David Ormonde's Central Valley Real Estate & Dinner Blog

The real estate and dinner blog

How to prepare a home for sale in the Tracy/Mountain House area of California.

Preparing a home for sale is always tricky and there are lots of lists you can follow, most of which make sense when you stop and think about it.  Making sure the laundry is put away, cleaning the kitchen, packing up the garage, etc.  Those are the obvious things, but what about the obvious and the things specific to your area. 

If you live in Tracy or Mountain House we all complain about the wind, but we get so accustomed to it we never think about how that might affect the sale of our house.  Although you can’t change it and you certainly would not want to lie about it, the fact is you can do things to mitigate the issue by saying things like, ” the wind in this area keeps us cooler in the summer and helps to clear out any air pollution”.   In addition, think about the following when preparing your home for sale in the Tracy/Mountain House area. 

• During the summer months landscaping tends to really dry up and turn brown.  Pay attention to this change and add extra watering cycles or times if allowed. 
• The wind can really stir things up in the spring and summer months.  Take extra care to be sure landscapes are free of debris from the wind.  A prospective buyer does not want to see debris all over the yard, even in the wind. 
• Some parts of the Tracy area have really hard water.  Be sure to point out the fact that you have water treatment or softeners.  Use this as a selling point instead of a negative. 
• Some homes in and around Tracy may experience extra noise from the wind, farming, or freeways.  Use simple decorative water fountains, chimes, and/or music when showing to mitigate the sounds.  You can’t hide the sounds, but you can show that simple tricks will create a quite and serene environment even if the outside is noisy. 
• Above all, be sure to always keep it neat and clean during showing.  Take a tour of your home before showing it to see how each room really looks.  If a room looks dingy or boring, sometimes all it takes is a little splash of color to brighten it up.  Try to think like a buyer and everything will make sense. 

Now is the time of year to get the most delicious wild mustard greens from just about anywhere around the Central Valley.  Look for the yellow flowers just after a heavy rain for the best taste and results. 

Now for dinner           Try picking some fresh mustard greens this time of year just after a rain before the crowns turn to yellow flowers.  The are delicious and better tasting than broccoli.   Here is a recipe for you to use after picking your fresh mustard greens. 

Pick just the crown and surrounding leaves for the best taste. If possible, get the crown before it turns into a yellow flower.