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It’s March in the Lake Sunapee Area, and the days are getting warmer. There are reports of temperatures as high as 45°; however, it cools down at night to the low 20s. Bright sun during the day is warming the trees, and spots of bare ground are showing up. It’s the beginning of “Mud Season”, but most importantly, (click here for the whole story then click on "Articles" and "Sugarin' Season") Article and photos by David Jones, reprinted with permission from The Soonipi Magazine

A large percentage of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or take it seriously based on its curb appeal—the view they see when they drive by or arrive for a showing. You can help make sure they want to come inside your house by spending some time working on its exterior appearance. It's difficult to look at our own house in the same way that potential home buyers do. When we become accustomed to the way something looks and functions, we can't see its faults. Decide right now to stop thinking of your property as a home. It's a house—a commodity you want to sell for the highest possible dollar.

Curb Appeal Exercise

The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings.

• What is your first impression of the house and yard area?
• What are the best exterior features of the house or lot? How can you enhance them?
• What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot? How can you minimize or improve them?

Park where a potential buyer would and walk towards the house, looking around you as if it were your first visit. Is the approach neat and tidy? What could you do to make it more attractive? Make a list of the problem areas you discovered. Tackle clean up and repair chores first, then put some time into projects that make the grounds more attractive

• Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools.
• Clean windows and gutters.
• Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks.
• Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks.
• Mow the lawn. Get rid of weeds.
• Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded.
• Trim tree limbs that are near or touching the home's roof.

Don't Forget the Rear View

Buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, include it in your curb appeal efforts.

Evening Curb Appeal

Do your curb appeal exercise again at dusk, because it isn't unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening. One quick way to improve evening curb appeal is with lighting:

• String low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements.
• Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.
• Make sure lighting that's visible through front doors and windows enhances the home's appearance.

If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems—one that lets you stay within your budget. The trick is to find the areas where improvements are needed, then work on them as best you can.

Here are some tips for under $100. Tip 1: Spend an hour with a pro. Invite your realtor or an interior designer over to check out your home. Our office is happy to do this, but you will probably have to pay a consultation fee to a designer. Check with several designers in your area; a standard hourly fee is normally less than $100, and in an hour they can give you lots of ideas for needed improvements. Even small suggested improvements, such as paint colors or furniture placement, can go a long way toward improving the look and feel of your home. Tip 2: Inspect it! Not every home improvement is cosmetic. Deteriorating roofs, termite infestation or outdated electrical systems — you can't fix it if you don't know it's broken. Hire an inspector to check out the areas of your home that you don't normally see. They may discover hidden problems that could negatively impact your home's value. Small problems (such as a hidden water leak) can become big, expensive problems quickly; the longer you put off repairs, the more expensive those repairs will be. Tip 3: Paint , paint, paint. One of the simplest, most cost-effective improvements of all is paint! Freshly painted rooms look clean and updated — and that spells value. When selecting paint colors, keep in mind that neutrals appeal to the greatest number of people, therefore making your home more desirable. On average, a gallon of paint costs around $25, leaving you plenty of money to buy rollers, painter's tape, drop cloths and brushes. So buy a few gallons and get busy! Tip 4: Find inspiration. An alternative to hiring a designer is to search for remodeling and decorating inspiration in design-oriented magazines, books, TV shows and websites. Tip 5: Cut energy costs. The amount of money you spend each month on energy costs may seem like a fixed amount, but many local utility companies provide free energy audits of their customers' homes. They can show you how to maximize the energy efficiency of your home. An energy-efficient home will save you money now, which can be applied to other updates, and is a more valuable and marketable asset in the long run.

The history of Aromatherapy dates back at least to 4000 BC, although the term "aromatherapy" was first used in the 1920s by the French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé who accidentally discovered that lavender oil relieves pain and assists in the healing of burns. Humans can discern about 10,000 smells. Remember Cleopatra? She placed layers of rose petals on her palace floors to entice Mark Antony. She knew the power of scent and got that part right, but according to recent studies, the scents that most attract men are pumpkin pie and anise. Well, she didn’t have our science or pumpkin pie. Today, Aromatherapy is used in almost every bath and beauty product on the shelf.  It is also used by some for healing. "Set the Mood" for a sale in Real Estate. Aromatherapy is especially useful for Open Houses or to assist sellers with pet or cooking odors. Studies have shown that the first thing people notice when they walk into a home is the smell. A strong or unpleasant smell can turn off a buyer immediately. Studies have also shown that a buyer's impression of a home is made in the first 30 seconds upon entering and a buy/no buy decision is not far after. Needless to say, this first impression is critical in the sale of a home, and smell is an important part of the experience. So why not use the buyer's senses to your advantage?  It is possible to not only stage a home to be visually appealing and uncluttered but to also stimulate the buyer's other senses - especially their sense of smell. Set the mood for your home by the use of Essential Oils or candles that include essential oils. If the home is small, you may want to limit the scents to one or possibly two. If the home is larger however, you can set the mood for each of the major areas of the home.  Some examples include: • Lavender Oil - Has a calming effect and would be ideal to set the mood for a master bathroom or bedroom. • Bergamot - Has a fresh, sweet, citrus scent that is familiar to many as the flavoring in Earl Gray, would help create the ideal mood for a master bedroom or bathroom. • Lemon or Citrus - Has a clean, refreshing scent and would be great for a kitchen, bathroom, or dining area. • Peppermint - Has a clean, cooling scent and would be great on a hot summer day in the kitchen or main areas of the home. • Balsam Fir - Has a soothing effect and would be great around the holidays in the main areas of the home. • Jasmine - Has a warm, exotic floral fragrance that creates a feeling of "romance", ideal for the master bath or bedroom.

Soon Spring cleaning will be on your list of things to do. Avoid those harmful chemicals and clean green this year!

Vinegar

Vinegar naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner. Mix a solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a new store bought spray bottle and you have a solution that will clean most areas of your home. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Always test on an inconspicuous area. It is safe to use on most surfaces and has the added bonus of being incredibly cheap. Improperly diluted vinegar is acidic and can eat away at tile grout. Never use vinegar on marble surfaces. Don"t worry about your home smelling like vinegar. The smell disappears when it dries. Here are some uses for vinegar in the rooms of your house.

1. Kitchen & Bathroom - Clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops and floor. Clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and countertops. Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings. Flush the toilet to allow the water level to go down. Pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim. Scrub down the bowl. Mop the floor in the bathroom with a vinegar/water solution. The substance will also eat away the soap scum and hard water stains on your fixtures and tile. Make sure it is safe to use with your tile.

2. Laundry Room - Use vinegar as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.)

Lemons & Lemon Juice

Lemons & Lemon Juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home.

1. Kitchen & Bathroom - Lemon juice can be used taurus love horoscope was the mark of the vernal equinox in the Early Bronze Age and Chalcolithic. to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains. Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture. Put a whole lemon peel through the garbage disposal. It freshens the drain and the kitchen. Orange peels can be used with the same results.

2. Laundry Room - Lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent. Put lemon juice onto white linens and clothing and allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be bleached away.

Baking soda 

Baking Soda can

be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action. Try these three kitchen ingredients as natural cleaning products in your home.

1. Kitchen - Mix a quarter cup of baking soda with a few cups of warm water and wash down the outside of white appliances. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes before rinsing clean and it will help remove yellowing of the appliances and restore the whiteness.

2. Laundry Room - Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash when you add your regular liquid detergent. The baking soda has been known to give you

• St. Patrick’s Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
• In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
• Many cities have a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a huge St. Patrick’s Day festival from March 15-19, that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theatre and more. In North America, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17. Some paint the yellow street lines green for the day! In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737. Montreal is home to Canada’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began in 1824.

But it takes more than the “luck of the Irish” to sell a house in this market… With Spring approaching quickly, buyer activity will be increasing.  The best thing that Sellers can do during this “clean-up” time is to think about their property from a buyer’s perspective.  If a prospective buyer drives by your house, what will his/her first impression be?  The goal is to outshine the competition, to make your property stand out right from the first time a buyer sees it.  With that in mind, consider some small things that you can do to increase the curb appeal of your house. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Clean all your windows so they sparkle (at least the ones which are seen from the street). 2. Put a fresh coat of paint on the entry doors and check for flaking paint at entry points. 3. Rake lawns and sweep sidewalks and driveways. 4. When the time comes, be sure to keep up with the lawn mowing and yard maintenance. 5. Be sure the yard isn’t cluttered and, if you have dogs, patrol for “land mines” left over from the snowy winter. 6. Trim bushes and clean out gardens. 7. Clean porch and outdoor furniture. The goal is to make the buyers stop to contemplate…instead of driving on by!

Let’s face it – showing houses in the middle of winter can be very challenging.  However, if buyers are willing to brave the cold and snow, they are most likely serious about buying.  Here’s what you should be doing to make sure your house doesn’t give them the cold shoulder.

• Keep the driveway clear.  It’s definitely a turn-off f to navigate ice-covered, bumpy driveways.
• Shovel walkways and decks.  Sand if icy.   Not only does it provide safe passage, it also shows you care about your home.
• The house should be warm.  Buyers will rush thru a cold house and it leaves a negative impression.
• Make it light and bright so it shows well even on grey days.  Get rid of heavy drapes, use higher wattage light bulbs.

These are basic & common-sense tips and yet I’ve trudged thru snow drifts, gotten stuck in driveways, and have been in houses where it’s warmer outside than in.   Visit my website for more tips on selling and if you are looking for an experienced Realtor with the common sense to help sell your house in any season, then give me a call!

Donna Forest, ABR

603-526-4116

Understand first of all that there IS a difference between price and value. Price is the amount you are asking for the property. Value is buyer perceived, and this perception of value is influenced by many factors such as location, features, condition, comparison to other purchase options, etc.  By attending to details that can have a positive impact on the value, sellers can significantly increase their chance of attracting qualified buyers willing to pay the asking price. Some tips to achieve a positive impact on value are:

• Perceived size impacts value, even more so than actual square footage. Open floor plans make a room feel bigger than larger spaces with smaller rooms. Showing property that is furniture free, or at reduced clutter, helps to make the space feel bigger.
• Vacancy increases sale-ability. Property is easier to show and easier to sell, and quicker to take possession of when it is vacant at the time it is offered for sale. Evidence of problems to take possession of the property -- such as encroachments, or tenants who won’t allow buyer tours -- negatively impact value. Vacancy also helps the buyer walk through the property imagining ownership. Sellers should remove personal trinkets and family pictures as well as being conveniently absent during a buyer tour.
• Cosmetics are important.
• Fresh paint will always add more value than it costs.
• Clean or new carpet/flooring adds more value than it costs.
• Landscaping adds more value than it costs. At the very minimum, make the entrance area neat.
• If you can, add some colorful flowers and new grass.
• Take care of the obvious! The spot on the ceiling from the roof leak takes thousands of dollars from the perceived value and the offer price.
• Condition affects value. Do a seller's home inspection to identify and fix the problem BEFORE closing. No point holding up your check a few extra days; plus a failed buyer's inspection could cost you the sale. Buyers will often bargain down your asking price to accommodate for property condition and repairs.
• If you can, remodel/update the kitchen and master bathroom. These two areas have a big impact on home buying decisions.
• Strategic renovations impact value and your bottom line. Don't spend more money to renovate the place than you can recapture in value on the sales price.

(reproduced in part from  www.yahoo.com)

For the third month in a row, there has been an increase in sales of existing homes (which include single-family, condominium, townhomes and co-ops). For the first time in seven months, the sales activity has outpaced that of a year ago at 5.3% above the 5.09 million level in January of 2010. “The uptrend in home sales is consistent with improvements in the economy and jobs, which are helping boost consumer confidence,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “The extremely favorable housing affordability conditions are a big factor, but buyers have been constrained by unnecessarily tight credit. As a result, there are abnormally high levels of all-cash purchases, along with rising investor activity.”  Yun added, “Increases in all-cash transactions, the investor market share and distressed home sales all go hand-in-hand. With tight credit standards, it’s not surprising to see so much activity where cash is king and investors are taking advantage of conditions to purchase undervalued homes.” Prices, however, were still down with the national median existing-home price for all housing types at $158,800 for January, down 3.7% from the same time last year.  NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I., said the median price is being dampened by unusual market factors.  “Unprecedented levels of all-cash purchases, primarily of distressed homes sold at deep discounts, undoubtedly pulls the median price downward,” Phipps said. “Given the levels of inventory we see today, we believe that traditional homes in good condition have held their value.” With 3.38 million existing homes available for sale, total housing inventory represents a 7.6-month supply at the current sales pace, down from an 8.2-month supply in December. This is the lowest level since December 2009 when there was a 7.3-month supply. Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 4.6% to an annual pace of 830,000 in January from a spike in December and are 1.2% below January 2010. The median price in the Northeast was $236,500, which is 4.0% below a year ago. Source:  National Association of REALTORS®

Not every renovation will necessarily add value to your home for potential buyers. They may not like your choices. People also like to make their own renovations over time. There are certainly some which are sought after, but there are definitely some which aren’t, including the following:

Swimming pools. In most instances, it’s unrealistic to think that the addition of a pool will increase your property’s chances of selling.

 Over-improving for your neighborhood. If your renovations drive the price of your property well beyond its neighbors, you’re making a mistake. Plus, you may well have increased the maintenance costs and taxes on your property, also unappealing to buyers.

Extensive landscaping. In general, adding a lot of landscaping (without specific purpose) is personal and may not appeal to a buyer. Keeping your yard mowed and picked up and your bushes trimmed is a better choice.

Some High-end upgrades. Thing like imported tiles, fancy bath tubs, built-in Jacuzzis, hand-decorated wallpaper, Persian rugs, expensive light fixtures, etc., may be appealing to you, but they can be very personal choices which buyers would prefer to make themselves.

Wall-to-wall carpeting. Better to clean than replace which again allows for the buyers’ personal choices. Don’t cover wood flooring. It’s better to refinish it than cover it with carpeting.

Invisible improvements. Things like new plumbing and heating systems sound great on paper, but everyone expects there to be heating and plumbing in the house they buy. Make sure it has been serviced recently and is functioning properly. In general, buyers are more impressed by what they see.

A refinished or well-decorated basement. This is the type of improvement which might help clinch a sale to some buyers, but they still might not be ready to pay more for this feature. It’s unlikely that it will pay you back.

Building or upgrading a deck. Be sure that your existing deck is in good repair, but money spent on new or upgraded decks probably won’t make the difference in your selling price.

Patio frills. Water fountains, fish ponds, awnings, gazebos, or a multi-purpose playground are expensive “luxuries” which may or may not impress a buyer and may even help clinch a sale, but they too are not likely to increase the value of a home to the extent of their cost.

The addition or expansion of a garage or carport. Garages are one of those things that, in our part of the country, people want and assume that most properties will have. They might be willing to pay a bit more if the house has one, but, again, not perhaps as much as it cost you to add one.

This article was adapted from an article which appeared on Yahoo! Finance, on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. It was written by Fred Fletcher, a Yahoo! Contributor.