The first step in getting ready to sell any home is to consider who your most likely client will be.  A family? A retired couple looking to downsize? A corporate executive looking to relocate quickly?

By determining your most likely buyers you can start to evaluate your home and think about which features will be especially attractive to them.  Once you have a good idea of the positives (office space? pool? large bonus room?) and negatives (no parking? lack of privacy?) you can begin to prepare your home by emphasizing the good while providing solutions for less-than-ideal aspects of your property.

One of the most important steps to preparing your home is assessing normal wear-and-tear.  Unless your buyer is a contractor looking to flip the home there are a few key areas you should look into renovating

• Kitchens?  Still using the original kitchen fixtures?  One of the easiest ways to boost the value of your house is replacing them with modern looking appliances.

• Paint?  Old chipped paint can make your house look run down and it’s an easy fix to apply a new coat.  Make sure to pick a neutral color - the idea is to appeal to the largest group of buyers possible.

• Floors?  If your carpeting is outdated/worn think about installing new carpeting.  Scratched wood floors? Consider buffing them down with a drum sander and giving them a new finish.

There are countless options for improving your home but focusing on the core essentials will give you the best return for your investment.  Sure, most people like a newly remodeled office or brand new windows but it’s unlikely you’ll make your money back when it’s time to sell.

The next step in selling your home is removing clutter.  The key idea to staging your home is that you want your potential buyers to envision themselves living there.  While your might love your huge L-shaped couch and entertainment center, it’s more important to have minimal furniture that makes each room look large and inviting.

Once you’ve removed clutter you are ready to stage your house.  Whether you decide on having a professional staging company bring in their own furniture or a do-it-yourself approach there are a few things to consider.

• Make sure your house is spotless.  Wash your windows.  Wipe down all fixtures and appliances.  Hide away any clutter.  If it’s been years since you’ve done a true deep cleaning you might want to consider bringing in a professional maid service to look over every inch of your house.

• Freshen up your house.  Even if you don’t smoke cigarettes, houses tend to take on certain smells related the previous owners.  Open up all of your windows, turn on your fans and use mild air fresheners in each room to make sure your property has a neutral smell.

• Lighting matters!  One of the easiest things you can do to make your house look larger and more inviting is to make sure it’s well lit.  Think about buying high wattage bulbs for all of your lighting fixtures to improve your lighting.

Most importantly, don’t get overwhelmed!

If you decide to choose me as your Realtor, I can help give you guidance and suggest local contractors that fit within your budget.  Selling your house is a major decision and having a trusted guide will help eliminate stress and make the process go smoothly from start-to-finish.