Selling to Travel the World

The open house is one week away, so real-estate expert Shannon Freeman is brought in to assess the house. The first thing she notices is that holiday lights are still on display, and plastic wildlife adorns the yard. Both have to go. The landscape also needs sprucing up--sculpted shrubs are out, she says. The next red flag is a screen door--you don't want to "screen out" potential buyers with one of these on the front door.

Inside the house, she notes that the dining area is not sufficient, but the living room just needs some rearranging. The kitchen is bland and uninviting. Freeman says if you're going to put your money into improvements before selling, the kitchen is a recipe for success.

Step 1: Make it sparkle--the bathroom and the kitchen need to look brand new. These two rooms can be big selling points.

Step 2: Shake things up a bit. The furniture needs to be removed or rearranged in bedroom 2, for example.

Step 3: Liven up the landscaping. Curb appeal needs to stop traffic.

With help from carpenter Brad Haviland, LaPorta jumps right in to the project. She needs Samson to completely clean out the house first so she can start with a clean slate. Though the trio works diligently, they get down to the wire, but manage to have everything ready in time for the open house. Here are the results:

The open house is such a success that Samson has a change of heart. She decides to lease her cottage so that when she finishes traveling she can move back.

Products from Lowe's:

bathroom tile, 6 x 6" Sandy Ridge Tile

kitchen fixtures:

4-inch brushed nickel
zinc single curtain, 180639
shower curtain/LI, 215610
nickel ball Hook, 72" tension rod
SN Laurel Entry

Products from Home Depot:

flowers and plants:

Phormium
lily of the Nile
cuphea
Duranta
hibiscus
Bougie

Ralph Lauren paint:

for the bathroom: Cymric Silver, TH09
for the office: Thunder Bay, TH30

Benjamin Moore kitchen paint:

Wheeling Neutral, HC92

Product from Contractors' Warehouse:

Clear Pine French 3 (French door)

bathroom accessories from Target:

dish cloth, 067071079
washcloth, 064020273
lotion pump, 064050784
bath towel, 064020260
pussy willow, 084111125
basket box, 065091897

window treatments from Target:

valance, 068030216
valance, 068030177
valance, 068030231

Product from Lamps Plus:

15" scroll arm semi

Products from GE:

host display dishwasher
1.3 cubic-foot microwave