October/November 2013 - Inspired Woman Magazine

JB Get rid of pet odors and don’t evenhave the evidence of pets around whenyou are showing your house, put thebowls away and hide the litter box. And,clear the magnets off the refrigerator!JM Think about what is hanging inchildren’s rooms, posters and pictures,or if there is anything a little personalthat you may not want displayed whileyour house is for sale.IW Is there an easy, economical wayto fix dinged up cabinetry?JB There are wood finish stain markersthat touch up scratches on cabinets,furniture and baseboards.JM She just fixed a cabinet end panelthat a chair back had scratched up. Itlooked brand new!IW What about the exterior of thehome?JM It is so important, you never get asecond chance to make a first impression.People will do a drive by and ifyour house does not look good, youmay not even get them inside. Even justchanging doorknobs, spray painting thehardware, or light fixtures.JB Paint the door, add some pottedplants, trim the shrubs, keep the lawnweed free and mowed.IW What would you suggest for anoutdated bathroom vanity?JB Paint it!JM There is new Rustoleum paint forcabinets and countertops. Or, you canreplace the countertop for around $200.Plus you can change the faucet and hardware.A new countertop and faucet willmake the whole piece look new.IW What are some things to considerin keeping a home up to date and fresh?JM Most of us are frugal Norwegiansand Germans who don’t tend to changethings very often. We become obliviousto what we are living in. I alwaystell people to think of what they want tosee when they walk into a house...whatwould they be turned off by?JB My recommendation for do-ityourselfpainters: do not use tape onbaseboards and trim. It oftentimesleaks through. And it takes a lot of timeto clean off that dried paint. I suggestusing a good, angled paintbrush and asteady hand.. So, hire a professional ifyou don’t think you can keep the linesstraight. Also, if you have a small houseand you want the rooms to appear bigger,keep wall colors and flooring thesame. It just flows better.JM I agree, doing a bunch of differentcolors in one area is not good. Getrid of old carpet. It is easy to lay thatclick and lock laminate. If it screams 25years ago, it will be more difficult to sell.Kitchens and bathrooms are the mostexpensive rooms to do, but there aresome things you can do on a shoestring.Add a tile backsplash, change the hardwareon the cabinetry. Clean the groutand replace old, cracked caulking.Happy Selling!Contact Judy Maslowski at 400.7516/224.1100 or judysbismanhomes.com.Contact Jen Bjork at 400.4536 orjbcolor.net. See their ads on page 2.OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 INSPIRED WOMAN 15