Presenting your home to prospective buyers

Your house is up for sale. Your house will sell faster if it looks appealing to the buyers looking for the special dream home you probably have for sale.

Homes sell the same way as any other important items that affect living. Like anyone else, the majority of buyers purchase a home that is appealing to them. No big thing here except that you may get more serious buyers to come to your Open House without very much work on your part.

Show your home to best its best advantage.

The three most critical items are:

•1. The kitchen is the most important because that is where most families congregate — it’s the meeting place for the family. The stove, sink and refrigerator should be spotless. Get rid of the clutter by clearing out all of the work spaces. With its importance as the place where people meet, it needs to be clear.

•2. Bathrooms must be neat, spotless and smell fresh. If the grouting around the tub or shower is broken you need to fix it.

•3. It may surprise you that closets may affect the sale. Closets that are jammed full of clothes and other items may suggest inadequate storage.

Those are the big three critical items. And, they are most important.

Here are a few helpful hints that may help this home. This is much like setting a stage performance for an “I need to have this wonderful home looking its very best for showing.”

•Clutter in the home needs to be out of the area. Clutter makes the home appear to be small.

•Stand across the street and take a critical look at all sides of the home for sale. Does it need painting? If you need to paint, paint it. Sprucing up the home with new paint will pay its own way. Clean gutters, wash windows, clean out the garage.

•Check your plumbing. Repair dripping faucets or leaky toilets before you try to sell. Heating and cooling are important and should be safe and working.

•Remove clutter from hallways and stairs and you will provide a wider appearance. Consider storing unneeded items to “enlarge” room size.

•Replace all burned out bulbs and faulty switches.

•Don’t forget to open the drapes in daytime and close them at night. Turn on all the lights.

•The number one and two items in showing your home for sale are to eliminate as much clutter as possible and provide a very clean house for buyers to help them see all the advantages of your home for sale.