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Getting Your House Ready to be Shown

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There are several insider tips when getting a house ready to be shown to potential buyers. Tips that give the home owner different ways to better “market” their home whether the home is for sale by owner or listed with a real estate owner. You want to make a lasting impression on potential buyers and make them want to look at your house a second even third time. The following are some of those tips to help home owners sell their homes faster.

• Have a Spotless Home: This tip is so important! Clean your home or have it professionally cleaned before putting it on the market. A dirty house is a huge turn off for potential buyers. Don’t forget to clean the windows, curtains, baseboards, any wall coverings, and ceiling fans.
• Give the House a Makeover: Take a look around your house and if there are things about the home that date it such as paint think about a possible update on the walls. Cabinet and door hardware are also easy ways to give an instant makeover to cabinets and doors. Adding small touches such as new throw pillows or even updated curtains are good ideas to make your home a place where potential buyers can see themselves living.
• Add Fragrance: Foul odors are offensive and will ensure that potential buyers will not think twice about crossing your home off their list. Adding a fragrant aroma is a wonderful tip when selling a home. Smells like vanilla or cinnamon are very inviting fragrances and remind people of special times in their lives such as apple pie in the oven at grandmas. Citrus, lavender, as well as clean smelling fragrances or air fresheners are also good choices to add in your home.
• Get Rid of Clutter: Most of us at some time or another have little cluttered messes but when selling a home the last thing potential buyers want to see is a home that is cluttered. It’s difficult to see beyond that clutter. Don’t leave stacks of papers or bills on your desk. It is also good to take all small appliances that you may have on your kitchen counters and put them away in a cabinet or drawer. Arranging photos and small items on tables in a neat fashion or even reducing or removing those items from tables is also encouraged. Having organized and clutter free closets is also is another great way to present an organized home.
• Outdoors: Your home’s curb appeal is ultimately the first impression people will get of it. Things like new flowers in your landscaping as well as weeding and adding new mulch can add instant curb appeal to your home. A tidy well groomed yard is also essential. It is also encouraged that gutters are cleaned. Gutters that are full of leaves are one of the first things that many people notice about homes. Also making sure your front and back yards are clear of clutter and debris is important to the appearance of your home. Keeping the driveway and sidewalks cleaned and swept is another way to present an inviting home from the outside. Adding a pretty wreath to your front door can also be a nice touch.
• Vacant Homes: If your home is vacant due to relocation it is a good idea to keep the air and heat running to make sure the house is neither too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter for potential buyers when they look at the home.

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