Local Selling Tips

10 Ways to Prep Your Home for Sale,  Make your home stand out with a few easy improvements

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 7/01/2008

• Improve your landscaping. Curb appeal is crucial to a good first impression, so make sure your home's lawn is immaculate. Mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and plant flowers. Clean the outside.
• A sloppy exterior will make buyers think you've slacked off on interior maintenance as well. Be sure to clean the gutters and pressure wash your home's siding. Make repairs. In a buyer's market, you want your home to be in the best condition possible.
• Take care of major defects like broken windows or a leaky roof that could discourage buyers.
• Make the front door inviting. A fresh coat of paint, especially in a color that contrasts with the home, will make the front door stand out.
• Replace faded house numbers so buyers can see them from the curb. Buy a new welcome mat. Let buyers know they're invited into your home.
• Remove clutter and depersonalize. Buyers want to envision their belongings in your home. Clean up by renting a storage unit for knickknacks, photos, extra furniture and other personal items.
• Organize closets and drawers. Messy closets give the appearance that your home doesn't have enough storage space.
• Make every surface shine. From ceiling fans to floors and everything in between, clean your home until it sparkles.
• Take color down a notch. You might like your lime-green bedroom, but it may sour buyers. Paint your walls a neutral color that will appeal to a wide range of buyers. Eliminate bad odors. Hide the litter box and spray air neutralizer throughout your home.
• When showing the home, fill it with inviting smells by putting out fresh flowers and baking a batch of cookies or apple slices with cinnamon.