Tips for showcasing your home for sale

Copied from Florida Realtor Magazine, May 2007 page 37 Tips for Showcasing Rooms General -Clean the house. For buyers, dirt is the biggest turnoff. -Remove the clutter to open up the rooms. -Use paint to transform the walls; neutral shades are better than bright colors. -Depersonalize the home by removing family pictures, children’s drawings and owners’ collections. -Use the garage or carport for storing boxes, or rent a storage locker on a short-term basis. Exterior -Tidy the landscaping, removing dead leaves, branches and plants and pruning back overgrown shrubbery. -Plant colorful annuals in containers near the front entrance. -Update the front yard and porch lights. Living areas -Entryways should be as open and inviting as possible. -Remove extra rugs and extra items from an entry table if there is one. -Move personal effects to an inconspicuous location. -Remove heavy window treatments to make the rooms look brighter and more airy. -Take extra leaves out of the dining table to make the room seem larger. -Remove tablecloths and polish the tabletop. -Set the table with two place settings of good china. -Leave a few pieces of art on the walls at eye level. Kitchen -Put the toaster oven, microwave or coffeemaker in the pantry to clear the countertops. -Clear the clutter from the pantry. Make it look as large as possible by clearing out nonfood items and grouping similar items. -Take down all personal photos, reminders and kids’ artwork from the refrigerator. -Clean the front of all cabinets. For wood, use lemon oil. -When the counters are clear, make them shine. Bedrooms -Remove excess furniture to add “space” to the room. -Put a new comforter on the bed. -Display pillows on the bed in soothing colors. Bathrooms -Remove as many personal items from view as possible. -If necessary, buy a set of coordinating towels for display. -If the bathroom color scheme is bright, use neutral towels to tone it down. -Cleanliness is crucial—shower doors, faucets and knobs should shine. -Keep the toilet lid down and hide the wastebasket. -Remove extra area rugs to make the space look larger and cleaner. Patios ana porches -Repair any damaged flooring and pressure wash the entire patio. -Add a seating area, if necessary, to indicate an attractive outdoor lifestyle. -If the view is less than desirable, add potted palms and/or hanging plants to provide a natural “curtain.” For additional information about Ormond By The Sea Real Estate contact Ocean View Realty Group 1350 Ocean Shore Blvd. Suite A Ormond Beach, FL 32176 http://www.ovrealty.com/ Toll Free USA & Canada 1-800-356-3409 Local phone 386-441-8245 Fax 386-441-2407 For buying or selling contact Marion O’Connor at ovforsale@aol.com For Rental information contact Deanna Thomas at ovrentals@aol.com Vacation rental information is available at http://www.ormondbeachcondorentals.com/