There is a reality of the real estate market that is often overlooked. When selling a home, it is basically on show or on stage 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Sellers need to remember this fact as even though it may be 11 pm, prospective buyers may still drive past the home and even at that point what they see should be impressive. You may not be wanting to show your home late at night but your home is "on stage" no matter what time it is. What this means for any seller is that their home must be in show condition no matter what time of day or night it is. The last thing any seller wants to do is to have to clean like a maniac at the last minute to accommodate a quick show. Unfortunately one thing that happens a lot with a home sale is the "drive by show." This is a completely unplanned show that occurs when buyers and their realtors are having a quick drive around the available homes in the area and they see something they like and don't want to wait to see what lies inside. Most realtors will bristle at doing shows on the fly like this but ask yourself if you can really afford to lose a prospective sale?
It can be a chore keeping the home in show condition as show condition and living condition are usually two different things. Daily living does tend to create a bit of a mess, especially if children and pets are part of the equation. It does not take a huge effort to make sure that things stay in pristine condition on a daily basis. You may have to learn to live without a few things as if the home is professionally staged, usually there will be some things that get stowed away as they are unnecessary to the showing of the home. Ideally home shows will be scheduled and you will have the appropriate time to prepare for them but as I stated before, those last minute, no-notice shows can happen. If they do happen then you need to be ready for them. If someone absolutely has to see your home at the last minute without notice it could mean that they are desperate to buy. It could be that they have to transfer to the area and get settled quickly or any number of other reasons. No matter what they are, if a buyer is needing to buy, you must be ready to show them your home. This will be much easier if you don't have to tell them to wait for 20 minutes while you clean up the dinner mess or something of the like.
A top favorite on my bookshelf is Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain from the Sky. The book speaks of the special bonds we have with our dogs, sometimes that we are not even aware of.
Clothier is a nationally renowned dog trainer. Using both her own dogs and dogs she has trained for others, she illustrates how dogs think, the nature of their relationship with us, their behavior and other lessons.
I found it beautifully written; moving, sweet, funny at times, heartbreaking at others. This is a book I recommend not only to dog owners, but to anyone thinking about getting a dog.
For lighter stories, there are always James Herriot's wonderful books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small. His most well-known works are available in a gift set.
My all-time favorite cat book is The Silent Miaow by Paul Gallico. Subtitled "a Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats",it's written in the first person-cat. The aim of the book is to teach motherless cats how to properly live with humans. It is a twenty-year old book, but is still available in paperback.
The book's narrator explains: "there is no question but that we are quite the most graceful animals in existence, and this you must keep uppermost in your mind in all of your attitudes and poses..." . On doors he tell the reader: "..teach them [your humans] the necessity of dropping whatever they happen to be doing to open one of them to let you in or out."
A nice picture book for breed identification and description is the Eyewitness Handbooks series Dogs or Cats.
The way the animals are grouped in this book may differ from the way you are used to seeing, as it was written in England. They are meant to be international in scope.
Descriptions are brief, and will not be enough information for choosing a breed to adopt, but it is a great book for simple identification, or as a starting place in the decision making process.
Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin is a no-holds-barred, well-researched book giving the consumer a unique look into the pet food industry. The tells the truth about pet foods - whether we want to hear it or not. A must read for anyone feeding grocery-store brand pet foods.
There are numerous books available to on in keeping your pets healthy and dealing with health concerns.
One of the first authors to address holistic healing for pets is Dr. Richard Pitcairn in his Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It is now in its third edition, updated with the latest information and the doctor's own experiences, and is the first book I turn to when I have a question about an animal's health.
The only book I have found that specifically addresses natural care of cats is The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. The author goes into great detail on every aspect of caring for cats, from feeding to grooming to specific health problems.
When it comes to dog training, there are many approaches and many books and videos. Basically most books can be placed in one of two schools of thought as far as training method, either traditional negative punishment-based training, or the newer, positive reward-based training.
I believe that positive training is the way to go, even if it is harder for the human to learn. One of the most well-written books on the subject is Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training.
In this book, Miller explains how positive dog training works and how to use it. There are chapters on basic commands as well as common behavior problems.
Pat Miller is a dog trainer with over thirty years of experience, and has used many methods and tools in that time.
There are, of course, plenty of other books on the subject of pets, from 'how-tos' to photographic essays, both humorous and poignant. Hours can be spent in just one aisle of the bookstores, trying to decide on a title or two.
You might want to pick up a book or two for your own bookshelf, as well! Here's wishing you a happy and safe holiday season!
Both Steve Proski & Elyse Grau are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Steve Proski has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Real Estate and Renovation Ideas. Steve Proski is a realtor who specializes in the purchase and sale of For all your real estate needs in Scottsdale. Steve Proski's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Elyse Grau has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Pets and Food for Cat. For any of the books listed above , as well as many more titles and other recommended products visit the . Elyse Grau's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.