It simply makes sense to clean up both the interior and exterior of your home before listing it for sale. But that doesn’t mean you have to undertake major home renovation projects on order to sell your home. With a little effort you can increase the perceived value of your home by a great margin.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind that you can do to increase the perceived value of your home and make the perfect first impression.

Exterior of Home:

Keep lawns cut
Trim hedges and bushes
Weed and edge gardens
Clear driveway and clean stains
Clean out garage
Power wash home exterior
Touch up paint
Plant colorful flowers

At The Front Door:

Clean porch and foyer
Ensure door bell works
Repair any broken screens
Fresh paint or varnish front door
Repair any damages to the door and/or locks

At The Front Door:

Clean porch and foyer
Ensure door bell works
Repair any broken screens
Fresh paint or varnish front door
Repair any damages to the door and/or locks

Understand Market Conditions:

The real estate market is in constant flux, not only as a whole but in particular areas as well. Knowing what is going on in the overall and local real estate markets will help you understand how these conditions can affect the sale of your home. We’ve designed the following chart to help give you an overview of the three significant market positions. When you meet with your sales representative, ask about the current state of the market.

1. Buyers’ Market: The supply of homes on the market exceeds demand. Characteristics: High inventory of homes. Few buyers compared to availability. Homes usually stay on the market longer. Prices are stable or perhaps dropping.

Advertise Your Home on MLS:

This service is only available to real estate sales representatives. It is a database of all the homes for sale through sales representatives. Details about your home will be available to other sales representatives searching for homes in your area, in the range of your asking price.

Arrange Showings:

In addition to giving your home the once over with a mop and dust cloth, have your sales representative prepare a home feature sheet. This is a one page synopsis of your home that highlights lot size, room dimensions, features and upgrades as well as utility costs and taxes. Prospective buyers will take a sheet and refer to it while viewing your home. Plus, it makes for a great reference sheet when the buyers are comparing properties.

The Open House: This is usually not a pleasant experience. The upside is that you usually won’t have to be there to act as a guide. The downside is that you might have a series of open houses over a few weeks, with people poking through all areas of your home. And you’ll have the constant pressure of keeping your home looking its best.

The Viewing: When an sales representative has a client who is interested in your home, they will first call to make an appointment with your RE/MAX representative. If you’re lucky, you’ll have time for the last-minute tidying. Of course, you can say no if the prospective purchaser wishes to come at an inconvenient time.

During the viewing, make sure you give the viewer and the sales representative a feature sheet and get the sales representative’s business card. Give viewers the freedom to wander around your home by themselves. Following may make them uncomfortable. The sales representative will stay with the prospects to offer some protection against theft or property damage.