Although you may not know it from the weather lately, Spring is here ... and has been here for about a week! For many that means the dreaded ritual of Spring cleaning, and if you're planning on putting your home on the market there are a few items you should add to your to-do list.

Add a fresh coat of paint

To create a chic rather than shabby appearance, add a fresh coat of paint to painted or finished surfaces to remove any scuffs, chips or scratches. This is one of the cheapest and most impactful improvements you can make. Tiny imperfections may make a home in otherwise great shape look poorly maintained.

Spruce up your trims

A home with beautiful trim work rates higher in pride in ownership than one without all of the attention to detail. Take a minute and stand on your own front lawn to see what buyer's will see when pulling up to your house. Are your house numbers hanging sideways? Is your front door looking a little faded? Updating your exterior hardware, painting your front door and adding attractive trims (shutters, decorative eaves, etc.) can all boost your home's wow factor.

Mending fences

No, we're not talking about reconciling with an ex, we're really talking about fixing your fences, gates and screens. These all seem like relatively inexpensive and quick fixes that buyers can make themselves, but why give them any reason to point out flaws in the house? It's Springtime so spend some time outdoors repairing broken fences, add new hinges to gates that don't budge and replace screens that have holes.

Doors, cupboards and drawers

A squeaky cupboard door isn't a deal breaker, but it's important to keep in mind that these are systems in the home that buyers are going to use and test out during their visit. Make sure that your entry door, closet doors and kitchen cupboard doors and drawers  are in good cosmetic shape and don't stick. It's all in the details!

Power Spring cleaning

Hiring a professional cleaner can provide a massive refresh to the look, feel, smell and the overall air quality of your home. Springtime is a great time to look into these services as most businesses offer Spring cleaning promotions.

Once your through with your traditional Spring cleaning tasks and tackle a few of the ideas listed here your home should be in tip-top shape and ready for your first showing. Best of luck!

Selling a home can be daunting, especially if you're new to the process.  These days, a well-placed ad or some spectacular photographs might not be enough. Consumers are more savvy than ever, making them less responsive to many traditional marketing techniques.  The internet allows potential home buyers to do intensive research before they even visit a possible new house.  Consumers today are more aware of advertising techniques, and aggressive or obvious marketing ploys can easily backfire.  So what are the best ways to market homes?  One of the most subtle and effective methods involves creative application of a little science.

You may have heard of aromatherapy being used at open houses to market homes.  Studies have shown that smell is one of the first things people notice when they walk into a new place.  Unpleasant odors like litter boxes, trash, or stale cooking odors can turn buyers off instantly.  However, the right scents applied in the right rooms can make a stunning difference.  This doesn't mean that a bottle of spray-scent is all you need, however.  Subtlety is key.  Heavy perfume sprays or plug-in commercial diffusers may be overpowering or fake, causing potential buyers to wrinkle their noses.  A little research and a bit of shopping can help you employ understated aromatherapy.  You may find that it's an inexpensive and effective way to market homes.

Fresh, fragrant flowers near a window can impart a clean, open atmosphere.  A touch of lavender evokes relaxation and a feeling of comfort in a living room or great room.  Jasmine or Ylang-Ylang induce romance and are perfect for a master bedroom.  Orange, lemon, or lime oils are wonderful in bathrooms or laundry rooms.  Even something as simple as the smell of fresh-baked cookies lets prospective buyers know that they're in a house that's just waiting to become a home.  Besides, cookies make everyone happier, and happy people love to buy.  It's time to get a whiff of all that aromatherapy can do!

Looking for the best ways to market homes? Let us help!

Don't let looks deceive you, many homes with great bones have a "rough" exterior!

The Appeal of the "Fixer-Upper"

Maximize Investment: People purchase "fixer-uppers" because they are a great way to maximize investment. The strategy behind the "fixer-upper" is: purchase the home at a lower cost, put time & money into the house by renovating it, and then sell it for a profit. If the home is in a sought-after location, chances of making a profit are increased.

Creative Freedom: "Fixer-Upper" homes allow the buyers to really make the house theirs. They can add their own personal touches and theyhave a greater amount of design freedom. Most new build homes are already pre-planned and don't allow for many homeowner personal touches. The "fixer-upper" can become the owner's personal environment.

The Disadvantages

The Potential "Money-Pit": The owner's worst nightmare is that he/she buys the "fixer-upper" and finds that they are constantly putting more and more money into unforeseen problems that were not originally budgeted for.

Chaos of Renovating: The renovation project can cause a significant amount of stress:

1. • Many people can not concentrate or sleep in a house filled with disorder and dust.
   • Relationships often times take a back-seat to the renovation project. The time consuming nature of the renovation might create a strain on any relationship. On the other hand, if a couple is working together on the project, the late-night teamwork might lead to crabbiness and arguments over the slightest little issues that seem big at the time.
   • "Fixer-uppers"can take weeks... months even to complete. That is a lot of night and weekend hours dedicated to a labor intensive project.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Make Sure the Home is Worth Saving: Walk through with a contractor or architect and get their professional opinions. Take a look at the surrounding houses and see if they're in good shape. If the neighborhood is nice or going through a renovation itself, your chances for making a profit are good.

Coming Up with the Money & Financing: You can either save the money yourself, or finance it from a bank. If your mortgage is for less than the house is worth, a home equity loan could help pay for the materials that are needed to give the home a makeover. Another good strategy would be to finance the renovation in stages which would make the payments more affordable. However, it is essential to make sure the stages will, in the end, add value to the house. Otherwise, the financing is a waste of money.

Quality of Work: It is less expensive to do the labor yourself, however the work needs to be up to code otherwise future buyers won't want to buy the house. Before purchasing, create a plan and budget that will detail how much money is spend on materials, what labor you as the owner will do yourself, and how much money can be spent on professional help.

For more advice on buying a home, from fixer uppers to bank owned and beyond, contact Geri Reilly at Geri@BuyVTRealEstate.com or 802-862-6677 x 1.