Preparing a Home for Market I typically work one-on-one with my listing clients to help them evaluate what steps will help them achieve top dollar for their home in a reasonable amount of time. If I can be of service to you, please give me a call or send an email. Below are some guidelines to help you begin to get started with your preparations. The Twin Cities is a large market and generally, there are lots of properties from which a buyer can make a choice. A seller has only one home to sell and one chance to make a first impression. It has been my experience that the effort put into preparing a home for market will pay huge dividends in terms of shortening the time the home will be on the market and the eventual price received for the home. Having your home on the market is NOT fun; it's stressful. You may feel you are walking on pins and needles trying to keep your home looking show ready perfect. Your home is being opened up to public scrutiny and there is a certain loss of privacy in the process. To make matters worse, your life is being interrupted as you run out of your home to accommodate showing requests. It's a tiring process for even the heartiest of souls. The best way to stay in control of the process is to get ahead of the ball and get your preparations done up front, not weeks into the listing. There are four basic rules of thumb in preparing a home for market to achieve top dollar in the shortest amount of time: If it's broken, fix it. If it's soiled, clean it. If it's out of style, update it. Everyone is part of the process. It's important to be able to view your home objectively through the eyes of a potential buyer. Sometimes, it's helpful to get out and look at homes you'll be competing against. Your real estate agent can help to show you the competition. There are five steps to the process that can be applied in each area of your home: UNCLUTTERING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, DEPERSONALIZING and STAGING. Below are suggestions that real estate agents commonly make in advising their clients in preparing for market. Few homes will need to apply all of these suggestions, but you know who you are. . . if you see your home in the comments below, you may have some work ahead of you if you want to achieve top dollar in the sale of your home. To begin your preparations, start on the outside and work your way in. You'll want to assess your home's curb appeal. It is estimated that as many as half of all homes are sold before the buyers even get out of the car. Here's a checklist of outside maintenance tasks: EXTERIOR CURB APPEAL What is the age and condition of the roof? Is it due for a replacement or a cleaning to eliminate stains? If you replace the roof, would a different color or style of shingle give your home more curb appeal? Mow, water, fertilize and weed the lawn and landscape. Shrubbery should be trimmed away from the house and overhanging tree limbs should not rub on the house or the roof. If tree limbs drape over power lines, call your utility company to see if they will do the trimming for you. Make sure you have operational extensions on all downspouts and the gutters are free of leaves and debris. Clean up pet areas and restore any damaged sod. Walks and driveways should be free of ice, snow, weeds and anthills. Sweep, plow, shovel, resurface or repair as needed. Siding and fences should be painted if needed or hosed off to remove dirt and cobwebs. If your home was built before 1978, scraping, sanding and disposal of paint chips should be done following guidelines for lead paint. (Call me; I'll be happy to send you an informational pamphlet.) If you paint, would a different color give your home a more updated look? Generally, a home will have more curb appeal if the front door is painted a color that is different than any other color on the house. Remove extra vehicles from driveway and curb view. Decorations should be done with a light touch and kept seasonally appropriate. Pots of bright flowers, a wreath or a doormat can add charm. Fresh rock or mulch around landscaping will brighten an entryway. Agents will be looking for your house number, make sure it is bright and visible. A new lock set at the front door that operates smoothly will ensure a pleasant entry into the home. If your home has a private well or septic system, having water quality test results, sealed well records and a septic certification up front will eliminate surprises before closing. Check your windowsills, lower panels of siding and trim areas at the bottom of doorways for wood rot or deterioration. Make certain all windows and doors operate freely. A repair now will save an inspection issue later. KITCHEN Clear excess appliances and decorations from the counter tops to make them look larger. Take all the magnets and memos off of the refrigerator. If your counter tops are damaged, stained or in poor condition, replace them and give serious consideration to upgrading laminate countertops to a solid surface material such as granite, quartz or acrylic. In kitchens today, it's all about the counter top, and for any home priced from the $200's-$300's, an upgraded countertop will give you an edge against the competition. From the $400's on up, laminate is a serious disadvantage. Similarly, if your appliances are harvest gold, avocado green or in poor condition, new appliances or an upgrade to stainless steel appliances will add attraction to your kitchen. Clean cupboards both inside and out. If your cabinet hardware is dated or worn, fresh hardware is easy to install and most kitchens can be updated for $100-200. Vents and exhaust hoods should be grease free and deodorized as needed. Appliances should shine inside and out. Replace any broken parts or burnt out light bulbs and add new drip pans to the range top if needed. Sinks should be stain free and the faucet should not leak. Garbage areas should be cleaned and deodorized. Floors, walls and light fixtures should be clean and bug free. Check the switch plates for fingerprints. Add GFI outlets near the kitchen sink if there are none currently in place to avoid an inspection finding in the future. The all white kitchen was hot in the 90's, give your walls a coat of paint in a color that coordinates with the rest of your home to give the whole kitchen a crisp and updated look. Ceiling grids were popular in the '80's but no more, take them out to enhance the airiness of the kitchen and add height to the ceiling. BATHROOMS Mirrors with condensation damage can be re-silvered or replaced. Replace cracked or stained vanity tops. Loose tiles and water damaged walls in tub surrounds should be repaired or covered with a new surround. Grout and caulking should be in good condition and mildew free. Toilets should be securely fastened to the floor, be stain free and flush properly. Clean dust and cobwebs from the ceiling fan. If the fan is excessively loud or rattles, replace it. Make sure all the light bulbs are working and are matched styles and wattage. Keep shower areas fresh between showings with daily shower spray cleaners and use a squeegee on glass shower doors to keep water spots at bay. Remove hard water or rust stains with Lime-a-Way or CLR. If your bath does not have a GFI outlet, replace the current outlet to eliminate an inspection finding down the road. Add a fresh shower curtain and towels, scented soaps or candle to add appeal. A new light fixture and/or faucet can give a bathroom a quick update. OTHER ROOMS Take out newspapers or old magazines and remove excess or unhealthy plants. When it comes to bookshelves, less is more. Lighten the number of things stored on shelves or displayed on mantles. Remove displays of family photos, awards, trophies and dead animals. Have carpets professionally cleaned and if you have pets, also have them deodorized. Consider boarding your pet during the time the home is on the market. During showings, it's best to remove pets from the property or kennel them. It's been my experience that one third of buyers dislike cats, one third of buyers are afraid of dogs and the remaining third have pet allergies. You love your pet, but don't let it cost you thousands of dollars. In the winter, a fire in the fireplace always makes a nice impression. Gas fireplaces make this easy, but a Duraflame log from the grocery store will last 3-4 hours -- they are perfect for open house. If you have a wood-burning fireplace and use it often, and haven't had the fireplace cleaned in the last couple of years, consider hiring a chimney sweep. Have any loose mortar or damaged bricks on or in the fireplace repaired. Check your chimney to ensure it is clear of debris, nests or animals (i.e. bats, raccoons, squirrels, etc.). Fresh flowers will add charm to a room. Take out the wallpaper. Heavy dark beams or paneling from the 70's can make a room appear dark and dreary. It may look better painted a light color, but will likely need to be primed. Sparkle ceilings should be painted with flat paint. Think about the temperature in the home. You may hate air conditioning, but buyers will flee a hot home. In the winter, remember that buyers will be wearing coats so an overly warm home will be uncomfortable. During the daylight hours, open window blinds and drapes for showings. After dark, draw blinds and drapes. For all showings, regardless of the time of day, if it glows, turn it on. Having all the lights on creates a welcome to buyers and helps them really see the beauty of your home. (Agents can be instructed to turn the lights off at the conclusion of the showing.) Have soft background music in the home. I once had a seller who wanted me to have her big screen TV on during the open house because the Vikings were playing. I asked her, "Do you want people to be looking at your house or watching the game?" (Keep the television turned off during showings.) Evaluate the flow and spaciousness of your rooms. Might they show architectural details of the home better with a different furniture arrangement, with some pieces of furniture removed or furniture from different areas swapped to enhance the home's appeal? A good agent can help you with staging your home, may be knowledgeable in fung shui principals, or may be able to suggest another professional to help. A philosopher once said, "There should be nothing in your home that is neither useful nor beautiful." Excess possessions that you don't plan to move should be thrown out, given away or sold. Make certain your draperies are dust free, floors are well vacuumed and hardwood floors are polished. Light bulbs/fixtures should be clean. Remove any tape or paint residue from woodwork anywhere in the house. Closet doors should operate smoothly. Carpets should be stain free or replaced. If you keep to one color theme for carpet throughout all or most of the home, the home will appear larger than if there were a different color/floor covering in every room. Patch and paint walls as needed. Color on walls is "in", but be careful not to get too far out of the mainstream. Rich red accent walls, soft greens, neutral taupe and tans are popular. If you have white woodwork, you can use bolder colors more effectively. Adding color requires skill and a steady hand to keep colored paint off a white ceiling and to keep the cut in crisp. If you aren't skilled, hire a professional. Use high quality blue painter's tape to keep paint off woodwork. During the winter months, remove screens from windows to let more light into the home. Windows should be sparkling clean as well as the windowsills. Remove posters, glow in the dark ceiling stickers and wall decals from children's bedrooms and arrange desks or play areas attractively. Decorative pillows or shams can make a bed more appealing. Patch and paint as needed. Consider neutralizing the walls of pink or blue themed rooms, as a buyer may not have the same gender or number of children in their family. BASEMENT - GARAGE - DECK If you have packed things that you want to remove from your home for showings, you can stack boxes neatly in a storage area or garage provided the garage is dry. Tool areas should be straightened and neatened. Dispose of extraneous wood and parts that you've saved for the last 20 years because you might need one some day. Old paint cans, solvents or lawn and garden chemicals should be disposed of at your county hazardous waste drop off site. Change the filter on your furnace. If the furnace is more than 15 years old, consider having it cleaned and certified. Eliminate any drips from the water heater, water softener or laundry area plumbing. Any electrical outlets near the laundry tub should be a GFI. If you have a sump pump that drains into the laundry tub, this is a violation of most municipalities’ ordinances for waste water and it will be called out in a buyer's inspection. Have a licensed plumber create a proper connection to evacuate water to the yard away from the foundation of the home. Degrease the garage floor if needed. Remove cobwebs from the garage. Check the automatic reverse of the garage door opener by placing a roll of paper towels under the garage door. If it crushes the paper towel roll, adjust the setting until it reverses when it starts to depress the paper towel roll. If your garage door does not have automatic reverse, consider replacement, as it is a safety hazard. If your garage door opener is hooked up with an extension cord, this is a fire hazard that will be called out in a home inspection. Have a licensed electrician wire a proper outlet for the garage door opener. Paint, stain or seal your deck if needed, but don't do the underside of the deck. The underside of the deck needs to be able to breathe and let moisture in the wood out. Painting it will shorten the life of the deck. Replace any rotten wood on the deck before painting. Driveway aprons, concrete driveways, patios or sidewalks that have settled can be mud jacked into place. HAVE A PLAN When you get the call requesting a showing; try to accommodate it if at all possible. However, if you are home sick in bed with the flu or recovering from surgery, it's better to decline the showing. You may not get a second chance with that particular buyer, but your own health should be your first priority. Everyone in the family should have a job assignment to get ready for showings. Young children can turn on the lights and put their toys in the toy box. Older ones can give the bathrooms a once over and put out the good towels. Dad can run the vacuum. Mom can get the laundry out of the way or straighten up the kitchen. Everyone should make his or her own bed every morning. Make this a team effort for the whole family. Leave the showing to the professionals. Homeowners often find it difficult not to "oversell" their home and bore buyers by showing them the inside of every closet in the home. In addition, buyers are generally uncomfortable viewing a home with the owner at home. They feel intimidated and that they are intruding on a seller's privacy. Try not to be home during showings. Run an errand, take a walk or go on vacation. Buyers need privacy to evaluate a home for their personal lifestyle. If there is a question that your agent can't answer, he or she will contact you for the answer. Your agent has been trained to answer questions honestly and appropriately to avoid making statements that buyers may construe as warranties or guarantees and keep your transaction from ending up in litigation. Posted by Mary Leizinger on December 22, 2008 at 11:31 AM About Mary Leizinger Mary began her real estate career in 1992, after 13 years in the banking industry in various technology related roles. She was born, raised and educated in the Twin Cities. Chances are she's sold or shown a home in your Minneapolis area neighborhood or community as well. In addition to a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in Marketing, Mary has earned the major designations and certifications offered through the National Association of REALTORS by pursuing advanced training for buyer representation, residential real estate specialization, relocation service, computer proficiency and real estate investment. Her web sites have received top honors for excellence in design, content and consumer experience. She has been recognized for sales performance throughout her real estate career. Mary has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal Online, REALTOR Magazine, Realty Times and in the Southwest Journal. She has been a contributor to Drexel Burnam Lambert's real estate market analysis for the Minneapolis-St. Paul market and she has been a real estate columnist for the Victoria Gazette, her home town newspaper. She has been named a "Super Real Estate Agent" by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business for 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. She has ranked in the top 100 individual agents in sales production in the RE/MAX North Central Region. Mary provides referrals worldwide through the RE/MAX family of companies; as well as the Residential Sales Council, the Real Estate Buyer's Agency Council and the e-PRO graduate networks of the National Associaition of REALTORS. Mary lives with husband Patrick in the Deer Run golf community of Victoria, where she enjoys swimming, and her neighborhood book club, card club, garden crawl and golf league. She has one adult son and eight nieces and nephews with family in Tonka Bay, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Chaska, Edina, Plymouth, Crystal, Corcoran and Austin, MN as well as Naples and Ft. Myers, FL and Tuscon, AZ. As a life-long resident of the Twin Cities, she has also lived in Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, Orono, St. Paul, Crystal, and Plymouth. As of 03/15/10 the Mary Leizinger RePage is ranked at 44 with 10,945 points. The monthly top RePage owner will receive a cash prize. Help this agent by bookmarking this site and posting it to blogs and other Web pages and encourage others to visit.

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Local Information for Eden Prairie, MN

Latitude: 44.853663 -- Longitude: -93.460837

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ZIP Codes for Eden Prairie, Minnesota	55343  55344  55346  55347
Area Code for Eden Prairie, Minnesota	952
Time zone for Eden Prairie, Minnesota	CST

Other Area Cities:   Chaska, MN  Eden Prairie, MN  New Hope, MN  Richfield, MN  Robbinsdale, MN  Andover, MN  Edina, MN  Wayzata, MN  Saint Louis Park, MN 

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For most of its existence, Eden Prairie has been dormant, pastoral village on the far southwestern fringes of the Twin Cities area. Between 1880 and 1960, Eden Prairie’s population barely changed. During those 80 years, the population increase was only 1,300 people, from 739 in 1880 to 2,000 in 1960. Native Americans were the first to live in the area. In 1851, a treaty opened land west of the Mississippi River to settlement allowing pioneers to settle in what is now Eden Prairie. The town board of Eden Prairie held its first meeting in a log school house on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. However, Eden Prairie's farming community grew slowly over the years. Flying Cloud Airport was the first sign of big development in 1946. The 1960s and 1970s were decades of growth for the City's parks and recreation system. In the mid-70's, the community earned a higher profile with the addition of Interstate 494 and the Eden Prairie Shopping Center. -- Source: Wikipedia.com