Here are some suggestions and ideas to improve your home’s appearance and help you prepare to sell it faster!
Throughout the house
- Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sunlight
- Create a positive mood. Turn on all lights, day or night, and install higher wattage light bulbs to show your home brightly
- Remove clutter from each room to visually enlarge them
- If you have a fireplace, highlight it in your decorating
- Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times
- Replace the carpet if it does not clean up well
- Have a family “game plan” to get the home in order quickly if necessary
- Air out your home for half an hour prior to your showings, if possible
- Lightly spray the house with air freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives
- Put family photos in storage
- Improve traffic flow through every room by removing unnecessary furniture
- Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorative accents and removing unnecessary furniture
- Putty over and paint any nail holes or other mishaps in the walls
- Paint all interior walls a neutral color to brighten the home and make it look bigger
- Repair or replace any loose or damaged wallpaper
- Clean all light bulbs and light fixtures to brighten the home
- Wash all windows inside and out
- Use plants in transitional areas of your house
- Make the most of your attic’s potential
- Remove and/or hide excess extension cords and exposed wires
- Open doors to areas you want potential buyers to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, attics, etc.
- Remove all smoke and pet odors
- Repair or replace banisters and handrails
In the Kitchen
- Microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing and place it in
- an out-of-the-way place
- Highlight an eat-in area in your kitchen with a table set for dinner
- The kitchen and the bathrooms should always be cleaned and spotless
- Expand your counter space by removing small appliances
In the Bathrooms
- Re-caulk the tub if the caulk is not sparkling white
- Repair or replace broken tiles in the shower or tub
- Replace shower curtains and keep them clean
- Do not leave towels around and wipe down the sinks and shower areas after each use
- Place fresh towels and decorative soaps near the sink
In the Bedrooms
- Create a master suite effect in your decorating
- Depersonalize bedrooms and decorate in a neutral scheme
- Make sure that the beds are made and the linens are clean
- Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage
Outside
- Keep the yard mowed and raked at all times
- Use flowering plants to dress up the year, walkway, and patio
- Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, and trash from the yard
- Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios, and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept, and in good condition
- Paint all entrance doors
- Make sure the garage door opens easily. Fix and paint the garage door if necessary
- Clean and shine all hardware and accessories indoors and outdoors (ie door knobs, knockers, lamps, mailbox, address numbers, etc.)
- Trees and shrubs should be trimmed and pruned
- Be sure the front doorbell is in good working order
- Be sure the front door and screen door work perfectly
- Replace your old doormat with a new one