What are you doing for the 4th of July?  If you live in the Wellesley or Metrowest Boston MA area you have many fantastic choices!  So we thought we'd give you some of the highlights of the area:

* THE CITY OF BOSTON:  The city of Boston starts celebrating July 3rd with an incredible BOSTON POPS CONCERT! Celebrations then continue into the 4th culminating with a spectacular fireworks display. For more details and event information: www.july4th.org

* BOSTON HARBORFEST:  This festival (July 2-6) strives to honor and remember the past, while celebrating the present, and educating our future with concerts, historical tours, reenactments, and more. For more details:  www.bostonharborfest.com

* NATICK, MA: Natick's 4th of July celebrations are put together soley by the Friends of the Fourth, and they do an amazing job!!  Events actually started on June 29th with a mini-triathlon, and have now built up to a great Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast on the morning of the 4th  followed by the  59th Annual 4th of July Parade & Fireworks. For details & times follow here: www.natick4th.org/

* NEEDHAM, MA:  Needham's 4th of July starts with their Annual 5K Road Race at 8:30 am and follows with a full day of fun for the entire family!! There will be a parade, music, games, food and so much more!  Get all your details here:  www.needhamexchangeclub.org/

*NEWTON, MA:  Newton's celebrations start with a "Kids Morning" of festivities! Followed by a Craft Fair at 1:00 pm and music, food, amusement rides, parade and more! Get your details here: www.newtoncommunitypride.org

Whether you choose one of these amazing events, or choose to celebrate with family and friends in the comfort and convenience of your own backyard, keep in mind the reason for our celebrations....the Independence of our great country!  We were built on the foundations of  individual rights, freedom, equality and justice for all; and we need to protect those rights for the generations who will come after us.  So Thank the Military men and women for their service and sacrifice, and keep the reason and the spirit of the day with you in whatever you choose to do.

From TEAM LYNCH......we wish you a HAPPY & SAFE 4TH OF JULY!

We all know that if your home is in a prestigious neighborhood or has acres of land, that that is what will be your "lead in" for your Home Ad.  But what if you have a great, normal home in Natick? How are you going to set yourself apart from all the other great normal homes in Natick?  That answer is easier than you may think, and that is why you need Team Lynch to sell your Natick home!

Sometimes, in looking for that GREAT aspect of our home to be the focus of our advertising we overlook the basics of what makes our home truly great.  Even though you may have outgrown your home and are starting to see it's flaws...the goal of marketing is to highlight your home to shine in the eyes of your potential buyers.   So start looking at the basics of your Natick home:

1. Storage:  This is something almost every buyer wants and needs. Since many First Time Home Buyers have struggled with not having adequate storage in their apartment life....you'll want to take pictures and highlight all the storage options in your home.

2. Organizational Options:  Hand in hand with storage is organization.  If you have made the investment in built-in or custom closet or kitchen organizer systems, desks, bookshelves, garage systems, etc....You'll want to highlight this in your homes listing along with great photos of each.

5. Senior Friendly Features:  Many families are now moving aging family members in with them.  This has made the search for homes with in-law suites or senior family features like: single story layouts, level-in entrance (no stairs) and low maintenance landscaping. Even extra bedrooms with a bath need to be marketed as such.  This is a new direction in the way that Americans are living so it makes a great lead in for marketing.

Taking time to prepare your Natick MA home prior to putting it up for sale is extremely important.  After all, for most of us, this is our most important asset so taking the extra time it takes to ensure we have taken care of all the small things makes the most sense.

1. Get all your paperwork together. Simple right? Not so much- if you've been in your home a long time this may take longer that you think. You'll need HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Appliances, Remotes and any other technical systems that your new owners will need to live comfortably in the home.

2. Check all the small things.  You know, the ones you've probably gotten used to living with. Check switch plates, fixtures, door handles, mailbox, etc.

3. Make things less personal. This may seem odd, but you want potential buyers to be able to picture themselves in the home, not see "your" home. So pack up and move out many of your personal items.

4. Try to eliminate all evidence of pets in the home! This may sound harsh, but you want to make it look as though you NEVER had a pet in the home. Get rid of smells, stains, food, food bowls, etc.

5. Remove clutter from every room in the home!

6. Gather estimates on repairs/or replacements.  Unless everything in your home is brand new, you can expect for it to be on the "bargaining block" during the negotiation phase. So get on top the process now.

7. No one wants a dirty house! You want to deep clean...I'm talking "white glove" test. Plus, a clean house will garner a better selling price as well.

8. Hide the kids! What?? A buyer will be checking for signs of damage from children, so make sure you've made those repairs.  When you have a showing, make sure the kids are out of the home, no one wants to have kids under foot while they are looking at a home.

9. Clean up your landscaping. No need to hire a professional...but clean up the yard so that it looks neat and tidy. Grass should be cut, twigs and leaves from winter raked and bagged. Sprucing it up with a few flowers or shrubs never hurts either.

10. Take some pictures. Once everything is cleaned up and looking nice.....take some pictures and use them for marketing purposes.  The better the pictures the more people will want to come and see your home.