Linda Esposito

Ok, I admit it. I am not the most patient person and often don't read manuals that come with new gadgets, etc. However, I would like to know more about Activerain and how to go about finding blogs that interest me, how to meet associates, etc. Is there a tutorial I can read so that I can do more than post and answer my blogs? Also, I am currently signed up under Rhinebeck,New York, but is it possible to list serveral locations? As a stager, I am willing to travel about 60 miles in any direction.

After staging a house I always look forward to seeing "my creation" online. I usually wait a couple of weeks and then check out the updated photos and virtual tour. More than once I have been suprised to see that the Realtor never updated the photos. Since 80% of home buyers first go to the internet to preview houses, it is so important to update all photos and virtual tours. I understand that if the Realtor needs to pay for these services it is just another expense, but I KNOW that it is a worthwhile one.

One of the best and least costly improvements a home seller can make is painting worn kitchen cabinets. New cabinetry is a very expensive home improvement and I rarely suggest it. Painting existing cabinetry and perhaps installing a corian coutertop and a new sink is often a good idea. It will cost a fraction of what it would cost for new cabinetry and will delivery a very good return on the the sellers' investment.

For many of us, our home is our greatest asset and trying to sell it in this difficult real estate market is, well quite frankly, scary. We have been hearing over and over on the news and reading in the paper that home sales are down drastically. Buyers are portrayed as standing on the sidelines waiting to the house they have their eyes on has been languishing on the market. Then they often swoop in and make unreasonable low offers that sellers are forced to accept because they are re-locating, down-sizing or simply perhaps because they need to raise money.

With all this doom and gloom for the plight of the home seller, the fact remains that houses are selling. According to statistics recently published by the New York State Association of Realtors, 7,647 houses sold in New York State (excluding New York City) in June of this year. Granted this is down from last year's sale of 9,507 but clearly some home sellers are successfully navigating the rocky real estate waters.

If you are planning to put your house up for sale this fall, and hoping to be in the sold column the next time statistics come out, then it is a good idea to properly prepare your home for sale. Oddly enough, many sellers put their homes on the market without doing any preparations. If you look at some of the photos online and view the virtual tours, many houses look like their owners had no idea that a photographer was going to be showing up that morning. Kitchen counter tops are lined with vitamins, dish strainers and last night's drying pots. Dining room tables are piled high with books and bathroom vanities are covered with trays of cosmetics and toiletries. And that is on the inside!

Outside, where the seller must make a good first impression, we often see foundation plantings that are overgrown, flower beds that have more weeds that perennials and the ever-present garbage can and re-cycled bins adorning the driveway. Is this the way to get a fair price for your house? No. Rather, you are sending up red flags to potential buyers. An unattended flower bed could be perceived as the first sign of lazy homeowners. Everyone buying a house unless they are looking for a steal, wants to believe that the house that they are going to be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for, has been well-maintained.

To sell your house in today's market, you need to do what you would do if you were selling your car: detail-clean it inside and out, take care of minor repairs, remove anything personal and possibly objectionable and get rid of any offensive orders. Of course taking this same approach with your house requires more lead time. The goal is to create a model-home; a home that any potential buyer will find welcoming.

To sell your house and get a reasonable price in our competitive market, your house must look confident. The grounds and the interior need to say "Look at me! I am worthy of becoming your house and please, do not try to low-ball me!" So how can you achieve this model-home look without spending a lot of money? And, let's face it, nobody wants to put money into a house that they are selling. The first thing you do is pull out of your driveway and drive back in---slowly as if you were seeing the house for the first time. Start with your mailbox because the buyers will most likely be looking for your house number and that is the first thing that they will look at. Is it in good condition? Does it need a coat of paint or additional support? Then as you drive towards the house look to the right and left for anything unsightly or requiring attention. This might include downed trees that could be cut up and carted away, exposed electrical boxes that could benefit from a camouflaging shrub or two or garden decorations that distract the buyer.

Next take this same care in evaluating your entranceway. Does the door need repaired or painted? Are there any potted plants that welcome potential buyers to the house? Your house should look as if you are expecting company---because you are. Company that loves your house so much they want to buy it!

According to Barbara Corcoran, founder of the The Corcoran Group in New York City with over 18 billion dollars of real estate sales in 2007, You need to "wow" buyers when they open your front door. Corcoran a guest speaker on the Today show says that "buyers decide in the first 8 seconds whether or not they want to buy your home." An Accredited Home Stager Professional (ASP) can best help you to prepare your home so that it is both neutral and at the same time has a little pizzazz.

A consultation usually runs between $200-$250 and will give you a blueprint for the work that needs to happen preferably before you list your house. A professional stager will often save a seller money by telling them which improvements will make the biggest difference. Often homeowners approach putting their home on the market by addressing the things that most bothered them while living in the house, for example, swapping out the linoleum flooring in the kitchen that they always disliked for tile. A professional stager will see the bigger picture-dated appliances, aging cabinetry and perhaps the possibility of enlarging a small kitchen by future buyers and advise against this type of expensive improvement.

Whereas the best approach to turning your home into a marketable product is to get professional advice, the following 10 tips will get you closer to creating a model-home feel:

1. Remove all unnecessary furniture and floor clutter

including extra dressers and file boxes.

2. Pare down closets: put out-of-season clothes and

sports equipment in storage and donate items not being

used to charity.

3. Box books, records, cds, files and games and put in

storage.

4. Buy a dusting wand with an extension rod (Home

Depot) and remove all cobwebs and dust from light

fixtures, ceilings and trim.

5 Remove all religious art and decorative items. Box

up family photos and all collections.

6. Take down all window treatment that is dated or

unnecessary (In other words, let in as much light as

possible.)

7. Make sure that all rooms have adequate lighting and

if not, buy several floor lamps at a home improvement

store. (You can get them for under $40 each.) Turn on

all the lights when showing the house.

8. Buy new bed coverings. Choose solid color comforters

and bed skirts in green or beige. Dress up beds with

matching shams and an accent pillow.

9. Replace bathroom bar soap with an attractive soap

pump dispenser. Add a new hand towel and a small vase

with real flowers or an artificial orchid. Before

showing the house remove the trash can, toilet bowl

plunger and brush, as well as all carpets and reading

materials.

10. Do not cook strong smelling foods such as fish and

garlic indoors while your house is on the market. If

your house is stuffy, open the windows, turn on the

fan and/or air conditioner and boil cinnamon in apple

juice to freshen the air.

If you are not living in your home, you will not have all of the above concerns but don't think a vacant house will sell faster than one with some furnishings. According to a July 31, 2008 article in The New York Times, "all Their World's A Staging", Audra Slinkey, president of Home Staging Resource says "Leaving the house empty isn't a great idea. Vacant homes take longer to sell...and in this market, we're seeing an increase in vacant homes."

If you are planning to make some changes to improve your chances of selling your house, make them sooner rather than later. Some sellers put their house on the market "as is" to see if they can sell it without making any changes. Of course you can get lucky and a buyer might fall in love with your house or have the imagination to see as it could be, but don't forget, you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

If local realtors preview your house early on and have a negative opinion of it, they probably won't keep it on their radar. With all the competition, you need to take the time to present your house at its best. Then, you have a good chance rowing your boat ashore-Hallelujah!