Making your home look welcoming is a surefire way to raise
the interest shown by buyers. Follow this room-by-room
checklist to leave potential buyers wanting a second look.
Entire home
- Declutter your home. You might have to rent a storage unitor ask
a friend or family member if you can store items in their basement or garage. - Depersonalize your home. Displaying items like photos, awards,
and framed certificates can make it difficult for homebuyers to
envision themselves living in your home. - Switch out the art. If you have personal, controversial, or
abstract art, consider changing it for pieces that appeal to a broader audience. - Eliminate signs of pets. Put away food and water bowls, toys, and beds.
- Remove any unpleasant odors from your home. Use these tips to give your
home a fresh and clean scent. - Replace any burned-out lightbulbs inside and outside of your home.
- In warmer weather, open the windows right before the open house to
let in fresh air.
Kitchen and dining room
- Thoroughly clean the kitchen.
- Put away all dishes from the sink and dishwasher.
- Clear items such as toasters, blenders, dish racks, and utensils
from countertops; you can replace these items with bowls of fruit or
vases filled with flowers. - Clean and reorganize your drawers, cabinets, and pantry.
- Remove magnets, coupons, calendars, and papers from the refrigerator.
- Update older cabinets with a fresh coat of paint and hardware.
- Clean trashcans. Move them somewhere else if possible.
- Clear the dining room table, leaving only the centerpiece.
- Remove extra chairs from the table.
Bathrooms
- Clean toilets, sinks, and bathtubs.
- Put out fresh soap and a new roll of toilet paper.
- Recaulk the tub and sink, if needed.
- Hang fresh towels.
- Add a new shower curtain and rug, if necessary.
- Pack up and remove any medications or products that you don’t use
regularly. - Make sure all plumbing is working and isn’t clogged.
- Remove stains from tile and grout.
Living room
- Rearrange the furniture to make the room look larger and spacious.
- Make sure there is enough room to walk around.
- Remove any unnecessary furniture. Furniture should match; if any pieces
don’t, remove them from the space. - Add small plants to give the room some liveliness.
- Remove items from the coffee table, and move small items like remotes
into a decorative box. - Add accent pillows or a colorful throw blankets to couches or chairs.
- Open curtains and blinds to boost natural light and give the room an airy
and spacious feel. - Remove rugs to showcase any hardwood floors.
- Clean out the fireplace.
Bedrooms
- Consider painting bedrooms a more neutral tone.
- Remove clothing from bedroom closets to make them feel larger.
- Keep jewelry and expensive items in a safe place.
- Use gender-neutral colors in all bedrooms.
- Make beds look inviting by adding a headboard, accent pillows, and a throw
blanket in neutral colors like gray or brown. - Move daily necessities into bins, drawers, or closets.
- If your bedroom is small, make sure the bed is full-size or smaller to prevent
the room from feeling cramped. You can also use scaled furniture to fit the space
better than large furniture. - Clean thoroughly.
Exterior
- Consider upgrading your front door with a fresh coat of paint.
- Stage your porch, patio, or deck with furniture and plants.
- Place a simple decorative welcome mat by the front door.
- Mow the lawn.
- Trim back trees, shrubs, and plants.
- Clean up your landscaping, and remove any leaves or branches from your yard.
- Power wash the siding, gutters, driveway, sidewalk, front porch, and windows.
- Replace old light fixtures.
- Fix any torn window screens.
- Clean up after your pet.
- Upgrade your mailbox to a more modern or sophisticated design.
- Store away items like toys and sporting equipment.
- Upgrade your house numbers with one of these ideas.