How to Help Your Home Sell

Remember, not all buyers can look past a very personal paint color choice and see the potential in a room. Your home will be attractive to more buyers if the walls are painted in a light or neutral color, making it easy for them to picture their furniture in your home.

Clean up any dirt or clutter. Nothing turns off a potential home buyer faster than a dirty home. Over time, we may get used to a little mildew on the bathtub caulking, but a buyer will notice it immediately. Also, clean up any dirty grout, countertops, sinks and toilets and give your home a good vacuuming before any buyer viewing.

Eliminate any lingering odors (e.g. smoke, food, pets) in your home. Since we live there, we get used to some odors, but a person walking into your home will pick them up immediately. Use fabric freshener on furniture and carpets and mild air fresheners to get rid of the smells.

Give your home some "curb appeal" by going around the outside and picking up and putting away any yard/ garden tools or bicycles. Keep your lawns and gardens trimmed neatly too, and if the existing paint on your trim and front door is old or faded, update it.

Brighten up the interior by cleaning the windows so they sparkle and replacing any burnt-out light bulbs. You could also use higher wattage bulbs to provide more light.

Get rid of any clutter in your basement, garage or shed. Clutter sends a message that your home may not be well maintained and is a definite turn off for a buyer. Also, tidy kitchen cupboards, as well as the pantry, and organize your closets. Neat, tidy and uncluttered storage spaces give buyers the impression there is lots of storage in your home, and storage is always a positive.

Consider painting an unfinished basement in a light color to make it appear less dark. Adding inexpensive carpeting can also make an unfinished basement more attractive.

Clean your appliances. Someone looking to buy your home might look anywhere, so be sure your oven and microwave are clean and there is no old food or food containers in your fridge.