We're closing on a house at the end of the month. The buyers have been by with their flooring person to pick out tile. They've had their paint guy come over. Now they have another contractor who wants to come over. Am I obligated to make the house available every time the buyers request it? How do I say no politely without losing the sale?

Brian Talley, Regent Property Group: Selling a home can be one of the most inconvenient events in your life, as many homeowners can attest. For many of us, our home is our largest asset, which makes a sale of utmost importance when needing or wanting to move. This year was a challenging time to sell a home in Austin compared with previous years. Though some Austin neighborhoods fared better than others, overall sales volume and prices were down. So when a seller is able to get a contract on a home, they are fortunate.

Getting a contract is not the time to celebrate. Getting proceeds from a sale takes more than just a contract. Buyers typically have around 10 days for a home inspection, with the ability to cancel the contract for any reason during this time. Furthermore, the Texas Real Estate Commission's One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale) stipulates in Section 7(A) that "Seller shall permit Buyer and Buyer's agents access to the Property at reasonable times. Buyer may have the Property inspected by inspectors selected by Buyer and licensed by TREC or otherwise permitted by law to make inspections."

As you can see, the language associated with allowing the buyer, buyer's agents and inspectors to have access and inspect the property during the contract period is clear and concise. Though some buyers might be more demanding than others, the fact is that a buyer has the right to have reasonable access to the property along with their inspectors.

While determining what "reasonable" really means can be subjective, a buyer has a clear legal right per the contract to access the property as much as they need (within reason) prior to closing. Please consult a lawyer if clarification is needed.

As a seller, you might think this is a huge inconvenience, which is completely understandable. However, making the inspection and evaluation process as easy as possible for a buyer might make the difference between getting the deal done and not. If a buyer uncovers something with the house, he or she might seek a way to terminate the transaction if he or she feels the seller has not treated them appropriately.

We'd like to buy a bigger house. Our current house needs a lot of work: painting, redoing the deck, updating flooring and cabinets. How do we know if the time and money we put into upgrading the house for sale will be worth the investment and lead to an eventual sale?

Laura Olesen of Sky Realty: People often ask real estate agents which upgrades will improve the worth and sale of their home. The following actions specifically help you decide on upgrades:

• Do an overall market assessment, not just a limited market analysis. In addition to understanding macro trends, know what's going on in your neighborhood. What kind of homes are selling? How long is it taking? How does your house compare? What can you learn from that?

• Pre-inspect your home. Many homes fall out of escrow (the buyers withdraws their offer) during the option period because of inspection surprises. Address or eliminate deal-killers before marketing your home. If you elect not to do the work, solicit at least three vendor bids to present to buyers.

• Identify what groups of people are looking for your type of house so you can more accurately target them in your efforts. If you live in one of Austin's famous funky neighborhoods, what is new and bigger isn't necessarily better, and certain upgrades might be frowned upon. The opposite might be true in other neighborhoods. Be strategic by basing improvements on what kind of buyers your neighborhood and home will draw.

• Visit your home's top competition to get a sense of how those listings compare. Put yourself in a buyer's shoes and review all the features, from curb appeal to cleanliness, that set a home apart.

• Select a real estate agent who will work with you on the above steps to identify your best opportunities for home improvements based on your budget, whether the upgrades are structural or cosmetic, and what you learn from your research.

Do you have a question to ask a real estate agent? Submit it to Nicole Villalpando, nvillalpando@statesman.com; 912-5900.