47 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster

Here are some suggestions and ideas to improve your home’s appearance and help you prepare to sell it faster!

Throughout the house

1. Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sunlight
2. Create a positive mood. Turn on all lights, day or night, and install higher wattage light bulbs to show your home brightly
3. Remove clutter from each room to visually enlarge them
4. If you have a fireplace, highlight it in your decorating
5. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times
6. Replace the carpet if it does not clean up well
7. Have a family “game plan” to get the home in order quickly if necessary
8. Air out your home for half an hour prior to your showings, if possible
9. Lightly spray the house with air freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives
10. Put family photos in storage
11. Improve traffic flow through every room by removing unnecessary furniture
12. Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorative accents and removing unnecessary furniture
13. Putty over and paint any nail holes or other mishaps in the walls
14. Paint all interior walls a neutral color to brighten the home and make it look bigger
15. Repair or replace any loose or damaged wallpaper
16. Clean all light bulbs and light fixtures to brighten the home
17. Wash all windows inside and out
18. Use plants in transitional areas of your house
19. Make the most of your attic’s potential
20. Remove and/or hide excess extension cords and exposed wires
21. Open doors to areas you want potential buyers to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, attics, etc.
22. Remove all smoke and pet odors
23. Repair or replace banisters and handrails

In the Kitchen

1. Microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing and place it in
2. an out-of-the-way place
3. Highlight an eat-in area in your kitchen with a table set for dinner
4. The kitchen and the bathrooms should always be cleaned and spotless
5. Expand your counter space by removing small appliances

In the Bathrooms

1. Re-caulk the tub if the caulk is not sparkling white
2. Repair or replace broken tiles in the shower or tub
3. Replace shower curtains and keep them clean
4. Do not leave towels around and wipe down the sinks and shower areas after each use
5. Place fresh towels and decorative soaps near the sink

In the Bedrooms

1. Create a master suite effect in your decorating
2. Depersonalize bedrooms and decorate in a neutral scheme
3. Make sure that the beds are made and the linens are clean
4. Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage

Outside

1.  Keep the yard mowed and raked at all times
2. Use flowering plants to dress up the year, walkway, and patio
3. Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, and trash from the yard
4. Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios, and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept, and in good condition
5. Paint all entrance doors
6. Make sure the garage door opens easily. Fix and paint the garage door if necessary
7. Clean and shine all hardware and accessories indoors and outdoors (ie door knobs, knockers, lamps, mailbox, address numbers, etc.)
8. Trees and shrubs should be trimmed and pruned
9. Be sure the front doorbell is in good working order
10. Be sure the front door and screen door work perfectly
11. Replace your old doormat with a new one