Some things you can control....

Everyone is concerned about the value of their home; but with the current economic situation, what can you really do about it? The answer is plenty.

There are many low-cost maintenance items that you may overlook or put off that will add real value when you do decide to sell. The added bonus is more enjoyment out of your home when it looks and functions better.

I am going to help you make a "punch-list" of things to be done along with Spring cleaning. So get your pad and pencil and take a walk through your home,

Start in any room you wish:

Switch plates. Are they cracked, missing screws, dirty, covered with many layers of paint or old wallpaper? They can be very inexpensive to replace and can give the entire room a facelift.

Doorknobs and locks. Do they function smoothly or do they wobble, stick and look like they belong on a haunted house? Another inexpensive fix, especially if all they need is a bit of graphite (available at any hardware store), some tightening with a screw driver and a good cleaning.

Sliding doors on closets, patios and any other area. Do they stick; are they off the track?  Do you have to fight with them every time you open them? Isn't it about time they were repaired or replaced?  If we are talking patio doors, the time may be right to replace them with the new energy saving models. You will lower your utility bills dramatically - and right now both material and installation costs are way down. While I'm on the subject, take a good look at the windows.  Is it time to repair or even replace them? This is one of the best investments you can make for your home. You will benefit from lowered energy bills while you live there, and it is a big advantage over the competition when you sell your home.

In that same line of thinking, assess your exterior doors. If you are going to replace the doorknobs, you should at least paint the door; and if you are going to put that much into them, perhaps it is time to get new doors and/or storm doors as well. What is the first thing people see when they come into your home?

Now let's take a look at the kitchen and bathrooms. Is it time to replace the caulk? There are two things to consider here, the caulk itself and the water damage that may be happening if the water from your shower is getting behind the tub enclosure and damaging the wallboard. Caulk is cheap (ha, ha), replacing the bathroom wall is not. And let's not give mold a foothold anywhere in your home.

How does the hardware on the sink and tub look? Could it use a good scrubbing? Is there residue at the base of the faucets? There is a great product called CLR that will take soap scum, rust and calcium buildup off your fixtures almost instantly.

Next on the list: de-clutter. I can't say enough about this - if you can do this just once a year you will add $$ value to your home and comfort and convenience to your life.  I have shown homes that were stunningly decorated with a budget of thousands of dollars per room.  I would have liked to tell the owner, "Remove 75% of the décor in this and every other room!" Please consider packing away some of the treasures that you have on display in your home and rotating them seasonally.  This will give your home a fresh yet uncluttered look and will simplify your housekeeping.  Not only that, if you are planning on making a move in the future, you will be partially packed!

Last but not least, the exterior.  Don't let the paint or stain deteriorate and keep the roof and gutters in good repair.  If your home is sided, replace missing corner pieces or damaged panels immediately while you can still match the color. If the home is sided with aluminum, consider getting it painted.  Do these things now so that you will be able to enjoy them, not two weeks before you are considering putting your home on the market, when you have a million other things to take care of. Another do-it-now - the deck. According to the Cost vs. Value report, putting on a new wood deck will net you one of the best returns for your dollar of any addition you can make to your home.

And don't forget the landscaping. If you have bushes, trees and ground cover that are closer than 18 inches to your foundation, remove them now. If you are noticing dampness and seepage in your basement this is one of the leading causes. Re-grade around your foundation and replant with a better landscape design. Many garden retailers will do a free landscape design plan for you.

All of these things will add thousands of dollars to the value of your home - or take it away if they are not maintained properly. Buyers will overlook dated décor if the home shows pride of ownership in its care and maintenance. Clean and in good repair will win over new carpet and a quick fix paint job every time.

If you have any questions regarding the value of your home on today's market, don't hesitate to call me. I will be happy to give you a full market analysis absolutely free, even if you aren't planning on selling in the near future.

I have been serving west suburuban Cuyahoga and northeastern Lorain counties since 1976. I keep my clients up-to-date on trends in the market so they can make informed decisions on the most important purchase or sale of their lifetime. I had the honor of being named Realtor of the Year of 2008 of the Cleveland Area Board of Realtors. Please visit my website at CarolWoodard.com.

I have a little "personal real estate" story that I would like to share with you.

As my friends can tell you, with the exception of my 401k, I just do not invest in anything but real estate properties. I have a limited knowledge of the stock market, and frankly it scares me. However, even real estate is not always the gold mine you hoped it would be. I own a little bit of "heaven" in West Virginia. And I don't think any single investment has ever given me so many really good laughs and so much angst.

Early in the 1990s, an opportunity presented itself to purchase a bit of acreage and a cabin on a mountain in West Virginia at a greatly discounted price (even for West Virginia), and for about seven years we enjoyed the pristine wilderness and wonderful hospitality that only the south can offer.

Unfortunately, some damn Yankees came upon the scene and all 12 of the families that shared our mountain-top hideaway became embroiled in a court battle over right of way to the cabins that lasted another seven years. The lawsuit is now settled, we again have access to our cabin, and this weekend my husband Bud and I attempted to wrest ownership control of our property from Mother Nature.

Now let me tell you, when you do not have access to a cabin in the wilderness for that period of time it is not like locking the door and taking a vacation. "Things" begin to take residence in your property.

It is a mystery to me how Batman ever took up residence in the Batcave. With regards to our cabin, I can't figure out if the bats and the mice had a working agreement, or if the bats were raising the mice for food. Either way there was an abundance of both. And I can tell you they are really messy housekeepers.

Southern hospitality is not myth. When the other families that we share Klondike Ridge with found out we were there to try to reclaim our cabin they all stopped by to lend a hand. I will always be grateful for their friendship and hospitality. We had to trash every piece of upholstered furniture in the cabin, including our box spring and mattress, and pull up carpeting as well. Many willing hands were there to help. But there were a few Kodak moments in the process.

My friend Karen and I were literally shoveling bat guano out of the cabin, while Bud and Karen's husband took the couch, chairs and carpeting to the dump. As we cleaned and washed everything down with Clorox we kept finding evidence of both mice and bats. (They just don't care where they poop.) We had cleaned out several abandoned mouse nests and Karen remarked, "We had better check all of the drawers, because I keep finding these nests everywhere".

She pulled out a dresser drawer that we used to store towels and some kitchen items and found a huge nest in the corner. "Wow, Karen, that is the biggest nest we have found," I remarked. And as I reached for the nest, it moved. Well I am not afraid of mice, or many other critters for that matter, so I started to take the top off the nest - two, and then three mice ran out of the drawer. I told Karen, "Grab the other end of the drawer, we're going to dump it outside." Now Karen is a real friend, she never questions me, she just grabbed the end of the drawer and we headed for the door.

As I am walking backwards toward the door, roughly 15 steps from the dresser, there is suddenly lots of activity in this drawer. But I am also looking over my shoulder so I don't fall flat on my butt carrying what is now a drawer full of mice. I hear Karen say, "Carol, hurry..." I look back at Karen and I see her eyes like saucers and real fear in her face. You know, I think those darn mice sense fear. There is now a gang of five little grey mice heading for Karen's end of the drawer. And from the look of them, they really are intent on scaring her to death. The whole thing hits me as hysterically funny. They are not at my end of the drawer, and I get a real case of the giggles. When we get the drawer outside and set it down the first five mice scatter, and then another six appear from the nest. I am still in hysterics and poor Karen is wishing she had never met me. I will give her a lot of credit.  She stayed there and helped me clean up that cabin the rest of the afternoon.  Southern women speak softly but they have lots of grit. (No pun intended). 

As the day wound down, Bud, my long suffering spouse, and I were cleaning up the last of the debris when we had one more visitor. As I mentioned earlier, all of our human neighbors had stopped by to lend a hand. I was just bagging up the last of the crud and preparing to leave when Count Dracula himself came gliding right through the door. This was the biggest bat I have ever seen. This thing made two passes at me - and that was all I was willing to put up with. I was so mad I started to yell at the bat. "Out...Go on...Get out!" The bat kept swooping over my head and I just kept yelling at it.

Bud just left the cabin, he told me he figured it was safer outside than anywhere near me.  (Was that because of me or the bat?)

I stomped downstairs to get my broom so I could send "The Count" back to his castle, but when I came back he was gone. And...ok, I don't have a rational explanation for that, but sometimes you just go with...whatever works.

The moral here, because it is a real estate story: No matter how much you know about any investment you make... be prepared. Because there are no guarantees in real estate, or in life.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention this all happened on HALLOWEEN!?

On Wednesday, I was installed as a Director of the Cleveland Area Board of Realtors. I expected that.

I was totally surprised and humbled (and speechless) when I was honored as 2008 Realtor of the Year. The award is given in recognition of outstanding service and contributions to the Board, the state association and the community. And in recognition of high ethical standards and business practices.

I would like to thank the Board and the Realtor members for this honor. I will try to continue to live up to the standards of this award as a Director of the Board and as a member of the community.