First impressions last... let your property rate higher amongst other houses

Look Down on Your Carpet

If you have carpet, its wise to have it shampooed to remove any stains or smells that may exist. If that doesn't work, then you'll likely have to get rid of it. If your carpet is dirty looking, soiled, or stained beyond rescue, then your only alternative is to get rid of it. Instead of replacing it with carpet, think about wood or laminates, since they're better selling features. Getting your bathroom to stand out

Wood and laminates make your home look more spacious, and people like to see woods and laminates more than carpeting when they're looking at properties. As an added bonus, these types of flooring are much easier to keep clean than carpets are.

Avoid Making a Statement

If you have any kinds of loud decorating that makes a statement or that is controversial, you should take it down. Examples of controversial decorating are a deer head on the wall, or a bear skin rug. These items may be attractive or fun in your eyes, but there are many people who will find this a complete turnoff. This is the same for books and magazines that you might have lying around. If you're not sure, the best thing is not to display them, in case something might be offensive or simply unattractive to prospective buyers.

Wallpaper: It Sticks or its Nix

Peeling wallpaper should be removed immediately and replaced with a fresh coat (or two) of paint. This is especially important in bathrooms. Here, you should either paint a neutral color, or the lightest color that will match the existing tile. Be professional when selling your property yourself

This is the same for kids rooms. If they need a fresher look, then go with colors that are as neutral as possible. That way, while buyers look at the property, they'll be looking at the home for itself, not for your own decorating abilities. Furthermore, this allows them more of a shot at imagining the way their things will go into the space.

Straighten the Closets

While no buyer will expect that your closets will be perfectly neat or empty, but they are looking for a large amount of storage space for their own things. To help with this impression, the rule of thumb is to take everything out of your closet, and only put half of it back in. The rest of the stuff will need to find a new home; in the garbage, the clothing donation charity, or packed in your suitcases. Showing your house with confidence

The reason for doing this is that partially empty closets look much roomier than they may really be. And remember, its space and storage that sell. The same can be done for your kitchen cabinets and other storage areas. An added bonus is that when you're done sifting through your stuff to get half out of the closets, you'll already have gotten rid of a lot of things that you'll no longer have to move. Moreover, if you've packed up the extras, that's work done that you would have had to do sooner or later anyway.

Flower Power

Fresh flowers in your house will give it a healthy, clean, and bright look, without spending a fortune. If you have the money, you can add a professional arrangement full of exotic flowers to a room in your home. Property settlement and contract

However, if you'd rather splurge on other things, then you can always go for a cheaper flower. The important thing is that they're fresh, healthy, and in warm colors.

Affordable fresh cut flowers include:

  • Carnations

  • Daisies

  • Pompons

  • Irises

  • Freesia

  • Asters

Consider having the colors not only match the room, but the season. For example, springtime is a great opportunity to use pinks and purples, summer is fantastic for reds and bright yellows, and fall is great for oranges and pale yellows. In the wintertime, anything bright and happy is a good idea.

If you have flowers in your yard that can be cut, its pleasant to have some in the house. This not only ties the inside and the outside, but it gives your home an authentic happy and fresh feeling. Just be certain that you don't cut so many that the outside gardens have bare patches!

26. Open Up the Windows

If its mild enough outside that is, if its cool enough in warm weather, or warm enough in cool weather you might think about opening up the windows. This will bring the fresh air in, and will be wonderful for making the air breathable, and getting rid of any home smells that you may not even notice, but may be obvious to the prospective buyer. Securing a successful property selling deal

Be careful about the temperatures in which you open the windows. If you make it too hot or too cold inside, then the prospective viewers will feel uncomfortable, and therefore wont attach themselves quite as well. Moreover, a too-cold house will take away from the welcoming feeling you're trying to instill in the home, and a too-warm house will make the property feel smaller than it is, and will make the prospective buyers want to leave faster. Naturally, that's not what you're going for.

27a. Clean, Clean, Clean

When people look to buy a property, they're being extremely picky and observant about every little thing. That being said, you don't want to lose a sale just because you have a cobweb in a basement window.

Therefore, its a good idea to go over your home with a white glove to ensure that it is spic and span. Pay special attention to elements such as:

  • Dust

  • Cobwebs

  • Trash

  • Grunge

27b. Let Your House Stand Out In a Good Way

When people are looking for properties, its very, very rare that they'll only see one or two houses. Therefore, if you're going to have a number of people view your home as they look at a dozen or so other properties, you need to make sure that yours is the one that stands out in their minds.

Of course there are good ways to stand out, and there are bad ways. The bad ways must be avoided at all costs. The good ways, however, should be aimed for with great attention. Think about it: if you were to see five properties today, and another five a week from now, all with very similar features, how much would you really remember about each individual home?

The odds are, you'll remember the one that had some special little detail; maybe its the one with the pink roses on the kitchen table. Not only will this sort of little thing make your home more memorable, but it will also let your property rate higher among the others. Its like the hook that marketers aim for in commercials and other advertising. Its something different and positive that sets your property apart from other houses. Use these tips as a starter kit for a successful sale

28. Be Realistic

Remember that as much as you want to maximize your selling potential, you don't want to be so extreme that you've not only wasted your time, but you've overwhelmed those who will be viewing the property. If you go too far, the house will look so staged that it will feel artificial. You want your buyers to feel that they could move into the place, not that they should stay behind the red velvet ropes.