1. Brenna Says:
   December 22nd, 2007 at 1:10 am e

   I agree! I know there have been several apartments that I did not even consider after walking in the door because of the bad smells and dirtiness. It is amazing how much nicer cleanliness makes a home.

2. Brooke Says:
   December 25th, 2007 at 10:00 pm eMy husband Jon and I have been in the housing market for a few months now. And I totally have to agree with you that a clean house is very important. There were a handful of houses that we visited that I was very excited about. The outside, the neighborhood, price, etc., all very appealing to me. But from the moment we walked in the door, we were more overwhelmed by the trash “Still” on the floor, stains on the carpet, the odor of a pet… And as buyers, it was really hard for us to look past that. We decided that the best thing for us was to just go New. Our house is due to be finished in march and we are very excited. But my advice to sellers is that a neat, clean house would have made all the difference in our eyes.

 Here are two comments on my last post about keeping your home clean.  Here you have it from the mouths of people actually in the market.  I know a lot of buyers choose to build because that fresh, “new home” feeling is so important.  Even though almost any home can be cleaned up and remodeled, etc. to look and feel like new, most buyers either do not have the vision required or the desire to do all the work.  Sellers are better off all around to get their homes in tip-top condition and keep it that way while it is on the market.   Especially right now when the competition to sell a home in Utah County is so high.  The best thing is to not let it get dirty and run down in the first place. 

Your home will have to compete against all those shiny new homes that are still in the same price range.   I have heard many sellers say that the new homes that are being built in the same price range nowadays do not have as much to offer.  This may be true, but my experience is that many, many buyers will forfeit the amenities that these sellers of older homes value in lieu of the cleanliness and newness of the newer home.

Whether you plan to sell your home in the near future or not, I want to stress how important it is to keep your home clean.  I have posted other articles on this subject but it seems I have recently been plagued by dirty homes and it is a big problem.  Buyers do not want to look at your home if when the second they walk in, they are hit with strong, undesirable smells and obvious clutter and dirt.  It is a major turn off and they will be thinking, “get me out of here,” instead of, “Oh, look at how big this family room is.”

No buyer will care how nice the floor plan is or how great the neighborhood is if they feel disgusted by the dirt and grime in a home.  The only option a dirty home’s seller may have is to drastically reduce the price.  At least at an obvious bargain, an investor can come along and determine whether the clean up time will be worth the effort in exchange for a reasonable profit. 

If you are not planning to sell, it is still important to keep a home clean.  There can be health risks associated with poor housekeeping.   If you areplanning to sell, your real estate professional should be able to give you recommendations on what you can do to get your house in tip-top shape and make it attractive to the highest amount of potential buyers.   If you are thinking of selling soon and would like a Home Prep Consultation, give me a call.   

1. Albuquerque real estate
   December 16th, 2007 at 11:12 pm eI got my parents a heated blanket (new; $75 or so, with shipping off Ebay), because they live in a snowy, wintery area. They are both around 50.I got my parents a heated blanket (new; $75 or so, with shipping off Ebay), because they live in a snowy, wintery area. They are both around 50. 

2. Sharee Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 am eThis is a good idea. I am “gift idea challenged” too. I was doing a gift idea search and found this. I was sad to see there were no ideas listed yet. I need ideas for my husband. I am getting my daughter a nice watch.
3. Brenna Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm eWow– this is a really clever idea. Too bad I haven’t bought any of my presents yet!
4. Jake Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 9:29 am eI am getting my son a guitar. He is 14. My wife a Cricut? I don’t know what that is exactly but she wants one. I need ideas for my dad.
5. Harry Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm eThis is a great idea. We get lots of gifts but I will include the top ones for my kids.For my daugthers (ages 9 & 11) we got them each an IPOD shuffle with their names engraved on them. The price was $80 each. It isn’t the top IPOD but perfect for this age I think.For my sons (Ages 6 & 4) they are getting hermit crabs. They have been BEGGING us to get them all year and we are going to get the habitat set up and 1 crab each.For my wife, well she might be getting a Janaury Mortgage payment the way things have been lately…
6. Amber Says:
   December 5th, 2007 at 10:49 am eI’d be happy to share everything I’ve found so far, but my whole family checks this blog. I considered a different alias, but my family members are probably clever enough to figure it out. Sorry.
7. Cheryl Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 3:13 pm eI got my husband and IPOD so he can have his good tunes while working out. and I bought my daughter and IPOD docking unit with the alarm.
8. Erica Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 3:53 pm eFinding the perfect gift is so hard! This year I gave up on trying to find the perfect thing and just went with simple.I bought my dad basketball shorts. He is in mid-forties. They cost about $20.00 and are possibly a lame gift, but he loves to hang around the house in comfortable clothes. I figure everyone can use a nice pair of basketball shorts.My sister is fifteen and is getting a sweatshirt and sugar scrub. Total of $20.00I went with a cheap gift for my mother, but it requires a bit more time. She always has envelopes hanging around the house because she wants to keep the return address. I bought a little address book and took the time to write down the names and addresses of her family and close friends. Total: $4.00 and a few hours for calling people.
9. Rissa Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 6:12 pm eWe didn’t know what to buy for our parents so my husband came up with what we thought was a good idea. We bought them 72 hr. kits from emergency essentials that are in backpacks and ready to go. they were approx 100.00 per person.
10. Debbi Malone Says:
    December 7th, 2007 at 12:03 am eWe’ve been doing a lot of homemade gifts the last few years. This year I am making 1″ notebooks filled with various Christmas stories, one for each day of December through the 25th. There is a divider before each story with a scripture listed along with the day. My mom loves this and keeps adding her own collection of stories. I also am making a family photo collage for our extended family. We make those calendars with the photos, through WalMart or Costco( everyone loves those!) and now we are making twin-size quilts with photos (using the fabric photo pages available at Joanne’s or Michaels). We use 8″ blocks with the photo squares, then tie the quilts. It is so much fun! Everyone gets involved with the tying, and they’re great for birthdays, weddings, going off to college. It took us 1 week to make a king-sized one for my daughter getting married in Feb. Of course we worked on it every night but it was a great family project.
11. Danny Rivera Says:
    December 7th, 2007 at 11:40 am eI am a truck driver I have two tools I find invaluable I would recomend them for those who are not on the road all the time I love my garmin GPS,it tells me how fast Im going,the time I’ll arrive and all kinds of neat info, The other thing I can never be without is my Sirius Radio I have many kinds of entertainment to listen to it never looses signal only in tunnels and bldgs ect. I really would like the Stilleto 2 it is a portable radio used like an mp3 and Walkman(very cool).
    Merry Christmas
12. Janet Says:
    December 6th, 2007 at 2:54 pm Have a Safe Holiday Season!
13. Janet Says:
    December 6th, 2007 at 3:11 pm If my husband reads this, a high efficiency washer and dryer is an awesome gift for someone.
14. Fungirl Says:
    December 13th, 2007 at 4:57 pm eI am trying to go more personal this year as well as stay well under budget. I made some very cute stuffed animals. They only cost a few dollars (I found fabric for $1-$2 a yard) and a free pattern online. I also modified it to make an elephant. They are perfect for babies or young kids and were easy to make. I almost hate to give them away!http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/store/pointykitty.html

Up to 11 responses!  Thanks for your ideas.  I hope this helps us all. 

11 Responses to “Christmas Gift Ideas”

1. Sharee Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 am eThis is a good idea. I am “gift idea challenged” too. I was doing a gift idea search and found this. I was sad to see there were no ideas listed yet. I need ideas for my husband. I am getting my daughter a nice watch.
2. Brenna Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm eWow– this is a really clever idea. Too bad I haven’t bought any of my presents yet!
3. Jake Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 9:29 am eI am getting my son a guitar. He is 14. My wife a Cricut? I don’t know what that is exactly but she wants one. I need ideas for my dad.
4. Harry Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm eThis is a great idea. We get lots of gifts but I will include the top ones for my kids.For my daugthers (ages 9 & 11) we got them each an IPOD shuffle with their names engraved on them. The price was $80 each. It isn’t the top IPOD but perfect for this age I think.For my sons (Ages 6 & 4) they are getting hermit crabs. They have been BEGGING us to get them all year and we are going to get the habitat set up and 1 crab each.For my wife, well she might be getting a Janaury Mortgage payment the way things have been lately…
5. Amber Says:
   December 5th, 2007 at 10:49 am eI’d be happy to share everything I’ve found so far, but my whole family checks this blog. I considered a different alias, but my family members are probably clever enough to figure it out. Sorry.

1. Cheryl Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 3:13 pm eI got my husband and IPOD so he can have his good tunes while working out. and I bought my daughter and IPOD docking unit with the alarm.
2. Erica Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 3:53 pm eFinding the perfect gift is so hard! This year I gave up on trying to find the perfect thing and just went with simple.I bought my dad basketball shorts. He is in mid-forties. They cost about $20.00 and are possibly a lame gift, but he loves to hang around the house in comfortable clothes. I figure everyone can use a nice pair of basketball shorts.My sister is fifteen and is getting a sweatshirt and sugar scrub. Total of $20.00I went with a cheap gift for my mother, but it requires a bit more time. She always has envelopes hanging around the house because she wants to keep the return address. I bought a little address book and took the time to write down the names and addresses of her family and close friends. Total: $4.00 and a few hours for calling people.
3. Rissa Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 6:12 pm eWe didn’t know what to buy for our parents so my husband came up with what we thought was a good idea. We bought them 72 hr. kits from emergency essentials that are in backpacks and ready to go. they were approx 100.00 per person.
4. Debbi Malone Says:
   December 7th, 2007 at 12:03 am eWe’ve been doing a lot of homemade gifts the last few years. This year I am making 1″ notebooks filled with various Christmas stories, one for each day of December through the 25th. There is a divider before each story with a scripture listed along with the day. My mom loves this and keeps adding her own collection of stories. I also am making a family photo collage for our extended family. We make those calendars with the photos, through WalMart or Costco( everyone loves those!) and now we are making twin-size quilts with photos (using the fabric photo pages available at Joanne’s or Michaels). We use 8″ blocks with the photo squares, then tie the quilts. It is so much fun! Everyone gets involved with the tying, and they’re great for birthdays, weddings, going off to college. It took us 1 week to make a king-sized one for my daughter getting married in Feb. Of course we worked on it every night but it was a great family project.
5. Danny Rivera Says:
   December 7th, 2007 at 11:40 am eI am a truck driver I have two tools I find invaluable I would recomend them for those who are not on the road all the time I love my garmin GPS,it tells me how fast Im going,the time I’ll arrive and all kinds of neat info, The other thing I can never be without is my Sirius Radio I have many kinds of entertainment to listen to it never looses signal only in tunnels and bldgs ect. I really would like the Stilleto 2 it is a portable radio used like an mp3 and Walkman(very cool).
   Merry Christmas
6. Janet Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 2:54 pm Have a Safe Holiday Season!
7. Janet Says:
   December 6th, 2007 at 3:11 pm If my husband reads this, a high efficiency washer and dryer is an awesome gift for someone.

  Thanks to all who have contributed so far.   Let’s keep it going.  There are some really cool gift ideas here.  I hope this is helpful to more than just me!

1. Sharee Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 am eThis is a good idea. I am “gift idea challenged” too. I was doing a gift idea search and found this. I was sad to see there were no ideas listed yet. I need ideas for my husband. I am getting my daughter a nice watch.
2. Brenna Says:
   December 3rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm eWow– this is a really clever idea. Too bad I haven’t bought any of my presents yet!
3. Jake Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 9:29 am eI am getting my son a guitar. He is 14. My wife a Cricut? I don’t know what that is exactly but she wants one. I need ideas for my dad.
4. Harry Says:
   December 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm eThis is a great idea. We get lots of gifts but I will include the top ones for my kids.For my daugthers (ages 9 & 11) we got them each an IPOD shuffle with their names engraved on them. The price was $80 each. It isn’t the top IPOD but perfect for this age I think.

   For my sons (Ages 6 & 4) they are getting hermit crabs. They have been BEGGING us to get them all year and we are going to get the habitat set up and 1 crab each.

   For my wife, well she might be getting a Janaury Mortgage payment the way things have been lately…

5. Amber Says:
   December 5th, 2007 at 10:49 am eI’d be happy to share everything I’ve found so far, but my whole family checks this blog. I considered a different alias, but my family members are probably clever enough to figure it out. Sorry.