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    <title> househacker/tags/selling</title>

    <link>http://www.househacker.com/</link>

    <description> househacker/tags/selling  </description>

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  <title>Taking Better Real Estate Photos</title>

  <description><![CDATA[ The New York Times real estate section has an interesting article entitled "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/realestate/11cov.html?ex=1329109200&en=36ee0a34028acb09&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">Making Every Pixel Count</a>", which is about the importance of properly photographing your home for online real estate sites.<br><br>

From the article:<br><br><em>

When selling properties online, agents and Web designers say that the pictures buyers see of houses and apartments for sale are often the first ? and sometimes the only ? chance for a seller to make a good impression. Less-than-flattering pictures can turn buyers off and lead to lonely open houses.</em><br><br>

So why is this so important? Well, some stats, from the piece:<br><br><em>

Eighty percent of people across the country who bought a new home last year used the Internet while house hunting, and they rated photographs as the most useful tool in their search, according to a survey of buyers and sellers by the National Association of Realtors. The survey also found that 24 percent of home buyers got their first glimpses of their new homes on the Web, up from a mere 2 percent in 1997.</em><br><br>

And let's face it, this number is probably going to continue to tend upward.  If you've ever searched for a house or apartment online, you've probably been surprised and/or frustrated at the lack of pictures some listers provide.  As many people will tell you, all the details in the world are still taken with a grain of salt when pictures aren't provided.  Unless listers are trying to hide something, why not give web searchers what they want?  <br><br>

And although the mere act of posting pictures is crucial to attracting web-savvy prospects nowadays, the variance in the quality of the pictures can change the buyer's impression drastically. Be sure to see the audio slideshow that accompanies the article for examples of this.   


<br><br>
Via <a href="http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/356-real-estate-photos-worth-more-than-a-thousand-words">37Signals</a>]]></description>

  <link>http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Taking-Better-Real-Estate-Photos</link>

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  <title>Best Return on Investment Home Improvement Tips</title>

  <description><![CDATA[ If you're about to sell your home, be sure to check out this list of the most cost effective home improvement tips that will help you maximize your return on renovation investment.  These tips focus on the easiest upgrades that produce the best results, versus the returns you can expect from performing major renovations, such as kitchen renovations or flooring replacements, as previously posted <a href="http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Best-Bang-for-the-Buck-Home-Remodelling-Jobs">here</a>.

<br><br>From the videos available on <a href="http://www.homegain.com/tool_center/home_sale_maximizer/video">Homegain.com</a>:<br><br><em>
...thoroughly cleaning and removing clutter from your home can  be worth up to five times what it cost you to do it."</em>]]></description>

  <link>http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Best-Return-on-Investment-Home-Improvement-Tips</link>

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  <title>Best Bang for the Buck Home Remodelling Jobs</title>

  <description><![CDATA[ Remodelling Online has some useful <a href="http://www.remodeling.hw.net/industry-news.asp?articleID=79166&sectionID=173">cost vs. value</a> data which might prove handy if you're planning any remodelling work around the house.  If resale is what you have in mind, wikiHow lists some great ways to <a href="http://wiki.ehow.com/Inexpensively-Increase-the-Value-of-Your-Home">inexpensively increase</a> your home's value.  Ditto for the <a href="http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6460057/">Peacock.</a>

Some of <a href="http://www.basementspaces.com/">these </a><a href="http://www.basementremodeler.com/WEB/basement-design-gallery1.htm">basements</a>, on the other hand, probably weren't <i>that</i> inexpensive...]]></description>

  <link>http://www.househacker.com/permanent/Best-Bang-for-the-Buck-Home-Remodelling-Jobs</link>

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