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About Marte's Copywriting
I absolutly love the new copy.
I THINK ITS GREAT!
Thanks For Working So Hard,
Mike
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Your sales letter said what I have tried to say, but said it well.
-Crystal
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She won our project from among 5 writers, she was the one I spent the least amount of time with and got the best outcome. Easy person to work with, and POWERFUL writing skill. We have chosen her for all our projects.
F. Amadi
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Your Fund-raising letter brought in over a 12% response!
Thanks! We needed that.
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Priest River Animal Rescue
www.pranimalrescue.org
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"Your email letter brought in the needed funds within two hours. I can't believe what a difference it makes when you change a few words around."
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Idaho Alaskan Malamute Rescue
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Checklist
Preparing your House for Sale
Outside…
When buyers pull up in front of a home for sale they either think "This is nice, I might like this," or "This needs some work."
So do a little cosmetic work outside before your home is shown.
Start with this checklist:
1. Straighten and paint your fence
2. In summer, keep the lawn mowed and the weeds pulled
3. If the season is right, plant some flowers
4. If it's winter, shovel the walk and put some de-icer down. The last thing you need is a potential buyer breaking a hip in your yard!
5. Paint the front door. Most of us never look at our front door, and sometimes it gets pretty shabby looking.
6. If you can paint the house, do it. If not, at least check the trim. If it's peeling, scrape and paint.
7. Put away the lawn and garden tools and pick up the toys.
8. Shut the garage door
9. If there's grease on the driveway, clean it off
10. Install a fresh door mat to welcome your guests - and let them know that you don't let dirty shoes come in.
Inside
Inside the house, fresh paint can make a world of difference. Give it a critical look - if it appears tired or dingy, or if the colors lack universal appeal, repaint. If you aren't going to paint, at least wash all the fingerprints from doorways and around light switches.
What about your flooring? If it is worn or if you have chosen wild colors that only appeal to you, replace it with something neutral. You want buyers to be able to picture themselves and their belongings here. You don't want them to start thinking about all the work they'd have to do before they could move in. If it looks good, shampoo so it also looks fresh.
Now look at the details:
" Check your switchplates - wash them and replace any that are cracked
" Wash all the light fixtures and replace burned out bulbs. Turn on the lights before buyers arrive.
" Wash the windows - and keep the curtains open when buyers come through
" Replace that washer that lets the sink drip
" Wash the cabinet fronts
" De-clutter the entire house, paying special attention to the kitchen and bathroom counters. Now is the time to take unused clothing and appliances to a nearby charity.
" Remove excess furniture to make your rooms appear larger
" Check the house for missing or damaged trim and replace where needed.
" Do you have hollow core doors with a hole or two? Replace them.
" Check the window and door screens and replace any that are torn
" Remove controversial art work
Remove your own craft work, or anything that will draw attention away from looking at the house
" Remove your treasures. Anything that could easily be broken by an unattended child should be put away, out of harm's reach.
" Remove any fixtures you don't plan to leave with the house. If you're using Grandma's antique chandelier, take it down and replace it with a new one. Otherwise the buyers will fall in love and think they have to have it.
" Hang a new shower curtain
Even small things like putting a new slipcover on the sofa or replacing some of the pictures on the wall can make a big difference in the overall appeal of the house. And when you list your home for sale, you want the greatest appeal possible.
Just before the buyers arrive…
Put fresh, matching towels in the bathrooms
" Clean the cat box!
" Put your dog in a kennel or have someone take him for a walk - dog lovers will pay more attention to the dog than the house and dog haters will not want to come in the room or yard if he's there.
" Do the sniff test: If you can detect traces of the last meal cooked, put some spices in a pan of water and boil them to give the house a "fresh baked" aroma. Do NOT freshen the air with a perfumed spray. Many people are allergic to perfumes and will not enter the house if the smell greets them at the door.
" And of course, run through the house to retrieve stray clothing and dishes, make the beds, and clean up the bag of chips that someone just dumped on the carpet.
The last time I had a house for sale it often fell on my 12-year-old son to do the last minute preparations when buyers were coming. Sometimes he only had 15 minutes, so he used ingenuity. Often I found dirty dishes in the oven, and more than once I came home to find the clean laundry spread evenly over my bed - with the comforter on top. Those tricks left him time to run the vacuum through the living room.
All's fair when it comes to making the house presentable in a hurry!
Good luck!
Marte Cliff, Copywriter
www.marte-cliff.com
writer@marte-cliff.com
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