The way you live in a home and the way you sell it are two different things, says home-staging guru Barb Schwarz in her book "Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money." Here are some home-staging tips to share with clients who are readying their homes for sale:

Staging is not decorating. Decorating is personalizing a space, where staging is "depersonalizing" it. Staging is not about displaying a favorite color rug or ruffles someone loves. It's about selling the house. Remember, if your clients are showing a messy house, they're throwing away money.

If you can smell it, you can't sell it. Make sure your clients do a sniff test and understand that odors they might be used to have to be eliminated. It's a sensitive subject, so handle it with tact.

Clutter equates to stress. One of the biggest challenges to home staging is clutter. Remember, it's just as important for your clients to get rid of excess "stuff" as it is to clean their house. Tell your clients that clutter interferes with potential homebuyers' ability to mentally move into the house. They can't imagine their own furniture in a room if it's cluttered.

Consider painting the interior of the house. Your clients might like the navy blue walls and wacky flower-print wallpaper, but homebuyers want the house to have a cohesive, simple color scheme. Drastic color changes from room to room can actually startle potential homebuyers.

 

Use a yard sale to reduce the clutter in your home and get rid of items you don't want to move.

1. Check with your city government to see if you need a permit or license.

 

2. See if neighbors want to participate and have a "block" sale to attract more visitors.

 

3. Advertise. Put an ad in free classified papers, put up signs and balloons at major intersections and in stores near your home.

 

4. Price items ahead and attach prices with removable stickers. Remember, yard sales are supposed to be bargains, so don't try to sell anything of significant value this way.

 

5. Check items before the sale to be sure you haven't including something you want by mistake.

 

6. Keep pets away from the sale.

 

7. Display everything neatly and individually so customers don't have to dig through boxes.

 

8. Have an electrical outlet so buyers can test appliances.

 

9. Have plenty of bags and newspaper for wrapping fragile items.

 

10. Get enough change, and keep a close eye on your cash.

Ten Ways to Make Your House More Salable

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

 

2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

 

3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

 

4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

 

5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

 

6. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well maintained.

 

7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

 

8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

 

9. Clean your gutters.

 

10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

www.

You have to do this...absolutely hilarious!  

1. Go to http://www.google.com/

2. Click on "maps"

3. Click on "get directions"

4. Type "New York, NY" in the first box (the "from" box)

5. Type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)

6. Click "get directions"

7. Scroll down to step #23

 

 

*What was this person thinking???  Great sense of humor!*

We  have all been touched by   cancer , somewhere  in our lives, please read below and keep it  going.  

I have been asked to keep this going and hope you will keep it  moving too.
 
The New M&M colors

Pass this on to all of your friends. There are many women out there who have breast cancer .  Lets do all we can to support this cause.  

New Pink & White M&M's

The maker of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new  " pink & white "  M&M candies.

For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M (Masterfoods) will donate 50 cents to the foundation. Th e next time you want a treat, please pick up a bag (now sold in stores nationwide) - you will be donating to a great cause and satisfying your sweet tooth.   Just  think...If each of us buy one bag or two.... how much will  be donated. Buy a bag for a friend...... .....   

  

How smart is Your Right Foot ? ?

Just try this. It is from an orthopedic surgeon............

This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to
see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't. It's preprogrammed in your
brain!

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and
while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift
your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air (or on paper) with
you right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so!!!

And there's nothing you can do about it!

You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are
going to try it again, if you've not already done so ! ! !

Spring into cleaning - Use a little elbow grease to

make your floors, windows, appliances and light

fixtures sparkle. Potential buyers feel more comfortable

when viewing a clean house.

Minimize clutter - "Less is more" when it comes

to staging your home for sale. Put anything in storage

that takes away from a room's overall impact.

Organize closets - A well-organized closet will appear

roomier, which is what buyers want. There are

a number of affordable closet shelving and storage

systems that you can install yourself.

Paint works wonders - Fresh paint can be the

least expensive way to transform a room. Neutral

colors work best because a buyer can move in

now and choose their custom colors later.

Make a great first impression - Pretend that

you're entering your home for the first time. If there

are cobwebs or peeling paint on your front door,

that first impression will be negative. Make needed

repairs and replace an overly-worn welcome mat

with a new one.

Add color with containers - Add container plantings

to your front entrance for a welcoming focal

point. The following plants are perfect for spring:

ivy, sweet alyssum, geranium, snapdragon, salvia,

liriope, and dianthus.

Fresh cut flowers - Fresh flowers bring the outdoors

inside, adding color and aroma. If your home

is painted in neutral tones, choose brightly colored

flowers. If your home is already full of color, opt for

lighter hues, such as white or yellow.

Spring touches - Lighten up your decorating

with throws and toss pillows that say "Spring".

Pack away those heavier quilts and winter accent

pieces.

Hot color trends - This Spring, soothing mint and

bright foliage are two striking variations of this

season's signature color: green. Other tones also

incorporate a hint of green, including light, airy

blues and deeper gray teals. Honey-hued yellows

and subtle shaded purples, along with bright white

round out the season's palette.

Try this from Xerox.

If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You cannot pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services.  How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!  This is a great site.  Please send a card and send this e-mail to everyone you know.  It is FREE and it only takes a second.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers  received a bunch of these?  Whether you are for or against the war, our men and women over there need to know we are behind them!

I advise you and your clients to go online to: www.optoutprescreen.com and do the electronic opt out for 5 years. This will keep the bureau's from selling your name, phone number, and address information as a "trigger lead"  and it will stop the junk credit card offers you get in the mail which in turn should increase your credit scores by 5-20 points!

"Trigger leads", also referred to as "pre-screened leads", are generated after you have given a loan provider permission to pull your credit. For instance, you apply for a personal loan....once the loan provider pulls credit, it signals to the credit bureau that you are in the market for a new loan. This "triggers" the credit bureau or credit reseller to capture the consumer(your) personal identifying information and then sell it as a lead to another loan company. This is legal, however, in every case, the trigger lead contact is unsolicited and unauthorized by the consumer(you). Take control of your information and stop the junk mail.

I received this as an email from a friend.  I was shocked.  WOW!  

Thought some of you would like to know what happens (or I should say doesn't happen) to your car.   

Take note to the part where the manager was on the phone to his district manager and he made the comment, we were caught on film.

What a bunch of lying, thieving, cheating, Jiffy Lube? 

Check out this link. View the VIDEO.     

http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0503/9152183.200k.asx