Don’t discount the power of your senses. For years, retailers have benefited from pumping pleasing, odor-neutralizing scents into their stores. Appealing scents can help home sellers as well. Eliminating odors that can be off-putting to potential buyers and creating an ambiance of comfort can make any home worth a second look.

Freshen Up
Before your home is shown, run a lemon through the garbage disposal to neutralize any odors and leave the kitchen area smelling fresh. Or try sprinkling cinnamon powder or vanilla extract on a cookie sheet and warming it in the oven. The subtle, homey scents will help create a comforting ambiance thatpotential buyers will feel and enjoy.

Smokers’ Delight?
For non-smokers, even the smallest hint of cigarette smoke can be a deal breaker. Fresh paint and professionally cleaned upholstery, combined with air filters and fresheners, will help keep non-smokers interested in your house.

Pet Protection
If you have pets, consider thoroughly vacuuming and shampooing the carpets and furniture to remove excess fur, stains and smells. Keep the kitty litter boxes clean. Once the carpets have been cleaned, keep your pets confined to certain rooms to preserve the fresh smell while the house is on the market.

This months joke:

Question:Where do snowmen go to dance?

Happy Holidays!

Although the real estate market has been very wierd this year, as I'm sure you are all aware of, the holidays are a time to celebrate and enjoy your family and friends.
May happiness and comfort be in your personal real estate all through the holidays and longer.
I wish you and your family joy, love and laughter!

*DID YOU KNOW

The top five biggest renovating mistakes are: avoiding permits, setting an unrealistic budget, hiring the wrong contractor, taking on more than you can handle and overbuilding for your neighborhood.
Source: HGTV

Another Fast Fact

The 1860 to 1900 Arts and Crafts movement was a late-19th-century backlash against the forces of industrialization. It revived an interest in handicrafts and sought a spiritual connection with the surrounding environment, both natural and manmade. The Craftsman Bungalow evolved from the Arts and Crafts movement.

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New Holiday/Vacation Homes For Sale

FREE programs from me to you, including "How To Buy A Home In Orlando" booklet

Question:How can I protect my lawn through the winter months?

Answer: The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Well, next year it doesn’t have to be. Lawn and garden supplier Scotts Company offers tips to help you protect your lawn through the winter months and keep it looking lush and beautiful next summer.
• Re-seed any grass that has been hurt by summer heat and drought. Keep the new seed and grass watered, and don’t do any weed control until after the fourth watering.
• Help keep disease and bugs at bay by cutting back old perennials and vegetable gardens. Use the clippings to start a compost pile.
• Instead of raking fallen leaves, run your mower over them two or three times. Leaves left on the lawn during the winter can block sunlight and thin the grass.
• Plant trees and shrubs toward the beginning of the fall season, so there is less shock to the roots and they start growing early in the spring.
• Continue to cut the grass the same height (2 to 3 inches) until the final cut at the beginning of winter. Don’t go any shorter on that last cut.

Have questions? email Risa at questions@risa.net or call her at 407-699-4901

December favorite links:

Special Holiday card from Risa

Use This Moving Truck for FREE      

RE/MAX Town & Country Realty has a moving truck (pictured above) that our clients can use FREE for their local (inside the Metro-Orlando area) moves. When Risa helps you buy or sell a home, just let her know that you would like to use the RE/MAX Moving Truck. Then Ray, the Moving Truck Coordinator, will coordinate your reservation to use the truck for a 24 hour period and outline all of the details for the truck’s use. Tell Risa early on in your transaction that you’d like to use the truck to make sure that you can reserve the best time for your move! We’re glad to be able to offer this additional service to our clients. Risa Saltman wants to help make your moving process as smooth, enjoyable and efficient as possible.

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