Simply putting your house on the real estate market is not enough when preparing your home to sell. It also does not just include fixing up your yard and planting a few flowers by the front walk. Although giving your home some “curb appeal” is the first step in attracting buyers, what they find on the inside is what will entice them to give you an offer. Here are some tips and advice on preparing your home to sell:

Tip #1: Make sure your home is clean. Take an objective look at your home and ask yourself, “Is my home as clean as it can be?” Most of us believe our homes are clean enough but that often does not mean “as clean as it can be.” Take the time and go through each room of your home and clean up anything that looks messy or cluttered. Dust the furniture, vacuum all carpets (or better yet, get them all steam cleaned to remove any stains and odors trapped in the fabric), wash and wax all hard-surfaced floors, and make sure everything is where is supposed to be. If you have the time, apply a fresh coat of paint to the interior. A clean home tells the buyer that you care about your home and take pride in it.

Tip #2: Organize and get rid of clutter. Take the opportunity of selling your home to do a real ‘spring cleaning’ - get rid of anything you do not need or use anymore including old clothes, magazines and books, and knick knacks you can live without. Make sure that your counter tops, closets, basement, garage, and attic are all well organized and neat. These are important spaces that can and will act as deciding factors for buyers since space that is well organized and clutter free looks larger than space that is filled to the brim with stuff. This is important because buyers will be looking to maximize the amount of space they can afford.

Tip #3: Depersonalize your home. Often times, this is difficult for sellers because the items in their homes are what make it home. It is necessary to put away these items because you want buyers to picture the space as their home with their things and it is difficult to do that while you have things on display. It is fine to keep a few things out but the majority of your things should be put away in storage (not the closet, attic, basement, or garage because these are spaces that should be decluttered as well).

Tip #4: Make necessary repairs. Before you put your house on the real estate market, make sure that everything is in working order. Better yet, invest in having your home professionally inspected – this will help you address any problems that you might not have noticed and will show buyers that you are a responsible seller. Repair any leaky faucets, running toilets, bad electrical outlets, etc. Also, replace any cracked windows, broken woodwork, or any holes in the walls. Although it may seem that these repairs are costing you a lot right now, especially if you need to address any really serious problems like replacing the roof, you’ll find that it was all worth it when you can use them as selling points for getting the price you want and experiencing a faster, smoother selling process.

Tip #5: Make sure your home is safe. Every home has its quirks that the family living there has instinctively learned to live with. This could mean low doorways or uneven stairs down into the basement. Before showing your house, make sure that these issues are taken care of – fix the loose banister or put up a small sign that says ‘Watch your head’ near a notoriously low doorway during open house events.

The most important piece of home selling advice to remember is that you want the buyers to visualize what their lives would be like living in your house. Prepping your home to sell by making sure it is a clean, clear, bright space is a sure-fire way to ensure that they can use it as a blank canvas.