You want potential buyers to focus on the potential your home has to offer not everything they will have to deal with just to move in. As they go through your home, they will be critical as they imagine what it will be like to live there. Many room details register subconsciously as the “general” impression of your home. You only get one chance to make a "first" impression, so make sure your house in the best shape possible before it is shown to realtors or potential buyers.

Your Internet Image

These days folks e-shop houses first and only take time from their busy schedules to visit the best. Take and print photos of your house from outside & each room. Seeing your house on paper will help you to see it as others do and can help you to identify the improvements needed to help sell your house. For web photos, identify the camera angle that shows each room to its best advantage.

Curb Appeal

Opinions are formed even as visitors drive up to your house. Paint if needed. Update outside light fixtures. Freshen up potted plants. Prune or remove shrubs that crowd the outside of your house.

Show Your House to Its Best Advantage

Each room should look clean, roomy & comfortable for its purpose. Remove excess furniture so rooms look bigger; make sure pathways from room to room are kept clear.

Remove clutter from every room (including the garage) and minimize items on horizontal surfaces (counters, table tops, dressers etc). Cupboards, closets & drawers need to be tidy as well; remove excess items to create space & organization. Draperies, bedding and towels should all look fresh & neatly arranged.

Complete all the repairs on your "to do" list. Paint if needed - wall colors should be neutral. Make sure all light fixtures work & no light bulbs are burned out. New fixtures are a quick way to update your house. Install closet & laundry organizers to maximize storage space.

Check the views out each window & glass door - tidy up outside to maximize the view. If the view is not so nice, make sure the window is dressed with a nice rod, drapes that are open, and light shears kept drawn. Plants positioned near windows can help create a view but make sure to remove any faded or dead plants.

Clean the carpets. Clean all appliances and organize the inside of the refrigerator as well. Check for animal & cooking odors. Take out trash daily; clean the litter box daily; if you are a smoker, smoke outside whenever possible. These efforts will all be worth the hassle to show your house at its best.

When your house is shown, draperies should be open and all the lights turned on to maximize interior light.

What To Do With All That Stuff?

This is a good time to pack up items you won't need for awhile, toss broken items, give items to friends or to your favorite charities. If you are out of space, move excess items to temporary offsite storage.

Need Review Help?

In this wonderful world of cable TV, it may be worth your while to watch as much HGTV as you can handle, both your regular show favorites and those programs that focus on readying your home for sale.

Listen to your realtor. They know the houses you are competing with & will recommend the changes they think you need to make to beat the competition. An interior decorator can help with selection of paint colors, advice on what is out of date, staging of decor items & review the layout of furniture for each room.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Even if you are not selling your home, pretend that you are! If you've been in your home for awhile, use the suggestions above to make a few changes. There's no reason to wait until you decide to sell to enjoy your home to its fullest.

For more information, contact Theresa at 907 522-1089.