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7 Victoria Day Thursday, May 19, 2011 hottesthomes .ca Homeowners insurance can be your MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION. Getting Your House Ready to Sell So, you've decided to take the plunge and put your house up for sale. Well, now the hard work begins - preparing your house for sale is a critical step to ensuring you get the highest price possible in the shortest period of time. But where do you start? Let's look at your house from the buyer's perspective: Curb Appeal - Make the best first impression by cleaning up your garden and cutting the grass; paint your garage door and front door; and seal your driveway. Take the time to plant some fresh flowers, add a tree and repair that tattered screen door. Dramatic Entrance An inviting entrance can be achieved with neutral wall colours, freshly painted trim, and a new light fixture. Make smaller foyers appear larger with a funky new mirror, and be sure to clean out the front hall closet so it too appears larger. Spacious and Uncluttered Home buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house with their furniture and belongings, so the more mementos, family portraits, and "stuff" that you can remove the better. This goes for storage areas, closets, the garage, and dark corners in the basement too. Bright and Fresh - Paint dark rooms and hallways with brighter neutral colours; remove busy and dated wallpaper, and put a fresh coat of paint on marred trim. You don't have to paint every room, but be as objective as possible when thinking about how other people see your space, and make your painting decisions based on that. Let the Sunshine In Let as much natural light in as possible by opening drapes and blinds, removing sheers, and cutting back intrusive bushes. Traffic Flow - Remove furniture that limits traffic flow or is too large for the space it is in. If you need more furniture to fill a large space try moving what you have around, or inquire about renting or borrowing pieces that complement the space. Eye Popping Accents - Add ambiance and colour with strategic placement of lighting, art, colourful pillows and throws, fresh cut flowers and other accent pieces. Try to brighten each room with something special. Cleaning, de-cluttering and decorating is an essential part of getting your home ready and can make a significant difference in how much you sell your house for and how quickly. As a professional REALTOR®, I can help you identify what work needs to be done, and will help you with repair, decorating and staging decisions. Just give me a call! Thom Gallagher is a Sales Representative with Johnson Associates Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage. Mike Francis, Agent 123 Main Street South · Georgetown, ON L7G 3E5 Bus: 905-877-9652 · · mike.francis.qg7g@statefarm.com mike@mikefrancis.ca LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR, STATE FARM IS THERE. Providing Insurance and Financial Services ® P048100CN State Farm Fire and Casualty Company Canadian Head Office, Aurora, Ontario 02/05 Clean Lines Fresh Finish WOW Factor! FREE Call Today 905-703-1221 ESTIMATES ASK FOR KEVIN www.bauerpainting.com Janet Knox thom@hottesthomes.ca SALES REPRESENTATIVE Listing? Buying? Call me! OFFICE 905.877.5165 DIRECT 416.524.6530 247 GUELPH ST., GEORGETOWN For more information on this article or to discuss listing or www.designswithheart.ca buying a home, call Thom at designswithheart@hotmail.com 416.524.6530 or visit www. hottesthomes.ca 905-691-1161 Call us for all your arboriculture needs. From stump grinding to large tree removal. Dominion Lending Centres Homestead Financial, #11711 An Independently Owned & Operated Corporation Catherine Evel, Lic. # M08001936 Ph: 905-690-6834 Cell: 905-741-2110 Fax: 905-690-4493 email: catherine.evel@dominionlending.ca http://www.catherineevel.ca Free Estimates Fully Insured TREE FIX 26 Guelph St, Georgetown · 905 877-9896 carpetone.com · 1-800-CARPET-1 (Downtown Georgetown) When it comes to flooring...nobody does it better.® Call today to speak with an Accredited Mortgage Professional