Lorrie Semler, Addison Real Estate Specialist

About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing

When you are about to sell in Addison, or Farmers Branch, or anywhere in the United States, there are preparations prior to listing that both the homeowner and the real estate agent should complete.

In Part 1, I gave you some background about this property about to be offered for sale and some of the initial steps that were taken, up to and including my first visit to the house. In Part 2, we took a look at some of the exterior maintenance and enhancements that the sellers completed to improve curb appeal.

Now it's time to move inside. Let's see what Deena has been up to. The bathrooms had already undergone major improvements over the past few years, and the kitchen appliances had been replaced, so cosmetic improvements to the rest of the house were in order.

On the recommendation of Karen Otto of Home Star Staging (the sellers had Karen in for a consultation), the sliding glass doors between the den and the sun room were removed. A handyman framed in the sides, and the floor was filled in then covered by the new carpeting. What a difference the carpeting makes throughout the house!

New blinds were hung in the freshly washed windows. New light fixtures were installed. The paint is being touched up, and the baseboards painted. The garage got a make-over, with sheetrock, taping and bedding, paint, replaced garage door panels and a good cleaning.

Most sellers don't go to this extreme, but I actually caught Deena cleaning the switch plate covers with a toothbrush!

Because the sellers have friends who design the displays in Neiman Marcus, they opted to stage the home with a little help from these friends.

So, the outside of the home is all spiffed up, the inside activity is moving along nicely.

Coming next in the series About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing: The agent's final preparations before listing.

About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing

When you are about to sell in Addison, or Farmers Branch, or anywhere in the United States, there are preparations prior to listing that both the homeowner and the real estate agent should complete.

In Part 1, I gave you some background about this property about to be offered for sale and some of the initial steps that were taken, up to and including my first visit to the house.

Since curb appeal is so important, Deena, the executrix of the estate and her husband set out to spruce up the exterior appearance.

• The torn screen is being replaced.
• The dirty siding is in the process of being power-washed.
• The old window AC unit, no longer needed because of the new central HVAC vent into the sunroom, is going, going, gone to make both the exterior and the interior look better. Removal of the window unit will also increase energy efficiency.
• The worn indoor/ourdoor carpeting on the front porch was removed.
• The gutter guards poking up from the gutters will be replaced.
• Old garden hoses have been trashed.
• Flaking paint on the trim will be scraped and repainted.
• The tree has already been trimmed.
• The chain link fence in the back yard will have the extraneous attachments removed.
• The peeling plastic film has been scraped off the windows and the windows are washed.
• And the decomposing trailer parked in the back will disappear.

If you're about to sell in Addison or Farmers Branch, look at the exterior of your home with a critical eye. What preparations prior to listing does your house need? Don't give prospective buyers a reason to keep driving past instead of stopping to see the inside. It doesn't matter how great the inside is if buyers won't stop and get out of the car at the curb.

Once you've created your list of repairs and improvements, ask a neighbor or friend to give their suggestions. Your Realtor® will also provide an expert opinion. Don't over-improve for the neighborhood. You want your house to blend in, not stick out.

A fresh coat of paint on the front door and some seasonal color in the form of a few plants at the entrance will create a warm welcome.

Coming next in the series About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing: The interior space.

About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing

In this, and the next series of posts, let's explore what it takes to get a house ready to go on the market. The house on the right is, as they say in Texas, "fixin' to" be to listed in the local Multiple Listing Service. But, it's not quite ready yet.

Your situation may differ, but the underlying principles and steps are, as they say in New Jersey, "gonna" be the same.

If you are about to sell in Addison, or Farmers Branch, or anywhere in the United States for that matter, you should begin preparations prior to listing the house. Both the homeowner and the real estate agent have things to do prior to listing.

This house, located in Farmers Branch, a northern suburb of Dallas, just south and west of Addison, is an estate property. The executrix, let's call her Deena (because that's her name!), contacted me about listing and marketing her father's home. Deena warned me that the house has been unoccupied for 4 years and that the inside is untidy.

Prior to doing a drive-by, I pulled information about the house from the appraisal district website and I ran a market analysis on the subdivision in which the house is located. Because there had not been much activity in the subdivision over the past 6 months, I also did a market analysis of all of south Farmers Branch, using small ranges of dates for Year Built, for Total Square Feet, and for Number of Bedrooms.

Armed with the information from my analyses, I drove past the house and snapped a few photos. I also took photos of the school 2 blocks away and the park at the end of the street. Then I scouted out the comparable homes for sale that turned up on the market analysis. I attempted to schedule Preview Showings of 9 of the most similar homes, but was able to see only 7.

Next it was time to customize my listing presentation for this property. With this completed, I met with Deena to see the inside of the house and to review the presentation with her. She wasn't kidding about the "untidy" inside. In addition to the remnants of the estate sale being left where they were, all the carpeting had been pulled up, and the place needed a thorough cleaning. As we walked through the house, I suggested improvements that would help sell the property faster and I made recommendations on who Deena could call. On the list: Karen Otto of Home Star Staging; a few home inspectors for a pre-listing inspection; some handymen for the odd jobs; the cleanout people I use after estate sales; my favorite carpet and flooring guy, Joe Kboudi of All American Flooring; and some appraisers to measure the size of the house to include a sun room that was going to get a vent to share the central HVAC.

Coming next in the series About to Sell in Addison or Farmers Branch? Preparations Prior to Listing: Sprucing up the Exterior.

A stone's throw from The Ballpark at Arlington, the new home of the Dallas Cowboys football team is awe-inspiring. On Friday, 30 Keller Williams agents, family members and friends toured the new facility. Workers were still putting the finishing touches in, in anticipation of the Certificate of Occupancy expected on Monday. Our tour guide provided facts and figures, way too many to remember, but I did take away the time to open the retractable roof: 9 minutes; and the time to open the doors at the end zones: 12 minutes. A decision about whether the doors and/or roof will be open or closed will be made 2 hours before game time and will remain in those position throughout the game. The next event scheduled for the facility is the Paul McCartney concert.

Above: The entry, with lots of lights; ongoing work to finish construction; the end zone from up high

Above: Inside one of the $2M luxury suites

Above: No, John, I didn't see any $90 pizzas

Above: Cowboys locker room, Tony Romo's locker, flat screens (do they really watch the half-time shows?)

Above: The tunnel from the locker room to the field, the cheerleaders locker room, and the visiting team's path to the field through the private club with the huge star above (meant to intimidate the opposition)

Above: View of the 50 yard line from the private club, view from the club, testing the emergency lights

Above: Testing the Jumbotron

Tours are $12/person and are held daily. Contact the stadium for the hours, as scheduled events take priority.

There is not a bad seat in the house. You can see from anywhere. Season tickets are still available, if you can afford them. Or, pony up $29 for a standing-room-only ticket above the end zone. Let's hope the $Billion+ that Jerry Jones has spent translates into a winning season for the 'Boys!

What Could Be Sweeter? Addison's J Dorian Chocolatier

An entire shop of chocolates! J Dorian Chocolatier is nestled between Houston's restaurant and the Town Hall in Addison, Texas. Whether you want to satisfy your own sweet tooth or purchase a tasty treat as a gift for a friend, stop in and make your selection from the many choices available. Besides individual chocolates, truffles, chocolate covered treats, chocolate bars, wedding favors and cakes, cookies, and hot chocolate, you can now savor cupcakes!

Dorian Isenberg's fascination with food started in childhood, thanks to Julia Child, and he was encouraged by his mother and grandmother in their Houston kitchen. He never stopped reading cookbooks, trying recipes, and experimenting. As a young adult, Dorian attended culinary classes, but followed in the family footsteps and worked in the watch and jewelry business. When his wife was 8 months pregnant, he was laid off from Fossil Watches. Dorian became a stay-at-home Dad, taking care of his daughter, and made chocolates for his wife to bring to her workplace. Needless to say, they were a big hit!

In 2001, Dorian began a wholesale business in a commercial kitchen, making chocolates for events, parties and weddings. The J Dorian Chocolatier retail operation opened in 2005. That first year, Dorian sold 5,000 truffles. Last year, over 400,000 truffles were sold. He uses 3,000 pounds of chocolate a month!

Summer is a slow season for chocolate (this is Texas, after all, with 100+ degree days). On a dare from a friend, Dorian whipped up a batch of cupcakes that could compete with Sprinkles cupcakes and they are now a staple in the store. Wedding and party cakes sell year round. And (you heard it hear first!) there may be ice cream in the J Dorian Chocolatier future - made with a pastry cream base. This ice cream is in the developmental stages, but flavors may include chocolate (of course), vanilla bean, raspberry, strawberry, pear and peach. And, speaking of ice cream, if you've had the hot fudge at the Addison Houston's, now you know it came from J Dorian Chocolatier.

Dorian's mentor, Jacques Torres, owns and operates two high-profile chocolate shops in New York and has a show on the Food Network. Dorian now teaches at Sur La Table, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute, and Le Cordon Bleu Dallas, sharing his techniques and expertise with others, as Jacques did with him.

If you're not near Addison, you can place orders for chocolates from J Dorian Chocolatier on the website. They ship all over the world. But if you are in the North Texas area, stop by for a visit. There are tables where you can sit and eat, and large windows into the kitchen so you can watch the chocolates being made. The handmade European-style gourmet chocolates are made from the finest French and Belgian chocolate with no preservatives or artificial flavors.

J Dorian Chocolatier is located at 5312 Belt Line Road in Addison, Texas. Summer hours are 11-5, Monday through Saturday. Winter hours are 10-6 Monday through Saturday. There's nothing sweeter than J Dorian Chocolatier!