This is an eloquent article written by Jeannie Mounger, PhD, plant biologist & field applications scientist. A glossary of terms (that I had to look up!) is below the article.
I wrote the statement below for the Jonathan Dickinson group, but it’s worth sharing here. As we all know, Honeymoon Island is a fragile and shifting barrier island. Those of us who’ve spent considerable time out there throughout our lives have watched the boundaries of the island shift before us. Several of the pavilions and parking lots are currently under threat of being damaged or lost due to this erosion. And as a plant biologist who conducted a portion of my PhD work on red mangroves at Honeymoon, I’ve also witnessed the dieback of mangrove trees due to this very erosion. Some of this erosion and mangrove dieback is natural — barrier islands are dynamic places that are constantly in flux. And some of this is the result of climate change, from increasingly violent storms to sea level rise.
This is the last place that anyone should consider putting yet another impervious surface, especially the very agency tasked with its protection.
THE CLAW
I want to share a story about another golf course that was built on state-owned public lands, the University of South Florida course known as The Claw, as I think what has happened to it will serve as a warning.
The Claw was built in 1967 on approximately 130 acres which were carved from conservation lands endowed to the university, land that prior to its destruction contained a mix of now-endangered *sandhill uplands and **bottomland forests which served as a ***floodplain for Cypress Creek and the Hillsborough River. As such, the course frequently flooded, and it was difficult for a public entity like USF to financially maintain. The club’s outbuildings fell into such disrepair that they were condemned, and equipment was rented out of a storage container. Students and community members alike didn’t want to trudge through soggy holes to play on a dilapidated old course. The course was finally shuttered in 2023 following a decade of low attendance and rising management costs.
Now, the university wants to build a “micro-city” full of shopping centers and hotels on this land, which sits directly next door to the USF Forest Preserve, one of the last remaining endangered sandhill habitats in Hillsborough County. The Forest Preserve itself was almost lost to this idiotic vision in 2021, when out-of-touch administrators quietly solicited development proposals for both it and the golf course property. As a then-grad student at USF and plant biologist, I fought hard with my peers and my community to ensure the Forest Preserve’s protection, but it is threatened anew by the massive footprint proposed next door.
“PEOPLE WHO NEVER LEARNED TO VALUE NATURE”
Golf courses are shuttering around the country. Interest in the sport is at a record low. Once these fragile ecosystems like ****coastal scrub and sandhill are razed to make way for a fad or a failing sport, once they are just mounds of turfgrass and dirt, the argument for increasingly more destructive development proposals becomes increasingly legitimized in the eyes of people who never learned how to value nature.
These plans in our beautiful state parks have to end here, and we have to fight hard to repair our badly eroded environmental regulatory agencies and state laws to prevent this from ever being proposed again. Keep these amazing support networks growing. I know we can do it.
*A sandhill is also a type of ecological community, or xeric [of an environment or habitat containing little moisture; very dry.] ecosystem. Sandhills are found on the crests and slopes of rolling hills and ridges, with deep, well-drained, and nutrient poor soils.
**A bottomland is defined as a location in the landscape that periodically floods (often within a 100-year floodplain), but standing water is usually absent during the growing season.
***An area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
**** A plant community that grows on gentle hills above the ocean and is characterized by low-growing shrubs with still leaves and flexible branches.
WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
A well-maintained course has its own toxic footprint. Read about how dangerous they are for our ecosystem, for our bodies & for our future here.
It’s time to speak out against these assaults on our wild spaces. I have put together a cheat sheet of whom to contact for the current threat to our Florida parks.
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Several years ago, one of my friends was relocating near me & I was guiding her in choosing a house to purchase. Many properties were viewed & rejected & we finally found one online that looked promising.
When we went to view it, we saw that it was across the street from a golf course. I was concerned about this, especially because she had a young daughter with a genetic, neurological condition. My friend had always been very attentive in ensuring that the home environment was kept free of toxins. She cleaned with vinegar, used fragrance free products & bought organic foods.
I suggested that she should call the golf course & ask the management for information on the chemicals they used. Their response was alarming. They told her that they employed 2 men to drive around in golf carts, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, spraying pesticides & herbicides & fungicides. 80 hours a week of toxic spray near a residential area. Suddenly the backyard pool looking out onto the golf course didn’t look so appealing.
Below are links to articles containing information on the ecological dangers that golf courses pose to our environment. I have also included a couple articles that discuss responsible stewardship. It is my opinion that the activism stirred by the current Florida protest be continued to advocate for more thoughtful maintenance of our existing courses.
I am not an authority on toxins, hence the links so that you can read the complete articles. I am not going to give you a pre-digested summary but will include quotes from each one which I think express its vital points. There are also links to videos, most heartbreaking being the one that tells a son’s story of his father’s death. The dad had been the groundskeeper of a golf course. He died from cancer after years of exposure to pesticides, herbicides & fungicides.
I am focusing on golf courses because there is a great deal of data on the toxins that they use & of course, golf courses have the greatest area on which to use them. However, I doubt that the usage for a resort hotel would be much more comforting.
READ THESE ARTICLES & WATCH THE VIDEOS
Carolina Turf- Organic Lawn Care Are Golf Courses Exposing You to Toxins?
“Pesticides and herbicides can have dire consequences on non-target species. Birds, amphibians, and beneficial insects can suffer from direct exposure or by consuming contaminated food sources.”
Beyond Pesticides Pesticide Dangers at Golf Courses Much Higher in the U.S. Than in Europe, Study Finds
Defined:
Hazard Quotient (HQ): a ratio of pesticide exposure to a chemical’s toxicity. High hazard quotients indicate high risks to human health, while lower numbers indicate less risk. Such a model only captures the acute effects of pesticides, and not chronic impacts, but can nonetheless provide important data about pesticide dangers.
“The highest single HQ for a golf course was found in Florida at 40,806.” Compare Norway at 64.
VIDEOS
I have curated a handful of short videos that provide more information on environmental toxins. This playlist is varied & covers such topics as environmental destruction & potential harm to humans, both long & short terms.
Because golf is a sport that is dying, there are many abandoned courses. These dead courses are often an invitation for more development. Read about this threat here.
Please read the accompanying article about the current proposal to annihilate Florida’s parks. The article contains links to sites that provide more information & invite your easy-to-do action. Several are survey sites. I encourage you to raise your voices in defense of our parks.
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“Because Florida state parks are just what they ought to be: numerous, unsullied, and wild. They should not be marred by big business investors looking to make a profit.”
~Jim Harper
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection wants to change 9 State Parks throughout Florida, including adding lodges, pickleboard courts & golf courses & disc golf fields. Florida already has more golf courses than any other state in the country & some of them are falling into disrepair. You can read about this plan here.
These parks provide critical habitat for many native species. This could have devastating consequences for our state environmentally, financially & culturally. How dangerous is this plan? Click here.
DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have put together a list of sites where you can go to get information as well as links to online surveys, petitions & people to call & email. It is important that we all DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like, comment, share your little hearts out to keep the discussion prominent in the FB algorithm.
This page is pretty chunky. Do as much as you can. When you get tired or discouraged, think of these guys.
Please ensure that if you should speak with Park personnel, that you are extra kind & polite to them. They are not the targets here & many of their hearts are broken by this proposal. They just aren’t allowed speak about it.
1. FDEP has opened an online survey for public comments. Comment. Share the link.
2. Email your protest (politely, please) to the actual decision makers. Just tell them what you think, send to yourself & paste the list below into a BCC. (Thanks to Stephen Humphrey)
Here are their addresses.
AnastasiaSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov,
JonathanDickinsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov, WaltonCountySPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov, CampHelenSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov,
HillsboroughRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov, HoneymoonIslandSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov, Dr.VonD.MizellEulaJohnsonSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov,
OletaRiverSPpublicmeeting@floridadep.gov
DEP Secretary-shawn.hamilton@floridadep.gov
SIGN PETITIONS
1. Audubon Florida
They are concerned about the threat to our bird population. So am I!
2. Florida Wildlife Federation
Follow this link to voice your concerns about these proposals & the lack of public participation, to the Governor, the Secretary of FDEP, and your state representatives. They provide a customizable email to which you can add your personal connection to Florida’s State Parks. Speak out & help them understand how important this issue is to you. They want your support in the next election!
1.Call the Florida State Park Hotline & tell them what you think about DeSantis’ Great Outdoors Initiative, during regular business hours. 850.245.2157, option #3.
Governor Ron DeSantis
850.717.9337
Heck, drop the good ol’ boy a line too.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary
Shawn Hamilton (current Secretary, as of the latest update)
850.245.2118
Mara Gambineri, Deputy Secretary for Land and Recreation
850.245.2043
FIND OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They postponed the initial meetings & as of August 27, they have not rescheduled. Here’s how you can get info on the meetings as it is released. You can also email these folks 48 hours after the meetings to publicly comment.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park & Grayton Beach State Park
Proposed changes at Topsail Hill: Pickleball courts, a disc golf course, a park lodge with up to 350 rooms
Proposed changes at Grayson Beach: Pickleball courts, a disc golf course, 10 new cabins, a new restroom
8. Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Proposed changes to over 1000 acres: Two 18-hole golf courses, one 9-hole golf course, removal of Hobe Mountain Observation Tower
Please refrain from partisan bashing when you post or comment in these groups. There are people of each party who are opposing this initiative. We are on the same team & need to stay united.
HELP ME EXPAND THESE LISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know that there are more local parks’ pages, etc. This is just a quick & dirty attempt to inspire you to do something!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please let me know what I have missed.
You can start your very own nature preserve at home. Click here to find out more!
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You have decided that you want to buy a historic bungalow. Not surprising! They are America’s favorite house & are highly suited for anyone who values comfort, history & fellowship.
Bungalow neighborhoods tend to be friendly & inclusive, attracting creatives, academics, singles & families of all shapes & sizes. This will benefit you in the buying process.
I am going to assume that you have already decided in which area of the U.S. you want to live. You are focusing on a specific, locale & need to choose a house, a neighborhood & perhaps a city.
Since this article is a how-to, I’m going to write it in sequential order. Just in my head it’s longer than I usually prefer, but buying a house is a huge investment financially & emotionally so I am reluctant to omit anything.
STEPS TO BUY A HISTORIC BUNGALOW
1. Save your pennies so you have a nice stash for a down payment, any needed repairs & a little left over to keep the stress at bay.
2. Clean up your credit. The higher your score is, the faster & easier it will be to obtain a mortgage loan. A high score can lower your interest rate. Loans are all about trust. The less risky you appear, the more they want to give you $$$. This is a good article by a credit reporting company that might help you.
It’s also a good idea to learn to live within your means & may just be the incentive you need to do something about raising your income &/or relying less on that credit card.
3. What is your budget? When you are buying an old house your budget may need to include restoration funds. You also must consider the cost of insurance, which can be more difficult & pricier to obtain on an old house & as with any house, taxes. Some states have tax breaks for certain historic properties so this is something that you will want to research.
Many old houses come with old trees which can be expensive to maintain or remove. You need to figure this expense into your planned budget & you should consider getting an evaluation from a certified arborist as part of your inspection contingency.
4. Get pre-approved by a lender. I’m going to let the experts tell you what you need to know. (I am neither recommending this company nor am I not recommending them. I just thought that what they have to say is informative.)
5. Are you wanting a turn-key property or do you envision yourself rescuing a house from the ravages of time?
Should your choice be turn-key you need to be aware that a clever flipper can make the worst house look all shiny & new. In many states, if someone has not resided in a house, they have no obligation to disclose any defects.
A warning- falling in love with a house can make you abandon all plans & good sense. There is nothing more likely to turn a mild-mannered homebuyer into a knight in shining armor more than walking into a distressed old house & deciding that it’s HOME. I think that this is a good time to suggest that you read my article which helps you sort out what type of house will actually make you the happiest before you go looking to buy a historic bungalow.
6. Find a qualified home inspector. Usually the home inspector is secured during the frantic time between getting a signed contract & closing. Please line up a home inspector who knows old houses before you need one.
Understand what the general inspection will & will not tell you. Read my article on home inspections here & watch my curated videos on inspections here. The videos walk you through several inspections so that you can understand what you can expect from a general inspection & how you can benefit the most from it.
How do you find a qualified, old house inspector?
7. You will probably narrow down a couple of neighborhoods that seem attractive to you. Most of these old neighborhoods have neighborhood associations (not homeowners’ associations. These are voluntary & focus on building strong communities.) Google the neighborhoods & look for upcoming association activities. You can attend these events & let people that you meet know that you are looking for a house in their neighborhood. They will welcome you warmly!
These get-togethers provide a good opportunity to inquire about local Realtors. You want to research any names that you get & also look for them in online listings in the neighborhood (including sold properties.) If they are trusted by the locals, they will usually have a nice inventory.
You can have meet’n’greets with these preferred Realtors by asking them to show you properties. From these encounters, you can see what kind of service they deliver & whether or not you mesh with them.
Check out their reviews online. Are the attributes that are mentioned important to you?
8. At the meetings you can also ask people for inspector recommendations. (Honest, these old house folks live to talk about their houses.) Check out the reviews of recommended inspectors & interview a couple of them. You want someone that you can trust for their competence, service & integrity. Yes, the Realtor who represents you will recommend inspectors too & you can just add them to the list. But ask before you are under contract.
9. Many cities have historic preservation advocacy groups. They can usually refer you to Realtors, home inspectors & tradespeople. My list is woefully incomplete but you can get an idea of what they do.
10. KNOW THIS! When you set out to buy a historic bungalow, there is no one house for you. You do not need to feel that you must have any one house or your life is ruined. Before I found the Hare House, I had my heart set on another wonderful bungalow that had a fraction of the character & many more issues. It was newly under contract & I was very, very, very hopeful that the deal would fall through. My Realtor pressed me to keep looking & I found my beautiful 1910 Craftsman & instantly forgot about the other one & wrote an offer on the hood of her car.
FINALLY!
I saved the best for last. Get yourself educated on old houses. Yes, I am biased, but I recommend that you read my blog from cover to cover, click all the external links (then come back!) watch all the videos that I have curated just for you, study my Pinterest page & read all the books I recommend.
And,
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I hang out on many old house group boards & read many stories of homebuyers whose inspections failed to find & report major issues. Most of the time, the homebuyer didn’t really know what things an inspection is designed to find, or, how to ensure that they receive best, most informative one.
Home inspections on old houses have some similarities with inspections on newer houses, but there are definitely some areas of concern that are not found in new homes. An inspector with experience in both will understand & appreciate these differences. He especially needs to be aware of what factors that can be present that will destroy a house & with it, your peace of mind & your bank account.
In these videos several inspectors explain the basic purpose & process & then there are a couple that address common issues to which great attention should be paid because they are unsafe, expensive to repair or both.
LEARN ABOUT HOME INSPECTIONS ON OLD HOUSES
9 Home Inspection Tips For Buyers (7:51)
Win The House You Love
Some great advice on how to approach a home inspection.
Home inspections for first-time home buyers (12:58)
Structure Tech Home Inspection
Some great information here, even if you’re not a first-time buyer!
First Time Home Buyer HOME INSPECTION Mistakes | 10 Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make (15:29)
Matt Leighton
Again, NOT for only the first-time buyer!
NOW FOR SOME LESSONS ABOUT INSPECTIONS ON OLD HOUSES
What To Look For During A Historical Home Inspection (18:21)
Galloway Building Services
A overview of home inspections on old houses.
Performing a Home Inspection on an Historic Home (1:14:16)
InterNACHI’s (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors) Ben Gromicko
A very thorough look at a 100 year old house.
Check out the article on home inspections, written by an experienced inspector here.
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Life changes can interrupt the most heart-felt, best laid plans. A marriage, a divorce, a new baby, a job transfer, a lay-off, a family member in need of care, any one of these things can profoundly affect your circumstances.
So, after much soul-searching & considering options, it’s time to be selling your historic house, the one that was going to be your forever home. You want to ensure that it doesn’t end up in the hands of a flipper, (with my pardon to those who maintain & preserve historic features. You know that you are rare!) or the victim of someone who thinks that the plot of land on which your precious bungalow sits would be a prime spot for a marble clad McMansion.
So, how do you attract the right buyer when selling your historic house?
THE IDEAL HISTORIC HOUSE BUYER
Let’s pause to consider what your ideal buyer might look like.
1. They love all aspects of old houses.
2. They love old neighborhoods.
3. They understand that old neighborhoods have the potential to transition.
4. They are financially qualified to be able to easily get a mortgage.
5. Your home’s location is convenient for them.
6. Your home’s size & layout will suit their needs.
7. They have sufficient resources to deal with the issues that can be found in an old house.
So, how do you attract this buyer?
Another numbered list:
Lo-o-o-ong before you make this decision-
1. Research the history of your house & neighborhood. Dig deep. In our disconnected world, people are searching for connections. You want to make the builders & former owners of your home real & lovable. Read my article on researching your home’s history. It should provide you with the information you need to flesh out the cast of characters & bring them to life.
When the time comes, you will have an abundance of material to display in a beautifully arranged notebook with your other marketing materials. You might want to frame any images you find in period frames & hang them in a group. They’re your house’s family!
2. Collect a library of information on homes of your period. Study these materials while you live there. Display them with your other sales materials. You might want to include them as a gift to the new homeowners.
3. Learn basic principles of historic preservation so that you make the right choices. The general public is becoming more & more aware of preservation. They may not share your love of purple, but the right buyer will understand why you didn’t open up the kitchen.
4. Create an organized list of your service providers with all pertinent facts- contact info, pricing, skills, caveats.
5. Create a dedicated file for all repairs & improvements as you go along. I keep a “House Box” with all my receipts, service contracts, etc. Also keep a warrantee/instructions file for all appliances & systems in the box.
These will be included in your sales display.
6. Here’s a biggy. Most municipalities have historically designated houses. With all the research that you have done, you probably have sufficient information to apply for & be granted such a designation, at the local, state or even national level. This designation can go far in protecting your house, at least its exterior. There is nothing cannot be challenged in a court of law, but generally this designation will chase people away who want to seriously maul your house.
When I sold the Hare House, I made much of the fact that it was designated, in all its marketing. Most of the potential buyers who came to view it were very eager to own an important house, but I can remember showing it to a woman one day who slid in expressing her enthusiasm that it was on 1 1/2 lots. I don’t know what architectural mayhem she was envisioning but I happily pointed out its historic status. When she asked what that meant I cheerfully said, “The City of Los Angeles regulates all construction & maintenance. They fully control everything, but you pay for it.”
She didn’t make it past the entryway.
7. Connect with your neighborhood group. Older neighborhoods tend to have strong neighborhood associations. You will make good friends & learn much about the history of your area.
My participation in my neighborhood association allowed me to produce a historic documentary film about its origins. Its premier to a sell-out crowd at Tampa Theatre, one of America’s most elaborate movie palaces was the outstanding achievement of my preservation life.
In these groups, you will connect with local Realtors. If & when the time comes to put your house on the market, you want to know these folks well. I had a bit of a prickly personal relationship with the Realtor who sold the Hare House but I knew that she was the most knowledgeable, competent & connected & I didn’t think twice about hiring her. I was dazzled by her every move. Thanks to her large mailing list, the open house was flooded with old house loving people. Thanks to her connections, by the time of the open we already had offers. She had a great relationship with the agent of the buyer I liked the best & the whole transaction was astonishingly smooth.
I also recommend taking an active role in one of these groups. You can leave your neighborhood better than you found it.
7. Support local businesses. They are part of your community. Many of them are your neighbors. When the time comes, contact them about your house sale. They may have customers who like your area & would love to live there. Several in my neighborhood allowed me to display my sales fliers on their counters.
OH, DEAR!
Yes, this is a really long article. I have spent a week writing & re-writing it to make it concise but selling your historic house to the right buyer takes some planning & some work. Stick with me.
BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR OLD HOUSE ON THE MARKET
IF YOU HAVE NO $$$$ (Hey, it’s happened to all of us.)
1. De-clutter. Yard sale or donate anything that you do not need. Just get rid of it! This includes furniture.
2. Put away everything that’s left that you do not need to function daily. If you have a place to stash extraneous furniture items, stash them.
3. Leave out only the decorative items that truly enhance/complement the house. I have old family photos that I framed in period frames. These stayed & got many positive comments.
4. Free up storage as much as possible. If you look like you’re overflowing, it will read as being not enough storage for their stuff. This includes attic, basement, garage, kitchen- any place anything can be stashed. I know this conflicts with item 2. I have no solution to this, but better stashed in storage than in the house.
5. Clean the house from top to bottom. Use natural, unscented products. I clean everything in my house with white vinegar, full-strength in the bathroom & mixed with water elsewhere. (Make sure that you have good ventilation. It’s pretty acidic.)
Hit the walls where there are smudges, doors & door frames, & get behind any furniture that you can. And, yes, wash the dang windows!
Wash or shake out curtains & draperies. Vacuum the blinds.
Clean the kitchen so that anyone would feel comfortable eating off of any surface. Ditto the bathroom.
6. Rent a carpet shampooer & clean those carpets. Use unscented products.
7. Wash your sheets & mattress covers & your pillows if they are washable. Again, skip the scented products. I wash with baking soda, letting stinkier loads soak. I do not use fabric softener. It is made with cheap, petroleum-based ingredients & fragrance & is very unhealthful. Now’s maybe a good time to ditch it forever.
You want your house to look & smell fresh, fresh, fresh. Many people have (or wish to avoid) chemical sensitivities so skip the air fresheners. You don’t want to trigger an asthma attack in a prospective buyer!
It’s a spring cleaning on steroids!
8. Open your windows & turn on fans as much as you can. We’re going for fresh. (Remember?)
9. Clean litter boxes & keep them clean.
10. Tidy your lawn & gardens. This includes vehicles, yard equipment. Now’s a good time to sell or donate any that you do not use.
IF YOU HAVE $$$ TO SPEND
All of the above, plus,
1. Paint your interior, especially the kitchen & the bathrooms. Use lighter tone, period appropriate colors. None of the people who bought my houses repainted.
4. Install seasonal flowers in bloom. I stayed up until 2 AM sticking fall flowers along my sidewalk the night before Jane & Linda came to photo my house for BUNGALOW: THE ULTIMATE ARTS & CRAFTS HOME, 2 days before my open. Yes, I was fried!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE SELLING YOUR HISTORIC HOUSE
1. Understand the market for your price point in your area. Right now, inventory is very low so although interest rates are high, the shortage of houses is acute, raising the value of those available.
2. Do your own comp’s.
A. Look at properties near you online. See what is selling & what has recently sold. This will help you have realistic expectations.
B. If you can hit some open houses, or visit some houses for sale in your area, so much the better.
3. Understand your listing contract. It is a legal, binding contract with your Realtor. She may be the sister of your beloved dog groomer but it is not a casual relationship. Work everything out before you sign & definitely before you’re in negotiations with a buyer.
My Realtor understood that I was not going to choose the highest offer, I was going to choose the best steward. This agreement was in the listing contract because it could dip into her commission.
4. Get a home inspection if you can afford it so that you will have no surprises.
DISCLOSE EVERYTHING! Nothing will dampen the enthusiasm of even the most ardent buyer than feeling like they are being lied to. My inspection from when I purchased the house was there on the table with my current inspection. I disclosed that my inspector was my cousin & the buyer’s Realtor was fine with it. Cuz had such a great reputation that there was nobody else to refer!
MARKETING YOUR HISTORIC HOUSE
1. 11” X 17” paper costs about a nickel a sheet. Doing a 4 page flier in a foldover instead of the standard 2 back & front, sets you apart from the crowd & allows you to really tell your bungalow’s story. Here are some things you could include:
A photo & a description of the features of the interior & exterior.
Information about the style of the house.
A concise history of the house.
A list of updates such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, new paint, landscaping.
A diagram of the layout.
Information about the neighborhood, its history, amenities & character.
2. There are several sites online that promote old houses for sale. If your Realtor will cover the cost, that’s wonderful but even if she doesn’t, I think it’s worth the expenditure to this targeted market.
IT’S ON THE MARKET
NO $$$
1. Keep vases full of fresh cut flowers & or greens. I would skip the artificial ones. If you don’t have anything growing in your yard, ask your neighbors. It’s in their best interest for your house to sell at high value. Keep the water & foliage fresh every day.
2. Keep the entire property spotless. Repeat the BEFORE steps as needed.
3. Keep it fresh. Forget the liver, Brussel sprouts & fish. Unless you live on cinnamon toast & chocolate chip cookies, get even the more mild food smells out fast.
4. Keep kitty’s box clean.
5. Do not use air fresheners. They are just as toxic as fabric softener.
6. Make all the beds every day.
7. Make sure that your towels are fresh every day.
$$$
1. Keep cleaning & refreshing.
2. Fill the house full of cut flowers. If they can come from your garden, so much the better. I make large arrangements that are half bought flowers & half greens from the garden. Change the water often & keep the flowers fresh, replacing as needed.
Fresh. Yep, I said it 25 times & I’ll say it again. FRESH!!!!!!!!!
OPEN HOUSE
1. Ensure your Realtor is going to promote your bungalow on every line that she has. My open was so full of people that we could hardly make it out the door. People were taking turns to see our beautiful bathroom. It was a total party! And it generated 5 offers.
2. Create your display table with the brochures, the history notebook, the home inspection, the reference books tided in a big red bow, (It’s a gift!) any materials about the neighborhood. Maybe tuck your house box under the table for easy access. My Tampa house had been featured in American Bungalow magazine & I purchased a book stand & propped a copy of the mag open to its full page spread.
3. Request that your Realtor place signs up on every major street & if you’re a long way from busier streets, she needs additional signs that guide people to your house.
4. Contact all your friends & invite them to come.
5. This is the day to have new, fresh flowers out.
6. If it’s a hot day, provide tiny, chilled bottles of water for all visitors.
7. Have soft music playing. I prefer classical.
8. Have as many windows open as you can, depending on the weather.
9. Turn on all the lights.
10. Follow your Realtors guidance.
SELL YOUR HISTORIC HOUSE TO THE BEST STEWARD
I am hoping that if you take these steps, you will attract such a flow of qualified buyers that you will be able to take your pick. The woman I chose for the Hare House called me for advice before making any changes & she even flew Jane Powell down from Oakland to consult on the kitchen restoration.
I wish you the best. I also request that you send me any tips that I may have omitted.
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I wrote the statement below for the Jonathan Dickinson group, but it’s worth sharing here. As we all know, Honeymoon Island is a fragile and shifting barrier island. Those of us who’ve spent considerable time out there throughout our lives have watched the boundaries of the island shift before us. Several of the pavilions and parking lots are currently under threat of being damaged or lost due to this erosion. And as a plant biologist who conducted a portion of my PhD work on red mangroves at Honeymoon, I’ve also witnessed the dieback of mangrove trees due to this very erosion. Some of this erosion and mangrove dieback is natural — barrier islands are dynamic places that are constantly in flux. And some of this is the result of climate change, from increasingly violent storms to sea level rise.
Golf courses are shuttering around the country. Interest in the sport is at a record low. Once these fragile ecosystems like ****coastal scrub and sandhill are razed to make way for a fad or a failing sport, once they are just mounds of turfgrass and dirt, the argument for increasingly more destructive development proposals becomes increasingly legitimized in the eyes of people who never learned how to value nature.
Several years ago, one of my friends was relocating near me & I was guiding her in choosing a house to purchase. Many properties were viewed & rejected & we finally found one online that looked promising.
“Because Florida state parks are just what they ought to be: numerous, unsullied, and wild. They should not be marred by big business investors looking to make a profit.”
1. 
1.Call the Florida State Park Hotline & tell them what you think about DeSantis’ Great Outdoors Initiative, during regular business hours. 850.245.2157, option #3.
Here’s where you can access all the gory deet’s on the proposed changes for each park.
You have decided that you want to buy a historic bungalow. Not surprising! They are America’s favorite house & are highly suited for anyone who values comfort, history & fellowship.
5. Are you wanting a turn-key property or do you envision yourself rescuing a house from the ravages of time?
7. You will probably narrow down a couple of neighborhoods that seem attractive to you. Most of these old neighborhoods have neighborhood associations (not homeowners’ associations. These are voluntary & focus on building strong communities.) Google the neighborhoods & look for upcoming association activities. You can attend these events & let people that you meet know that you are looking for a house in their neighborhood. They will welcome you warmly!
I hang out on many old house group boards & read many stories of homebuyers whose inspections failed to find & report major issues. Most of the time, the homebuyer didn’t really know what things an inspection is designed to find, or, how to ensure that they receive best, most informative one.
Life changes can interrupt the most heart-felt, best laid plans. A marriage, a divorce, a new baby, a job transfer, a lay-off, a family member in need of care, any one of these things can profoundly affect your circumstances.
1. Research the history of your house & neighborhood. Dig deep. In our disconnected world, people are searching for connections. You want to make the builders & former owners of your home real & lovable. Read my article on 
6. Here’s a biggy. Most municipalities have historically designated houses. With all the research that you have done, you probably have sufficient information to apply for & be granted such a designation, at the local, state or even national level. This designation can go far in protecting your house, at least its exterior. There is nothing cannot be challenged in a court of law, but generally this designation will chase people away who want to seriously maul your house.
7. Connect with your neighborhood group. Older neighborhoods tend to have strong neighborhood associations. You will make good friends & learn much about the history of your area.
1. De-clutter. Yard sale or donate anything that you do not need. Just get rid of it! This includes furniture.
7. Wash your sheets & mattress covers & your pillows if they are washable. Again, skip the scented products. I wash with baking soda, letting stinkier loads soak. I do not use fabric softener. It is made with cheap, petroleum-based ingredients & fragrance & 
1. Understand the market for your price point in your area. Right now, inventory is very low so although interest rates are high, the shortage of houses is acute, raising the value of those available.
1. 11” X 17” paper costs about a nickel a sheet. Doing a 4 page flier in a foldover instead of the standard 2 back & front, sets you apart from the crowd & allows you to really tell your bungalow’s story. Here are some things you could include:
1. Ensure your Realtor is going to promote your bungalow on every line that she has. My open was so full of people that we could hardly make it out the door. People were taking turns to see our beautiful bathroom. It was a total party! And it generated 5 offers.