INTERIOR

Now that your prospect has crossed the threshold, satisfied (we hope) with the outside features of your home, what are you going to show him on the inside? Your chances of realizing a satisfactory sale at a reasonable price will suffer if you show him any of the following:

(1) Faded or water-circled walls. (Redecorate with

pastel colors.)

(2) Scuffed or scarred woodwork. (Repair and re-

paint it.)

3. Worn floors. (Recover, or sand and refinish them.)

(4) Loose handrails. (Tighten them.)

(5) Sticking doors, windows and drawers. (Plane the binds and use a non-smearing lubricant where needed.)

(6) Leaky plumbing, including dripping faucets with water discolored enamel in tub or lavatory,

(7) Worn old-style kitchen or bathroom. (Remodel and increase your market value.)

(8) Dim lighting, or lighting equipment that will not

shine brightly when turned on, whether because of defective

switches, or wiring, smudged bulbs, or whatever it may be.

(9) Any kind of a defective lock, hook, catch, or other mechanical device, even though minor.

(10) Any accumulation of junk, including valuable possessions which look like junk or piles of rags, anywhere from the attic to the subbasement (if any). (Store personal property as neatly as you see it in first class department stores.)

(11) Overstuffed closets which appear inadequate because of the quantity of stuffing.

(12) Stairs cluttered with roller skates, or other tripping or unsightly objects.

(13) Glass in doors and windows obscured on the outside by age-old accumulations of smog and/or inside by domestic dust, soots and steam-borne greases from cooking utensils in operation. (Make money by cleaning them or having it done.)

(14) Venetian blinds with ragged tapes or dust-caked

slats.

(15) Wet basement. (Seal it or divert the leakage, if you can.)

(16) Have property inspected for termites.

(17) Just ONE innocent fleeing cockroach! Oh, brother! Etc.

Let me illustrate an "Etc:"

Once upon a time we lived in a nice home with three bedrooms, two baths, and a full basement, located on an average sized lot for suburban Washington. We found another house in a nearby subdivision situated on a much bigger lot, which we wanted. We had made all preparations, as aforementioned specifically, to sell our home. The neighborhood was desirable, the schools and public transportation were excellent, and the house was convenient to a large shopping center.

TAX CONSIDERATIONS

If the expenses you incur in making your home worth more are scheduled to comply with the deduction provisions of the internal revenue laws, you should deduct them from the profit you report as income on your income tax return.