10 Tips to Successfully Sell your Home

1. Eliminate clutter. Remove children's toys.  Get rid of or file away stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small knick-knacks and decorative items. Store your out-of-season clothing so that closets seem bigger. Clean out the garage.  Just create more space where ever you can; Less is more.

2. Wash your windows inside and out and clean the screens.  This allows more light in and makes the view to the outside clear.

3. Keep everything extremely clean. If you are not able to do so yourself hire a cleaning service.  Wash fingerprints from light switch plates and cabinet fronts. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove, refrigerator and sinks and be sure that you do not leave any dirty dishes lying around anywhere. People will perceive a clean house as having more value than one that is dirty, even when the dirty house is actually of the same value.  Do not display too many personal photos around the home…a few is okay but avoid large wall collages and collections on mantles and tables.

4. Eliminate odors and smells. Open the windows and air the home out.  Clean carpets, drapes and other linens to eliminate cooking smells, smoke, and pet odors.  If you have a litter box, be sure to keep it clean and use air fresheners around the area.  You can boil cinnamon in a pot on the stove before open-houses to give the home an inviting smell.

5. Use high wattage bulbs in light sockets to add brightness to the rooms, especially dark rooms. Be sure all lamps and fixtures have working bulbs.

6. Make as many minor repairs as possible.  When people notice small problems such as doors that stick, unfinished painting jobs, missing closet doors, torn screens, eroded caulking, or dripping faucets they will likely get a negative impression that the house isn't well maintained.  Subconsciously they may conclude that if the small things were neglected, what major items may have been neglected, such as A/C, Septic tank, or pool pump maintenance.

7. Put your yard in order. Cut the grass, weed, add mulch to flower beds, rake leaves, trim bushes, and edge the walks. Put some pots of colorful flowers near the entryway. 

8. If you have a driveway or walkway with lots of cracks or dull bricks, fill cracks and/or add a sealant to brighten up the color. 

9. Clean out your gutters.

10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers or update them.  If your mailbox is rickety, repaint it or replace it.  Attention to small details shows that you take pride in your home all around!