Preparation is Key

No bites after the weekend showings and Open House.

There's both a sense of relief and a sense of disappointment.  Our house is quirky.

It's not one to which the traditional Stratford buyer will respond.  We're gonna need

some "outsiders" like we were.

But, checking with the "experts" anyway.

http://homebuying.about.com/od/sellingahouse/ht/homeprep.htm

Okay, we're pretty good up to item # 4.

And then I read about "home staging."

Professional stagers are highly skilled artists. They can take a blank canvas and paint a sensuous portrait without ever lifting a paint brush. Stagers possess the skills of a top-level designer and they create dramatic scenery that appeals to all five senses...The Kitchen is the "heart of the home," and here is practical advice for making that space sparkle:

• Apply orange oil to cabinets that appear dry, which will renew their original luster
• Put out large bowls of fruit such as polished apples, bright oranges, luscious grapes
• Arrange colorful and fun cookbooks on the counters

  Bring the outdoors inside through the use of greenery and plants; in creating clean, crisp spaces and arranging furniture with plenty of room to walk around. She says bathrooms are essential to dress well. "Bathrooms should look open, airy and delightful." A favorite tricks is to add baskets filled with spa treatments such as:

• Towels, tied with ribbons
• Scented soaps
• Creamy lotions
• Moisturizing & Facial jars

The back yard needs staging, too. For patios and decks, bring in plants and potted flowers, and adds additional color by setting the picnic table with bright, plastic dinner plates.

We're screwed.