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Dave Macklin

Selling Virginia Beach Homes For Top Dollar

03-13-08
Dave Macklin

Tips to ensure your Virginia Beach home sells for top dollar

virginia beach real estate - stinkThe average market time for Virginia Beach homes is 78 days. If a home has been on the market for awhile and hasn't sold, the first thing many agents think is, the home is over priced, but this is not always the case. In today's competitive buyers market, condition may be the problem. Buyers are not as willing to accept a home that is not in tip-top condition, as they were a few years ago. The reason a home does not show well may have nothing to do with its appearance, but rather the impact it has upon a buyer's sense of smell.

Below are tips to ensure your Virginia Beach home sells for top dollar by passing the "odor test":

  • Try sprinkling a bit of baby powder on the pillow covers before putting the case back on.
  • For persistent smells, try lemon oil or spray on the carpet, curtains, sofas, and even mattresses.
  • Use a waterlogged sponge for bad kitchen odors such as those created from fried foods. On a plate, place a big sponge (natural or loofah) in very hot water. The vapor will replace the molecules responsible for the annoyance. Repeat as necessary.
  • Place a few cubes of charcoal in a container and put the container in the closet. It removes that damp, musty smell. Blackboard chalk will work, too.
  • Before throwing away orange or lemon rinds, toss them into a pot of simmering water on the stove to make the kitchen smell inviting and lift the cook's spirits. Combining them with cloves or cinnamon sticks is also very pleasing.
  • Use all of those candle stubs after burning the bulk of the candle. Melt the stub in an old pan over water (like a double broiler). Pour the melted wax over pinecones and use as fragrant fire starters.
  • To remove cigarette odors, put a saucer of white vinegar in the room. When the vinegar evaporates, the smell will be gone.
  • Sprinkle a few lavender bath beads into water waste receptacles in the bathroom and kitchen. The scent is more subtle than that of "air fresheners", but still quite pleasant.
  • Put a dab of vanilla on the tops of your light bulbs. Your home will smell delightful without agitating allergies with potpourri.
  • Rose water, when put in a steam iron, gives your linens a fantastic, fresh scent - just like they hung outside next to a rose bush.

Interested in the current market value of your Virginia Beach home? Visit HRPropertyValue.com. Your home valuation will be emailed to you. Also stop by, AllVirginiaBeachRealEstate.com for Virginia Beach VA real estate information and homes for sale.

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Virginia Beach Real Estate Radio Show

03-11-08
Dave Macklin
podcast

This month's edition of the Virginia Beach Real Estate Radio Show covers Virginia Beach VA real estate market activity. We'll talk about how low interest rates and higher housing inventories make today one of the best times in recent memory to invest in real estate.

Our special guest speaker is Terri Murphy of US Learning.


download podcast mp3 file | subscribe to podcast feed

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Virginia Beach Tops For Having A Baby

02-15-08
Dave Macklin

Fit Pregnancy looked at everything from doctors and hospitals to doulas, midwives, breastfeeding success rates, birth and health risk, stroller-friendly trails and parks, affordability, and a whole lot more, when looking at the best cities in America to have a baby.

Our very own Virginia Beach came in at #8. Congratulations!

If you are expecting and considering a move to Virginia Beach, you can learn about Virginia Beach by visiting our website, ButlerTeamHomes.com and start your home search here:

Virginia beach homes for sale