1. Sell it Fast!

If you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, you’ll need to figure out how to attract home buyers. You’re probably aware there’s some prep work to do. Most properties need to be spruced up before potential buyers start coming through, but it doesn’t have to mean a major investment of cash and time. There are many ways to put your house in position to sell quickly that won’t break the bank. In fact, you might be surprised at how much good you can do with some paint, a few gardening tools and a commitment to clean and declutter.

If you’re not sure where to begin, try seeing your home the way a potential buyer might. What could prevent someone from envisioning your home as their own? Here are a few tips that can get you off to a good start.

2. Boost Curb Appeal

Good curb appeal is a definite “must have” for any property. You want a landscape and home exterior that make passersby react instantly and positively. Keeping the grass mowed and the kids’ toys picked up is a start but remember that this is how you’ll attract people who are motivated to buy, as well as those who could be convinced to check into a house that just looks great. Keep the bushes well-trimmed and weed out dead plants and lawn debris. Add fresh flowers along the front of your house and mulch around trees and flower beds.

Check for cracks that need to be filled in the driveway and walkways and consider giving them a good pressure washing while you’re at it. Don’t neglect the front of your house. Does the front door or the entire front facade need to be repainted? A bright and clean presentation can make a tremendous difference when trying to attract buyers.

3. Clean Out Storage Space

Remember that prospective buyers will want to peer into every corner and closet and check out storage space, which is a big factor for many buyers. Clean out the basement and garage, especially if things have stacked up in there for a while. These are good places to declutter because people will want to see how much storage space they can expect. Get rid of any useless or duplicate items, sell or give away anything else that’s no longer needed or wanted, and carefully organize anything that remains in storage areas.

The decluttering phase is a great time to downsize and get rid of items you no longer need, but if you’re lacking in time or energy or still have too much “stuff” post-purge, store your extra belongings in an offsite storage unit. It’s easy to shop around online for the closest and cheapest storage options, but on average, you can expect to pay about $125 per month for storage in Seattle. It’s an extra expense, but if it helps make your home more desirable to potential buyers, it’s money well spent.

4. Check the Flooring

Few parts of your home show wear and tear as clearly as flooring. Years of use can make carpeting or hardwood flooring look roughed up. Consider whether carpeting can be brought back to life with a good cleaning or if it’s time to replace it. Often, a professional cleaner can remove deep stains and odors that have built up over a time. Bear in mind that hardwood is a popular choice among homebuyers these days and might make an attractive alternative to that old, worn carpeting.

5. Change up Window Treatments

Many buyers focus on natural light, so pay close attention to your window treatments. Change old curtains, drapes or blinds if they look yellowed and worn. By hanging window curtains a bit higher and wider than your window frame, you can make a room look both taller and bigger – a simple change with big results. And remember that curtains can be used for both practical and aesthetic purposes. They’re a great option for concealing shelving in your laundry room or as a graceful canopy over your bed.

Creativity and cleaning can go a long way towards figuring out how to attract home buyers. Presenting an attractive space inside and out is essential for staging a property and, best of all, you can do it affordably and attractively.

Article by Kelli Brewer –  Kelli Brewer is proud of her military family and is passionate about supporting other military families through DeployCare.

Selling a house with pets? There are challenges. To ensure your home is catnip to potential buyers, we have assembled at top 5 list of tips:

1. Take the Dog for a Walk.
   When your prospective buyers are in the house, your pets should be out of it. Even if Fido is friendly and your Persian purrs at all visitors, it’s almost impossible to predict how a potential buyer will react to a strange animal. You don’t want any part of the tour to be negative, and for many people, cat dander and a lick on the hand is a definite no. During tours, arrange for your pet to be out of the house. Your dog is probably up for a trip to the dog park, and your cat… well, your cat could probably stand some sunshine, too. (Crates were built for this.)
2. Hide the Evidence.

No one likes the smell of a litter box, and you can bet that it will be noticeable to potential buyers, even if you’re used to the odor. So, a few hours before a showing, open a few windows to get the smell out, then relocate the litterbox to the garage. You don’t want to leave a bad smell in a buyer’s nose.

3. Pick Up the Toys.

Your pet’s playthings probably have a way of turning up in unexpected places. That’s why, if you don’t have one already, it’s a good idea to designate a particular storage place — a box or closet — for them. Keep an inventory, and before any tour, find each plaything. You don’t want your prospective buyers tripping over a squeaky mouse, or sitting down on the couch only to be jabbed by a drool-soaked rawhide bone.

4. Leave Carpets to the Pros.

Carpet cleaners and vacuums might have made astronomical progress over the past few decades, but they still often find themselves conquered by Pomeranians. Instead of obsessing over your carpets before every single showing, arrange to have them deep-cleaned. It will save you hours of time fussing with carpet shampoos and vacuum cleaners. (And it goes without saying: Post-cleaning, try to keep your four-legged friends to hardwood or tile areas.)

5. Lint-Roll Everything. And Clean Up the Yard.

Potential buyers probably bear no ill will toward your pet. But that doesn’t mean they want to spend the rest of the day after touring your house picking cat hair off their clothes. So please: Buy a lint roller. Use it on every fabric surface you think a buyer might touch. Then use it again.

And just because your yard is outdoors, that doesn’t mean that you’re not responsible for its contents. Your dog might do his business out of sight in the back yard, but it shouldn’t be out of mind for you — and it definitely won’t be for buyers. Take a shovel to the evidence.

Sam Radbil is a contributing member of the marketing and communications team at ABODO, an online apartment marketplace. ABODO was founded in 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin. And in just three years, the company has grown to more than 30 employees, raised over $8M in outside funding and helps more than half a million renters find a new home each month.