First impressions have a huge impact on potential buyers. It is for this reason that a good real estate agent will tour your home to suggest appropriate repairs and improvements to better complement your home and sell it quickly. With your real estate agent, you will imagine what a potential buyer will see when they walk up to your home and tour each room. Your real estate agent will know what potential buyers in your neighborhood and price range are looking for and what will help you sell your unique home and enhance its features. Here is a generic list to help you get started.

1.) Night lights

Many people are unaware that potential home buyers often stop by at night. If you don’t have the right lighting to highlight your home features, invest in a new porch light and some ground lighting to highlight your walkway or garden features.

2.) curb appeal

Enhance your curb appeal by cleaning your yard, mowing your lawn, and trimming any shrubs. Fix any first impressions that might catch the buyer’s eye, such as cracks in the concrete, weeds, broken porch posts, ugly doors, and any clutter that may be stored in front of your house. Also, if you have a mailbox, make sure it is charming and that your doorbell works well and makes a nice, audible sound from the outside.

3.) Prep Inside

The first step in preparing your home for sale is removing any unnecessary items from the home so that they can imagine their own things in it. Less is more when it comes to furniture and decor. Leave the bare minimum for the furniture to represent the size of the space and then include the décor only where you want to highlight features or attract attention. A tip from an expert is to remove all but 1/3 of the contents of your closet and get matching hangers. Be sure to replace or shampoo all the carpets in the house. Pay special attention to staging the bathrooms with a new toilet paper roll (VIP folded, on top not under and pointing down in a triangle shape), new hand soap, new guest towels, and a clean shower curtain. . Dress up the beds with attractive and cohesive bedding sets.

4.) Make all small and inexpensive repairs

Buyers will see all the functional elements of the house and will count even the smallest repairs. Be sure to repair all leaking faucets, defective or squeaky doors, light bulbs and fans, caulk freshly made bathtubs and showers if necessary, replace filters, inspect and clean the water heater, and make appliances as presentable as possible . You can even include a sheet of paper attached to the appliances that explains their desirable features or share with potential buyers your average electric bills and other household expenses specific to your property.

5.) Appeal to your senses during the open days

Having all the lights on, the blinds open, a lit candle, and fresh cookies (preferably freshly baked for the scent) will engage the buyer’s senses and make them feel right at home. Remove all pet belongings, including bowls and food. Empty trash cans and close toilet lids.