Prepare your House for a Successful Sale 

This article courtesy of http://www.faucettap.com

Whether you list with an agent or sell on your own, you can ensure a quick
sale by proactively preparing your house to be a highly marketable and attractive
commodity.

 

Paradigm Shift



Don�t wait for the sold sign to get started with packing. Packing away items
that are used infrequently has multiple benefits: It�s a head start for you
when you do have the house sold; It removes the clutter that might impact negatively
on prospective buyers; and It creates a more spacious atmosphere making rooms
appear larger.

 

Be the Buyer



To determine what improvements should be tackled first, view your house as though
you were the buyer. If you have a difficult time with objectivity, ask a friend,
neighbour or relative to help.

 

Exterior View



Begin with driving or walking on your street. Does your house stand out as less
attractive than those around it? Does your landscaping match up? If not: Make
sure your lawn is well trimmed and free of any bald or brown spots. Plant mature
bushes and flowers to add volume and colour. Avoid any plants or trees that
will take time to mature. You are going for immediate appeal, over long-term
results. Clear away any lawn furniture that mainly provided function over aesthetic
appeal (i.e. resin chairs). Clear away the kids bikes and toys from the lawn
and driveway. The path from your curb to the door should be unobstructed and
clean. Rent a power washer and clean the walkway, if needed. Tighten any loose
banisters or steps that lead to your door. If you have personalized items on
the door and mailbox remove them. Add a clean mat at the door (this is a purchase
that can be taken with you when you move). If your doorknob, street number,
mailbox, or light fixtures are dull or rusty, polish or replace them. Clean
Doors and windows at the front entrance.



The Entry Way



You�ve made it past the curb and are in the door. When you enter the house,
the first thing that will grab you is not going to be visual. If your house
does not have a pleasant odor, it probably won�t matter how beautiful it is
visually. Avoid sprays that cover up odor. Although it is better than an initial
unpleasant scent, Buyers will pick up on it and feel tricked. Instead, try �lightly�
scented candles, potpourri, or a pot on the stove with vanilla and water. If
you are very ambitious, bake a pie.

Remove odor at the source:



Smoke - For those who have smokers in the family, it would be wise to
restrict smoking to outdoors until the house sells. Purchase an ozone spray
which eliminates odor rather than covering it up Pets � Clean kitty litter
daily and add baking soda. Keep dogs outdoors as much as possible and make use
of carpet freshener on a frequent basis. Cooking � Use the overhead exhaust
while cooking and clean up immediately after you are finished. Lingering food
odors are not noticeable while you are in the house but are very apparent when
stepping in from outdoors.



Interior



The most expensive renovations are the kitchen and bathroom. If these rooms
are not appealing to a Buyer, it might be very difficult to sell your property�s
other assets.

 

Kitchen and Bathroom

 

1. Counter tops -
   Keep them cleared of all clutter. In the kitchen, put away all counter top utensils such as toasters, coffee pots, etc. If you have a microwave on your counter, consider purchasing an inexpensive microwave cart instead. Bathroom counters should be cleared of hair products, hair dryers, electric shavers, etc.
   Loose trim on counters should be glued. If your counters are in need of replacement, consider replacing or painting with a melamine paint.
   
   
   
2. Cupboards - and Drawers
   Clean the cupboard and door fronts with a grease cutting cleaner. You will be surprised at how much brighter they will appear afterwards.
   If that doesn�t help brighten them up, you should seriously consider painting with melamine paint as an inexpensive update.
   Replace outdated cupboard hardware for an instant updated appeal. For an inexpensive alternative to replacing hardware, spray paint with a metallic finish.
   Clear out as much clutter as you can live without. You want your cupboards to appear as though there is more than enough room for the Buyers to store their items.
   
   
   
3. Sinks and Bathtubs -
   You can bring your stainless steel sink back to its original shine, with comet cleanser. Be sure to pay close attention to the drain, drain plugs, and outer edges, where grime builds up.
   Taps and faucets can be brought back to original shine with the use of a dry cloth and q-tips. Simply polish with the dry cloth to remove dullness and add shine. Q-tips in between cracks and tap grooves will remove the �gunk� and have your taps looking brand new. If your faucet and taps are hopeless, you should replace with a set of inexpensive ones.
   Flooring
   
   It is a common fact that people tend to look down more than up. If your kitchen or bathroom floor is in need of repair, repair it. If the floor is beyond repair, this might be the best investment to consider in making your house more sellable. Remember, if you are going to invest in a new floor for resale value only, purchase inexpensive neutral flooring. You are making the purchase for immediate appeal to buyers and not for yourself.
   
   
4. Kitchen Appliances -
   Whether or not the appliances are included, they need to be presentable to add to the appeal of the kitchen. Clean the oven and stove to a shine. This will also take care of some possible odor sources as well. Remove the magnets, notes, and artwork from the fridge and clean the top.
   
   

 

Living/Family Room



The most lived in room tends to be the most cluttered. If the room appears small,
remove extra furniture and all clutter items such as papers, remotes, videos,
etc. If you have a lot of personalized items, such as family portraits, trophy�s,
collectibles, pack them away. Personalized items tend to alienate potential
buyers.

 

Bedrooms



Make the beds and remove clutter from under the bed. As with the kitchen cupboards,
clear out the clutter so they appear larger. If you have teens or themed rooms,
replace bedding and curtains with a more neutral alternative. Patterned bedding
will detract from buyers viewing the room and its features. Take down any posters
that may be on the walls. Fill holes left behind or hang framed artwork in their
place.

 

Converted Rooms



Finally, if you have converted any rooms in your house, you should convert them
back to the house�s original design. For example, a bedroom converted to a den
or home office should be changed back to a bedroom, especially if it is one
of the rooms that you have included in your listing as 3 bedroom home.

 

Conclusion



The decision as to the amount of improvements you are willing or able to make
will always be your own and there is definitely quite a bit of effort involved
with implementing some of the suggestions above. It would make sense to think
that buyers should look beyond the personal items that will be removed after
a sale and, although there are some buyers who will be able to do that, most
buyers won't. The suggestions made above are for ensuring a quick sale by targeting
the majority of buyers rather than those rare ones that can see beyond these
items.

 

About the Author

Amie Walton is the president and founder of Xstream Realty, a Virtual Agent for managing private real estate sales over the internet. As an Accredited Staging Professional, Amie also operates Xstream Staginga Home Staging business located in Nova Scotia, Canada.

How a Home Water Filter Can Reduce Your Child's Risk of Toxins

This article courtesy of http://www.faucettap.com

Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person can be exposed to in his lifetime. Besides damage from radioactive or nuclear chemicals, significant exposure to lead can cause some of the most severe and even fatal health effects possible.

It seems to be fairly common knowledge that lead is dangerous and that one should avoid exposure to lead whenever possible. Fewer and fewer paints are lead-based and leaded gasoline has been almost entirely phased out. People all over the world are now making concerted efforts to protect themselves from this dangerous metal.

Without doubt, most, if not all, parents would agree that they would like to protect their children from the damaging effects of lead exposure and ingestion. Most parents would also agree that they are doing an adequate job of protecting their children from lead exposure. Still, these same parents (unknowingly) may be exposing and even encouraging their children to take lead into their bodies each and every day.

So, where does this lead come from and why does nobody seem to know about it? The answer to these questions lies in the water we take into our bodies each day. The seemingly safe tap water of most homes in the United States contains lead. When we drink this water untreated, we are consistently allowing lead to poison the inner workings of our bodies.

In most homes built before 1978, lead from lead-soldered pipes in the plumbing system corrodes into drinking water as that water passes through pipes on its way to faucets. From the pipes to the faucet, lead infiltrates our drinking water and makes its way into our bodies and our children?s bodies. Municipal water treatment plants cannot control for this contaminant in water; therefore, lead continues to make its way into our water, with little or no regulation. In order to remove this dangerous contaminant from drinking water, it is absolutely vital to employ a point- of-use water filter.

Clearly, we all know that lead is dangerous and that we should make efforts to avoid it, but what exactly is so very dangerous about lead? It is only a naturally occurring metal, after all, and iron--another naturally occurring metal--is supposed to be good for the body. Lead, however, while dangerous for all people, leads to particularly damaging health and mental problems in babies and young children. Let?s first examine the general damaging health effects of lead ingestion and then focus specifically on the results of lead poisoning for babies and small children.

General Health Effects of Lead
Short-term exposure to large amounts of lead has been known to cause severe vomiting, cramping, convulsions, coma, and even death. While such exposure is increasingly unlikely in today?s world, even relatively low-level exposure to lead can cause some significant health problems. Lead is a leading cause of anemia, a syndrome that affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States. Continued exposure to lead can also affect nervous system functioning, resulting in impairment of mental functioning, difficulty in memory and concentration, and inability to sleep. A lifetime of exposure to lead can adversely affect kidney functioning. Lead poisoning is also a leading cause of high blood pressure, one of the current deadliest conditions for individuals in the United States. Consistently rising numbers of high blood pressure and anemia cases--syndromes that have not traditionally been connected to lead poisoning--should certainly be considered when discussing the role of lead ingestion on the body.

Effects of Lead Poisoning on Babies and Young Children
Lead is especially damaging to babies and small children, due to the relative ease at which their bodies absorb the contaminant and the sensitive nature of their developing brains. Concerning the impact of lead poisoning on children, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recently stated, ?Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the U.S..? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of every 22 children has high levels of lead in his blood.

Lead poisoning gives rise to several damaging health conditions in young children?s developing bodies. The younger the child is, the more damaging lead poisoning can be. The long-term effects of exposure to lead for young children include learning disabilities, hyperactivity, depressed growth, hearing impairments, and even brain damage.

For pregnant women, ingestion of lead can result in a host of birth defects and developmental problems for their growing babies. Ingestion of lead is particularly harmful to babies during the critical third trimester of pregnancy. Lead can pass into a baby?s body through breast-feeding, as well.

Diagnoses of hyperactivity and learning disabilities are growing by leaps and bounds in public schools, perhaps because of so much unknowing exposure to lead and increasing cases of lead poisoning.

What You Can Do
Knowing what we do about lead and its effects on our children and ourselves, what can we do to prevent exposure to this dangerous metal? There are several approaches--all of them important--that you can take now to protect yourself and your family. Firstly, it is important to keep your home clean and dust-free because much of your child?s exposure to lead comes from dirt and dust on the floor. It is also incredibly important to have your child tested for lead poisoning if you suspect or notice any of the symptoms. With early treatment, many of these problems can be quickly alleviated.

It is also absolutely vital to begin, or continue using, a home water filtration system. Untreated tap water is likely the culprit of the majority of you and your child?s exposure to lead. A simple home water filter can remove lead quickly and easily to ensure that you and your family are protected from the volatile, dangerous nature of this metal.

Every parent wants to give her children every opportunity possible to succeed; taking a few minutes to provide clean, healthy water to drink is one of the best and easiest ways to accomplish this goal.

Vanessa Lausch is a writer for http://www.historyofwaterfilters.com/ - online source for water information.