Making your
home look as nice as possible may seem obvious. Apparently, it's not, because
many sellers don't do much beyond vacuuming the living room rug and maybe
cleaning the ring off the bathtub, says George Devine, in "For Sale by Owner,"
Nolo Press, Berkeley, Calif.; 1993. Short of spending a lot of money, Devine
offers several steps people can take to make their home show better:
· Sweep the
sidewalk, mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and clean debris
from the yard.
· Clean the
windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking.
· Be sure
that the doorbell works.
· Clean and
make attractive all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. It's
especially important that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless.
· Organize
closets.
· Make sure
the basic appliances and fixtures work. Get rid of leaky faucets and frayed
cords.
· Ensure that
the house smells good: from an apple pie or cookies baking, for example. Hide
the kitty litter.
· Put vases
of fresh flowers throughout the house.
· Pleasant
background music is a nice touch.
