Collierville, TN

Ways to Make Your House Smell Good

If you want a house to smell clean, you clean it. But what can you do to add a special touch that makes your house smell one step beyond clean? Use some common "scents," a little knowhow and a lot of creativity to make your house smell fantastic.

Use Your Good Scents

Many homeowners choose to use scented candles in their home. As the candle burns, the oils melt and create a wonderful smell throughout the entire room. Not only do these smell great, but certain scents can also be relaxing. Lavender, for instance, is commonly used in aromatherapy and is believed to be a calming scent. Vanilla, strawberry, cinnamon and even chocolate are also popular among homeowners who want to add a special touch to their home.

Good Enough to Eat

If you really want to make your home smell terrific, add a bowl of fresh fruit to the dining room table. Oranges, tangerines and apples will provide a colorful centerpiece and a scent that's simply yummy.

If you like to bake, there's nothing better than the smell of freshly baked cookies fresh out of the oven. Of course, if you don't feel up to baking every day, you can always use a chocolate scented candle instead.

Make Your Home Blossom

If you really want to add a terrific aroma to your home, place a vase of fresh cut flowers in your living/family room. A perfectly designed arrangement will act as a wonderful centerpiece, but will also fill the room with a wonderful smell. Roses are terrific for adding an unmistakable scent to any room, but many other flowers will prove to be just as nice.

Everyone "Nose" Potpourri

A potpourri mixture, which contains dried petals and spices, is typically placed in a bowl and used to add a wonderful scent to any room. A variety of mixtures are commonly found in any retailer's craft section or anywhere that scented candles are sold. Potpourri is low maintenance in that it requires nothing more than being placed in a bowl and situated in the room of your choice.

Freshening Up the Air

These days, air fresheners are everywhere. Why? Quite simply, because they work. Individuals who suffer from allergies may have a difficult time with some scents and/or brands of air fresheners, so be sure to keep this in mind when shopping. Air fresheners are available in a wide variety of scents and are generally inexpensive, which makes them a nice choice for many homeowners.

The Process of Selling Your Home

Once you've made the decision to sell your home, it's time to think about what comes next. Throughout the process, you may find it beneficial to have a checklist to help guide you in some very important choices that you will be making in the coming months.

Interview Several REALTORS®

A REALTOR® is a person who you will enlist to help with the selling of your home. Just like no two homes are alike, no two owners are alike and each has different needs when it comes to real estate. The REALTOR® that you ultimately choose will have access to your home at any time and will be responsible for marketing it to potential buyers. As such, you should choose someone that you feel comfortable with and will do the best job for you. The only way to know which REALTOR® this will be is to speak with more than one, ask plenty of questions and get a feel for how they do business.

Decide How Quickly You Want to SellBelieve it or not, your schedule could greatly impact the listing price. If you are in a hurry to sell, you may find that a competitive asking price will help you to get the cash you need much quicker. A price that reflects the higher end of a buyer's budget may take some time to sell, so consider these factors when pricing your home.

Make Time for UpdatesYour REALTOR® will offer advice as to what needs updated, repaired or changed in order to maximize the potential of your home. When a buyer looks at a house, they are looking at the cost, needed repairs or upgrades, decor, etc. Once your REALTOR® does a walkthrough and explains what, if anything, needs updated, you will commit to an asking price and sign the listing agreement.

Field Offers

As a seller, you are probably already aware that potential buyers will make an offer that could be less than your actual asking price. Most REALTORS® will tell you that if you ask for 'X' amount of dollars, buyers will probably offer you 'X' amount instead. That's the name of the game, and you will need to decide whether or not your asking price is firm or negotiable. If an offer comes your way, you will always have the option of making a counteroffer or simply rejecting the deal altogether.

As a final thought to the negotiation process, keep in mind that buyers typically offer less than they are actually willing to pay initially. Most offers are time sensitive, which means you may have to make some quick decisions. Of course, your REALTOR® will be there to guide you through every step of the process and will likely offer an opinion as to whether or not an offer is fair in the current market.

Close the Deal

When the price is right and you agree to the terms, it's time to say goodbye to your former home and hello to a brand new life. Letting go is not always easy, but moving forward is a part of life. If you still live in the home, most contracts will require that you move within 30 days. If you no longer live in the home, most buyers will want to move in immediately.

I'm in Your Neighborhood

Great article orgninally published in the Commercial Appeal.

There are a number of key points to consider when selling property, but perhaps the most important is price.

In determining the list price, you should consider the current market condition (buyers market, sellers market or stable market) and a potential buyer's frame of mind. A buyer will determine which properties to view based on a list of properties that meet his criteria, including price. The list of properties can be compiled by a REALTOR® using MAAR's Multiple Listing Service and a knowledge of the market, or by the buyer searching Internet sites.

Consider the following pricing factors: If you set the price too high, your property might not be picked for viewing, even though it may be much nicer than others. As a seller, you may have told your REALTOR® to "Bring me any offer. Frankly, I'd take less." But your flexibility on price might not show up in a quick search for available properties. Your property could look too expensive to be considered. If you set the price too low, you may short-change yourself. Your property could sell quickly, yes, but most likely a buyer would have paid more given reasonable marketing time and a proper price.

No matter how attractive a property, buyers will compare its price with everything else on the market. Your best guide is a record of what the buying public has been willing to pay in the past few months for a property similar to yours in your area.

Your REALTOR® can furnish comparable sales data ("comps") and analyze the information to determine a suggested listing price. The decision about how much to ask, though, is always yours.

The "comps" prepared by your REALTOR®, along with data about similar properties in your area, are used for a "Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)." To help estimate a possible sale price for your property, the analysis will also include data on nearby properties currently for sale and properties that failed to sell in the past few months, along with their list prices.

Typically, a CMA is probably enough to guide you in setting a proper price. However, a formal written appraisal (which may cost a few hundred dollars) can be useful if you have a unique property, if there hasn't been much activity in your area recently, or if co-owners disagree about price and any other circumstances that make it difficult to put a value on your property.

Selling property is a complicated proposition. You need a professional - someone to answer your questions and guide you through the process. Someone who adheres to a strict code of ethics. So, make sure you're working with a REALTOR®.

I'm in Your Neighborhood

A patio offers a relaxing way to enjoy the outdoors while still getting a sense of home. Believe it or not, the decor that you choose for the patio is just as important as that which you choose for the interior of your home. Granted, you will be spending more time indoors than out, but you cannot make a cake without decorating it with icing. Think of your patio as the icing on the cake and, as such, you have to put a lot of thought into the finishing touches.

Have a Seat

When most people are on the patio, they enjoy sitting, having a sip of their favorite drink, relaxing and enjoying the view. Therefore, comfortable seating is a must. Whether it's just you or you are entertaining a small gathering of family and friends for lunch, it's important that you have the right type of seating.

While some patio furniture is designed of sturdy plastic, the more decorative approach is to feature that with wicker, authentic wood or even iron detailing. Of course, if you have a style that will also accommodate cushions, add them for a little extra comfort.

Create a Patio Garden

Creating a miniature garden on your patio is fun and easy. You can purchase potted plants or, if you're up to the task of planting, you can purchase the seeds yourself. A traditional patio garden features plenty of color, which means your choice of flowers is essential. Guests will see these every time they visit your home, so make sure that the combination and selection that you choose are complimentary to your home and patio style.

Attract Birds & Butterflies

Did you know that your choice of plants and decor can greatly improve your ability to attract wildlife? Everyone loves to see birds and butterflies, but not everyone knows how to make their home an inviting place for our fluttering friends. One way of doing this is by choosing the types of flowers that they love, which you can learn all about from your local gardening center or nursery. Bird feeders, water features and plenty of color are often all that's needed to invite some of nature's most beautiful creatures onto your patio.

Create a Fantastic Fountain

If you really want to make your patio perfect, consider adding a water feature. One of the most popular ways of doing this is with a portable water fountain, which can be found at many retailers and/or home improvement stores. These affordable decorations are designed to pump water in a way that not only offers a pleasing trickling sound, but also to create the illusion of a genuine fountain.

When you first move into your new home it is a good idea to take care of a few small things that can make a big difference when it counts.

1. Change the locks on all your exterior doors. Unless your house is brand new you never know how many strangers may have a key to your front door.

2. Replace the batteries in all the smoke detectors in the house. Record the date in your calendar so you will remember to do the same thing next year!

3. Unless your heating/air units are new, have the vents and filters cleaned or replaced.

4. Create a fire-hazard plan with your family and conduct a practice drill with the children.

5. Replace or clean the exhaust hood filter above the range.

6. Check all your electric outlets for loose-fitting plugs, as these can pose a fire hazard. These outlets are inexpensive and fairly easy to replace.

7. Have the fireplace chimney cleaned. While you are at it go ahead and install a rain cap and a screen to keep the birds out of your chimney.