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As a Realtor with 33 years experience, as a full time Broker in Middle Tennessee,  I would like to encourage you to perform routine maintenance on your homes.  The small cost will reap rewards for you in the future.  

I often see automobiles receiving more maintenance than our homes.  They are both necessities in our daily lifes and need the same consideration to protect and preserve their function and usage.  

Schedules can be hectic with work, leisure activities, children, school, and more.  To keep up the dishes, beds, laundry, vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, yard work may seem like you have had enough.  But one day a month - which is only 12 days a year to tackle a few projects will benefit your investment.  Setting aside $75.00 a month will save $900.00 for supplies and materials to use.  Just a little planning.

It is easier to keep up the small things, than try to tackle a bigger preventable job when you are ready to sell your property.   When I have an initial appointment with a potential seller, I ask them what available funds they have to use for maintance, repair, or improvement.  Whatever they have $500 to $5,000,   I make suggestions how to use those funds in the most effective way.  Once the most likely buyer pool has been identified, then we look at what type of loan they may be using.  We will want to address issues that will not meet the minimum standard for the loan.  Is there peeling paint, damaged wood trim - is each component doing the job it is suppose to?  For the loan it doesn't matter if a color of floor covering is cosmetically appealing - as long as it is doing it's job - protect the subflooring and provide safety to the owner.  But if the kitchen vinyl has a tear in it, it will not pass the minimum standards for most FHA, VA, USDA loans.  Once we address those things, we can look at making the best impression on a buyer - paint the front door, add plants and mulch/rock, maybe new blinds in the house or a new kitchen light fixture.  Again budget dictates.  

With the mention of those few things, you can see how easy one day a month can take care of most of this list.

For additional ideas, here is a quick link of suggestions.     

If I can assist you with your real estate needs, please feel free to contact me:

Janice K Moores, Broker, GRI, SFR    931-260-2605/528-1573    janicekmoores@yahoo.com

First Realty Co   116 S Lowe Ave   Cookeville, TN  38501  TN236740