2. De-clutter, De-personalize & CLEAN- Never underestimate the appeal of a tidy property. Buyers can quickly be turned off homes simply because they are a mess. Dust and clean thoroughly from the top to the bottom of the house – including the windows. Keep sinks spotless and trash
cans emptied. Remove all the clutter from your home, from refrigerator magnets to children’s toys. Buyers should be looking at your property and not your possessions. Remove personal items, such as children's drawings, pet toys and sports equipment, which may distract potential buyers. You’re going to be packing it anyway, so do it now.

3. Stage It – Home Staging has become an industry for a good reason. It adds appeal and helps a home sell. Your home tem-porarily needs to look more like a magazine layout than the place you normally live. Presentation needs to take precedence over convenience. Add a few nice extras for special showings like fruit or cookies on your dining room table, or set your outdoor patio with candles and a pitcher of lemonade.

4. Make it Smell – There's a reason why it's called "home sweet home." Scent plays an
important role in creating the right im-pression. Nothing drives potential buyers away like unpleasant odors – whether from animals, smoking, cooking....seduce them with the aroma of freshly baked cookies, bread or grind coffee beans just before the arrival of a potential buyer. Or simply greet them with the smell of a freshly cleaned and aired room. Choose cleaning products with natural scents rather than harsh chemical smells.

5. Update the kitchen - Today, people like big kitchens with a lot of workspace. They look for newer appliances, solid surface counters, high-quality flooring and cabinetry that is in good condition. The most im-portant thing to buyers about the kitchen is that it appears spacious. If the kitchen counter is full of appliances, leave out only one or two and put the rest in storage.

Consider giving your kitchen a facelift if it is old and dated. To increase your home’s value, stick to natural colors, classic styling, good quality appliances and functionality. When upgrading, remember the more state-of-the-art the kitchen is, the more buyers tend to think of it as being fully remodeled.  But don't always expect to get back all of your money.  If you’re remodeling just to sell, keep in line with the character of your neighborhood and the rest of your home. Don’t go overboard with fancy finishing materials, sophisticated equipment and really high-end countertops, sinks, back splashes and floors. How much of your improvements you recoup will depend on how much the rest of you home is worth and whether you simple spruce up with things like paint and new knobs or completely overhaul the kitchen with granite and new appliances.

6. Make it Light - In today’s market, no one wants a dark home. People buy light, airy and a spacious feel. One of the best ways to increase home value and enhance appeal is to put a fresh coat of paint on tired the walls: Your home will look clean, fresh and new. Research shows that despite recent trends in interior decorating, most buyers prefer natural,earthy colors rather than bright, bold shades. Stick with neutral colors like white, beige and cream. To keep rooms from looking too bland, use strong colors for cushions and accessories.

7. Closets, Cabinets & Storage- Space is important and you want to show that your home has extra.  If your homes doesn’t have extra room for all of your stuff then buyers will imagine that it doesn’t have room for their stuff. Nothing beats plenty of closets, an oversized garage and some attic space.  Add value by getting rid of anything that takes up that precious space. Extra storage areas for those things we all have - bicycles, lawn mower, etc. - is an added feature.

8. Remodel within Reason - Here is where you really need the professional guidance of a Realtor – like me.  Home improve-ments are a great way to add value, but don’t get carried away. As with any investment, you need to think about return. Thousands of dollars spent to improve a home that is in good condition, seldom
adds thousands of dollars to its sales price. On the other hand, if your house is in poor condition, improvements can increase the sales price. Don't spend a lot of money to sell a house unless it is in such poor condition that it won’t sell without improve-ments. Also, substandard ‘improvements’ can actually reduce the value of your home. And just because you like it, doesn't mean a buyer will pay extra for it.

Call me today and let me help you get TOP DOLLAR for your home.

Send me an e-mail beth@bethsatow.com or give me a call and we will set-up a time to meet. 

I look forward to working with you!  I love working with first time homebuyers too!!!

Towns that I Service:

Waterville, Winslow, Sidney, Vassalboro, Benton, Albion, Norridgewock, Oakland,
China, South China, Clinton, Canaan, Fairfield, Belgrade, Belgade Lakes, Rome, Skowhegan, Augusta.