Five Fabulous Home Fixes for a Fabulous First Impression
Five fabulous home fixes for an unforgettable first impression. Ready to put your house on the market? As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression! With so many options for buyers, making a great first impression is crucial to putting your property on the top of any buyers list! You can do a few simple things to ensure your house makes a fabulous first impression!
1. Spruce up your entrance
The entrance to your home is the very first impression for buyers. Adding a pot of flowers to your stoop, hanging a flag, and colorful throw pillows to rocking chairs or a porch swing all help to give your entrance a warm, welcoming feel. Small touches like repairing broken spindles on a porch or adding a fresh coat of paint to porch rails are easy, inexpensive ways to show your home is well-maintained and welcoming. If your home has a concrete porch or walkway, have it power washed and consider adding a bright welcome mat or porch rug. Ensure you sweep the walk and the porch for a clean, well-maintained impression. These small touches add warmth and welcome to your entrance.
2. Keep it Fresh
Opening the front door to the scent of a freshly cleaned home brings a smile to anyone’s face! Don’t just clean the day you list your home. Make sure you are doing a quick clean before each home showing. Simple cleaning like wiping counters in the kitchen and bathrooms, doing a quick swish of the toilets with cleaner, and then letting the cleaner sit in the bowl gives a fresh, clean smell! You don’t want to overwhelm potential buyers with strong odors, but a wax warmer and vacuumed carpets are pleasant, clean smells. Want to create a homey vibe? Bake some cookies for potential buyers and let the scent waft through the kitchen when they arrive!
3. Less is More
Clutter is part of everyday life, but putting your house on the market is the perfect time to declutter! Throw out that pile of old magazines, organize your bookshelves, reduce the number of decorative knick-knacks and collections you have on display, and sort and throw out the pile of mail on the counter. Have a home office? Take the time to declutter any stacks of papers, files, and other clutter. It would be best to strip counters of everything but the essential items. You may use your Instant Pot or curling iron daily, but tuck them away for showings so that your perfect counter space shows, not your day-to-day clutter.
4. See Your Home Through a Buyer’s Eyes
Making your home feel personal is one of the joys of owning a home! But when selling a home, you want potential buyers to visualize themselves and their belongings in the space. So remove family photographs and personal items. The key is to have enough furniture so potential buyers can get an idea of how someone might arrange the room, but you don’t want it so full of your items that they can’t visualize their furniture and decor in the area. Make sure to have lightbulbs with soft lighting and utilize lamps to give your home a warm, cozy ambiance.
5. Tidy up Tucked Away Spaces
Your linen closets, pantry, mudrooms, and laundry rooms may not be the first areas you think about sprucing up when you list your home, but these are all places that potential buyers will be checking out when they view your home. Plastic baskets and storage containers are inexpensive to give these tucked-away spaces a neat, organized look. Utilize storage carts and shelving to keep things off the floor. Clean out a junk drawer or shelf while chatting on the floor, and use an expensive drawer divider or basket to straighten up the space. Over-the-door shoe hangers are a great, inexpensive way to organize cleaning supplies and other things in a utility closet!
Giving potential buyers a fabulous first impression of your home doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. Focusing on a few easy strategies can make the difference between an unforgettable first impression that will move your home to the top of the list and ensure potential buyers will not miss your home’s potential.
At Lewis Realty, we pride ourselves on being neighbors you know and professionals you can trust. So contact Lewis Realty today to find your New Home here or call us at (843) 921-2002, and don’t forget our agent roster.
