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Rooms
Kitchen
The kitchen is perhaps the most important room in the house. It can have a major impact on the value of your property: If your kitchen needs some real help, you may want to make extensive improvements.
Cabinet organizers are a good investment; organize your kitchen cabinets to demonstrate how much room you have.
Remove small kitchen appliances and gadgets from countertops to create an uncluttered look.
Chipped or damaged countertops should be repaired or replaced.
If your linoleum floor is badly worn, replace it with neutral no-wax flooring or tile.
A freshly painted kitchen may be well worth the investment
Make sure the kitchen is virtually spotless and smells fresh. Try putting a quarter section of a lemon in the disposal and grinding it up.
Consider replacing outdated light fixtures with new track lighting.
If your appliances are dated by colors like harvest gold or avocado, consider having them professionally refinished in a new color like almond or plain white. This will make appliances look new at a fraction of the cost of actually replacing them.
Spruce up kitchen cabinets by installing new knobs or hardware
If your cabinets look especially old, you can have a professional replace the doors or door fronts.
Bathroom
The bathroom has become an important selling feature in today's home
Place a vase of fresh flowers on the vanity.
Install a wall telephone for a high-tech look.
Replace an old toilet seat with a new one.
Replace an old light fixture with a new style light strip or make-up light.
Refinish an old porcelain tub using a porcelain finishing service.
Place all personal care articles and all medicines out of sight.
Add color and richness with new towels and a shower curtain.
Keep your toilet seat cover closed
Living Room
The living room is an area we do very little living in yet it is a major selling point of a house.
Professionally clean wall-to-wall carpet or large area rugs.
Sand and refinish stained hardwood floors.
Clean windows and light fixtures.
Make sure all cosmetic plaster cracks are repaired. (This applies to every room in the house.)
Use mirrors whenever possible to enhance the perception of size. The strategic placement of a mirror over a mantle or across from a window can make a room look brighter and larger.
A fireplace is one feature that everyone can appreciate-show it off to its best advantage. Sweep it clean and make sure the screen is in good condition. If your house is being shown during the winter, make a cozy, crackling fire. During warmer months, you can dress up the hearth with fresh indoor plants or dried flowers.
Use inexpensive freestanding accent lights to create dramatic visual effects behind large plants or pieces of furniture.
Use lemon oil on hardwood furniture to create the right look and aroma.
Liberal use of fresh flowers and plants will enhance the environment.
Bedrooms
The bedrooms can do as much to sell your house as they can to turn off a buyer.
Make sure the bedrooms are absolutely spotless. Rugs should be cleaned, windows washed and fresh smells from flowers or lemon oil should be in the air.
Organize closets to increase their perceived size. Rubberized wire closet organizers do a great job of helping fully utilize space.
Bedrooms should be well lit. You may want to add track lights in the master bedroom.
Mirrored closet doors can add dramatically to the feeling of size in any bedroom.
A ceiling fan can be an attractive and practical accent to any bedroom.
Basement/ Attic:
The look of the basement and/or attic can say more about the condition of your house than you may think.
Paint a bare cement floor oil-based gray.
Paint the stairway down to the basement and the stairway up to the attic.
Hang as many objects as possible on the walls to minimize floor clutter.
Clean and organize your laundry area.
Make sure all lights are working.
Eliminate dampness with a dehumidifier.
Clean the boiler of the furnace room as well as the heating plant.
Make sure there are no signs of pest infestation. If needed, call in a pest control company to remedy the problem before the property is shown.
Swimming Pool/ Spa
The swimming pool or spa should be sparkling clean and in good operating condition.
Repair or replace broken tiles.
Patio and/or decking around pool should be clean and cracks repaired.
Pool filter and heating equipment area should be cleaned.
Replace worn or broken pool equipment (brushes, hoses, sweeps, pool covers, etc.).
If your pool is stained, you may want to have a professional service drain and acid wash or refinish the surface.
Garage
A well-organized garage says a lot for your house.
Keep the garage neat and organized.
Clean up any oil stains from your car.
Paint the garage floor oil-based gray.
Install a garage door opener.
Hang gardening tools and loose articles on the wall.
Hold a garage sale to dispose of unused items that create clutter and may distract a potential buyer.
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