A couple of concrete pads in the sidewalk leading to the townhouse's front door have sunken into the ground. Two water shut-off valves that are in the concrete now stand about an inch above the sidewalk.
Frumentino advised the Pritzes to contact their townhouse association about raising the concrete.

"You're going to have groups of people walking up to the house and not looking down," she said. "It's a tripping hazard."

The least expensive way to fIx the problem is by "mudjacking," Frumentino said. "Workers can raise those two pads of concrete up," she explained.

The Pritzes have placed planters with flowers and greenery on the steps that lead into their townhouse. The enclosed area is also decorated with a couple of garden statues and a vine growing on a fence.

"It's very appealing because it's so lush. It's reminiscent of a European courtyard," Frumentino said.
Still, the Realtor recommended removing some of the planters to ensure that the path toward the front door is not obstructed.

"It's got to be clear," she said. If the home goes on the market in the winter, than a planter or two with evergreen bushes would look pretty, Frumentino and Mickey Pritz agreed.

On the home's interior, Frumentino had high praise for the many improvements the Pritzes have made in recent years, such as in the kitchen where they have installed granite counters in taupe and gray and cherry wood cabinets.

Frumentino advised the Pritzes to make a list of all of the major improvements they have made to their home over the last five years and to jot down an estimate of how much the improvements cost. This list, she said, will be important in determining a price for the townhouse, particularly in a community where some houses have been extensively improved and some have not.

"There are some units where time has stood still. Nothing has changed," Frumentino said. If buyers tour several townhouses and are wondering why they should pay more for the Pritzes' unit, the list will be helpful. Another of the updates the Pritzes made to their home was installing bleached oak floors throughout most of the first floor. Water seeping from the bottom of a planter and general wear and tear have marred the floor, however.

Instead of going to the trouble of replacing the floor, Frumentino suggested that the Pritzes get an estimate of what a new floor would cost. If a buyer insists that they will have to replace the floor, the Pritzes can show them an estimate of the cost and offer them a credit.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, Frumentino recommended that the stair hallway be given a fresh coat of paint. At the top of the stairs, Frumentino entered the only room of the house where the original floor covering is still in place. The master bedroom has brown, shag carpet on the floor.

"I'd take it out and put in a nice, neutral Berber," Frumentino said. Because much of the home's fIrst floor has been updated, the brown carpeting in the master bedroom will be a disappointment for buyers who will have oohed and aahed over the rest of the house, Frumentino explained.

Although the tan walls and brown ceiling of the master bedroom coordinate with the carpeting, they should be repainted, she said. It's a bit dark" said the Realtor, recommending that the walls be repainted in an off-white color.

Although Mickey has a knack for decorating and has filled many of the rooms of her home with interesting artwork and family photos, Frumentino said some of them should be removed because they may distract potential buyers. Frumentino recommended, for instance, removing some of the paintings that decorate the master bedroom.

"When you take this stuff down to repaint," she said, "don't put it back up because you'll put holes in the wall, and that will defeat the purpose." In the adjoining master bathroom, Frumentino advised replacing a couple of cracked floor tiles and repainting or replacing a scuffed floor vent.

Taking a look at the black wallpaper with pink and blue flowers on the walls of another upstairs bathroom, Frumentino said the colors and style are probably too strong for most buyers, who seem to prefer neutral colors. The wallpaper, Mickey noted, matches the blue tile on the walls of the bathroom and it would be a large project to take the paper down and paint the walls.

When making a list of projects, replacing the carpet in the master bedroom and repainting the walls there would take priority over replacing the wallpaper, Frumentino said.