Selling your home involves a heck of a lot more than just planting a ‘For Sale’ sign on your front yard. There are still some considerations to be made, and some work to be done before your home ever hits the market. Unfortunately, sellers often do things that actually hinder the sale of their homes. Don’t be one of them.

Here are 6 common mistakes that you should avoid when listing your home on the market.

Overpricing Your Home

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make when they put their home on the market is overpricing it. Sure, it would be nice to just slap a huge price tag on your home and collect as much cash as possible when selling. But it’s important to be realistic about what buyers will actually pay for it.

Nothing will scare off hoards of buyers more than a home that is way out of their price range, or that is priced much higher than what it’s really worth. The longer your home sits on the market, more ‘stale’ the listing will get. You’ll probably wind up selling after a few price drops for less than you would have if you had just priced it right the first time around.

Hiding Information From Buyers

If your basement has flooded a few times, or your kitchen faucet is prone to leaking, you might want to disclose this info to your buyers. If a home inspection is scheduled, odds are that these problems will be found out anyway.

If they’re not, and your buyers move in only to find out these problems after the fact, you could find yourself in the middle of a nasty litigation situation to settle things. Do yourself a favor and disclose any issues up front. It’s not only required, but it’s the ethical thing to do.

Not Staging Your Home

Sellers often underestimate the power of staging before buyers walk through a home. People form an impression of homes within a few short seconds, so your property really needs to presented in a visually pleasing way. No one wants to walk through a home that’s so cluttered that it would make a great candidate for the television show “Hoarders.”

Staging your home not only involves giving your home a good de-cluttering and cleaning job, but it also involves neutralizing your decor so that it appeals to the masses. Buyers probably won’t like your hot pink shag rug, or your electric blue checker-print wallpaper. The key to staging is to make your home inviting to buyers so that can actually visualize themselves living in it.

Not Fixing Minor Repairs

If you’ve got scuffs on the walls, door hinges that are loose, or an air conditioner that acts up, you’re better off putting in a little bit of money up front to fix these problems before you list it for sale. You might be tempted to just credit the buyers so they can fix these issues themselves, but this might backfire. Buyers are busy too, and will probably want something that’s move-in ready.

If you fix these minor problems yourself, not only will your home sell faster, but you’ll probably be able to get more money for it too. A $300 visit from the plumber before listing the property could save you $3,000 in a low-ball offer or credit requests later on.

Making it Difficult to Show Your Home

You’ve got to be flexible when it comes to making your home available for showings. Don’t be so stringent that you don’t want showings after 5pm, or only on the weekends, for example. Don’t request any more than 12 hours notice to have the home shown to prospective buyers either. In fact, you should only need a couple of hours notice to give you enough time to leave the house before the buyers get there.

Once your home is on the market, you should always plan on having it ready to show. If you’ve got little kids or pets that make having the home ready to show a little more challenging, consider planning your showing times with your realtor up front. Making showings challenging will do nothing but cut down on the number of prospective buyers who otherwise might have considered putting in an offer.

Not Taking Your Next Steps into Account

Putting your house on the market is only one part of the real estate equation. Other plans need to made to accommodate the various scenarios that might occur after you’ve found the right buyer.

What if it takes months for your home to sell? Are you prepared to cover all the carrying costs? On the other hand, what if a buyer snags your house and wants a tight closing? Are you able to vacate that fast? And if so, will you have a place to stay if you still haven’t bought another home? Make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row so you’re not caught off guard when things don’t go exactly how you initially planned.

If you’re serious about selling, avoid these mistakes. Failure to do so could risk having your listing dragging on for weeks or months. You’ll just wind up exhausted, frustrated, and even financially drained. As always, hire a good real estate agent and put your best foot forward to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.

Fun fact of the day: Did you know…that the grounds of this Lincoln Park institution is situated on ancestral homelands of the Potawatomi people, who cared for the land until forced out by non-Native settlers?

That’s one of the many facts unearthed by the researchers and archivists at Chicago’s oldest cultural institution… the Chicago History Museum, aka, CHM, of the Chicago Historical Society, 1601 N. Clark Street. 

Only the beginning… 

Founded in 1856 and incorporated in 1857 by an act of the state legislature, the Chicago Historical Society opened its first building at the corner of Dearborn and Ontario Streets (now, TAO Chicago.) That building and most of the collection, however, burned during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, including, according to Wikipedia sources, Abraham Lincoln’s final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

What kept this museum going? Its mission: 

“CHM strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, programs, digital resources, and special events, the Museum connects people to Chicago’s history and to each other.”

By All Means, Keep Going

Enter Charles Guenther, a German-American wealthy confectioner, politician, and collector. He purchased many of the items now owned by the Chicago History Museum and served two terms as a Chicago alderman from the city’s 2^nd Ward. He donated his collection  to Chicago Historical Society archives, including garments allegedly worn by Mary and Abraham Lincoln to Ford’s Theatre on the night of the April 1865 assassination, and stained bed linens from the Petersen’s boarding house where the president died. To this day, this collection also contains Lincoln’s deathbed, the table on which General Robert E. Lee signed his 1865 surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant.

Expanding to Lincoln Park

After 36 years on North Dearborn Street, the museum and library moved to the current complex in Lincoln Park. The oldest part of the museum, designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, was built in 1932 by the WPA. In the ensuing years, the Museum has had two major expansions, in 1972 and 1988, which expanded exhibition galleries, the museum’s store and public cafe. 

Today… 

As Wikipedia sources note, the museum houses Chicago’s most important collection of materials related to local history. The extensive research library includes books and other published materials, manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, and photos exploring both Chicago and American history, with approximately 22 million holdings. 

Debunking Myths… “All It Needed Was A Spark”

It’s not Mrs. O’Leary’s fault. Nor the cow. As the New York Times describes the exhibit “City on Fire: Chicago 1871,” on display through August 2025, “the exhibition follows the path of the fire, from the barn of the Irish immigrant O’Leary family where it is believed the fire began, traveling east and north through the city. Visitors can learn about the fire’s destruction, the decisions citizens made as they fled and the city’s recovery efforts that eventually led to new fire safety procedures.”

Other Must-See Exhibits 

Chicago: Crossroads of America is a 16,000-square-foot space that explores the city’s development and its relationship to and influence on American history. Nearly 600 objects document the people and events of the past 200 years. For example, “Climb aboard L car no. 1, visit a jazz club, picture yourself in the fashions of a Marshall Field’s store window, and learn what makes Chicago home sweet home.”

Facing Freedomfocuses on eight American conflicts over freedom from the 1850s to the 1970s. The Sensing Chicagoinvites children to use their senses to discover the past. Children can ride a high-wheel bicycle, hear the Great Chicago Fire, catch a fly ball at Comiskey Park, and dive into a giant Chicago-style hot dog!

Coming Soon! 

In May, the museum will hostBack Home: Polish Chicagofeaturing artifacts, documents and reproduced photographs to help tell the story of the Chicago area’s vibrant Polish communities from the mid-1800s to today. CHS explores personal narratives, music, community involvement, as well as art installations from five local Polish artists.

This exhibition is a collaborative project and oral history initiative with the Polish History Museum (Warsaw, Poland), Polish Museum of America, and Loyola University Chicago Polish Studies program.

The museum is open Tuesday–Saturday from 9:30am–4:30 pm, and Sunday from noon-5pm. Also, the Museum is open on select Mondays and commemorative days. For tickets and information, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

What stays and what goes when you buy a new home? While it might seem like a no-brainer that the appliances or light fixtures might be staying, making assumptions like these could burn you come closing day.

Even though it might be customary for certain items to be left behind for the buyer, you’d be well-advised to get it in writing.

Here are 5 things that might not necessarily be included in your new home purchase.

1. Window Treatments

While it’s more common for window treatments to be left with the new home owner, sometimes sellers decide to take them to their new home. Drapes that are used for a decorative purpose might not necessarily stay with the fitted shades. Maybe the seller had the drapes custom-made to match their furniture, and plans to use the combo in the new dwelling.

Just to make things clear, make sure the inclusion of the window coverings is in writing in the purchase agreement. Don’t just assume that they’ll stay.

2. Appliances

You might think it’s the norm to have appliances left behind after the sale of the property is complete. But, just like window treatments, perhaps the seller wants to take them with them. And if they are included, they might not exactly be what you thought you were getting.

Picture this: the listing and agreement specified that the appliances were included, but the description wasn’t specific enough. Imagine your shock when you move into the home and find that the seller had replaced the high-end stainless steel appliances with cheaper versions! If the agreement doesn’t specify the precise appliances to be left on the property, you could be left with less than what you bargained for, and be forced into litigation to get those original appliances back.

Rule of thumb: always put it in writing. Ensure that “existing” appliances are included. Take things a step further and spell out the precise appliances to be included, such as the Sub Zero Refrigerator or the Kenmore gas range.

3. TV Mounting Equipment

Flat screens are typically mounted to the wall, using mounting brackets to keep them suspended. Many buyers make the mistake of assuming that these brackets will be left behind after the sellers dismount their flat screens and take them to their new home. But these accessories are actually becoming more commonly negotiated items in real estate transactions.

Mounting equipment can be expensive, so a lot of sellers are going to want to take them with them. As a buyer, don’t assume that any mounting brackets will be staying behind after the sale, even though they are technically considered “fixtures” that are attached to the walls. Make sure this inclusion (or exclusion) is penned on paper.

4. Pool Accessories

The in-ground pool is obviously going to stay, but the accessories needed to maintain it might not. Items such as pool chemicals, vacuums, skimmers and cleaning equipment are all considered personal property, which the seller has the right to take with them when they vacate. The purchase agreement should specify whether the pool accessories stay or go.

5. Lighting

Lighting is typically considered a fixture in a home, which is why buyers will most likely expect them to stay. But if they discover that the gorgeous chandelier in the foyer or the pendant lighting in the kitchen have been removed at their pre-closing walk-through, they’ll be less than impressed.

Unless the seller explicitly states that the item is not included in the sale of the home, they should stay with the home. However, lots of lighting involves simple plug-and-play, which is not considered a “fixture.” Even if the lighting has been mounted to the wall, if they’re not hard-wired, the seller might take them with them.

Making assumptions when it comes to a real estate transaction can leave you sorely disappointed when you realize you didn’t get what you thought you would. The bottom line is, everything that you want to stay in the home should be written down with specific descriptions, including the make and model if necessary.

Don’t leave it for moving day to find out your mailbox is missing, or the stainless steel fridge and stove were swapped with old 1970’s green ones. Your best bet? Work with a professional realtor who is experienced when it comes to the game of give and take in real estate negotiations and contracts.

From the earliest Ford Model T’s to electric Teslas, since 1901, the Chicago Auto Showhas showcased the latest in automotive technology and showmanship. According to their website, it’s the largest auto show in North America and has been held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. 

In 2023, the show is running at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive, now through Monday, February 20.

Humble Beginnings

Cars were invented in 1886, when German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen, and cars becamebecame widely available during the 20th century. In the United States, according to Wikipedia sources, the Industrial Revolution provided the mass production facilities to produce one of the first affordable cars, the 1908 Model T, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. In 1913, the United States produced some 485,000 of the world total of 606,124 motor vehicles, according to History.com.

Time for a show! 

According to Wikipedia sources, Samuel Miles, who promoted bicycle shows, produced the first “official” Chicago Automobile Show in 1901. The event was staged in March of that year at the Chicago Coliseum, then located at 1513 S. Wabash Avenue. At that show, 10  vehicles were exhibited… five were electric vehicles, three were steam-powered, and two were gasoline. Their featured vehicle was the Crossland Steam Car. The show also featured an indoor track for attendees to test drive the vehicles. 

The second annual show in 1902 multiplied tenfold: 100 cars were display; sadly, the indoor track was discontinued to accommodate space requirements for the exhibitors.

After more than three decades, Miles retired, and in 1935, The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the United States’ oldest and largest metropolitan automobile dealership organization, became the event’s producer and organizer. They also moved to a much larger venue, the International Amphitheatre.

World War II curtailed production of motor vehicles for consumers in the United States, with the domestic automotive industry retooling to manufacture defense and military equipment. As a result, the Chicago Auto Show was not held between 1941 and 1949, but returned in the 1950’s to showcase the advent of ‘muscle’ cars, sports cars like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, to the family sedan and the family station wagon. 

In 1961, the show moved to its current location at McCormick Place, moving back to the International Amphitheatre when fire destroyed the original McCormick Place in 1967. 

Today, the show has more than 1 million feet of show space and is host to about 1,000 different vehicles on display, and you’ll also see accessories and auto-related exhibits.

2023 Show Featuring… Van Gogh? 

The 2023 Chicago Auto Show runs through February 19, from 10am–10pm, and on President’s Day, February 20, from 10am–8pm. Autoweek noted that Toyota is gearing up for the first-ever NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend this July by collaborating with the Art Institute of Chicago to design a colorfully wrapped “artistic” Camry pace car, covered in modified versions of Van Gogh’s artwork. Immersive, yes? 

Among the non-vehicular highlights are appearances by the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Wolves in the North Hall, and a ‘Friday Night Flights’ Craft Beer Event at the Goose Island Rail Car in the South Hall. 

And about that indoor track? In 2023, there are seven total indoor test tracks and four outdoor test drives.

Adult tickets are $15, and tickets for seniors and children between the ages of 4-and-12 will cost $10. Children under the age of 4 are free. For tickets, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago