HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-04-27, Page 25THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988. PAGE 25.
^sSg&Home & Garden ’887^
Trying to sell your house? Here are some tips
In spring a young homeowner’s
fancy turns to - selling.
But once you’ve decided to sell
your house, you can’t simply stick a
“For Sale” sign in the ground and
sit back and wait for prospective
buyers to offer megabucks.
In addition to making arrange
ments with a real estate agent,
there are several simple ways to
make your house more marketable
and make it sell faster.
TIDY HOUSE
“Keep the house tidy,” says
Ken Blecher, vice-president and
regional manager for Royal Le-
Page Real Estate. “Besides being
unsightly, unnecessary clutter
tends to shrink the size of a room or
stairway.
“If required, some decorating
should be done, especially to the
hallway, the first area people see.
“Remember, first impressions
are lasting. Shampoo your broad
loom. There is nothing more
unsightly and off-putting than
seeing spots 011 the carpet.”
Alf Tucker, vice-president of
Sleightham Real Estate, stressed
the importance of paying attention
to detail.
“Replace defective material,
screws, and missing or unsightly
doorknobs,’’ said Tucker.
“There’s nothing more annoying
than a leaky faucet or faulty toilet,
so fix it.”
Tucker also suggests you store
surplus furniture thus keeping the
“excess baggage” in your home to
a minimum.
“Emphasize the good points of
your home,” says Tina Ramos, a
real estate agent for Century 21.
“If your kitchen is bright and
Try bulbs to brighten
your summer garden
Within a few weeks, gardeners
everywhere will be putting in
flowering annuals and sturdy
perennials. At the same time, they
can include summer-flowering
bulbs, the later-blooming counter
parts of spring bulbs such as
crocus, tulips or daffodils.
From the beauty of dahlias and
the stately majesty of gladioli, the
wide range of colors and varieties
of summer-flowering bulbs makes
them appropriate in any garden.
And there is no lack of unusual and
attractive options: acidanthera,
canna, tiger flowers, tuberous
begonias and many others.
Bulb flowers are among the best
of the summer-blooming cut flow
ers. Their flowering season equals
that of most perennials and, in
certain cases, comes close to the
best of the annuals.
Summer-flowering bulbs will
bloom again and again if lifted in
the fall, stored indoors, and
roomy, let there be light. If the
house is small, use light colors to
give the impression of size.”
Look atyour house for faults as if
you were the buyer. What will
buyers think when they see the
house for the first time?
Break down the house into four
zones: exterior, interior, basement
and garage. Thoroughly examine
each area.
To give the exterior what the
experts call “curb appeal,” you
can trim lawns, hedges and
shrubs, weed and edge gardens,
pick up litter, clear driveways of
snow and leaves, and repair
eavestroughs. Landscaping has
become more important in recent
years as people move out of
Toronto to larger lots on the
outskirts of the city.
What happens when the front
door opens? Is the porch and foyer
clean and tidy? Does the doorbell
work? Is the door hardware in good
shape? Is the air fresh?
But however well you look after
the exterior, it’s the inside of your
homethatdecideswhetheryou sell
for the price you want.
Here are some suggestions for
preparing the interior for showing.
•Clean furnace and humidifier
•Repair cracked plaster. Bear in
mind that repairs to ceilings and
walls can be indicative of water
damage caused by faulty roofing.
•Touch up chipped paint
•Clean and repair windows
•Repair seals around tub and
basin.
•Replace burned out light bulbs.
•Oil squeaking doors.
•Clean and freshen bathrooms.
•Clean refrigerator and stove,
replaced in the spring. This makes
them more economical than annu
als. For people who wish a simpler
routine, however, summer-flower
ing bulbs can simply be replaced
each year.
One bulb from this category is
beyond all criticism: the lily.
Ideally suited to the mixed border,
lilies actually thrive on competi
tion, for they love nothing better
than the cooling shade of annuals,
ground covers and low shrubs
around their bases.
There is no need to lift these
extra-hardy bulbs.
Choose a well-drained site and
add extra organic matter to
supporttheirrichgrowth. Dig a
planting hole three times the
height of the bulb. (Madonna lilies
are exceptions and require shallow
planting). Place them carefully in
the ground without damaging the
delicate bulbs scales, spreading
the roots as you go.
washer, dryer, and laundry tubs.
You can help create a buying
mood by arranging to be absent
during the showing. Most experts
believe that absence (on the part of
the owner) makes the heart grow
fonder (on the part of the buyer).
HOME a GARDEN
Value Days
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GARDEN PRODUCTS
12 HP LAWN TRACTOR
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Good looking, durable 11-piece resin
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Chair 39.99/Chair Cush ions 29.99 /
Table 49.99 / Table Cover 19.99 /
Umbrella 149.99
Deluxe Hose Reel
Swivel mount. No-rust polyethylene.
Holds 250' of '//" hose |not included!-
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Complete with mounting bracket and
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35,000 B.T.U. Gas BBQ.
450 sq in. cooking area. Window in lid
Temperature gauge. Porcelain cooking
grids. Swing away warming rack. Three
shelves. Tank included
Make sure your pets are being
taken care of somewhere else too.
Advertise the features in your
home. In summer, keep the air
conditioning on; in winter, set a
fire in the fireplace.
A few other quick tricks when
$219."
HOME IMPROVEMENT NEEDS
EVERYTHING FROM A TO Z
you have an open house: open the
curtains, place fresh flowers where
they can be appreciated, play
mellow music, seta pretty table
and have an apple pie or something
equally sweet smelling in the oven
or simmering on the stove.
C“1 7 99 till
V ■ ■ ■ MAY 28/88—
I
0\|ER20yE^S
EXPERIENCE 4
When it
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