| Wednesday, March 10, 2004 Preparing your home for sale Does your home make a good first impression? Does it make a strong statement to neighbors and to potential buyers? If you want to change the message your home is sending, improving its “curb appeal” is a great place to start, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. In observance of “Prepare Your Home to Be Sold Month” in March, NARI offers homeowners planning to sell their homes these tips for readying a home for sale: • Freshen up the exterior by keeping the lawn trimmed and outdoor areas neat. Paint or wash the exterior of the home including windows, shutters, siding and doors. Examine the gutters, chimney and driveway and make necessary repairs. • Clean and brighten rooms with a fresh coat of paint, which will make your home look fresh and new on the inside. Choose colors based on what would appeal to the widest possible number of buyers. An off-white color will make your rooms appear more bright and spacious. Wash wallpaper, tiles, paneling, floors, carpets, tubs and showers. • Eliminate squeaky doors' hinges by oiling them, and be sure that your locks work easily and the keys fit properly. Prospective home buyers, when looking at a house, often want to test things out, so they flip light switches, open doors, turn on faucets and flush the toilets. Make sure water faucet knobs are easy to turn and that they don’t leak, and replace sink fixtures if they don’t look shiny and new. And don’t forget to clean and make repairs underneath sinks. • Eliminate clutter and remove any unnecessary garbage from your closets, garage, attic and basement. Store garbage, debris, lawn mowers and hoses out of sight. A homebuyer’s first impression is based on his or her first view of the house. They call that first impression “curb appeal.” Take a walk across the street and take an objective look at your house. Look at neighboring houses, too, and see how yours compares. When you look at your house from across the street, does it look faded or worn? If so, a paint job may be what’s needed. The front door should be pleasing to the eye, since it is the entryway into the house. If you can’t replace the front door, repaint or refinish it, and polish the door hardware so it sparkles. If your roof leaks, have it repaired prior to putting it on the market. Repairing the roof is more cost efficient than a buyer demanding an entire new roof. For visual appeal, simply reshingling a roof can add visual appeal to your home’s exterior, as can adding a window wall, front porch, or replacing siding or shutters. The remodeling market, a $214 billion industry in the U.S. in 2003, is projected to grow to $224 billion or more in 2004. It is estimated that more than a million homes per year undergo major renovation or remodeling. NARI is a professional association whose members voluntarily subscribe to a strict code of ethics. Consumers may wish to search www.RemodelToday.com to find a qualified professional who is a member of NARI. Consumers can also call the NARI National hotline at 800-611-NARI and request a free copy of NARI’s brochure, “How to Select a Remodeling Professional,” or visit www.RemodelToday.com and click on the homeowner’s guide for more information. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. With more than 6,400 members nationwide, the Association — based in Des Plaines, Illinois, — is “The Voice of the Remodeling Industry.” For membership information or to find a contractor in your area, visit www.RemodelToday.com or contact the national headquarters office at 800-611-NARI.
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