Simple Fix-Ups Make Your Home Look Exceptional!

Simple tips and tricks to change ordinary into extraordinary!

Be realistic pricing your house. If it lacks amenities that an equally-priced comparable house has, discount the price of that item.

Make sure the key to your house is available to the agent and your house is accessible to be shown at a moment's notice. Be flexible. Clients and agents need that accessibility to make a deal.

Get rid of any junk. If it has value, take it to a recycle establishment, have a yard sale or donate it.

Trim the shrubs, weed the flower beds, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, sweep the walkways. A clean front yard makes the first impression. Make it look sharp. Plant some flowers that are in season to liven up appearances.

Put potted flowers on the front steps. Water them and keep them healthy looking.

Fill and repair holes or cracks in the driveway or walkways.

Paint the front door and front entrance. The door is the face of the house; one of the first things people notice. Make sure front entrance lights work.

Paint the shutters. Paint or touch up the trim.

Clean the outdoor furniture. Paint the rust or toss it.

Straighten gutters, planters, mailbox, or things that sag or tilt.

Clean the house thoroughly - squeaky clean. Keep it that way while selling.

Shine the appliances, vacuum the carpet, polish the cabinets. Get dust, flies and moths out of light fixtures. Minor dirt, odor and lack of cleanliness are a turnoff!

Get rid of any odors. Get rid of ashtrays. Use an air freshener if the house does not smell right. Eliminate the smell of dogs, cats, kids, spicy food, etc. Odors are hard to explain away and are always noticed. If necessary, bake cookies or an apple pie - - a good smell for the open house!

Clean the windows outside and inside.

Find the best real estate agent in your area from an unbiased reliable source.

Move clothes out of your closets so they do not appear full -- busting at the seams.

Remove clutter from the kitchen. Keep the sink clean, free from dishes. Clean the refrigerator, degrease the oven. Take drastic action to get a Spartan look.

Remove personal items that are conspicuous. You want to show off the house not yourself.

Tighten and repair loose knobs, sticky doors and windows.

Replace burnt out bulbs. Repair light switches that do not work.

Fix cabinet doors that do not work right. Oil hinges. Repair minor flaws. You don't want the little things that do not work to leave questions in a buyer's mind.

Repair caulking and grout in bathroom. Fix leaky faucets. Equip with fresh soap and neat towels. Keep the bathroom spotless.

If repainting, a fresh coat of paint that is neutral enhances the decorating detail to a home. Paint smells clean.

Replace faded wallpaper.

Shampoo carpets, polish floors. Consider replacing carpet that is faded, excessively worn or out of date.

Repair cracks in the dry wall. A five-dollar repair job may keep a buyer from raising an alert flag on a major repair and be worth $2,000 in his eyes.

Repair cracks in cement blocks. Likewise, a ten or twenty-dollar repair job may be worth $3,000 in a buyer's eyes.

Close the garage door. Hide the garbage cans. Put away toys. Remove extra cars.

Take extra furniture out so that the room looks larger. That also goes for pictures on the wall too.

Leave light, soft music playing. It creates atmosphere and leaves a good subconscious impression.

Turn on the lights and open the curtains and let in the light. Obscure unappealing views. Show all rooms bright. Increase the wattage if necessary. On overcast days take special care to show it bright. Keep the room temperature comfortable. Consider mirrors to make a dark room look larger as well as reflect outdoor light.

If you have a garden or patio area, leave the door that leads to it unlocked.

When your house is shown, leave. Take a walk, go to McDonalds - leave the clients with the agent. Don't interfere with the agent and possibly hurt the selling opportunity.

A vase of fresh flowers adds to the atmosphere.

If the house is somewhat vacant, staging antiques appropriately can create a dramatic emotional statement. There are professional companies that do just that, usually for more expensive estates.