Have pets and sell your home

1. Give Fido obedience lessons.

2. Make sure your house smells good:
a. Put fresh cedar shavings in your dog’s bed.
b. Freshly paint the walls.
c. Run the air conditioner at 68 degrees for four to five days.
d. Use air sprays that eliminate odor.

3. If your dog can’t be trained, use an enclosure or leash to detain him or her.

4. Keep your lawn free of dog doo.

5. Remove your cat’s litter box from the house when showing it.

6. Get animals out of the house when showing it.

For more information, search our archive for our article “Good dog, bad dog” from Dec. 27, 2007, or contact Ken Berenson at 914-699-4982 or Kenberenson.com.

Keep your home dry

1. Monitor basements for water and mold.

2. Buy a dehumidifier and run it all the time.

3. Monitor your chimney and roof for leaks and cracks.

4. Drainage problems?
    a. Install a sump pump.
    b. Retrofit for more complex conditions.
    c. Get a waterproofing system.

For more information, search our archive for our article “Above water” on April 3, 2008.

Mix contemporary furniture with family heirlooms

1. Marry antiques with traditional furniture, not contemporary.

2. Go mass market with window treatments that could change.

3. Use simple carpets in family and play rooms but put more expensive carpets in more formal rooms.

4. Consider how long you’ll keep furniture in deciding how much to spend.

5. Look at flea markets and moving sales for antiques.

6. Create a mood and special look for each room.

For more tips, search our archive for our article “Mix and match” on Sept. 13, 2007, or contact Carmiña Roth of Belle Haven Interiors at Bellehaveninteriors.com.

Sell your house

1. Price it right: Don’t pad the price. Know the actual value before you put it on the market. Hirer an appraiser.

2. Spruce it up: Keep the property clean and neat.

3. Know the competition: What is the value of other houses in the neighborhood?

4. Be flexible: Don’t be offended by offers when showing the house and don’t judge buyers. Let lots of people see it.

For more information, search our archive for our article “How to avoid mistakes” on May 1, 2008, or contact Richard Ferrarone of Landmark Appraisal Group.

Tidy up for spring

1. Keep your lawn raked and clean.

2. Scan the driveway for cracks, then fill them. (Driveways typically last up to 15 years.)

3. Fence it in: Keep gates and fences in working order.

4. Repair and powerwash your deck or dock after the rough winter weather.

For more tips, search our archive for our article “Spring cleaning: Tidy up your driveway, fence, dock to sell” on March 20, 2008, or contact Peter Julian of Rock Shelter Landscape Design and Construction in South Salem, N.Y., at Rockshelterldc.com/home.htm.

Make your home party-friendly

1. Choose a home with a large dining room or living room/dining room combo space

2. Get a second dishwasher and refrigerator.

3. Install a butler’s pantry.

4. Install French doors to keep the party flowing outside.

5. Consider a sitting area in your dining room.

6. Don’t decorate eating spaces with smelly flowers - save that for the powder room.

7. Choose a round table. They better lend themselves to conversation.

For more tips, search our archive for our article “Formal Entertaining” on Nov. 15, 2007, or contact Liz Seccuro at Dolceparties.com.

Choose colors that sell

Don’ts

x Red stays in the mind as red — Paint over red walls if you are showing your house.

x Refrigerator white is always a turn-off.

Dos

* Neutral colors make rooms look bigger, brighter.

* Rasberry, grayed lavendar and teal are considered neutral colors with a little punch.

* Off-white is nice, not dull. Don’t worry it might be boring.

For more information, search our archive for our article “Color your world” on Feb. 28, 2008, or contact Victoria Vandamm of Vandamm Interiors at 622-9070 or Vandamminteriors.net.