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Housekeeping Made Easy

This Web site provides a plethora of tips that make it a breeze for sellers to get their homes ready to show.

REVIEWED BY KELLY QUIGLEY
HousekeepingChannel.com

One of the first major steps sellers must take before putting their homes on the market - besides finding a real estate practitioner, of course - is to clean each room from floor to ceiling. Windows must sparkle, lighting fixtures must shine, and tabletops must be clutter free. Depending on how long your clients have lived in the home, this step could be one of the hardest tasks to tackle. To get them started, refer them to this Web site for time-saving tips on cleaning, de-cluttering, organizing, and time management. They'll find advice for virtually every area of the home, including the exterior. The site, heavy with articles and how-to guides, has a no-frills design that requires a lot of scrolling to view all of the articles for each topic - and many articles appear in more than one section. However, your clients will probably find that the tips are well worth those minor frustrations. These are some highlights:

• Kitchens. Potential buyers will pay special attention to the kitchen, so it has to look its best. This section of the site houses articles and checklists related to keeping the kitchen clean. Sellers with limited time will learn about The 10-Minute 'New' Look, a quick way to clean the most visible areas of the kitchen and other high-traffic areas of the home. Your customers can get their granite countertops sparkling with tips from Stone Care Made Easy, an article about cleaning natural stone surfaces. And to really speed up the cleaning process, sellers can Form a Family Cleaning Team.
• Tools. When your clients need the right tool to get their home clean, they can learn about the latest and greatest products here. From Organizing tools to Furniture & Dusting products, they'll find a little bit of everything.
• Garages, Patios & Home Exteriors. With all of the focus on sprucing up the inside of the home, it's easy to forget about the other important areas. Encourage sellers to put these Garage Organizing Tips to use and to do some Exterior House Cleaning before prospective buyers arrive. If getting rid of the junk that's filling up the garage and patio is a problem, sellers can learn about The Virtual Garage Sale as a way to get rid of their extra stuff.
• Windows. Natural sunlight does wonders for the appearance of a home, so remind sellers to give their windows a good cleaning. If they don't know where to begin, they can start by learning simple strategies used by professionals for Painless Window Cleaning. Make sure they don't forget to Clean Screens, too. It's also important that any window coverings are free of dust and dirt, so share these Inside Tricks to Cleaning Window Shades and Blinds.
• HC-Pedia. If sellers clearly don't have a clue about cleaning, they may need to consult this dictionary of cleaning terms. Each term includes a brief definition, but a more detailed explanation - including suggested uses for cleaning products, safety tips, and advice for cleaning various surfaces - appears when you click on a term. For example, under the entry for Acoustical Tile Ceiling, you'll learn that dirt can be removed by using a dry sponge. Or clean a Rust Stain by rubbing it with a sponge dampened in lemon juice or plain white vinegar.

Preparing for Homeownership

Buyer's Guide
Before you begin your home search at REALTOR.com, prepare yourself by reading Ten Steps to Homeownership.

Homebuying Guides
Even before you begin looking for a home, the homebuying process requires diligent preparation. Buyers who have been preapproved for a home loan often have their offers taken more seriously by sellers. With advance preparation, you can tackle the process of acquiring the financing you need with more confidence. To help you on the path to homeownership, the Fannie Mae Foundation offers free step-by-step guides that can help you get closer to achieving your dream:

• Knowing and Understanding Your Credit
• Opening the Door to a Home of Your Own
• Choosing the Mortgage that's Right for You
• Borrowing Basics: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

These authoritative homebuying guides (in PDF format) are available in nine languages, including English, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. You can download a guide or order a print version online from HomeBuyingGuide.org, a Web site run by the Fannie Mae Foundation.

The Fannie Mae Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization devoted to affordable housing and the revitalization of communities. The foundation has provided free, step-by-step homebuying information to more than nine million people.

We hope these real estate articles are helpful. Come back to the site for new articles whic are being added.