You are ready to put your home for sale on the market. This is not an easy task and can be quite challenging and requires a focused effort on the sellers’ part. Of course, this is only important if you want to get the highest price possible for your home.

Statistics have shown that 80% of homes purchases are bought out of emotion. With that being said, we want to entertain the excitement of the buyer. This can be done with little or no money and just requires some energy on your part.

The first thing you want to do is put on a “buyer hat”, go outside and walk up to your home. How do you feel? Are you excited? Do you like what you see? What could you do to entice the emotions of the buyer? In almost every facet of business we have heard the term “First impressions count”. This is also true in real estate. Another popular saying is “Does the home have curb appeal”? Both the inside and the outside of the home should have “curb appeal”.

First impressions count. Oh, does it ever. Be attentive to the outside of your home. This is the very first thing a potential buyer sees when they arrive at your home. Mow the lawn, keep the shrubs and trees trimmed and sweep the sidewalks. Be sure your outside entryway isn’t engulfed with spider webs. If you have a hardwood front door, is it weather beaten? Put a coat of stain or some sort of protection on it. These small tasks will make a great “first impression” and excite the buyer in wanting to see the inside of the home.

When the buyer opens the front door what is the first thing they see? Don’t have a large piece of furniture too close to the entry. You do not want the buyer’s eyes to focus on one particular piece of furniture that will take away their line of sight from the living room or family room, which is usually directly in view once you enter the home.

You don’t have to have exquisite pieces of furniture to make a room look inviting. Move the furniture around so the appearance of the room seems larger than it is and feels good to the buyer. We actually call this “staging” a home and it can play a huge part on the buyer’s emotions.

Pay the most attention to your kitchen and bathrooms. They should look like “Mr. Clean” was just there. Take knick-knacks off the counters to show off all the counter space. Clean that self-cleaning oven. Do you think the buyer will not look in the oven? Be sure the dishes are in the dishwasher and not the sink. Make sure the floors, toilets, bathtubs are sparkling. Buyers will always feel more comfortable with the rest of the home if these areas are spick’n'span.

These are very simple and inexpensive steps. You will be amazed how much faster your home will sell and how much more money you will receive when you go to the closing table.