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What kind of tips do you recommend to make a home look more attractive to buyers?

When it comes to “staging,” that is, making a conscious effort to make your home more appealing to buyers, the old expression “less is more” definitely applies. Buyers are interested in buying your home, not your possessions or how you maintain it; you want them to be attracted to the home, not distracted by all your personal property or how you choose to live, i.e., how well-kept your home is or how clean it is. Clutter eats equity and I suggest you start by taking a lot of your clutter and renting a storage locker. Also, consider repainting your home’s interior with a neutral color; just as artists like to work with a blank canvas, that’s how buyers will look at your home. They’ll want to decorate it in a way that’s an extension of their personality and tastes, not yours. Don’t get cute or creative; wacky ideas from “Trading Spaces” generally tend to backfire and hurt a home’s appeal rather than helping it. The more a buyer feels they have to change, the less they’ll like your home or the less they’ll offer, citing redecorating as a “hardship” that they’ll be able to justify by paying less. Also, get your carpets professionally cleaned. And don’t forget your exterior – first impressions matter and a home’s first impression always starts with its curb appeal. Obviously, there are countless things you can do, but every home presents unique challenges. Take the blinders off and try to look at your home objectively. Be sure to ask your agent for their fair and unbiased input and to provide you with some good housekeeping tips before you put your home on the market. Send me an email at kevin@nextgenerationrealty.com with your name and home mailing address and I’ll mail you a complementary list of staging tips to help you make your home more attractive to prospective buyers.

- Kevin Huerkamp