A good first impression

Most buyers look for a home that is well cared for, bright, clean, and spiffy. For a quicker sale make sure your home is exciting!

These are some things that you can do to give your property the best advantage.

The basics

Lawns and yard: Remove clutter, cut grass, trim hedges, and weed gardens.
Front of house: Paint, fix, or wash railings, steps, storm windows, screens, and/or front door.
Other exterior: Paint or wash side and back doors, gutters, windows.
Snow removal (when applicable): Walks, driveway, and porches.
Garage: Straighten up, paint, fix, or wash doors and windows.
Basement: All items stored neat for spacious appearance, paint floor if necessary.
Plumbing: Repair dripping faucets, leaky toilets.
Heating/cooling: Clean exterior of unit.
Lights: Replace all burnt out bulbs, faulty switches.
Halls and stairs: Remove any clutter to give a wide appearance.
Hardware: Oil hinges, tighten door knobs, adjust bifold doors.
General condition: Dust, wash, paint, fix defects, as required.
Space: Store unneeded items to "enlarge" a room size.
Carpets: Remove all spots, steam clean.

Kitchen: The stove, fridge, and sink should be spotless. All work spaces should be clear.
Bathrooms: Neat, spotless, and fresh. Repair broken or stained caulking around the tub, toilet, and sink.
Closets: Untidy or over-crowded closets suggest inadequate storage space.

	Children, pets, and visitors can keep buyers from feeling at ease while they look through a home. Please keep pets outside while showing. If you are at home during the showing, please keep noise to a minimum and let Cyndi show the buyer through the home.
	Tell her which rooms benefit from sunshine or cooling breezes.
	Share with her what you like about the house, the yard, and the location.
	Turn on all the lights for the entire showing.
	Open drapes in the daytime and close them at night.
	Strong cooking and smoking odours can ruin a showing. Make sure your home is fresh and clean.