as our experience in house sale

1. keep it clean, turn on all lights & open up shades, so room looks brighter

2. also it help to bake cookies before open house, so house smells great

any home improvement in bathroom & kitchen brings good returns. Those were things which helped us sale our house within one weekend & we got asking price for our house, but ofcourse this was long time back when there used to be bidding wars on good houses.

Asha

well, I'm in a different situation. We are not living there, so I can't turn on all light and open shades, or it would be that way all day and night, and make it obvious no one was in there to be seen. The 'clean' part and improvements are not happening either. I was lucky to mop the mud off the floor the grass cutter friends left! It's a bad situation and no help for it.

There are timers for lamps, and if I had a vacant house I'd sure have a few hooked up. Keep the squatters away too (just kidding). Wouldn't it be worth it to hire a cleaning person for a few hours?

Oh and the smell of food is a real dealmaker, if you don't want to bake, just put a dab of vanilla on one of the lightbulbs and turn it on, smells like you're making chocolate chip cookies. I sold one house just because I was cooking bacon when they came over, true story!

OK, I'm not getting the woo hoo reactions I was looking for.

Everyone seems to be missing the situation here. There is a realtor lock on the door and I won't even know when someone is going to view it. Here is the BIG NEWS in my original post:

1. I HAVE BUSTED MY HIND-END & THERE IS A FOR SALE IN THE YARD OF THE OLD HOUSE!!! AFTER 3 YEARS!!!

2. BOB HAD HIS 1ST YEAR STROKE ANNIVERSARY!!!

I suppose this is an after thought but if you could have found a cleaning team or a couple ladies who do that kind of work it would have been the answer for you. They are all over here with the military moving out/in all the time and don't have time or equipment to get the job done to pass the inspections before turning the house or apartments over to the Realtors.

Cleaning is a tough job to get it right trying to sell a house. I hope you get it all like you want it and sold for the price you want.

Congratulations on moving forward in getting the house sold. It sounds like it will be a big relief when that part is completed. I wish you the best in getting it sold, as is.

It's always a bit hard for me to know what to say about stroke anniversaries. They are definite markers that need to be acknowledged. Also, we all know that making it to that anniversary means we have been on a long and often challenging journey. So I celebrate the effort and success of both of you and wish for continued recovery.

~~Donna

Sandy, you have done so much in the past year that you deserve coodoe's for it all!!!! I don't know how you have done it but you have survived the hardest part of stroke, the first year, and with a lot more on your plate due to the two houses and moving and trying to sell one of them! You just need to step back now take a deep breath and let the realator do her job!! You are one of the strongest persons i have met on this site. Wish i had your intestinal fortitude! You go girl. Don't worry the house will sell just may take a little longer due to market but it will sell. Be proud of what you and Bob have accomplished, set back and revel for a little in all you have come through! God bless you and Bob and may the days ahead be much less stressful!!!

Sandy :

I am sorry I missed the important points in your blog since I was so focused on giving you good pointers on getting good price for your house. being caregiver is hard job being responsible for everything is scary. I get amazed by how you all caregivers accomplish so much during day. congratulations to both of you for marking first year stroke anniversary. first year is the hardest, soon things will start to fall in place & become easy. kudos to you for getting everything in order.

Asha

Sandy: best news I have had this week! And what a relief. I have no idea what you need to sell it for and personally, don't care. I want YOU out from under. Just plug away at getting the clutter out, best you can. But it is clean and repainted and that in and of itself added value.

Congratulations to Bob on his first anniversary. I hope you two can plan something special when you have recovered a bit from your energized state - LOL. Bruce's fourth is coming up end of month, but I am having dinner with the girls and he is going to be spending time with his best friend and his Godson. A good choice for both of us.

You Go Girl! Debbie

Yes, I know I could have paid people to do this or that, but it's not what I wanted to do.

I have been doing the lights thing and changing the wreath on the door for searson/holidays and picking up junk mail for 3 years. So, it's been something I've always kept in mind to keep it looking like someone was there.

Now that it's for sale, I will not be having open houses. Seems there are people going to them that are looking for easy houses to steal copper (plumbing) out of. So only those who actually give their names and want to see my house will. No looky-loos. I would not mind looky-loos if I lived there, but since I don't, I don't want just anyone looking at all open houses (robbers) to realize no one lives there. Although I have a scam going about my son staying there while looking for a job in the area. So have taken some clothes and left them in the closet and some food in the fridge and pantry. Still, a clever crook would see past it. My realtor said people don't do many open houses these days anyway, since they do so much on the internet.

I'm very happy to have this year behind us. I mean, sure any of us could have something happen to us at any time, but the first year is a time when I held my breath to see if he would keep having strokes, right away. Now we are thru it and just have to wait and see what happens, like anyone else in the world. It is another type of normal earned back.

Just realized my original note said I was there from 12:30am-1:30am - that was till 4:30am!

I plan to go back tonight, and shampoo the entry path in the living room, which is really dirty from the friends who were helping mow there. I can't believe the mess they made dragging in and out, while mowing there.

I have some more smallish things I am making a list of, like replacing the bathroom knobs that are already there in a bag, waiting to be put on. Fixing curtains in 2 rooms. Cant wait to put the kitchen curtains up RIGHT, tension rods between the upper cabinets was what I can't believe I hadn't thought of, since I'm doing that HERE! I have to find the shower curtain liners I bought to replace and put them up....hmmmm... still thinking....

Sandy, all that you do for Bob is what you need to concentrate on so congratulations on putting the house on the market - it will clear the way for things you need to do and things you want to do.

I know in an ideal world there would be time to do so much more but we are stuck with the reality of time slipping away and we need to prioritise and do what we can do as opposed to what we want to do or what well-meaning friends tell us we ought to do.

Take it easy and take some time for yourself if you can. A little time to breathe, time to rebuild your own energy supply, makes a lot of difference in the long run.

Sue.