a one bedroom apartment, considering that space is going to be a compromise, having it staged with the right kind of furniture and electronics goes a long way in helping them make up their minds, more so if the project is in the middle of a construction site!

This is where a proper partnership with a furniture company can mean a win-win-win situation for the Furniture company, the home buyer and the Home Staging firm. Chances are that people will more likely take the (discounted) furniture and interior package with the brand new apartment.

This would definitely hold true for larger Villas and Duplex apartments where money is no objective to the home buyer and a Jacuzzi (R)(Tm) and outdoor private sauna room could make all the difference when closing the gap between a Villa by the Sea or a villa with a desert scape.

The staging skills of the Home Staging Company is what will bring it success!

Maximizing Curb Appeal and First Impressions to Sell your Home

We all know that a home or property of any kind, in order to sell faster and at a higher price, should have what is known as curb appeal. Frequently, it is not the expensive things that make a difference. Here are some things that can be done.

Keep the grass cut, not too short, but well groomed and frequently - you never know what day a prospective buyer will drive by. Include edging along all sidewalks, driveway, and other trim items. Use the weed eater around all areas where the weeds grow up. Use hedge clippers on every possible hedge and bush. In particular, trim down any and all hedges that block views from any windows or cut down on light coming in the windows. Use lots and lots of thick, fresh, mulch. Mulch is inexpensive but does wonders in dressing up a home. If your yard or acreage has been let go too long, start with a professional service the first time and then keep up the property yourself if you want. If you have to hire a lawn and gardening service to keep the property in pristine shape, during the for-sale period, please do so. Well maintained grounds are key to best selling and a few hundred dollars during the sale period will bring you thousands more in price.

Make the property and the home inviting and showcase it by using bright colored flowers; red and yellow flowers of the brightest colors are the best. Keep the flowers well maintained and the beds well kept. Buyers won’t likely see other homes in your price range with similar floral treatments and your home will rise to the top of the buyer’s list.

Repair, paint, and renew, all outdoor furniture, porch furniture and decorations and all decorative items on the property. This includes the mailbox, if there is one. In fact, a bed of mulch, flowers, shrubs, to decorate the base of the mailbox can be a great first impression if it’s well done and well kept.

Open the windows daily or turn on all the vent fans in kitchen and baths to freshen the air in the home. Many people are allergic to perfumes, spices and aerosol sprays so don’t do the old tricks of potpourri, aerosol air fresheners, etc. Vanilla extract is usually safe. You can use some REAL vanilla extract, a few drops, on a piece of bread and put it in the oven on lowest (about 100 degrees) heat for 20 minutes or so before the house is shown. You can buy or rent electronic room deodorizers to freshen the air with filtration. If you have pets, a thorough cleaning and daily vacuuming and constant running of air cleaning units is a great idea. There are lots of people who are allergic to pet dander and the slightest smell of cats or dogs will kill the sale.

Rent a storage unit if needed, have at least one and better yet two or three yard sales and get rid of more and more of the stuff that you no longer need or use. Clean out the attic and TOTALLY organize it. Clean out the garage and out buildings and totally organize anything left inside. The more stuff you have OUT of the garage, attic, storage buildings and out of the yard (if it’s not a landscaping asset) and the more you get out of the closets the more spacious the home seems to buyers.

Even a cleaned out, emptied out and fully organized garage, looks far larger and better if the cars are out of it. Before the showing, move ALL of the cars to another location, down the street (not in front of the house) or to a neighbors house or driveway. There should be NO cars in the garage, in the driveway or in front of the house when the buyer arrives with the agent.

Go through the entire home and get rid of most of the nick-knacks and about three quarters of everything else. Go to a model home or a furniture show room and study, perhaps even take pictures, of how they are decorated. Clean the home, clean the shelves and tops of things – until your property shows like a model home. This goes for every room in the house! Clean off the counters in the kitchen, clean up or put in storage MOST of the stuff in the kids rooms (everything that they don’t use a lot) and get rid of any old paperback books or unsightly books on the book shelves. If the book shelves are packed, open up the shelves by putting over half of the books in storage, or sell them at the yard sale. Remove a lot of the furniture and sell what you don’t want to keep at the next home, or put lots of it in storage. Dust and polish everything!

Remove all of the family pictures from the walls and furniture tops. Remove all of the non-professional pictures and art from the walls. Mend the holes. Family pictures, a very few, in the master bedroom and in the kids rooms, however, make the home seem like a happy home.

If you have a fireplace. Clean it up. Clean it out with concrete and brick cleaners and clean all the bricks and the inside of the fireplace with the appropriate professional cleaners from the fireplace store or building supply stores. In the winter, especially if it’s cold or dreary and overcast outside, light the fire before the showing. In this case, stay with the fire until the Realtor gets there and then just go a short space away, to a neighbors house for instance, and return (for safety sake) as soon as the Realtor leaves. Just be certain that if you get ANY smoke in the home when lighting the fire, air out the home fully before the showing. It’s great to build and establish the fire a half hour before the showing.

Make certain to wash all the windows inside and outside the home, this includes second story windows, storm windows and pressure washing or brushing and soaping all the screens too. If there is a screened porch, make certain all the screens are in perfect repair, well stretched and well cleaned. Keep every piece of glass and mirror inside the home sparkling clean.

Flower boxes are a great and profitable touch. The perennial favorite is bright red geraniums in outside window boxes, under all the windows that can be viewed from the street. There is very little that can elevate the curb appeal of a home like geraniums in window boxes, and they are inexpensive to do!

Clean, organize and clean out all the cupboards, drawers and cabinets in the kitchens and baths. Buyers frequently pull out drawers in the kitchen and bath and open cupboards to better see the size and quality of construction as well as the quality of drawer runners, whether there are pull out shelves, etc. Wow them with the quality of your inside cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and baths.

Note: You should leave the home during the time the agent is showing the house. Leave just before they get there or immediately upon their arrival. Sellers in the home are deal killers. The prospective buyers are uncomfortable speaking about the property to the agent and uncomfortable even looking too carefully at the home, if the seller is present.

Fencing is another area where you get far more back than you spend, with increased sales price and reduced time on the market! The new white vinyl fencing is a great investment to increase the value of your home, above the cost of the fencing, and set your home apart from all the others on the market.

Even condos and townhouses need to have curb appeal. If there is no yard; make certain that every bit of the steps, sidewalk, and entrance is clean, neat and in good repair. Check with the condo association to see if they will immediately and professionally repair anything that needs to be done. It is to the advantage of every owner in the complex to have your home sell for as much as possible and as fast as possible; that increases the value and salability of every unit in the association. Make certain your entrance door and surrounding areas are LOOKING GOOD!

Check all around your unit; check the parking lot and surrounding grounds; check the community landscaping too. If something needs to be done, find out if the association will attend to it, or if you can do the work yourself in some cases. For instance, if edging and weed pulling need to be done, you may be allowed to do the work near your unit. If you have concrete sidewalk and steps, for instance, just brushing on and scrubbing them with bleach will do a lot to improve the looks and first impression.

Bleach does wonders. If there is ANY mold and mildew on the outside of the home, a pressure washing with bleach will clean it and kill the mold and mildew. In case of wood siding and shingles, pressure washing with bleach (consider the double or triple strength Sodium Hypochlorite, same as bleach but stronger) will clean up wood shingles and make them look renewed. You can also use oxalic acid wood bleach or one of the professional wood and shingle cleaners. Pay attention to the labels these are effective chemicals and strong!

Proper and efficient landscaping and image enhancing techniques like these will usually add at least 15% and as much as 25% to the perceived value and thus the sales price and appraisal value of a home. Most of these techniques will bring you at least $4 back for every $1 spent.

Curb appeal should be suitably powerful that it causes people driving by the home at ten to thirty miles per hour to stop or at least turn their heads to look at your property as they go by. With a sale sign from the Realtor on your property, and great curb appeal, you should get lots and lots of people stopping, writing down the sign information and picking up brochures from the brochure box attached to the sign. Curb appeal sells!

Maximize your curb appeal and improve your first impressions when you want to sell your property. Otherwise, you will be selling slower and for less money than you will with the use of these tips.

Copyright 2000-2005 by www.JodyHudson.com

Guidelines On How To Effectively Sell Your Home In Miami Real Estate

Selling your home in Miami real estate takes some works in order to make sure to effectively sell it and to gain great deal. This is not as simple as posting it for sale.

Since you've been in this house for long period of time, you just let all of your things in there. But now that you are selling your home, you need to get rid of unusable things and materials in your home. You have to make your home a cozy place for potential buyers. Take a little time to do improvements and cleaning up.

Yes, this can take some of your time and effort, but in the long run it is worth it, when you are able to sell it quickly and with great deal. Remove all the clutter. Remove the things that are no longer functioning. Crowded home can make buyers move away, so you need to make it spacious but in a way that it is appealing. You need to still maintain few furniture, equipments and decors that can attract buyers.

Check all the parts and rooms of your home especially the kitchen and bathroom, since these are the important parts that buyers will view. So, make sure that these rooms are sparkling clean.

Yes, a clean home is important, but this is not the only thing that you need to do and think about. Pricing and advertising your home are other steps that you should consider. You can work with a realtor in order to gain someone to assist and guide you with your quest.

You need to get a realtor who is very familiar with the market, one that can help you out successfully. Contact few realtors and take time in interviewing them and choose the best one. The realtor can help you in pricing your home. Yes, with this expertise and experiences, he/she can help you in pricing your home. But, it is best to do a little research on your own, it is better not to rely everything to your realtor, it is best to have better understanding about the market and the prices of similar homes in your neighborhood.

Make sure to know the true value of your home, the realtor can assist you in knowing it. In making the price, make it a reasonable one, not too high and not too low. Be alert and attentive. It is best to gain knowledge.

In order to gain the best deal, you need to advertise you home for sale. It is not only by putting for sale sign outside your home is the thing that you should do. You need to do better advertisement to easily sell your home. You can post an ad on few websites online, some can provide it for free and some ask for a little fee.

You can create flyers and post some on notice boards.

In doing all of these, you can effectively sell your home in Miami real estate with great deal.

Eliza Maledevic Ayson

http://www.miami-realestate.net

Curb Appeal - Improve Home Sale Price with Perceived Value

What you see is what you get? Remember those old sing song rhymes we sang as we danced our way to second grade? The fact is, when you sell your home, the appearance offers a perceived value to the buyer and you sell for more cash. With all other factors being alike, if your home is perceived as better cared for the value increases, dramatically. This is good for you, the seller.

Imagine the facade of your home welcoming in the new owner in luxury. A bright door decorated with ornamental brass, leaded glass, sparkling clean, and a potted plant on the stoop would freshen up most entries. The home appears loved and appreciated by the current owners and a new owner perceives the obvious pride of ownership. The increase in value is cash in the bank. The cost, a little elbow grease, some time, and maybe a few dollars.

The house prior to yours had peeling paint, a run down sidewalk with grass and weeds growing in the cracks, but your home has green grass, well trimmed, shimmering windows, and shines like a new penny. Do you suppose the buyer will prefer your home over the previous home? Do you suppose, all things considered equal, they might pay more for your prized home? Do you suppose your home might sell faster than the house next door?

Consider the house needing work is priced at market value. How much more could you ask for your nicer, more cared for home? Perhaps 15 to 20%?

Curb appeal sells more than 49% of all homes. If your home shines, sparkles, and dances in the sunlight, don't you suppose the buyers will take a second look? You can obtain higher purchase price, and offer more value simply by caring for your home, keeping it up, and adding curb appeal prior to the show dates.

Take a moment before the show date and add some flowers to the front yard, trim the grass, edge your lawn and shrubs, wash down the front of the house, and make it shine. Then show it at a higher asking price and see what happens.

Sparkle and shine sell!

Remodeling Versus Selling Your Home, Which is Best?

Should you sell your home, or make do with what you have? Should you consider making a move to a larger place, or contract to have an addition built to your present home? Such decisions are not simple to make, and will require time to consider. Money, time, and the present real estate market will all play roles in whether or not you decide to put your home up for sale, due to age or size. However, one should also note the option of remodeling your present home instead of finding a new one.

Is it better to remodel your present home than try to find a new one? There is no cut and dry answer to that. If it is not imperative to leave your area, but are contemplating a sale to make room for a growing family, perhaps a simple home renovation should be considered as well. Here are just a few reasons why remodeling your current home may be a better investment:

Remodeling may better for your budget. Think about what is involved in selling a home and buying another one. You have to have your home appraised for a good selling price, and maybe you'll hire a Realtor to help with prospective buyers. Meanwhile, you have to look around for a house comparable or cheaper in price than what you are asking. Your house may sell quickly or it may linger, depending on the market. If you are able to sell, though, it may not be as easy to find a house you want. Depending on where you live, a new mortgage may lead you to tighten your belt for a while until you are able to get payments under control.

When you remodel your current home, however, the budget differs and may work to your advantage. Most times, it does not cost as much to renovate a home than buying a new one outright, and most contractors and construction companies offer different ways to finance a home improvement project.

With remodeling, you have control over what you want. So the bathrooms and the kitchen in your present home are outdated. Buying into a new home may give you newer appliances and fixtures, yet you may not immediately find what you want in a new living place. When you consider renovating what you have, however, you are in control of the decor, and not subject to what you are offered elsewhere. Contractors may offer suggestions with regards to fixtures and cabinets, but ultimately when you remodeling you have more freedom in designing the home of your dreams.

Remodeling can improve the value of your home. If you decide not to sell immediately, you can still consider a renovation job and apply that work to a future sale. Updated fixtures, floors, and cabinets are definitely more attractive to a prospective buyer who will not need to hire help to renovate once the papers are signed. Plus, the more improvements are made, the better the asking price.

Whether you decide to sell or renovate, make sure you take all options into consideration. Your home is your place for comfort, and a renovation job can make it more so.

Unemployment - How Will It Affect The Real Estate Market?

It's easy to see how and why unemployment levels have an effect on the housing market and other sectors of the economy. To state the obvious, the people without an income and are not economically independent won't have the money available to buy products and meet monthly bill payments. Those without the available funds are likely to lose their house or not be able to purchase a house in the first place. This adds unoccupied homes to the housing inventory, which will contribute toward a reduction in house prices.

Despite numerous government projects to help stimulate the economy by helping home owners being instigated, a lender is extremely unlikely to negotiate on any loan repayments if the debtor cannot demonstrate how they could afford to pay in the future. This means that foreclosure is extremely likely and a high number of foreclosures are not at all good for the market.

Another, less direct way in which unemployment could have a negative impact on the housing market is through the effect that the unemployed have on the economy. The people without an income have less or no disposable cash to spend, which means that they purchase less from shops and other outlets. This in turn decreases the revenue that's taken by commerce which could result in redundancies or even business closure. This in turn means that there's even less money available on the market for things such as home purchase.

On a more localized level, increased crime rates are witnessed in a certain region having high unemployment levels. Any area with high crime rates is less attractive to prospective buyers and therefore the price of the housing is adjusted downwards to make amends for this lower demand.

Even the people who are employed might not be confident about their future in an economy that is seeing rising unemployment figures. Due to this they might choose to wait until a bad economy stabilizes and improves before making any massive purchases, houses included. Another factor could be that in a negative economy individuals expect house prices to decrease, and thus choose to wait until the market levels out so that they can get the best available price.

Those who do have jobs and a disposable income are more likely to maintain and invest in their houses. Home improvements like re-decorating and building extensions would always have a positive impact on the desirability of a home and nearly always push the price up relative to its location. With fewer individuals making such home improvements, or probably even seeing their houses fall into disrepair because of shortage of funds the overall attractiveness of homes, and therefore the amount that a buyer would be ready to pay for them would drop.

With unemployment levels so closely linked with the housing market, it's usually one thing that is looked at when economists try to forecast housing prospects, and a factor that individuals usually take into consideration before deciding on whether or not to go on with a purchase.

How to Sell Your Home - Tips for Selling Your Home and Profiting

You have decided to sell your home and start a new stage in your life. Now you have to make sure that you will actually profit and not lose money from the real estate sale. This will take some hard work and some time, but with the right guidance and advice, you will get all you want and more.

Evaluating your property is the first thing you have to do before selling. You must have an idea of the market value of your home, given its current condition. In this way, you will be able to decide which repairs will increase its value and which will actually be cost efficient and productive for you as a seller. In general, you are recommended to repair the roofing, flooring, ceilings and walls, if they need this. Kitchen and bathroom repairs, if necessary, will also increase the market value of your home.

Home pricing is perhaps the most important task to do, when selling your home. In general, you are the owner, so you have all the right to set the price yourself, even if you take advice from a professional real estate agent. There are three main factors to base pricing on.

The first factor to take into account is the current market value of the house. Then you have to consider the property listings and sales in your area and in areas that have the same characteristics as yours (similar building and infrastructure, for instance). The third factor is the property market behavior. In a buyer's market, you should sell for a little less than your competitors. In a seller's market, you may want to increase the price by around 10%.

Have your home staged to increase your chances of selling it for a higher price. Home staging is the art of improving the decoration of the interior and exterior so that they appear more appealing to the eye. Hiring a professional stager will cost you some money, but it will help a lot in selling your house. The professional will arrange the furniture and add decorative objects and even small pieces of furniture to make your property more attractive.

Work with an experienced real estate agent. The realtor will help you with the pricing and with getting high offers for your house relatively quickly. They will give you advice on necessary repairs and staging. The real estate agent will help you with all the paperwork and this is yet another advantage.

Use all of these tips to sell your home and profit.

The Value of Home Improvement

The residential property is, for most people in the world, the largest investment that you will ever make. In Australia, 70% of the population will have home ownership, with the other 30% renting (this means that 30% is also investment property). (2008, ABS)

In the US this is much similar with 65% of total housing in owner-occupier with the other 35% in renter/investment property. (1990 USCB, "Emerging Trends in Real Estate", Price Waterhouse Coopers, 2009).

What does this mean to you?

Whether you're an owner occupier or investor what you will find is that of the 65-70% that own residential property, only about 10% know how to increase the value of that property through home improvements.

You'll hear all the time that now is not the time to invest in your property, with property markets in the US only now starting to get back on their feet and with the increase of interest rates going back up.

Banks will tell you now is not the time to borrow money for home improvements.

So how do you improve the value of your home without spending thousands of dollars?

Easy; there are so many improvements you can make to your residential property without having to spend countless amounts of cash investing into your property. What you want is to have the best amount possible of return on your investment in your home.

If you're selling or looking to increase rent on your investment property, listen closely:

1. Landscaping: possibly the quickest way to increase the value of your residential property. Put a small garden in, de-weed and fix the one up that you have, add trees. (Putting new turf in will increase the value of your home; however that can be expensive and does not always give the return that you're looking for.)

Market the landscape similar to the houses around it. When most people buy a house they buy into a lifestyle, so like any good salesman, know your market and target your niche! The look of your house will determine the face value that a valuer or buyer will give it!

Spend $200 dollars buying new plants and trimming up the place. You can usually rent grass trimmers from anywhere of $30-70. Or, even better if you have a friend with one!

Fixing your landscape can easily add anywhere from $1000-3000 on the value of your property.

2. Kitchen: There are so many quick and easy things you can do to fix up your kitchen that can easily add value to your home.
Replacing door handles, doors, lighting, water saving taps, build a small spice rack. All of these things you can do to change the value of your home for only about $100-300.

Try and stay away from changing cupboards and the overall look of your kitchen, however if you do have the money to do it I do suggest it. A good looking kitchen equals some good looking value.

If you can try changing the bench top to something more contemporary, probably cost you $500 or more depending on the material (I recommend granite, it's cheap and looks good.)

The great thing there is you can do all of those things (energy saving items are brilliant!) and can possibly increase the value of your home by an easy $1000 or more.

3. Bathroom: Most people often think that you really need to spend a couple of thousand dollars fixing up your bathroom. Thing is, in a bathroom, generally less is more. By less I mean less clutter and more space. People love a spacious bathroom!

Put water saving items in your showerhead, change the glass in the shower, replace shower handles, add a rack in the shower built in to hold things.
Easy to add a new tap for your sink, change the toilet seat, light fittings and mirror!

Even change the cupboard under the sink if you have to! Might be a bit more expensive but is definitely worth value.

Probably cost anywhere from $200-400 changing these items but well worth it. These small changes can often change the decor of your bathroom which can add big bucks to the value of your residential property, anywhere up to $2000-3000.

I bet your thinking now, these are only small numbers and won't matter much to you as the seller. Want to know why? Because you're not the one buying it!
Market price is indicative of the buyer not the seller! All of these items can easily rack up value upwards of $5000 for your property and you've probably only spent a tenth of that! That's $4500 of profit that you've made from those small things!

So when renovating don't always think big, think small first, because the little things can always add up to make a big difference in selling your property.

ATK.

Why Should Buyers Decorate Homes

Presentation is an important factor that determines the sale value of a commodity. It is always important to wrap your product in the most appealing manner so that it gets sold easily. Nowadays, various home sellers are adopting a similar strategy. With increasing competition in the real estate market, sellers are making smart modifications and minor alterations inside their homes which can bring about a significant increase in the overall market value of the home.

Many of the changes that are made by people in their homes should mainly depend on the needs and comfort level of the residents. Some of the common alterations that are usually made by people include a stylish decoration of the interiors, addition of an extra laundry space besides the master suite, improvement of lighting inside the home by putting chandeliers, usage of properly polished wooden floor, adding up some naturally-colored decorative pieces such as terracotta-style wall hangings, ensuring proper cleanliness of the home, and construction of fireplace that provides a grand look to the home.

Buyers prefer homes that are properly decorated and are more pleasing to the eyes. However, sellers must always be cautious not to provide a flashy decoration to the home. There are certain decorations that are usually not required. These include increased use of glass cabinets in the kitchen or installation of bowl-type above the counter bathroom sinks, both of which have gained a very bad reputation in the U.S. market. However, necessary and reasonable alterations like proper decoration and painting around the window moldings would certainly add to the overall appeal of the home.

Apart from these, buyers must also ensure that the house has provisions for proper illumination and ventilation. A home must never be blocked with unnecessary items or awkward furniture that is clumsily placed around. Buyers usually like to have spacious rooms while they are walking through. Apart from these, a seller must also ensure that all the electrical wires and sockets are properly sealed and functioning well, and that all the taps in the bathrooms and kitchen are not leaking. Making arrangements for placing fresh flowers and potted plants can also have a tremendous impact on improving the overall look of the home when a potential buyer comes to check the house.

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This report is about taking a house and restoring it to an aesthetically pleasing dwelling that has reclaimed it's functional utility. In effect, it is the anti-aging medication for bricks and mortar.

This report assumes that you have already or will soon acquire the proper house. The one that is in essence, ripe for rehab. Be selective and sure of the house's potential to allow for a profit after all the hard work is done. I will help you find your house or houses.

In the proverbial nutshell, it helps if you choose a house from the start that has a sound plumbing, heating and electrical system.

o Plumbing

o Heating

o Electrical

These are things that are expensive to correct in relation to the value they return to you upon resale. Most often, people cannot see the inner workings of these systems and they take them for granted.

Very few buyers are going to give you an extra $15,000-$20,000 in your asking price because you have replaced things that they can't see and already take for granted as just a basic component that is buried in the structure. Also, they assume these components to be warranted against defects by you.

After all, it is mandatory in most, if not all states that you fill out a disclosure form that tells the buyer of every defect that exists or ever has to your knowledge. So inspect the systems of your investment alternatives carefully, as they can be expensive to repair and replace, with minimum dollar return value being realized at the sale.

Along these same lines, you should also pay close attention to the following cash vacuums:

o Roof

o Foundation

o Structural Integrity

Here are a few ways to quickly gage a home from its appearance:

Stand across the street from it. Now look at the bones of the structure. Does it look like a sway-backed horse, with the roof sagging in the middle? Does it have flat areas in its design that don't allow water to be drained away quickly?

Water, dampness and rot are the equivalent of cancer to the human body when it concerns a structure. Shingles can be replaced. That won't necessarily stop me from buying. Usually I will use that old roof as a bargaining chip in negotiating the seller down to a lower price. However, if I crawl into the attic and see that the plywood has become rotted and truss members are also affected, it's time to move on to my next potential deal. Life is too short and I will never rehab it in 10 days if I have to rip the roof off and rebuild it too.

Some other conditions, such as sagging eves, wavy roof surface, rotten fascia and trim pieces, and insect infestations can be deal killers too, if severe.

Solution: Get into the structural members with a long, sharp, sturdy, standard flat-tip screwdriver and attempt to penetrate structural components that are made of wood. You won't hurt anything if there are no underlying deficiencies. However, if someone has freshly painted over or patched it, that screwdriver is one heck of a lie detector! Use it.

Now, I'm not saying people would do that. It may just be the termites have eaten everything but the exterior coating of the wood to conceal their activity whatever the case probe.

There are also tile roofs, metal roofs, cedar shake roofs, hot-rolled roofing, tar and gravel roofs and always a few new high-tech roof coatings. I feel my main concern is whether the decking or the roof support structure has been undermined by water, insects, rodents, poor materials, poor design or craftsmanship, a lack of fasteners, strapping, etc.

Shingles and coatings can be replaced. Just know what is underneath. That's my criteria. Negotiate lower for needed replacement of roof coverings if you can. I dwell on roofs because it protects everything else!

Next on the list of deal killers is the foundation. The same thing applies to the foundation. I will start by standing back from it and looking at it from a distance. Does this place look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are the seams coming apart? Do the windows and doors look square? Are porches, stairs and additions on firm ground as well?

Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints. Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.

Once again, water is a sign of trouble with foundations because it leads to erosion, rot, mold and mildew. It washes out foundation materials and slabs will crack. It rots sill plates and your walls are no longer firmly attached to a base.

If you have a crawl space, it's time to get your coveralls on and get in there. Now, let's use our heads here and I mean this! Before you enter a dark, supposedly uninhabited, infrequently entered, dark and restrictive to movement area, assess the situation. Ask someone who has knowledge of the dwelling if there has been any animal activity that they know of. You may also encounter bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, slugs, mosquitoes, rats, mice and a host of other inhabitants. Beware and be prepared. It's truly another world in some cases.

If you don't want to do it, hire a professional and I do mean a pro, not some Joe who says he is one. For goodness sake, use a licensed professional home inspector to protect yourself in all areas if you're just not sure!

OK, you're a trooper and you're going in. Good for you, Rambo! You'll make it in this business because it takes faith, guts and determination. By getting into this type of situation, you'll learn a lot more about every part of the homes you inspect.

You should have a strong flashlight, your trusty screwdriver, maybe some insect repellent and a safety observer standing at the access entry to give you piece of mind. Now you can go to the perimeter walls and inspect where the walls meet the foundation. Look for rot, misalignment, cracks, separations, water damage or any other condition that doesn't appear normal.

While you're down there, look at the other foundational supports, you will see pier blocks and posts, other concrete support pillars and walls, beams, joists and cross bracing, and the underside of sub-flooring. Check this stuff's condition. Does it look original? Is it structurally sound? Or are there some discrepancies that need further investigation? Take a good look and smell!

Don't leave yet. You also will want to look at all that plumbing and electrical that is there as well. Scan the perimeter. Do you see any sunlight coming in from where it shouldn't be? That might be a hole that needs repair. This is common sense land, not computer a chip lab. You can inspect for general condition. Simply follow everything to its logical end, looking mainly at the condition of the different components.

OK, you've made mental and physical notes. Now dust yourself off and go inside the house if everything has checked out so far. So the roof and foundation have passed your keen eye. Let's look at the rest of the house with respect to its structural integrity. More than half of your structural integrity check at this point is already complete as the roof and foundation are two of the most important components and those have been done. Now you are left with the interior spaces of the structure.

Here's what I do once inside. I stand at the front door with a checklist in hand (www.inspectamerica.com) and I begin to scan the walls, ceiling and floors. I'm looking for water stains on all three surfaces, as well as patches that were used to repair or conceal damage. I go through every room and look for signs of damage or concealment.

Any flat floor is a good candidate for my scientific marble test. I'll drop my marble; if it rolls to a corner, that floor ain't level, Buckwheat. That's a simple test but I do want to know that the under-layer or sub-flooring is sound and firmly attached to all those joists, and beams and trimmers and blah, blah, blah.

Soft spongy floors are of concern, creaky floors are annoying and rotten floors are another story. So once again, I'm looking at the structural support of the floors. I don't care that the cheap, yellowed vinyl is coming up at the seams. I don't care that the carpet is matted down or thread bare, and I don't mind if the finish is worn off of hardwood floors or tiles are loose.

Floor coverings fall under the label of cosmetics. That's such a pretty word and that's what you want to concentrate on: cosmetics...more on that in a moment.

So the floors pass my test for sub-flooring and structural integrity is great. Now I can check that the walls are square because they are attached to that floor, and then I can check that the doors all operate properly and are square too.

How much more can there be than that, Dan? Well, let me tell you a few things that can bite you here. Let's say the structure overall is good. By that, I mean you have a solid roof, a solid foundation and sturdy floors and walls.

What is behind those walls? The things that bite you aren't usually seen until you get bit. One particular painful bite is finding out your wiring is not grounded or that the circuits are not properly protected. You're looking for three-pronged outlets and modern plastic-encased wiring made of copper, not aluminum. You want circuit breakers, not fuses. What you really need here is a licensed electrician to do this more in-depth and professionally licensed review of the system.

I have seen more than one Joe Homeowner rehab go up in flames because of a lack of respect for electricity. Licensed electricians bring you up to code and protect your investment. Find a good one and make it a point to shower him or her with praise, attention and money well spent.

They will give you free estimates, so use them as a preliminary inspector with you. If you decide to buy it, use them to do the work that needs to be done.

Plumbers are a breed apart. You would think they use gold for soldering your pipes with the prices they charge. My grandfather was a plumber and I was on the truck with him at nine years old. A plumber may or may not give you a free estimate. With a little digging, it can be done. Just give them the work if indeed you do buy the house.

With plumbers, the only time you're going to need one is if you are doing major system work or the once every ten year hot water heater job. Also the occasional clogged main sewer line to the street.

In today's P.V.C. plastic plumbing kits world, you can hire just about any good all-around handyman to get the job done. If you have to tear through a wall to get at plumbing, building code inspector-man will say, "Get a licensed plumber."

Heating and cooling: the air conditioning system, if the house you're inspecting doesn't have adequate heating and cooling, that can become expensive. Let's say you have a flat roof home in a hot climate with window unit air-conditioners, and you intend on bringing this house up to what a modern day home dweller expects.

You may have a problem. Where would you put new ductwork if you don't have attic space to house and route central heat and air? Once again, call in a pro if you need some advice. They do give free estimates!

Here's a point for you to follow up on: the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning guys all drive service trucks. Be on the lookout for those trucks if they are your neighbors; go say "Hello" and introduce yourself.

Regardless, I have always done this and what I am saying is this: these guys most always work on the side and that means half price. You may have to pull a permit as a homeowner but the savings is substantial. Develop a network of these blue-collar geniuses. They are the guys who will transform your investment fast!

So now you have a solid house. By that I mean, plumbing, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, roof, foundation and overall good structural integrity.

So what's left to do? Call in your army of carpenter ants, from painters to carpenters and flooring installers, yard maintenance and tree trimmers, and handymen of all sorts.

This is the whirlwind tour. Let the demolition guy in first. Order a dumpster for the next ten days. Order demolition man to throw out everything including the kitchen sink. What I am out to do at this point is to clear the decks.

A blank canvass is created for the painters to perform the transformation. They come in at this point and patch and paint. Let them blast the place with their airless paint-spraying arsenal inside and out. Give them 3 days and you have just added a huge improvement to your investment. This is the biggest dollar-for-dollar return you can make.

One cautionary note here: Make absolutely sure that quality paint is used. When it comes to painting, it's the labor that kills you, not the material. I insist on Sherwin Williams Super Paint. It is a miracle formula that I am convinced could cover up bullet holes without any patching compound and it lasts forever. It's worth every penny; insist on it!

So my idea of finding the ideal fixer upper is to find those where the structure and systems are fine but it still needs demolition man and the paint brigade. Everything up to this point has been inspection and appraisal of the situation. Once I'm satisfied that it is a cosmetic rehab and not the expensive money pit, I send in my cosmetologists.

I wouldn't call these guys that to their face but these are normally men adding residential make-up to the bricks and mortar. Once the painters leave, the flooring guys are right behind them, laying tile and carpet. These guys are out in 2-3 days and my cabinet and handyman plumber are attacking.

Light fixtures, vanities, toilets, sinks, doors, switch plates and outlet covers...wham, ten days are up and this house is either held out for rent, lease-optioned or sold for a whole heck of a lot more than the ten grand I put into it, if that much.

You must be somewhat of an appraiser and deal finder. It takes time to recruit your cosmetologists, but you will run across them in your travels. Friends and family usually can provide you with some serious leads. Start networking and talking to tradesmen. Get their numbers and schedule them to descend upon your ugly duckling at certain times and watch the transformation begin.

It took me years to learn these tricks. I did it all myself for years and it always took three months when I did it myself. The sad part is that I thought I was saving money that way.

Can you see how much I actually lost? Here is a quick example. I bought a house for $55,000. Its deficiencies were purely cosmetic. I used other people to do all the work and I pitched in to keep them organized. Ten days later, it was done. I spent a total of $5,000 on materials and labor and it appraised at $90,000 in 10 days!

That's $30,000 in 10 days, not 3 months. Now marketing time would take 45 days but I know how to do that too, and I will also show you how you can do it too.

There is no doubt about it. This can be done and you can do it. In all honesty, it may take you 30 days to achieve a completed house. That's may be 3 times what it took me but I am experienced.

Here's a pretty neat way I figured out how to find good cosmetologists (tradesmen). If I know relatively no one in the area, I will ask a local appraiser to suggest who he would use if he were me.

This is an intelligent way to ask that question. I ask it in this form: "If you were me, who would you use?" Now that triggers a self-preservation mechanism in their brain and they give me excellent people, who are very good at what they do! Try it; it works.

I went to appraisal school and learned a lot. Believe me, appraisers are underrated and treated poorly. They truly are experts at discerning quality and value. They know whom does quality work. Make friends with a competent appraiser and the lenders that accept their appraisals. Hint: You'll get very fair evaluations and their lender approves them.

Marketing, hunting, finding and capturing the "ripe for rehab houses" is another book entirely. However, don't lose faith because I have written that book for you as well. Here is an excerpt from my other book. It is called Magic Bullets In Real Estate.

There are 4 phases, or lifecycles, to real estate and here is how it often goes. Phase 1 You will see new construction, bright shiny homes popping up, landscaping contests, baby strollers and tricycles in the neighborhood. This is probably going on in the suburbs of the city, as new growth tends to radiate out at a pace of one mile per year from growing and prosperous cities.

Phase 2 The same neighborhood now 10-15 years later has aged a bit and now you see basketball hoops and 2-wheel bikes, as the kids are older and want more mobility.

Phase 3 The kids are grown and gone with families of their own and now the parents are riding their own 3-wheel bicycles, trikes to the hip grannies. Here in Phase 3, you're looking at 25-35 year old homes, where some people are passing away. Others are just hanging in and some are moving in with the kids or going to an A.L.F. (Assisted Living Facility). No doubt, you have outdated homes, deferred maintenance and some repairs to be made. Here is the beauty of this whole thing. These are my cosmetology candidates. Here's why! The formally elder owners lived there and they needed everything to work. They didn't update it. They just fixed things that needed repair in order to maintain a level of comfort. They had pest control and the Sears man come annually and piddled around. So things were kind of looked after in that manner. Buy here!

Phase 4 Revitalization - That's what happens as a result of you buying your ripe-for-rehab fixer-upper in Phase 3 neighborhoods. Odds are, you will rent it out, lease-option it or sell it to a young family when it does sell, and guess what? Yep, out come the tricycles and baby strollers and it starts all over again.

Tricycles

Bicycles

3-wheel bikes (buy here!)

Revitalization

Determine what cycle different neighborhoods are in! Follow cycle #3.

Isn't that a beautiful story; isn't that the truth? Think about your own parents and your own childhood. Now I also want you to think about that brand new young family that is counting on you to treat them fairly and give them a trouble-free home when they buy or rent from you.

The harder and smarter you work, the better quality and value you can provide to others. Don't rip them off. Don't take advantage, don't scrimp and for Pete's sake, do your best to do your level best. You need education and help from others to achieve these heights of excellence.