Hi, this is Katherine from The Nedder Group in Greenwich, Connecticut. I wanted a little bit today about how best to present your house for sale. 

I get this question all the time. Katherine, how do I make my house sing? How do I present it in its best light for a buyer who's coming in and taking a look at it to purchase. I have a few tips on my list and I’m happy to share them. 

Declutter and Clean

Keep it nice and simple, keep it clean. It’s definitely important to have your house sparkling. Go through, clean all the mirrors, anything glass, all the doors, all the windows. Wash down the light switches, the door handles, things you may not have thought about for a while. Make sure it’s all sparkling clean. Get rid of the dust bunnies  

Go through your house room by room, and take out all those small accessories and personal items. Pay attention to things you may have collected over time. Gather family photographs and personal portraits and put them in a box. Personal belongings should be out of the way. You should imagine that the buyer is coming into your house and wanting to think of themselves, living there. Keep it nice and simple, keep it clean. It’s definitely important to have your house sparkling. Go through, clean all the mirrors, anything glass, all the doors, all the windows. Wash down the light switches, the door handles, things you may not have thought about for a while. Make sure it’s all sparkling clean. Get rid of the dust bunnies 

Let in Natural Light 

Open all your blinds, shades, curtains, all the way. Let the natural light in! Natural light makes everything seem light and bright. That's what we want to see when we are going into a home for the first time. 

Paint Neutral Colors 

Sometimes your home may have a bright paint color on the wall. If you can, paint over those bright colors with a natural color. This will add even more light, and make the room feel more spacious. If you can't paint the walls, just do the door frames or the trim, whatever you can do to give it a new, fresh, clean look. 

Organize Shelving 

Buyers are going to open every door, and every cabinet. They'll go into your pantry. So straighten up everything. Go into your closets, your bedroom, or your guest bedrooms. Take anything that you don't need and give it away. You can donate it to charity or put it away in a box somewhere else. Just be certain that there's space in the closet. Any open shelving will create the feeling of space. 

People are always looking for extra storage when they're looking to purchase a house. So don't forget to do that. 

Make Any Repairs 

Make any repairs you have put off in the house. Identify what the needed repairs are, make a list, any small things. If you can tackle them yourself, great, or have somebody come and fix them. Just do as much as you possibly can. 

Clean for Curb Appeal 

Take a look around the outside of your house. Curb appeal is very important to the buyer’s first impression. When an agent opens the front door of a house, they have to open a lock box. Sometimes it takes a few minutes. The buyer is standing there and they're looking around. They're going to see everything while they're waiting. So sweep away the leaves, sweep your porch, your driveway, walkway, and any cobwebs around light fixtures around the front door. Just use a brush and get rid of them. 

Next time I'm gonna talk more about styling, aesthetics and things you can do with furniture in your house to make it more appealing. 

I will talk to you soon.

Catherine Aaron