"I can tell that when they are in bloom, it must be pretty here," said Frumentino. Since the retirement community where the Loyds are considering moving to is not yet under construction, they are not sure what time of year they may be selling the house.

In case the Loyds are confronted with selling their home in the dead of winter, Frumentino suggested taking plenty of photographs of the yard when the flowers are in bloom to show to prospective buyers.
"You may have to put this home on the market. when there's a foot of snow on the ground. Take pictures so people can see how pretty it is," she said.

Frumentino noticed moss growing on a wood fence that separates the back yard from the house next door. She suggested power washing it to remove the moss. Looking up at the home's roof, the Loyds said they had last replaced it about 20 years ago. Although it does not have any leaks, Frumentino recommended having a roofer take a look at it to determine about how many years it likely has left before it needs to be replaced. "If the roof isn't leaking, but it shows signs of wear, they can probably say how many more years it has," Frumentino said. If, for instance, the roofer's estimate shows there are several years of life left in the roof, the Loyds can offer to split the cost of replacing it with a buyer rather than footing the entire cost themselves, Frumentino said.

On the home's interior, the Loyds noted there is a hardwood floor underneath the cream carpet that extends through most of the house. Although hardwood floors are very popular with buyers, Frumentino advised against going to the trouble of finishing the floors. "If they pulled up the carpet and refinished the floors, it would probably add to the price [of the house], but it's a huge job," she said.

Instead, she suggested the Loyds be sure to let buyers know that there is a hardwood floor beneath the carpet. Moving into the home's basement, Frumentino praised this spacious area, which is fully finished and has a brick fIreplace. The Loyds have put some temporary storage shelves in a nook next to the Fireplace, which closes off part of the basement and makes it feel like two rooms. Frumentino recommended taking the shelves down because they make a very large area seem smaller.

"I'd remove them. I think it's going to show that there's a ton of space down here," she said.
The couple also noted that there is some water damage at the base of some wood paneling on the basement walls. Frumentino said they should take a plank down in the area to determine if there is a foundation crack allowing moisture to stain the walls. She said it is the sort of problem that must be disclosed to buyers and that the Loyds would be better off resolving it before the house is shown to buyers.