Selling your house is a big step in your life, physically, emotionally, and financially. While all of these are important aspects to selling, the one most people focus the most on is the money. Which certainly makes sense as it is likely your biggest asset. But, to realize the greatest return on this asset, does require some effort on the seller’s part. Even in a seller’s market.

First and foremost, your house has to make a good impression on potential buyers. You will want to prepare your house so that buyers will see the best it has to offer. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to spend large amounts of money upgrading things and making everything new. Most of the things below require a small amount of money and a little bit of effort from you.

With that, here is a list of ways to improve the curb appeal of home, and also making it feel like a place buyers will want to call home.

Curb appeal is the first impression a buyer has of your home, make it count!

Give your entry a facelift.  A new coat of paint on the front door, or a new front door is one of the first things a buyers sees as they pull up to the house.

Don’t forget to landscape your lawn your yard! A nice looking yard tells the buyer that the property has been maintained while you have been there.

Make sure all exterior lights are in working order. Replace bulbs or repair any lights that do not work. Showings happen in the evenings too, having a well-lit house makes a statement.

Wash all windows (inside & out). Your property might have a great view of the downtown skyline, a lake, mountain, etc. and you want the buyers to see that…not the dirt on the windows!

Clean out your garage! Having an organized garage shows the buyer its size and usefulness for storage.

Add a pop of color by planting flowers.  Obviously seasonally dependent, but even a flower pot on the porch with some colorful flowers can go a long way. Or go big, and plant them around the house.

Remove any lawn ornaments. Whether the ornaments draw attention in a good or bad way, they are taking it away from the house. You want the buyer to focus on the house.

Replace worn out welcome mat. You are welcoming the buyers to your house. A dingy old mat is not a good way to do that.

Paint or replace the street numbers. When a buyer is trying to find your house, having a visible house number is important.

Power wash any outdoor surfaces. Make the driveway, porch, patio, siding, etc. look like new again by cleaning them up.

Once the buyer is inside, make them feel at home!

Clean everything! A clean home will allow buyers to picture themselves in the space and not distract them like a dirty space will.

Give every room a purpose. For instance, a bonus room. That might be a great use for that extra bedroom for you, but buyers will connect more with a bedroom, office, playroom, etc.

Let the light in! Bright rooms feel warm and inviting. Dark rooms feel small and gloomy. Open those shades!

 Fix anything that is broken. Buyers will notice and may offer less for your house if repairs are required.

Unclutter your house! Thinning out your closets and pantries will show how much room is actually available.

Fresh paint and new carpet. The two things you can do that help your house sell faster and for more money. Can’t do new carpet? A good cleaning can go a long way as well…

Organize the kitchen! Store any non-essential, small appliances and clean all surfaces. Show off that counter space!

Empty all trash bins and hide dirty laundry. This will help eliminate any odors they might cause.

Make sure all doors open and close smoothly. Fix any doors that squeak or are hard to open or close.

Replace light bulbs with new ones and make sure switches work. Burnt out lightbulbs are not a good look, and flipping a switch to have nothing happen is baffling to a buyer. All of which takes away from the house.

While this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of things that can be done to a house to help it sell faster and for more money, doing these alone will do wonders towards the possibility of both. Even in a seller’s market it pays to have your house stand out above the rest!