| The line between CONDITIONING and STAGING is blurred to say the least. Some would say that anything you do make your home more appealing to buyers is in fact 'staging.' And that's true. However, conditioning the home has more to do with fixing, repairing, and updating, than the psychological 'look at me - and don't forget me' appeal that staging actually provides. The following tips deal mainly with 'conditioning,' however, since some 'staging' can actually be done at the same time we include some staging tips here as well. Follow these general guidelines and your home will look better than the competition. For more staging tips see: Staging Your Home To Sell. Interior Do's Interior Tips Exterior Do's Exterior Tips Inside Conditioning- Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items. In general, a sparsely decorated home helps the buyer mentally ‘move in’ with their own things.
- Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home, if necessary. Many times home owners have too much furniture in a room. When it comes to selling your home, thin out overcrowded rooms to make the rooms appear larger.
- Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn’t been used for three months. . . put it away out of sight! Clear refrigerator of messages, magnets, pictures, etc.
- In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from the countertops, tub, shower stall and commode top. Keep only the most necessary cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels in one or two colors only.
- Take down, reduce, or rearrange pictures and objects on walls. Patch and paint all walls, if necessary.
- Review the house interior, room by room, and:
- Paint any room needing paint. (use a flat sheen)
- Clean carpet and drapes that need it.
- Clean windows so they sparkle.
- If you need room to store extra possessions use the garage or rent a storage unit.
- Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house.
- During showings turn on ALL lights and lamps.
- There's a good reason all movies have background music. Play light FM music softly in the house, for all viewings.
OutsideConditioning Make spring cleaning less of a chore by following these smarter—and mostly greener—tips for this annual rite of homeownership.  Getting your home’s heating system professionally serviced every year will keep it running smoothly and help keep heating costs under control.  The decision to repair or replace heating equipment depends on its age, the cost of repair, and how much money a more efficient system will save you.  Some electrical dangers are hidden inside the walls, but if you know the warning signs, you can keep an electrical fire from happening in your home.  Solving wet-basement problems is one of the most important things you can do to protect the value of your home and health of your family.
OutsideConditioning- Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., to the garage or, better yet, take them to the dump. Your moving. Get rid of everything you don't want to move.
- Check gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Make sure they are swept & cleaned. Clean those unsightly algae stains from light colored roofs.
- Look at all plants. Plants are like children. . . they grow too fast. Prune back bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows: “You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it!”
- Remove any dead plants, weed all planting areas and put down fresh mulching material.
- Keep your lawn freshly cut, edged and fertilized during the growing season.
- Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc.
- Check the condition of the paint on your home, especially the trim and the front door. The first impression, or ‘curb appeal,’ is very important.
OutsideConditioningIf you live in the Midwest, here are maintenance jobs you should complete in spring and summer to prevent costly repairs and keep your home in top condition.  If you live in the Midwest, here are maintenance jobs you should complete every fall and winter to prevent costly repairs and keep your home in peak condition.  The annual cleaning and repair of your home’s exterior will pay off in a long life and increased value.  Finding and addressing drainage problems when they’re smaller and easier to fix, can save you thousands of dollars and plenty of headaches down the line.  Maintaining gutters is the most important thing you can do to prevent water from damaging your house, and keeping them in shape is an easy homeowner task.
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Spring & Summer Seasonal Maintenance Guide--Midwest
