Tips for Homeowners Selling A House: Quick, Easy Fixes

When you are showcasing your home for sale, it’s going to look very different from the way it looks when you’re living there.

First impressions set the tone for potential buyers, and they’re lasting!

Curb appeal is vital if you want your home to sell quickly for the best price.

People buy homes because of the FEELINGS the house gives them. Nearly everyone buys a home thinking of the LIFESTYLE BENEFITS they’ll get by living there.

One thing that most buyers are looking for is space. They want to know they’re going to have room for everything (and everyone), and they’re not going to grow out of their house too quickly.

Your House Is NOT Going To Be Evaluated As a “House.”

It Will Be Evaluated For Its Potential To Become A HOME.

10 Great Ideas That Will Help Your Home Sell Faster

How to Make Your Home’s Entrance Enticing
How to Create a Beautiful Focal Point for Your Room
Ways to Create an Attractive Home Office
How to Use Lighting to Make Your Home More Attractive
How to Make Your Bathrooms Look Spacious
Easy Ways to Give Your Bathrooms a Fresh New Look
How Summer Container Plants Will Help Sell Your House
Quick Fixes for a Great-Looking Kitchen
How to Turn Your Patio Into an Outdoor Room
How to Make Your Home Appear Much Bigger

How to Make Your Home’s Entrance Enticing

To create that enticing look, you don’t necessarily have to undertake extensive landscaping or major fixes to the exterior of the building. Instead, you could just concentrate on the entrance to your home.

Lead Them In

You want to do everything you can to lead your potential buyers into your home.

There’s no doubt that curb appeal helps sell homes. You can improve your home’s exterior without spending a great deal of money by adding a deck, replacing a lawn, or enhancing the entranceway.

Make it clear where the entrance is by emphasizing it, using some of these techniques.

Accessorize

Make sure all your door hardware (the door knocker, handle, and hinges) are new or looks new. You can buy matching hardware cheaply.

Alternatively, give what you already have a good polish.

Tip to Get Rid of Squeaky Floorboards

We’ve all been there: You’re going to grab a late-night snack and the floor squeaks, almost waking everyone up.

There’s a super simple trick to stop wooden floors from creaking. Just grab some Corn Starch. Dust it over the creaky area, and sweep it into the cracks. Remove traces of powder on the hardwood floors.

Chandeliers and Ceiling Fans

Dust, Clean or Replace Ceiling Fans

You might not notice it often, but chandeliers and ceiling fans collect a lot of dust.

Grabbing a ladder may feel like a chore, but clearing those cobwebs and bringing back the shine is well worth it!

Tip for Cleaning a Dusty Chandelier

First, get a pair of white cotton gloves. Keep one glove dry and dampen the other with glass cleaner (or diluted rubbing alcohol if your chandelier has crystal). Wipe each section of the chandelier with the damp glove, then with the dry one, and you’re all set!

LIGHT BULBS. Replace dim light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs. Energy Star Certified Light Bulbs use up to 90% less energy than standard bulbs.

Invest in a New House Number and Mailbox that complement your house.

The Front Door

Make sure the door looks bright and fresh. Paint it to match the rest of the trim on your house and keep it clean of dirty rain splashes.

Power Wash stains from the front of the house, the sides and backside.

Steps and Railings

If there are steps up to your home, make sure they are well kept and safe.

Check metal railings for rust and make sure they stay firm when visitors hold them.

Plant and Flower Containers

Use containers or hanging baskets to mark the way to your home’s front entry. They are easy to maintain and provide a splash of color.

Try placing one container or basket on either side of the door to frame the entrance.

Self-Watering Planters. These double-walled plant containers provide insulation during hot and cold weather. All-weather high-grade polyethylene planters provide long-lasting beauty, durability and quality.

Self-Watering Plant and Flower Containers (Plow & Hearth)

Outdoor Lighting

Consider adding attractive lights to emphasize the entrances and make it more attractive at night.

This set of two LED deck lights provides accent lighting that runs from dusk to dawn. It gradually changes light level as motion is detected to soften lighting transitions.

Features a waterproof design and also includes a hidden flood light to illuminate your deck surface. Available in Bronze or White.

LED Deck Lights with Motion Sensors (Sharper Image)

Add Chairs to the Front Porch

If you have space, place attractive chairs near the entrance. It gives the impression your home provides a relaxing outdoor place to sit and rest.

These Classic Slatted Wooden Rocking Chairs have a timeless design for the porch, patio or deck. Available in Natural Stain, Black or White Paint.

Classic Slatted Wooden Rocking Chairs (Plow & Hearth)

Don’t Forget a Welcome Mat

As a finishing touch, put a new mat outside the front door. The Waterhog Door Mat is available in a variety of colors. The “water dam” border keeps moisture in the mat, off your floor.

The hefty rubber backing has 20% recycled content and stays in place. Anti-static, quick-drying, won’t fade, rot or mold.

Waterhog Basket Weave Door Mat (Plow & Hearth)

Prospective Home Buyers Look For Improvements to Kitchens and Bathrooms

Instead of a high-end remodel, more people are choosing moderately priced upgrades that will improve their chances of a sale.

How to Create a Beautiful Focal Point for Your Rooms

Having a focal point is critical if you want to create a room that feels comfortable and useable.

When you’re selling your home, you’ll make the room more attractive to buyers because they’ll feel more at home when there’s a focal point for them to rest their eyes on.

Some rooms have natural focal points, such as a fireplace, architectural details, or a picture window with a view.

Ways to Create a Focal Point

If your room has none of the above, you could try placing a large piece of furniture such as an armoire or a tall bookcase along one wall, using an ornate mirror or large painting, or adding a table with ornaments, magazines, or photographic books arranged on it.

If you have a large, flat-screen television or grand piano, this might make a suitable focal point.

LEGO® Ideas Grand Piano Builder Set

Build the first-ever playable LEGO® Grand Piano!

The focal point doesn’t have to be on the wall—a large area rug placed under a coffee table can also work well.

A fireplace is perhaps the best focal point in a living room or den. To accent it further, place a painting or mirror above the hearth.

In a bedroom, place the bed along the longest wall; add attractive bed covers and a well-designed headboard.

All furniture in a room should be arranged around the focal point, helping draw buyer’s eyes to the right place. It’s almost as if you are “framing” your focal point with the furniture and other decorations in your room.

Ways to Create an Attractive Home Office

A home office is becoming an essential item on a home buyer’s wish list.

After all, many people work at least part of the time at home—and even if they don’t, they still want somewhere to store their computer workstation.

Here are some tips to help you create an attractive home office that potential buyers will want to spend time in.

An Attractive Place to Work

A home office doesn’t have to be just functional—it can be attractive, too.

So take as much care with the décor as you would in the other rooms in your home, making sure office furniture and accessories coordinate with wall and floor coverings.

Good Lighting

If you don’t have a lot of natural light, make sure you have good lighting, particularly task lights for illuminating the desk area. Include other types of lighting, too, so you’ll make the room feel comfortable.

Power and the Internet

Make sure there are plenty of power outlets in the room and easy Internet access. Avoid a “rat’s nest” of cables by bundling them together and tucking them out of sight.

Home Office Storage

Consider stackable boxes to store paperwork efficiently and an attractive filing cabinet.

Put shelves on the walls and use them to store books; add wire baskets to the shelves for documents.

Bulletin Board

Put up a bulletin board for reminders and other essential information you use every day. Then you’ll avoid ugly sticky notes all over your computer.

Potential buyers will appreciate the organization and can visualize themselves working in the room.

How to Use Lighting to Make Your Home More Attractive

If you plan to sell your home, you can make your interiors and exteriors shine by improving the lighting. Here’s how.

Window Coverings

Natural light works best during the day. When potential buyers are viewing your home, make sure to open all window blinds, shades, shutters, and drapes to let in the sunlight.

Highlighting

Emphasize the room’s focal points, such as an alcove or artwork, by using lighting. Use task lighting in such spaces.

Doorway Lamps

You can significantly enhance the curb appeal of your home by placing attractive lamps on your porch.

Security Lights

Lighting placed around your house needs to be high up to ensure enough light is spread.

Try using bright lights for the exteriors.

Shining Out

Lighting which accentuates the interior of your home should also be visible from the outside.

Use lighting to add a feeling of warmth and grace to your rooms before people even come into your home.

Mood and Theme

If your home is chic and modern, try using a clean and simple lighting design. For more classic styles, use ornate lighting, such as chandeliers.

LED Lighting Usages

LED lights work best for the kitchen, bathroom, and other functional areas.

How to Make Your Bathrooms Look Spacious

It is no secret that one of the key things people look at when they are buying a house is the bathrooms.

That is why it is essential to make your bathrooms look as big, beautiful, and up-to-date as possible.

While many bathrooms are quite small in older homes, but there are ways of making them appear sleeker and larger.

Fixtures and Cabinetry

One thing that can help is to install fixtures that are as high-tech and as contemporary as possible.

Their streamlined appearance can give a bathroom a more spacious appearance.

Buying fixtures that are smaller than usual can also make the bathroom look bigger.

Toilets, Bathtubs, and Showers

You can buy toilets nowadays that are very narrow and sit close to the wall.

Old-fashioned bathtubs can also take up a lot of room in a small bathroom.

One solution might be to rip out a large bathtub and replace it with “a newer, smaller one—or have a bathroom with just a shower stall.

Re-doing the floor in stone and having an open shower with a glass stall can also make a smaller bathroom look more luxurious and spacious.

Tip for Removing Bathtub Stains

Whether it’s from rust, hair dye, or whatever, bathtubs can collect stubborn stains.

Here’s a do-it-yourself (DIY) concoction to bring your tub back to a pearly white.

Combine equal parts of baking soda and cream of tartar. Rub mixture onto the stain with a cloth. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse well with water.

Easy Ways to Give Your Bathroom a Fresh New Look

The bathroom might be one of the smallest rooms, but it’s one of the most important if you’re selling your home.

Here are some quick tips to freshen up your bathrooms to give potential buyers a space they can enjoy relaxing in.

Remove Clutter

Bathrooms attract a lot of bottles and jars that create clutter.

By putting them in a closet or throwing away those you haven’t used for a long time, you’ll immediately make your room look more spacious.

Fixtures and Fittings

It’s not as expensive to replace bathroom fixtures, such as the toilet, as you think.

Putting in more modern fixtures will immediately bring your bathroom up-to-date.

The same goes for towel rails, mirrors, and other hardware.

Try replacing them with a matching set to unify the look of your bathroom.

Flooring

A big turn-off for many home-buyers is carpet in the bathroom.

If you replace it with a more washable surface, you’ll have a much cleaner-looking bathroom.

Ceramic Tiles

The caulking between tiles gets very dirty. Clean it, and you’ll immediately make your bathroom fresher.

Towels and Shower Curtain

Replace your towels with a new, fluffy matching set and keep an inviting pile waiting on a shelf or in a closet.

Replace your shower curtain with a new one that matches the décor.

How Container Plants Will Help Sell Your House

Container plants are an easy way to give immediate visual impact to your home, creating that important curb appeal—the “wow” factor as potential buyers pull up outside.

Here are some important tips to make sure you use containers effectively.

Sussex Frost-Proof Plant Containers in 3 Sizes

These frost-proof, four-season resin composite planters have the look of copper and are practical and durable, for use indoors and out. Three versatile sizes for attractive grouping options.

Crafted of resin and natural materials, the Sussex Frost-Proof Resin Planters include a bottom water reservoir that helps established, well-rooted plants get the water they need to stay beautiful and healthy.

Sussex Frost-Proof Plant Containers in 3 Sizes (Plow & Hearth)

Don’t be afraid of using big, bold containers. They will have much more impact and will be easier to care for because they won’t dry out so easily.

Smaller containers tend to get lost in the landscaping, so you’ll lose the visual impact you’re trying to achieve.

Self-Watering Urn Pedestal Plant Container in White or Black

Placed near a front door, entrance, garage or on a porch, this planter makes a stately presence when filled with your favorite plants, flowers or vines.

This Planter has the look of traditional cast iron or stone planters. Lends an estate feel to your home with its classic pedestal form.

**Self-Watering Urn Pedestal Plant Container in White or Black (Plow** & Hearth)

Use Quality Containers

Choose containers that complement your house and the rest of your landscaping.

For example, if you have iron detailing, find a matching container; if you have brick paving, a terracotta pot might look good next to it.

Feed Your Plants

Make sure you keep your containers well maintained by watering and feeding the plants regularly.

You want potential buyers to think the containers are always there, not just a quick fix.

Quick Fixes for a Great-Looking Kitchen

Prospective home buyers continue to look for improvements to kitchens.

More people are choosing moderately priced upgrades.

Because of all the government incentives available, it also makes sense to make any improvements that add to your home’s energy efficiency.

Kitchen Appliances

People love modern stainless steel appliances.

It could be an excellent investment to upgrade your appliances to the most modern designs to give your kitchen the ‘wow’ factor.

Remove Wallpaper and Old Carpeting

Buyers are choosy. Not everyone loves wallpaper.

If you’re serious about selling your home, consider removing the wallpaper and paint instead. It’s a quick, easy fix.

Cabinet Doors

Damaged or dirty cabinet doors are a big turn-off for buyers. But that’s easy to fix.

Most cabinetry can be re-painted after cleaning it and applying a coat of primer.

Just check that the materials can take paint or whether you need to give any special preparation to the doors first.

Alternatively, you can just replace the doors. Some companies provide doors to fit existing kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Hardware

Another way to fix up cabinets is to replace the hardware, perhaps changing out-of-date fixtures for sleek, modern ones.

This is a very cheap and easy way to update your kitchen.

Kitchen Sinks and Faucets

Try trading your faucets for more modern designs and replacing a damaged or very dirty sink.

Kitchen Flooring

Dairy, tired linoleum floors will turn off buyers.

Try updating with tough laminate flooring or some tiles that tie into the rest of the kitchen.

Paint

Change the décor easily by re-painting in fresh, modern, neutral colors.

A coat of paint can be a very cheap way to refresh the look of your kitchen.

Remove Kitchen Clutter

Just by simply removing the clutter that accumulates on your countertops, you can freshen up your kitchen.

Throw out things you don’t need; put away others you use only occasionally.

The Pantry

Re-organize the pantry to show that there is plenty of space for prospective buyers to visualize storing their goods.

How to Turn Your Patio Into an Outdoor Room

There are many things you can do to turn a drab patio, sunroom, or deck into another room.

If you are putting your home on the market for sale, turning this space into another room will help potential buyers see the potential of your home.

The key is to make your outdoor room look as inviting as possible. So think about it just as you would any other room in your house.

This means you should invest in furniture that will give a feeling of luxury, turning your patio into a place of relaxation.

Group your furniture, just as you would indoors. Invest in comfortable furniture.

Colors and Materials

Try to complement the décor inside your home by using similar colors and materials.

If, for example, you have a wooden floor inside, try to make it look as if the floor extends outside by using similar materials.

Use your choice of furniture to pick up colors you’ve used inside and bring them outside.

Outdoor Lighting

There are many low-cost options for lighting outdoors, such as battery-operated lights or torches. Then you’ll be able to extend the use of your outdoor room into the night.

Clean It Up

Scrub the deck or patio, the paving and garage floor, perhaps using a power washer, to make it look new again.

Prospective buyers will be trying to visualize every aspect of your property as a suitable residence for them and their family.

They will be looking for what appeals to them the most.

How to Make Your Home Appear Much Bigger

Even if your home has adequate square footage, it may appear to be small to some buyers.

Prospective buyers want to get the most space as possible to accommodate their needs.

Here are some ways to make your home seem bigger than it really is.

Get Rid of All Clutter

This is probably the essential secret to increasing the illusion of space.

Keep shelves tidy and not stuffed with books and ornaments.

Remove cluttered items from all closets, the basement, the garage, the bedrooms, the bonus rooms, etcetera.

Remove photos and other items that might be offensive to prospective buyers.

Remove items you don’t need from surfaces, particularly in the kitchen.

An easy way to update your kitchen is to add or replace the backsplash. Subway or mosaic tiles or a sheet of stainless steel are trendy, and this quick change can really lift the feel of the room.

Paint the Walls

Use white or neutral colors to make rooms appear light and spacious.

Use tones of a neutral color such as oatmeal or gray to avoid visual clutter and make your décor feel more harmonious.

Consider Off-Site Storage

Move some items into a storage unit while your home is on the market.

Alternatively, before putting your home on the market for sale, have a yard sale to get rid of unwanted items—or donate them to charity.

Otherwise, your house might look as if it’s not spacious enough for a family.

Remove Some Furniture

Potential buyers need to be able to walk around your home without bumping into chairs and tables.

Put some furniture into storage until you move.

Leave a path through your rooms that buyers can walk through and visualize how they will live in this home and arrange their own furniture in the house.

Organize Closets

Make sure you’ve tidied your closets, especially the master bedroom closet. Invest in an organizing system, if necessary.

Remove excess clothing, shoes, and accessories that you’re not likely to wear or use in the next few months.

Mirrors and Window Treatments

Place mirrors in strategic places and remove fussy window treatments to enhance the illusion of space.

Clean Up the Garage

People want to know they can fit their car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle in the garage and still have room for storing their possessions.

So clear out your garage and neatly organize everything that must stay in there.

There Is No Doubt About It: First Impressions Count With Buyers.

Overall, Buyers Are Looking For a Home That Is Clean, Neat, and Well-Maintained.

By addressing the issues provided here, you will immediately give potential buyers a positive “first impression.”

I hope this information has been helpful. As a former real estate agent, these are some tried and true quick fixes to get your home to sell faster.

Tips for Homeowners Selling a House: Quick, Easy Fixes