I think every home owner will agree that when it comes to selling your house, the faster the better. Not everyone is up for a major renovation – and in most cases you don’t really need to. We thought we’d help out with a few suggestions that make your home more sellable without putting a huge dent in your wallet or you weekend.

1.       This one is pretty obvious, but having a spotless home is a must. Especially in the kitchen and bathrooms – don’t leave towels lying around, put dishes away, and wipe down countertops. Take a few extra minutes to make sure everything is vacuumed, dusted and neat. No one feels comfortable in someone else’s dirty space, and if they’re not comfortable they aren’t going to buy – even if the home meets all their criteria. It also speaks to differed maintenance even if there isn’t any to be done.

2.       This one goes along with #1 and is arguably just as important: Remove unpleasant odors. Pay particular attention to pet odors and remember that, because you live there, you may have become immune to your home’s smell. Leave for a while and come back or ask a friend to smell objectively. To prevent nasty smells, air out your home for a ½ hour before showings when possible or microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before a showing and place it in an out-of-the-way place.

3.       De-clutter. After living in one space for a long time, your things tend to expand to fill the space. Buyers though, are looking for the most usable square footage possible. To show off all the space your home offers, eliminate your extra things. Error on the side of taking too much away rather than leaving too many things.  Go through your house and think about an upscale hotel, with just enough decorative accents to feel homey but still look neat and show off the amount of space. Put everything else in storage for later. This goes for furniture as well – store extra furniture to create a good traffic flow throughout the home. Closets are a good candidate for clearing out too – closet space is coveted, especially in older houses so if your things barely fit buyers will expect theirs won’t fit either.

4.       De-personalize. This is a part of the de-cluttering process and the goal here is to allow the buyer to imagine themselves in the space and not see it as your family’s space. Buyers can also get distracted from the features of your home by studying and commenting on family pictures, collectables, or religious relics. Replace photos and other personal decorations with neutral ones that will appeal to most and offend few.  Don’t forget the refrigerator and bedrooms!

5.       Paint interior walls a neutral color and fill any nail holes and other mishaps. This will brighten your home and make it look bigger. It also appeals to the most buyers and they won’t see it as a project they’ll have to tackle if they buy a house with – say a red living room or a hot pink bedroom.

6.       In the bathrooms: replace any broken tiles and re-caulk the tub if it’s not sparkling white. Bathrooms need to be perfectly clean. Buyers can be very sensitive to this area in particular and any defects can leave them wondering what is wrong underneath that broken tile or greenish caulking.

7.       Get as much light in as you can. Wash your windows inside and out. Clean your light fixtures and replace dead bulbs. Create a positive mood by turning on all the lights (day or night) before a showing. Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sun!

8.       Don’t forget your outdoor space! Clean and shine all hardware and accessories – door knockers, lamps, knobs, address numbers, mail box.  Trim your shrubs and mow the yard. Sweep and de-clutter your decks/patios. Make sure the doorbell is in good working order and doors work perfectly. The front stoop is the very first impression after all.