If you have a small business, where do you store your tools, products or
supplies?  If you have children and have motorized toys of one sort or
another, where do you store them?

Well if you are like most of us, your garage is no longer a hiding place for
your car or truck.  What if you could move all your business tools and
supplies or all your family’s toys out?  This could immediately improve
your standing with your wife.  Hence the suggestion of purchasing a small
enclosed utility trailer.  Of course your towing vehicle’s power and size
will ultimately help you decide exactly what type of trailer to consider, but
any enclosed trailer will serve double duty for just about any homeowner.

Not only will a good enclosed trailer make hauling of your “stuff” much
easier then filling a car trunk or truck bed, but it will also serve as needed
additional storage space.  What homeowner can’t use more storage space?

Plus, locating a good used trailer is pretty easy with the advent of
online trailer sales. 
Online shopping is also very handy to enable you to purchase all your
trailer
parts and accessories also.  You can easily find everything
from replacement lighting to axles and brakes for just about any utility trailer
without leaving your desk.

If you see a new trailer in your future, you really should
click through and read an excellent article that will help you
select the
best utility trailer for your personal needs.

All Home Sellers have a few things in common.  First, they obviously want to sell their home as quickly and for as much money as possible.  Secondly, they do not want to spend one more cent on a house they are about to leave.  Plus, most homeowners think they are paying the realtor too much.  We’ll discuss that in another thread.

I can be as thrifty as the next person but being around real estate for decades has taught me some simple truths.  Houses, in most cases do not sell themselves.   It is a very rare thing when a realtor can walk into a home and not see ways they might improve the presentation.  This really is where the experience of the realtor pays off.  He or she has to determine how open the seller will be to suggestions for improvement.  Hint: this separates those who really want to sell your home from those who only want another listing.

Most people are comfortable in their homes.  Being comfortable, most home owners really don’t appreciate that the wall paper might be coming loose or is dated, or maybe the bright red wall in the living room is just a bit too much.  Maybe they don’t notice the interesting odor coming from their 7 cats and 3 dogs?

A couple years ago a home owner called me to come evaluate their home because they couldn’t understand that although a dozen people had viewed their home, no offers were forthcoming?  As I walked in, I was almost sickened by the odor resulting from the pets in the house. 

In reality, no air freshener would ever hide the stains on the living room carpet.

Don’t mistake my comments here.  The owner was a very nice person but had grown so used to the stains and the odor that it simply didn’t matter to the family living there.  You might be surprised at how many times this happens.  They simply had the attitude that the new owners would buy new carpets anyway. 

When I pointed out the problem (very discretely) they decided to have me clean the carpets and they would load up on cans of air freshener for the next possible buyer’s visit.

We ended up with a compromise.  Cleaning the carpet would not solve the odor problem.  It was too far gone so we removed the carpet and cleaned the hardwood floors.  This solved the problem and didn’t blow their budget.

The point is this, a good realtor would have mentioned this before listing the home.  Of course, it is possible they did and the homeowner simply didn’t agree.

Hello, I’m Doc,

I’m the owner of A-Plus Home Care based in North Eastern PA. 

Selling a House is not a simple thing in a good economy.  In today’s economy selling a home can be a tramatic experience to say the least. 

You have realtors telling you that your home is worth much less then you believed possible while shoppers are trying to take advantage of you.  That is if your realtor is skilled enough to get would be buyers in your front door.

How do I know this to be true? 

Easy, I’ve worked on homes in various forms of maintenance, cleaning and repair for over 35 years.  I sold a home and moved to my current home about 6 years ago as the real esate market was slowing locally.  Last year, I decided to sell our current home to move closer to our family.  Although my home was in top shape, the realtor I seclected was lost in a declining market.  But I’m not blaming him, I’m the one who selected him.  These are definitely difficult times.

So I got up, dusted myself off and did a lot of research and selected a new company and realtor to represent me.  In doing so I realized there are thousands in my area alone in the exact same situation.  So having a real life perspective on the current market plus 35 years experience helping others prepare their homes for sale gives me something to share.  I’ve also had close friends who are realtors over the years and I know what they face.

So this blog is going to be dedicated to helping house SELLERS prepare their homes for sale.  HGTV is great for ideas, but I know what really works and what is really worth an investment in time and money.  Lets face it, most people do not want to sink thousands of dollars into a home they know they will lose money on.  My associates and I will attempt to help you through the maze of misinformation that exists.  Plus along the way, I’ll share my experiences in selling my home in a down market.