FRONT DOOR- the front door is the first thing people see and often have to pause here to be let in. Any rotting or peeling wood, dirty or damaged storm door, broken or chipped steps…will all be noticed and a sign of how the rest of the home is maintained. Clean up the entrance by painting or staining the door and repairing anything at the entrance that would detract from a first impression.

LANDSCAPING-also one of the first things buyers see as they pull up to your house. You don’t have to hire an expert-just make sure your landscaping is free of weeds, freshly mulched and trees or bushes are trimmed back from the house. If you don’t invest a little time in this your home may look run down and people will hope to get a deal. If you want top dollar this isn’t what you want buyers to think.

PAINT-otherwise known as miracle in a can. Look at your home room by room and make sure your walls are fresh looking…baseboards too. Painting the often dirty and dinged up baseboards can really make a difference. Make sure the colors of your rooms blend together and if you have any colors that are really different…when all your friends walk in and say ‘Oh’ not in a good way…paint it a neutral color. Paint is the most inexpensive way to add value to a home.

BATHROOMS-updating a bathroom can be done at many levels of cost. You can update your knobs, towels and paint color on your own. That alone will help if you can’t afford to do more. Maybe you can do the faucet and toilet yourself, but if not, hiring someone to make these changes in an outdated bathroom are worth it to sell your home. A full renovation is appealing to buyers and outdated bathrooms will be looked at as an expense they will need to incur down the road.