Selling your house with those junk vehicles in the yard, New Milford CT real estate talk.

Help! We sold our house and have these old cars to get rid of!

To you it is your old beloved car, so many wonderful memories for you. To you Realtor® it is a potential stumbling block to reaching that all important "curb appeal" status that is so greatly desired. To the town, if there are more than one it is a fine waiting to happen. (Depending on where you live, the amount of unregistered vehicles allowed can vary) To your insurance company it is a hazzard. To a potential buyer it screams "run away run away".

And where there are one, there are usually two. Old, unregistered vehicles tend to attract more, it is law. There is always the relative or friend who saw the old car in your yard and asked could they just leave their old, beloved car with yours? Trust me, these old cars travel in packs.

You always meant to fix it up, somehow the car was relegated to the back corner of the yard. At one time there was a cover over it, now there are remnants of the blue tarp flying streamers from the back of the car. The mice have moved in, the tires died years ago, only you see the beauty shining through the eyesore in your yard. The neighbors stopped talking to you after they saw raccoons and mice moving in.

Best case scenario? The car should have been removed prior to the house being put on the market. Worst case scenario? You are two days away from closing, the ground is saturated and you can't move the car without tearing up the yard beyond repair.

There is nothing worse than your agent having to contact your attorney and telling them there is a problem two days before the closing. The ground is too soft to move the vehicles, it is going to cost an arm and a leg to have them moved, the guy who promised to take them never showed up, the person who really owns the car never came, you can't find the title to junk the car. Yes, money can be put in escrow, the problem is still looming over your head and now you have angry buyers waiting for you to come and remove the eyesore(s) without tearing up their new yard.

Other option is call the fire department, sometimes you can donate vehicles to be used in "Jaws of Life" demonstrations, or they set them on fire to learn how to put them off. You beloved friend will die a good death (again) and possibly save the lives of others. A totally worthy cause. Whatever you decide to do with it (them) don't delay!

Getting those buyers into your home

Spring is in full swing here in Connecticut. The trees are starting to leaf out, the daffodils and tulips have been up for a bit, some of the flowering trees are showing off for us. Things are looking great! Soon our gardens will be in full swing too.

What does this have to do with real estate? Plenty! If you are planning to sell your home, take a good look at the outside of your home. Curb appeal is the way to get the buyers inside your home. I can tell you for a fact that some buyers won’t even get out of the car if the outside isn’t appealing.

What can you do?

• Make sure you clean up the yard. Not just the leaves from last fall or the branches that might have fallen in the yard. Take a look at what you might be storing outside and get rid of it. You need to use a buyers eye, pretend it isn’t your house, take pictures and see how it looks. Too much “stuff” in the yard will turn buyers right off. The worst offence is old vehicles stored on the property.
• Paint your front door. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders for the home.
• Get some flowering plants and place them by the entrance, but keep them weed free!
• If you have a front porch, does it also need a fresh coat of paint? Is the furniture broken down? Make sure the porch is clean and inviting.
• Check your flower beds. Make sure they are weed free, perhaps a fresh coating of mulch will help.
• Keep the grass mowed, address any dead or brown zones in the yard.
• If you have a fence, make sure it in good shape.
• The driveway should be in good shape. If you have pot holes, fix them!
• Find a place to store those garbage cans. You don’t want potential clients getting out of their vehicles and seeing overflowing garbage cans before they see anything else!
• Check your garage doors. Are they worn out? Do they need a coat of paint? Is the wood in good shape around the doors?
• How is your deck? Make sure the wood is clean, the railings are in good shape and if it is painted, and the paint is peeling, give it a fresh coat.
• Check your gutters, clean them out and keep the leaders clear and in good working order.

If you want to get them out of the car and into the house you need to look at your yard and the outside of your home with a new eye! There are many websites with great ideas and photos to help you out. I found a few interesting ones, try Myhomeideas.com or a great article written by Elizabeth Weintraub about curb appeal on About.com.

© 2009 Andrea Swiedler. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Andrea Swiedler. If you wish to use something you see here, please email me (andrea@andreswiedler.com) with your request. Most likely I will oblige, with a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. Although imitation is the highest form of flattery, please let me know before you decide to bestow this form of flattery on me! Thank you.

Looking to purchase or sell a home in the greater New Milford CT area? Please contact me , or visit my website to find out more about me.

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