Washington DC Realtor

When you are trying to sell your Palisades or Georgetown home you think about all of the obvious things you should address. The dirty or stained carpet, the dusty shelves and maybe even the spotty mirror in the bathroom; but you may be surprised with potential home buyers spot when they walk in your home and see it with new eyes. Put these tips in place and you may sell your home faster and at the very least you will confidently know you home is ready for a showing.

• Spend some extra time in your bathroom prepping for a showing. Think about the bathroom as if you have never seen it before, and pay attention to the details you notice first when you enter someone else’s bathroom. Whether it is a private home or a public restroom, you know you pay more attention to how clean it is than your own. It’s ok to admit it to yourself, we won’t judge you. The germs associated with a bathroom are gross to many, and somehow they seem worse when they don’t belong to you or your family. Scour the walls, floors, fixtures, tile, grout, ceiling and even behind the faucet on the sink. Get out that old toothbrush and go to work. If you need to, a fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference to potential home buyers.
• If the tile in your bathroom is dated, don’t dismiss the idea of sprucing it up simply because of the expense. Re-tiling your bathroom will indeed be expensive, but a couple of coats of paint are not. Coat the tiles with a high-adhesion primer and then brush on a special ceramic epoxy to cover the existing surface of the tile. Your new look is likely to grab the eye of home shoppers, without a major investment.
• When a small bathroom seems like an obstacle you simply cannot avoid, consider switching the sink and vanity combination to a pedestal sink. The new look will be a hit with your customers and you will make the bathroom feel much larger. Since bathrooms often are a breaking point in many home-buying decisions, do what you can to make yours as nice as possible.
• The master bedroom is typically decorated to match the tastes of one occupant. But when it comes time to sell you Trinidad neighborhood home, it should appeal to both genders. Pink walls may be fine with the current man-of-the-house, but chances are, they won’t be with the next owner. Painting the walls a neutral color provides a blank canvas of sorts for the new owners to work with, and envision the master bedroom as it would be theirs rather than yours. Choose accessories for the room that complement the entire room, in a gender-neutral approach of course.

For more information and tips on preparing your Chevy Chase, MD home to sell, contact me today!

~ Michelle

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Hi everyone!

I’m excited to spread the word now that the cat is out of the bag! I’m excited to announce I have joined the fantastic team of professionals at Coldwell Banker Chevy Chase. My dedication to customer service through matching clients with homes is shared by the staff at Coldwell Banker Chevy Chase, and I am so looking forward to what lies ahead.

You can count on the same level of commitment that I have always held so dear, just enhanced by the resources and talents of the Coldwell Banker staff.

If you would like to know more about the new office watch this YouTube video. I look forward to serving you, your friends, coworkers and family in the very near future!

Here’s to a great future working together with Coldwell Banker Chevy Chase!

~ Michelle

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The first thing people think about when attempting to sell their Washington, D.C. area home is about cleaning it up and make it look as nice as possible. And that is great! But, before you get too far in your plan, think about what it takes to make your  home look its best — getting rid of the clutter.

Nothing makes a home look smaller and dingier than a cluttered home. It happens to the best of us, especially after living in your Trinidad neighborhood home for many years. Art projects from the kids school days, greeting cards, family photos, souvenirs from family vacations and the countless other dust collectors that adorn the shelves all make your house a home, but are not great for selling your home.

Rather than convincing yourself you need to throw it all away, think about storage instead. These items may not be valuable in the true sense of the word, but they do hold significant sentimental value that is irreplaceable. Keeping those items in the family is perfectly acceptable and understandable, but the potential homebuyers walking through the door are really not concerned about the trip to Disney World you took in 1983.

So, all that said, rent a storage unit. These available-for-rent spaces are easily accessible, convenient and inexpensive — providing you the ultimate opportunity to remove the clutter from your home, while keeping your precious memories. Here are some tips on finding a storage facility that is right for you:

• The storage facility should be dry and well light. Mold and mildew grow in places that are dark and damp, and you never want to open a box to discover the contents are ruined by mold and mildew.
• Ventilation also is important to prevent mold and mildew growth on your items. Find a location that provides air circulation throughout each of the units.
• Safety is a major concern, especially if you plan to store valuable items.
• Convenient location should also be considered. Find a storage unit rental company that is conveniently located near your home to save time and money in travels.

Do you have a tip you would like to share? We would love to hear it!

~ Michelle

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It’s that time of year again; when the kids go back to school, the Redskins start playing and the outdoor chores come back full-force. Even though gardening and tending to the lawn does constitute outdoor chores, the real work has yet to begin — getting your home ready to sell.

If you want to sell your NW DC area home, you better get to work and ensure you have done everything you can to make it appealing to prospective home buyers. Let’s start with gutters. Cleaning your gutters is perhaps one of the least appealing jobs you can to in preparation for selling your home. But, it should be done at least twice each year. Typically, you will do this in the late spring or early fall, but that does not imply that’s the only time it need to be done. When you consider listing your home for sale, make sure you clean the gutters to prevent any unexpected mishaps that may occur. When gutters become full and get clogged with debris, you can expect them to overflow, cause leaks inside your Palisades home, and even lead to hazardous mold growth in your basement or attic. And be sure to include an inspection of the downspouts, if those are clogged you may find similar accidents in your future.

Next on the list is exterior painting or cleaning. If you live in a home that does not require painting – such as vinyl siding or brick – you are not off-the-hook. You still are responsible for preparing the exterior of your home before you can hope to sell a home. Exterior painting — painting the outside of your home — can be completed as quickly as every three years or as infrequently as every 10 years; it all depends on your home, the surface material and the paint used. And don’t forget the window trim either, if it is wood. Most older homes in the Washington DC area have wood trim around the windows and some doors, but newer construction typically includes vinyl trim that does not require painting. While these steps may not sound entertaining or enjoyable at all, they are necessary as you prepare to sell your Northern Virginia home.

That’s enough reading on the subject, now it’s time to get to work and prepare the outside of your home for a sale. Selling your home truly begins and ends with the homeowner and the amount of preparation he’s prepared to do.

~ Michelle

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