interior appeal

Your home should look spacious, bright and clean. Remove personal and sentimental objects so that potential buyers can imagine living in the home. Tips to enhance your home’s interior appeal to buyers:

  • Give every room in the house a thorough cleaning and remove all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter.
  • Use a professional cleaning service every few weeks while the house is on the market.
  • Remove the less frequently used, and even daily-used items from kitchen counters, closets, basement and attic to make these areas more inviting.
  • Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter.
  • Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms: they should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free.
  • Repair dripping faucets and showerheads.
  • Buy showy new towels for the bathroom and put them out only for showings.
  • Spruce up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by installing cabinet knobs or applying a fresh coat of neutral paint.
  • Clean walls and doors of smudges and scuff marks.
  • If necessary, repaint dingy, soiled or strongly-colored walls with a neutral shade of paint. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
  • Check for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and fix any problem areas.
  • Repair cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint and tiles.
  • Replace broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings and other woodwork.
  • Inspect and repair plumbing, heating and cooling systems.
curb appeal

First impressions are important. When preparing your home to sell, the exterior “curb appeal” is important to entice potential buyers to want to see the interior. Tips to enhance your home’s exterior to appeal to buyers:

  • Keep the lawn edged, cut, weeded and watered.
  • Regularly trim hedges and weed lawns and flowerbeds.
  • Be sure your front door area has a “Welcome” feeling.
  • Paint or stain the front door if weathered.
  • If it is seasonally appropriate, put out some pots of annuals for color.
  • Check foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and deterioration, and repair any problem areas.
  • Remove and repaint any peeling paint on doors and windows.
  • Clean and align gutters.
  • Inspect and clean the chimney.
  • Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
  • Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
  • Reseal old asphalt.
  • Keep the garage door closed.
  • Store RVs and old cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.