10 Tips To Help You Sell YOUR Home

In many parts of the country, today’s real estate market is hotter than a Fourth of July firecracker…even in the dead of winter. If you’re looking to sell a home, this is fantastic news, but there’s just one teeny little problem…When you’ve got buyers literally lining up outside the door, the time to make the house look its best is a week ago yesterday. Never fear, we’ve rounded up a few can’t-fail tips to help even the biggest procrastinators make sure their houses are ready for prime time.

1) Banish the ClutterAs any high quality Realtor will tell you, the number one thing you need to do when staging your home is to get rid of all the junk that’s piled up over the years. While photos, kids’ drawings, souvenirs and whatnot may well be treasures, it’s best not to run the risk that potential buyers may see them as, well, trash. Box up as much of personal stuff as you can and put it in storage…or the garage, if you must. Just make sure it’s out of sight, out of mind when buyers come to call.

2) Wash those WindowsAs nothing can drag down a home’s curb appeal faster than dirty windows, now isn’t the time to ignore that unpleasant chore. Instead, speed things up by whipping up a batch of this “magic solution” that’s been making the rounds on Pinterest lately – 1/2 gallon of warm water, 2-3 tablespoons liquid laundry detergent or dish soap and 1 tablespoon liquid ‘Jet Dry’. Simply hose down your windows, wipe them down with this stuff, then hose them off again. Voila! All shiny and sparkly.

3) Scour that Shower
Yes, home shoppers will ask to visit bathrooms, not necessarily to make use of it, but definitely to check out what kind of shape it’s in. If the shower’s glass door is looking a bit dingy, no need to replace it. Instead, bring it back to life by mixing 1 part citric acid (you can often find this with pool cleaning products) with 10 parts water and using this solution to give your shower door a good scrub-down with a fine steel wool pad.

4) Mold-Be-GoneMoldy grout is the plague of every tiled surface…floors, walls, counter tops. Say goodbye to the grossness with GREENCO2-CIDE that kills the bacteria that causes the mold.

5) The Nose KnowsMaking your house smell nice by putting a pie in the oven or fresh flowers on the table is all well and good, but these pleasant odors can’t mask any underlying unpleasantness any more than a spritz of perfume will hide the fact that you haven’t showered in a while. Neutralize a nasty-smelling carpet with GREENCO2 deodorizer, use baking soda to scrub out the fridge, oven, stove tops, etc. Deodorize your disposal by running a few citrus peels through for a fresh lemony (or orange-y, limey, tangerine-y) scent. Air Ducts getting cleaned can also improve the in-door air quality and be a great benefit to the buyer.

6) A Nutty TrickScratched and scuffed hardwood floors? No time or money to refinish? No problem – just hit the grocery store for a bag of walnuts. Seriously, walnuts. Just cut one of these nuts in half and rub the cut surface over the scratched wood. The walnut oil actually helps to fill in the scratch, just like a big boo-boo eraser.

7) Clean Toilet with…Tang???Ok, so this one’s even weirder than walnuts, but I have it on good authority (Woman’s Day magazine) that it actually works. Tang, that powdered orange drink better known as the “breakfast of astronauts”, not only stands up to the rigors of space travel, but also makes a pretty good toilet cleaner. Just drop a teaspoon of the stuff into your bowl, give it a few scrubs with the brush, and all those nasty stains just “blast off!” (Sorry.)

8) Carpet CareMost home buyers prefer the look of carpet over area rugs, since carpet is seen as making a home look warmer, more inviting, and more spacious. Carpet also reduces noise levels and can even improve indoor air quality…at least, if it’s clean. GREENCO2 can improve the appearance of soiled and spots caused from spills.

9) Light SwitchesMake sure to clean the light switch plate as its seen by almost everyone who enters the room. Use a natural surface cleaner to remove soil and oils from hands.

10) Outside EntrancesRemove debris and clutter from around entrances to the house to give the appearance of cleanliness.
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No matter how short the time frame you have to work with, these steps will help ensure that the home is fresh, clean and clutter-free. The house it will still be able to speak for itself and say “All right, home buyers, I’m ready for my close-up.