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The best time to prepare a home for sale is years before you plan to put your property on the market. A history of basic, common-sense home maintenance along with occasional well thought-out upgrades will do more to sell a home than last minute cosmetic cover-ups.

Think about what you would look for if you were comparison shopping for a used car. Let's say you are looking at the identical car offered for sale by two different owners. The first car (car A) has obviously just been detailed (professionally cleaned) and looks pretty good. When you go to look at the second car (car B), the owner has just returned from taking part of his son's Little League team to McDonalds. There are some burger wrappers on the floor along with a little dried dirt from the kid's cleats, plus the car needs a good washing.

Car A is now looking pretty good, but a friend suggests that you have the vehicle looked at by a mechanic. The mechanic reports that the oil has not been changed regularly, plus there are signs that the car has been in an accident. It also will soon need a brake job and the tires are older retreads. You decide to have car B checked out. The owner, you find, has had the oil changed every three thousand miles OR three months, plus, being mindful of the safety of the children being transported, has just had the brakes relined and put on top of the line tires. Perhaps a day of vacuuming out the car, maybe a little rug cleaner and a good wash and wax job, you think, might make car B the best car to buy.

If this makes sense, read on. Very few houses are sold "as is" anymore. The buyers who make offers to buy "as is" frequently do home inspections and take advantage of an exit clause or addendum to get out of the purchase of the home if they are not satisfied with what "as is" is. Most homes are sold with home inspection addendum, which allow for negotiation of repairs based on the results of the home inspection. The home inspector that the homebuyer employs functions in much the same way as the mechanic whom checks out a used car before you buy. A home inspector looks at a house from top to bottom, noting all the deficiencies and future maintenance issues, in an effort to help the buyer know what he or she may be getting into.

Home inspections do NOT address cosmetic concerns or the need to update older style kitchens, bathrooms, etc. Naturally, these kinds of improvements can make your house more marketable and may bring you more money, but lack of attention to the basics over the long term can be the true deal-killer. In the rush of putting a home on the market, there is very little time or opportunity to catch up on deferred maintenance.

Curb appeal, first impressions, and the job interview--you've heard them all.

Curb appeal is an important element of real estate marketing. Buyers often make instant decisions, sometimes unconsciously, about a property based on what they see before they even set foot in the door. The condition of neighboring properties either adds or detracts from a home's curb appeal. Just imagine that every showing of your house is the most important job interview of its life and just like your mother told you--first impressions are important and one rarely has an opportunity to change a negative first impression.

Cosmetics, upgrades, and renovations-- what's the difference?

Cosmetics-- Remember the 70's? Well, if your house is a time capsule for the good old days of shag carpeting and foil wallpaper, then this is a term you will be hearing a lot when you put your house on the market. Sometimes a house just needs to be refreshed with a new coat of paint and maybe new carpet (or in the case of the lovely hardwood floors in Loch Raven Village---just get rid of the old wall-to-wall!)

Upgrades--This is a cross between a cosmetic makeover and renovation (or remodeling). Some of the original elements are retained (such as the kitchen cabinets) but new elements (new cooktop and oven) are added. Fresh paint and/or refinishing may be applied to existing retained elements. If the retained elements are in good condition and any refinishing or painting is carefully done, the upgrade project can be very successful.

Renovation--This is the big project that will drive you crazy while it is going on, make you fall in love with your house all over again when the job is done, and ultimately ensure that your house will be easier to sell-- if the job is done right! A simple, well thought-out and professional looking job is better than a complicated and expensive project that is not well done. Certain types of renovations give more return on the investment dollar than others so plan accordingly.

Think about your motivation. Are you planning on staying in the house for the foreseeable future? Is the return on your investment of a desired renovation not quite as important as your family's comfort and enjoyment of the results of the project? The more personalized a renovation is, the longer it will take to sell later on. You may not get back every penny you put into a certain renovation--but hey, every kid needs his or her own bowling alley in the basement! It just may take longer to find the duckpin enthusiast who happens to want to live in your neighborhood!

Kitchen: Whether you choose to upgrade a basically good kitchen (replace older appliances, new floor, paint, etc.) or to totally remodel---an attractive, well planned kitchen will maximize your investment.

Bathroom: Adding a second bathroom--or remodeling the ones you already have is another smart investment.

Good Improvements (good return on investment--definitely makes house more salable)

Room addition: Either finishing off unused space or adding on to a house will add value if done correctly.

Exterior improvements: Create more family space by adding a porch, deck, or patio and invest in attractive landscaping

Don't overimprove: A house that is overimproved in relation to the value of other properties in the neighborhood will probably not recover the excess investment when sold. Buyers (and lenders) do not want to overinvest in a property where neighboring property values are less on average.