First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions.  The exterior of your home nearly always determines how buyers will view the interior.  Very often buyers will not even take a look at the inside of a house if the outside is untidy or in bad repair, so:

	Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting.
	Paint or replace your front door if it's faded or worn.
	Add some paint to shutters, trim and any other outside features showing signs of wear.
	Roll up any water hoses and clear away gardening equipment.

Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep.   

Buyers often see the surface condition of your home as a sign of what's underneath, so:

	Keep windows and floors clean.
	Replace faded wallpaper and glue any areas that have come away from the wall.
	Repair worn woodwork.
	Repaint scarred or dirty walls in a neutral color.
	Steam clean carpeting or replace it if necessary.  Many people ask us whether they should replace their carpets.  This is a difficult question and the answer differs for each household.  If there has been a pet in the home or smokers there is often a smell that lingers in the carpet.  This often puts buyers off and it is better to replace the carpet before showing.  Obviously if the carpet has been badly stained and it can't be removed by steam cleaning change it.  Don't lose that sale. This may seem costly however buyers are drawn to the new and clean.
	Repair loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws.
	Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.

 

Accentuate the Positive.  Try to see your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its best attributes, including:

	"How we live in a home and how we sell a home are often 2 different things."
	Open draperies and curtains to let the light in during the showing.
	Remove all unnecessary clutter from your attic, basement and closets to better display spacious rooms (consider storage or a garage sale to dispose of extraneous items).
	Arrange all your rooms neatly and remove excess furniture.
	Keep fresh, clean towels in the bathroom.
	Use candles or air fresheners to make the room smell pleasant.

	Avoid the use of overhead lighting that makes rooms look washed out and lifeless.
	Be creative and arrange lamps to help smaller rooms seem larger, and large rooms seem more intimate.
	Use lighting to highlight the "living areas" of your home, such as a pair of chairs near a fireplace, or a table in a breakfast area.

	Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
	Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn't been used for three months…put it away! Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A sparse kitchen helps the buyer mentally move their own things into your kitchen.)
	In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
	Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling, we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
	Take down, or rearrange certain pictures or object on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
	Review the house inside room by room. Paint any room needing paint, clean carpets or drapes that need it, clean windows.
	Leave on certain lights during the day. (I'll show you which ones). During "showings" turn on all lights and lamps.
	Lockbox--#1 Importance: "If we don't have it, they won't show us."

	Trim landscaping to reveal architectural detail (bottom of windows, etc.). "If they can't see it, we can't sell it."
	Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the garage.
	Check gutters and/or roof for dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.
	Look at all plants…prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. "You can't sell a house if you can't see it." Plants are like children-they grow so fast!!
	Weed and then bark all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
	Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. (Put them in the garage).
	Check paint condition of the house-especially the front door and trim. "Curb appeal really works!"