Selling your Home? Don't Neglect the Garage by Michele Dawson

Your yard is in perfect order, the front door is freshly painted, the interior is sparkling, and soft music plays lightly in the background. Your house is ready for potential buyers. Or is it?
If you're like other whose home is on the market, you've gone through the steps of making your house show well. But how much time have you spent making your garage look its best?
The garage is an important amenity for many homeowners.

Among new-home buyers, about one-fourth want garages that can hold not two, but at least three vehicles, regardless of the additional cost, according to the National Association of Home Builders' report, "The Next Decade for Housing." Most buyers like the extra space for storage.
So, just as you've beautified the rest of your house, making it open and clutter-free, you'll want the same attention given to your garage.

You can achieve that by following these steps:
· Get rid of all that extra stuff. What's in all of those boxes lining the shelves of your garage? Gather all the items you don't use anymore (this would also be a good time to gather those final items from the rest of your house as well) and have a garage sale. Once you've sold everything you can, take everything that's left over to a local charity.
· Dust the walls and corners. Get rid of spider webs.
· Hang up heavy-duty hooks for larger items that are taking up room. This will help the garage look more orderly.
· If you have cabinets, shelves, or ready-made storage systems, organize the contents; get rid of anything you don't need.
· Try to get everything off the floor and into cabinets or shelves.
· Make sure all flammable items, tools, and chemicals are stored away and out of reach of children. You don't want potential buyers to wonder what else you may have handled irresponsibly.
· If you don't already have one, install a smoke detector in your garage.
· Make sure your garage door opener is working. Are all the extra functions operating properly - the automatic light function, the automatic reverse (this is a safety feature that reverses direction when something is obstructing the door), small opening feature for pets, emergency release, and the wall control panel.
And finally, clean those floors:
· Wipe up any excess oil with a towel or cloth.
· Pour some paint thinner on the oil spot, making sure it is fully saturated.
· Pour an absorbent material over the saturated spot. You can use cat litter, sand, baking soda, corn meal, sawdust, or any other absorbent material you may have on hand.
· Leave the mixture to set overnight.
· Sweep up your mixture. If possible, try to use a heavy push broom with sturdy bristles.
· Pour a little laundry bleach, dry dishwasher detergent or a concrete cleaning solution on the oil-marked concrete. Let it sit for about an hour.
· Rinse the area off with hot water and scrub the area with a broom.
If your garage has a workbench, extra storage space, or any unique features, be sure you let your real estate agent know so those features can be pointed out to potential buyers.
And don't forget the garage door, part of the total "curb appeal" package. Make sure it's clean, and if it's worn or marked up, a coat of fresh paint is an easy step that will make a big difference to the house hunters who pull up alongside the curb and will likely see the garage right away.
While a garage usually won't make or break a sale, it could be a tiebreaker and adds to the overall first impression.



LINDA REYNOLDS

"REAL ESTATE PRO"

Helping Dreams Come True

Call Linda Reynolds For a limited time offer, if you list and sell your home through me, I will pay for a home warranty for your buyer.

CONTACT LINDA REYNOLDS TODAY

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Quote by Anonymous

"Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lesson afterwards."

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Inspect Now, Worry Less Later

Home inspection serve an absolutely essential role in home purchases. Sellers are increasingly seeing the value of taking a proactive stance in ordering an inspection before they list their home. Interested buyers will likely follow with an inspection by a company of their own choice. Either way, buyers and sellers achieve several worthy objectives in having a home inspection from a qualified company.

1. Seller's inspections give the full unvarnished picture of your home to your prospective buyer, thus eliminating the "suprise" factor which can emotionally influence their choice at a critical time. Buyers will be impressed that you have enough confidence in your home to have put money into inspecting it. Inspections also signal your integrity and good intentions in the sale of your home.
2. When a valid inspection is on the table prior to an offer, buyers are more likely to offer you full asking price. After inspection disclosures are what tend to set the price reduction wheels in motion.
3. Positive inspection reports serve as an effective marketing tool for your home. Theiy're one less distraction for buyers to keep in mind, so they can focus more on the features that attract them to your home.
4. A buyer's inspection can help to verify the findings of the pre-listing inspections and give the buyer that added confidence that they are making a sound investment.

THE HOME WARRANTY LINK

Professional home inspections go hand-in-hand with home warranties during the listing period and after the sale of the home. While inspections point out existing problems, they may not be able to predict a major home system or appliance's failure after the inspector has completed his or her work. That's where home warranties serve to protect bothe the buyer and seller in a home sale. A home waranty form American Home Shield pairs with a home inspection to offer both parties security that future problems will be dealt with effectively and efficiently.

Visit www.ahswarranty.comformore information.

Compliments of American Home Shield

LINDA REYNOLDS

"REAL ESTATE PRO"

Helping Dreams Come True

Call Linda Reynolds For a limited time offer, if you list and sell your home through me, I will pay for a home warranty for your buyer. CONTACT LINDA REYNOLDS TODAY

HOW TO BUY A HOME WITH ZERO DOWN

ASK ME ABOUT MY LISTING CANCELLATION GUARANTEE

FIND HOMES

FIND CONDOS

FIND VACANT LAND

WHAT'S MY HOME WORTH?

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Quote by Theodore Roosevelt

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."



LINDA REYNOLDS

"REAL ESTATE PRO"

Helping Dreams Come True

Call Linda Reynolds For a limited time offer, if you list and sell your home through me, I will pay for a home warranty for your buyer. CONTACT LINDA REYNOLDS TODAY

HOW TO BUY A HOME WITH ZERO DOWN

ASK ME ABOUT MY LISTING CANCELLATION GUARANTEE

FIND HOMES

FIND CONDOS

FIND VACANT LAND

WHAT'S MY HOME WORTH?

FIND HOMES FOR SALE

Why Use a REALTOR

Some homeowners may think they can save alot of money by handling the sale of their own home. They soon realize a real estate transaction can be very complicated...and that's when they turn to a REALTOR.

Real Estate is a profession that requires a REALTOR to possess the knowledge and expertie necessary to work for their clients' best advantage.

PRICING
REALTORS see your home through professional eyes, with knowledge of pricing factors, current market conditions and comparative value. They can determine whether the price you're considering is unrealistically high or perhaps too low.

MARKETING
With access to a Multiple Listing Service, advertising, other REALTORS who represent buyers, and many other tools such as yard signs, open houses and brochures, REALTORS can market your home in a way you'll find virtually impossible to equal on your own.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Home sales require an enormous amount of administrative and legal paperwork that must meet the letter of the law. Most non-professionals find it an overwhelming task to coordinate the various legal entities and forms required in a real estate transaction. Mistakes can be costly and cause needless delays in the transaction, which could open the homeowner to potential liability.

A DOUBLE DOSE OF PROTECTION
Using a professional REALTOR to conduct your home transactions offers buyers and sellers an extra dose of protection. Ask your REALTOR about including a home warranty plan on the sale or purchase of your home. Home warranties protect both parties in a transaction. Buyers enjoy the comfort of knowing that covered home systems and appliances will be repaired or replaced if they malfunction. while sellers have the security of reduced liability for any after-sale problems. For more information call 1-800-735-4663 or visit the American Home Shield website at www.ahswarranty.com

CHOOSING A PRO
Choosing a REALTOR shouldn't be like drawing a name out of a hat. Basic guidelines apply for both sellers and buyers, complemented by your own judgement and intuition about who will work well for you.

• Ask relatives, neighbors or friends for recommendations.
• Find out which agents specialize in your neighborhood, or have sold many homes there.
• When you've selected possible agents, schedule a time for them to make a formal presentation. If you're selling, have them complete a comparable market analysis (CMA) of your home. This is also the time to find out more about their experience and ideas for selling your home (or finding you one).

Compliments of American Home Shield

LINDA REYNOLDS

"REAL ESTATE PRO"

Helping Dreams Come True

Call Linda Reynolds For a limited time offer, if you list and sell your home through me, I will pay for a home warranty for your buyer. CONTACT LINDA REYNOLDS TODAY

HOW TO BUY A HOME WITH ZERO DOWN

ASK ME ABOUT MY LISTING CANCELLATION GUARANTEE

FIND HOMES

FIND CONDOS

FIND VACANT LAND

WHAT'S MY HOME WORTH?

FIND HOMES FOR SALE

State announces new manatee speed zones

ST PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Sept. 24, 2004 -- Waterfront homeowners in parts of Pinellas, Manatee and Hillsborough Counties hope that new boat speed restrictions imposed by state wildlife commissioners will convince federal Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to approve a backlog of dock permit requests.

The new speed zones won't become effective until the state posts signs along the waterway, which should be completed by early 2005.

But federal officials say the new rules may not be enough, which means waterfront homeowners may still have to wait for dock permits to be approved.

The FWS must sign off on new dock permits, and in many areas along the Gulf Coast, FWS has been sitting on the applications recently, waiting for the state, county or local governments to create protective rules for manatees.

While the central Gulf Coast does not have as many frustrated waterfront homeowners as some cities in Southwest Florida, such as Cape Coral, at least dozens of homeowners are waiting for dock approvals. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service's response, however, it appears that even more protective measures must be put into place before these homeowners can expect an approval for dock construction.

Slow-speed zones announced Wednesday include:

• Pinellas: Near Safety Harbor from April 1 to Nov. 15. Zone runs from the Courtney Campbell Parkway to Oldsmar.

• Hillsborough: The northern edge of the Courtney Campbell Parkway April 1 to Nov. 15; and Rocky Point south to the Gandy Bridge year round.

• Apollo Beach: South of the Tampa Electric Co. power plant for a seasonal idle-speed zone, and a slow-speed zone next to it. The Little Manatee River will be a 25-mph speed zone, with slower limits near the mouth of the river.

• Manatee County: Slow-speed zones exist throughout the county at different locations, but a few unregulated areas remain to accommodate water-skiers.

Source: St. Petersburg Times, Sept. 23, 2004

Linda Reynolds

"Real Estate Pro"

Helping Dreams Come True

What's My Home Worth?

How to Buy a Home With Zero Down

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