Like many Baby Boomers, Maryann Sus is squeezed by the multiple demands of a career, a home and a parent in poor health. A year ago, her widowed mother moved in with Maryann, adding to her responsibilities.
”Because of the progressive nature of her illness, it is absolutely imperative we dispose of her home before my attention is increasingly diverted to caretaking,” she says.
At times Maryann finds the pending task overwhelming. She, too, is on her own but wants to do what she can to get the best price for her mother. The three-bedroom brick ranch is located in Munster, Ind., and is still fully furnished though her mother no longer lives there. Furniture, clothing and artifacts must be sorted and sold or given away.
”There is an awful lot that needs to be done,” she says. ”My mother hasn`t done much since my stepfather died 9 years ago. I don`t know what to do with all of this stuff.”
Real estate sales agents Tina Brakley and Gina C. Maglish of Century 21 Kirk & Schneider Inc. in Highland, Ind., toured the property and made a list of spruce-up suggestions for Maryann to use as a guideline.
Built in the 1920s on a double lot, the home has hardwood floors in the bedrooms, a fireplace, natural wood moldings, a two-car detached garage and a wrap-around front porch. The basement is fully finished and offers a kitchen, built-in bar, a second bath and several multi-purpose rooms.
Maryann`s sales preparations to date have been to paint the interior walls off-white and scrub down the kitchen. She has tossed out aging curtains and plans to wash all the windows.
The situation ”is not as bad as you think,” said Maglish. ”You have a beautiful home and you`re doing a great job so far. It`s just going to take time to sort through all these things. If you take it one room at a time, stacking and marking boxes as you go, it won`t seem like such a big job.”
The real estate agent duo found little room for improvement on the main living level of the home. The living room carpeting should be shampooed, they suggested, and the room divider separating the entry from the living room is unnecessary.
”If you take (the room divider) down, then you have the fireplace as the focal point when you first walk in the door,” said Brakley.
”You`ll also have a feeling of more open space,” concurred Maglish.
The two places Maryann should concentrate on are the basement and the exterior, the real estate agents said. Before the gutters were re-directed, water seepage damaged some of the basement paneling and soaked a large area rug. A musty aroma hangs in the air.
”Even though you have corrected the problem, it is important to get rid of any evidence of moisture,” said Brakley. ”Otherwise people will be afraid.”
Near the bar, a portion of the paneling has buckled. If Maryann cannot find identical paneling as a replacement, she could use a contrasting texture such as faux stucco behind the entire bar, the real estate agents suggested. That change would visually delineate the area as a separate room.
The air can be greatly freshened with the help of a dehumidifier, the agents noted, although she might want to consider replacing the carpeting because its fibers might very well be retaining the musty odor.
To improve the outside of the home, Brakley and Maglish advised re-painting the peeling metal railings and wood trim. The lower branches on towering evergreen trees are dead and should be trimmed to enhance the home`s curb appeal, they said.
One of Maryann`s concerns, she said, is finding the hours to complete the work. She isn`t sure she can be finish in time for the fall market but doesn`t want to wait until spring to sell.
”You`re probably fine until maybe the first of November,” said Brakley. ”After that, things slow down.”
”I`m encouraged that (the home) doesn`t seem to be as big a problem in your minds as it is in mine,” said Maryann. ”I just needed some
reinforcement. Now I`ll see if I can set a goal to be ready by Aug. 1.”
