With so many choices for home buyers today, sellers must make their home seem extra special. A scrapbook or album makes any everyday event seem special, so why not use this tool to sell your home? Create a home journal or scrapbook to show your buyer the special features of your home and to help them decide that your home will bring them many happy memories of their own.



Create a notebook that presents itself like an attractive journal or scrapbook. You can use a simple three-ring binder or a store-bought scrapbook or photo album. Think beauty and functionality.

Take a photograph of your home's best feature and put it on the cover. Most of the time, the photograph is a picture of the front exterior. But if your home features a dramatic fireplace or a gorgeous garden, highlight this benefit to the buyer. Give your home a special name and include this on the cover of your journal.

Inside your journal, create some pages that highlight areas of your home that will benefit your buyers. You might label pages with pictures and phrases like "relax in the garden" or "enjoy cooking in this spacious kitchen."

Insert plastic sleeves for colorful flyers. Make the front section of your journal dramatic. Pick up flyers from your local Chamber of Commerce of nearby attractions. Add positive press articles that show positive aspects of your local community, as well as information on nearby schools.

In the middle section of your home scrapbook, gather utility bills (gas, electric, water, and any other monthly costs). Arrange these bills in folders or plastic sleeves. Make a simple spreadsheet showing your payments throughout the year. When your buyers ask about your utility bills, you have them ready to show proof. Your care makes buyers feel that you have nothing to hide and they receive comfort in knowing what to expect with your home.

You may wish to include a section with legal papers like your insurance policy and deed.

Next, make a log of repairs, home improvements, and maintenance. Include receipts in a folder or sleeve. Present "before" and "after" pictures so buyers can see the results of your work.

Complete your home journal with more color photographs of your home during the opposite season or hosting a party. Display photos of the flowers in bloom or your house decked out for the holidays. Pictures of people enjoying your home give buyers the conclusion that if they choose your home, they will have fun hosting parties, too.

Even if your buyer doesn't take time to look at your entire presentation, just the fact that you make your records available gives your buyer peace of mind. When you take the time to make your home journal beautiful to look at and present it like a scrapbook or album, you also convince your buyer that they will create their own happy moments in this special home.

Copyright ? Jeanette J. Fisher