How to make your house shine!!

Here are some inexpensive solutions to spiff up your home without breaking the bank.

To avoid having to sand and refinish your hardwood floors try Bona cleaner & floor polish. It's a urethane polish that you will have to wait about 2 hours to walk on. It's worth the wait.

To clean up your cupboards try Krud Kutter and Howard's Restore a finish. Use the Krud Kutter only if you really need to, it's for the grimy dirty corners that get all of the goo. Apply the Krud Kutter to the cabinet than rub with some 000 Steel wool, then wipe with a clean cloth. Apply the Howard's restore a finish to the cupboard with the steel wool if it is bad, if not I recommend to use a clean cloth. After you apply the Restore a finish wipe with a clean cloth.

To clean up and care for your Granite or stone counter tops use Stone Care International, just spray and clean. For the sealer you need to spray and wait for a little while and then wipe with a clean dry cloth.

People are coming over and you have clothes and toys all over and you have no time to clean. Take a yard trash bag and fill it up. Than throw it in a closet that they wont look in to or the garage. No one thinks twice about a garbage bag in the garage. Then simply put the items a way when you have time. We like to call this one the "Trash bag theory".

You are trying to sell your home. Keep refrigerated cookie dough or bake products on hand and before they come over cook some cookies and set them out on a plate. The smell of baked goods help people feel like this is there home. The mental moving van is not far behind.

These hints can help you avoid making some costly repairs and help your home sell.

To deck the halls or not to deck the halls?

As the holiday season is upon us you ask the question, should I decorate as usual for the holidays or keep it to a minimum. It's best to make your home festive for the holidays, but not to over do it. Keep in mind the buyers and the mental moving van need to move in still. Keep your decorations tasteful, and not too over board. Time to keep the "dancing Santa" in the Christmas decorations box. As for yard decorations keep it simple. A few decorated trees & shrubs. Try not to out do the "Griswolds" this winter. Keep in mind next year you'll be able to bring them all out in your new house, and make it yours. I hope this helps you. I hope you will all have a very Merry Christmas!

What makes a home stand out?

What does make a home stand out from the rest? When you are looking at homes and you just walked through your 10th home. They have the tendency to blend together, but their is usually one that will stand out. These are the qualities they will typically have.:

Plain neutrally light colored walls, such as white & beige.

Neutrally colored carpet, such as beige.

A Clean house- If you are in a pinch, throw everything in to a garbage bag & put it in the garage till you can get to it, after the showing.

Fresh Paint or Carpet- if you can, at least paint, it's cheap & it makes a difference.

Few large furnishings- Place in to storage all of your big furniture, it makes a room feel larger.

Cut the Clutter- Clean counter tops, with nothing on them. Rooms you can walk around in.

Beautiful decor- Yes, staging your home does work.

Great curb appeal- Beautify your yard.

Minimize your wall hangings- Keep it mostly decoration.

Take down the family photo wall & paint it.- It makes it hard for a new family to see them selves there.

Homey Smells- Anything baking, & vanilla. I recommend baking some cookies before you leave.

Leave and let the agent walk the client through the house. It's hard to address any issues the buyer might have when the owner within ear shot. It also reminds the client they are in your house not "their" house.

If you are going to remodel your home spend your money the the places you will make the most money. The kitchen, & the master bed & bath.

Add things like tile, hardwood floors, granite counter tops, update old hardware it will make your house look newer, black or stainless steel appliances.

Keep in mind you are trying to encourage the mental moving van to arrive. You need to make space for their stuff, as they mentally decorate, and think about how the couch will fit in your living room.