SOMEONE suggested that I write a column about the things that vendors should do in preparing their home for sale. Tr was a good suggestion because it is atopic that is rele- vane co anyone who is thinking about putting their house on the market. However it is diffi- cult to be very orginal on this subject as it has been explored in countless articles in newspa- pers, on the Internet and everywhere else that vou find real estate information. But rather than abandon an importance topic, | thought | would approach it from a dif ferent angle. Psychologists say that) many people respond more readily to negative, rather than positive stimuli, Apparently this is due to the fact that parents have a tenden- ey towards telling children what not to do and punishing them accordingly, rather than praising and rewarding them for positive behaviour. I’m sure, you are nor that Kind of a parent, but maybe your parents were. So in accor: dance with this theory, here is the definitive list of the things you should not do if you wint your home to sell. Bi Don't paint your rooms psy- chedelic green... or raging purple or any other radical colour. There are two prob- lems with these kinds of colours. One, they make your rooms Icok smaifer and pvo, people hate them. It doesn’t follow that you have to use white or off-white everywhere, although that is the safest option. The right shades of certain soft and interesting colours such as orange, peach er chocolate can be very appealing and are popular ling ex economics these days. B Don’t indulge in furniture overload. Too much in the way of furniture and knick knacks makes a room look cluttered and small. Ifany of your rooms are like this get rid of excess chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture as well as figurines, pictures and other items that are fighting for space on walls, mantlepieces ete, The idea is not to strip your house bare, bat rather to change the look trom cramped and cluttered to spacious and clegant. Good luck. @ Don't make your backyard a junkyard. It's incredible what we see in some backyards — or even front yards for that mat- ter: old tires, abandoned cars, empty betes, rotten boards, rusty tools etc. Get cid of all this stuffand don’t just move it from the yard into the garage or storage sheds, The yard should really, be just that — a yard with no junk in it. The garage and storage shed obvi- . ously can serve as storage space but things should be well orga- nized with cnough room te comfortably move around in. § Don't dote on the darde- lions, The first impression of your home tor most peopie will come trom the front lawn as they walk up io the house. If the fawn features more weeds than grass it won't be a good impression. Vancouver's North Shore probably has the world’s ‘best-climate for growing, grass NEWS photos Paut MeGrath because it does 0 ahem... nd a fair amount here. In net if vou caivt prow good grass here this vear then vou might ay well give up and put om artticial curt, BH Don't cultivate the caves troughs. “The garden as for growing things, the roof and raves troughs are not. With all the trees we have around here, you are bound to get lots of leaves and branches in’ your caves troughs and on your roof and if you leave it long enough you may actually get things growing up there. So get the | debris cleared out bur do it vourself only if you are really good at operating in_ high places. Otherwise it is safer and really not expensive to get someone to do it for vou. Don't be a zoo Keeper. | went toan open house last year and on entering the home the agent informed us that there was a rarantula in one of the upstairs bedrooms. [ know that people who keep these types of creatures love them and give. them cute names like Betty or” Fred. But the rest of us are seared silly of them, and would sooner go infor root canal surgery than go into a room with a tarantula in it, Other pets can be more or less of a problem, depending on the animal. Cats are usually okay, but snakes and large barking dogs are not. Ifyou can’t place your pets somewhere during home selling time at least take them for a walk when buyers are visiting the house. B Don't keep teenagers around the house. There is nothing worse than touring a house and coming face to face with a scruffy teenager wander- ing, around in his «jamas. | know that people who keep See There's page 83 Friday. June 25. 1999 ~ North Shore News -~ 51 Trail repair MEWS photo Julle iverson THANKS to the hard work of North Shore Mountain Bike /.ssociation members like Elliot Cannon and John Leask — shown here rebuilding a trail in May — there’s a variety of challenging North Shore trails open for riding this summer. To find out about trail maintenance, cal! 730-3402, or visit the Web site: . Feature Listing 2478 Varley Lane AT A GLANCE ... Poem wee neneenese eee wemecescervereeareenees ADDRESS: 2478 Varley Lane Peewee cer ener sec escacwesenececasetaearesseey INTERIOR SIZE: 2265 SQ. FT. Perec er eee ser ess seme neeavrescerseescccereses NUMBER OF BEDROOMS: 2 + den errr eeerrrrrerrrs) See ce recone vanssscces NUMBER OF FLOORS: 2 COs e meee rece nen ere eecenerenetamasone ASKING PRICE: $899,900 Sener s ecw reedsereneeeseensvesneeescsnaeures OPEN HOUSE: By appointment only LISTING AGENT: Kim Thom 623-5787 Pea meee reac reer ee es cee nasser eeeteeseeseeeee SPECIAL FEATURES: View, gourmet kitchen, contemporary open plan. Luxury Townhome with Awesome Views Poised high up Folkestone Way, Salishan offers sophisticated living, quality finishings and panoramic views from both levels, This striking West Coast-design 1/2 duplex features a contemporary open plan with 12° cellings in the living and dining rooms, a gourmet maple and granite kitchen with top-of- the-line appliances, Brazilian cherry hardwood in the familyroom and a luxurious 5-piece ensuite for each of the two bedrooms. Other jeatures include a den adjacent to the elegant, granite-tiled entry, double garage with direct main floor entry, in-floor radiant hot water heating and gas fireplaces in the living and family rooms. A wonderful home to live and entertain in. Kim Thom Sutton Group- West Coast Realty a a a a A CA SS SA A A