Make your house more saleable

Sun., Aug. 27, 2006

Don Walker The Spokane Association of REALTORS®

If you’re going to sell your house, there are a lot of ways to make your home more saleable. Number one on the “get ready to sell” chart is to get rid of clutter. Throw out any stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items and make your home look larger than it is. And, here is the biggie – clean out the garage!

Here’s why. You are setting your home for sale. That means a “best foot forward” approach. Go with the flow and pack away most of your clothing to make to make the closets appear larger. Now, you are getting the picture. You want your home to look as good as it can be for a prospective buyer.

Keep everything extra clean. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows and let the fresh air in.

Why? A clean home makes a better first impression and demonstrates to buyers that the home has been well cared for. Cleanliness is a feature that can usually affect and convince the prospect that “this is the one!”

If you are going to buy a home, it is best to check your credit and the many financial plans offered by lenders. The loan rates are still great at around 6 percent interest. This is the time, if you can, to buy a home that appeals to you.

Location is most important. There are a lot of factors in play. For instance, if you have children there needs to be a school in the picture for them, etc. Other factors may also require features in the home you decide to buy.

A good floor plan can produce good things. Everything in the kitchen has a purpose. That’s important because the most used room in homes overall is the kitchen. For the potential buyer, one can usually tell how up-to-date a home is by the condition of the kitchen.

It is very wise to look at a number of homes in your price and desire bracket in order to get a handle on the value of the homes by looking at them. A REALTOR® can provide data on prices in the neighborhood that are comfortable in your price bracket.

Floor plans can make the difference in the home you will probably select. A skilled designer can plan the flow of traffic in the dwelling. That can make a difference.

In some homes for sale each room seems to have personality and offer the prospect of living in bliss. That just means that particular home is one to note on your “final list” of possible purchases.

A home should be a “fit” for the people living in it. It just works better that way.

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