Unless you’re some kind of weirdo, then your goal when selling your home is most likely to get it sold as quickly as possible for the highest price you can.

Your agent will be instrumental in this process, but there are a handful of things you can do immediately to boost the appeal of your home right out of the gate. Keep in mind that you don’t have to spend a ton of money in these areas, but focusing on them first will help you get the biggest bang for your buck. There are four areas we recommend directing your efforts; let’s go through them in turn…

Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything. Your home’s exterior, landscaping, and general curb appeal are going to create a first impression that may seal or break the deal. I have talked to people who rolled up on a property and didn’t even get out of the car to look inside because it was so bad on the outside.

Again, this doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get into presentable shape. Plants, flowers, and bark for the flower beds are really inexpensive and look great.

Make sure your lawn is fertilized, green, and trimmed. Power wash the exterior of your home if needed. Touch up the paint on the trim or trouble areas. Clean out the gutters. Wash your windows (inside and out). Paint or touch up your fence (if any) and wash off the driveway and sidewalks.

All these little details are seemingly insignificant when viewed individually, but make a huge difference when taken together.

The only goal of dressing up your curb appeal is to get your prospective buyer to get out and come inside. So, put your best foot forward.

Kitchen

As our homes become larger, we are tending to spend more time there as a general rule. Media rooms, man caves, she-sheds, and entertainment are all on the rise.

Surprisingly, however, is even with all this extra space, we are still spending the majority of our time in the kitchen. Check out the image below that I stole from https://legallysociable.com/2018/06/03/americans-can-spend-a-majority-of-their-time-in-a-few-spaces-in-their-home-and-still-want-large-homes/

You can see the cluster of time spent in the kitchen is the greatest. So, it makes sense, as a seller, to focus your interior efforts there first.

Giving it a good, deep clean may be all you need to spruce it up a bit. Replacing outdated fixtures or painting your cabinets may be a good, inexpensive option.

Replacing the appliances with new, modern ones is relatively inexpensive in the scheme of things. Painting the walls or doing wallpaper might help. Just remember that the people coming to look at your home will need to envision themselves “living” in that kitchen. Do what you can to paint a pretty picture in their mind.

Living Areas

The second most populous area of the home is the living or entertaining area. This is where the big screen TV is and where people go to decompress after a hard day’s work. It should be comfortable and homey. Again, you are trying to tell a story in the prospective buyer’s mind here. Help him or her envision this space as their own.

Give the carpeting a good, professional clean. Or, in the case of hardwoods, a good waxing and sheen. Paint or touch up the walls and baseboards. Make sure the ceiling is cleaned (I know, that sounds weird, but trust me, it makes a HUGE difference).

Does the wiring or electrical need to be updated? Is it easy to hook up their cable or satellite? Think about how this room is used and tailor your efforts to that functionality.

Bathrooms

Lastly, let’s talk about bathrooms, particularly the master bathroom. This is a place that is easy to make shine and can make a big impression for very little money.

It is essentially like what you would do in the kitchen, without the appliances head ache, and can be super inexpensive.

As always, start with a deep clean, do some paint touch up, make sure the mirrors are given priority, and consider replacing any outdated hardware on sinks, cabinets, and doors.

If you really want to go big, then consider upgrading the tub and toilet (to a bidet maybe!) and think about getting an upgraded closet install. This is where things can get a bit pricey, but they do make a great impression and can help push that buyer over the edge.

One quick note about bathrooms…if you have carpet in your bathroom seriously consider replacing it with tile or vinyl. Carpet in the bathroom is such an impractical thing. It gets wet and then can get moldy, and it is just not functional at all.

Ok, that is our quick and dirty guide to making a BIG impression without breaking the bank. Make sure you get on the same page with your Realtor about what you want to fix up and/or replace and get their expert opinion on what will give you the biggest bang for your buck.