Home Sellers, Realtors and Home Stagers - 5 Effective Ways to - Up your Houses Sell Appeal!

One of the first tips I share with clients who want to prepare their home for sale . . . make your home look like it is ready to welcome the possessions of a new owner!

The following is a list of 5 simple, affordable ways you can up your houses "sell appeal" to attract the greatest number of buyers:

1. Begin at the beginning - THINK CURB APPEAL! You've heard it over and over again, but it certainly is worth repeating. First impressions are formed within eight seconds. . . and they begin with CURB APPEAL! Trim shrubbery, prune, add flowers and mulch. Put a fresh stain or coat of paint on the front door, and make sure that the color is appropriate for the style of the home, as well as compatible with other finishes i.e. roof shingles, siding, brick etc. When in doubt . . . keep it neutral. And if your front door needs replacing . . . replace it!

2. Get rid of the grapes - Seriously! I can't tell you how many homes I walk into and see the "1990's" fruit borders in the kitchen. Strip it! Then paint out the walls in a neutral tone such as creamy yellow or bisque to UPDATE THE LOOK set the stage for the new owners. And speaking of kitchens . . . don't forget to CLEAR THE COUNTERTOPS! It's quick and easy to do, and the benefits are huge. It is less distracting to your buyer, and will also make the room appear larger. And the same sage advice goes for your bathrrooms. Get rid of the floral wallcovering or the paisley border you stenciled years ago . . . Strip and Neutralize!

3. Stay unemotional, stay unemotioinal, and don't forget to STAY UNEMOTIONAL- How you live in a home and prepare it to sell are two totally different things. Remove knick knacks, family photographs, photo albums, your old golfing trophies, etc. Remember, you want them to be able to visualize THEIR trophies and family photographs on that wall! And definitely put your 'collections' away.

4. Empty and Rearrange - If a prospective buyer is even halfway serious about your house, know that they will open EVERY closet and drawer to get a 'feel' for how their things will fit. If your things are 'stacked up . . . and shoved in', this will send up a big RED FLAG, especially for women, and could be cause for them to walk away. And remember, DON'T forget the linen closet!

5. Do Spring cleaning - no matter what time of the year it is! Put your "buyers eyes" and Nose on . . . people buy what they both see, and smell! Every house, if it has been lived in at all, will have a few scuff marks, dings and dents as well as odors. Identify these negatives BEFORE your buyer does . . . and eliminate them.

Remember, you're upping your houses "sell appeal" by sending your buyers the message . . . "if you want to buy a nice house . . . your search is over . . . ours is ready to become yours!"