Cays, Village, Shores Homes and Condos for Sale

1. Take a Tour of Your Home. Pretend that you've never seen the house before, and give it a critical look. Examine the exterior, walk through the interior, and smell for odors. You may ask a trusted friend to join you on your walk-through, helping you see things that you've learned to ignore. As you tour your home, make note of home improvements to help you sell and create a list of open house ideas.

2. De-Clutter in Every Room. To make rooms feel more spacious, remove excess and oversized furniture. You may also consider rearranging your remaining furniture to visually expand certain rooms. If your shelves are filled, remove some of the books, movies, and knickknacks to visually "open up" these areas. For the money, getting rid of clutter is one of the best home improvements to help you sell. Why? Because it's free! Throw out stacks of newspapers or magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items and out-of-season clothing in storage containers. Clean out and organize your closets, garage, cabinets, and pantry to make your home feel more accommodating.

3. De-Personalize Your Home. Unique things that make your place more "you" may actually distract potential buyers from envisioning their own personal touches. Remove or hide away items like family photographs, personal mementos and knicknacks, refrigerator magnets, and personal care items (like toothbrushes and medications) so potential buyers can imagine your space as their new home.

4. Let in (or Plug in) More Light. The lighter and brighter your home is when you hold your open house, the larger and more inviting it will seem to potential buyers. Here are some open house ideas for introducing more light: Wash your windows and screens to let more light into your home's interior. Put higher wattage incandescent bulbs in all your light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially in basements and other dark rooms. Be sure that all lights are turned on and all curtains are pulled open when you hold your open house.

5. Get Rid of Odors. To get rid of any offensive odors, you should steam clean your carpeting and drapes. This will go a long way towards eliminating cooking odors, smoke residue, and pet smells. After you've steam cleaned, keep your home smelling great by changing your bed linens and towels regularly, asking smokers to smoke outside, keeping pets outside as much as possible, sifting the kitty litter box daily, and keeping your windows open as much as possible. On the day of your open house, a scented candle is a nice touch.

A note about pets: On the day of your open house, ideally, you'll be able to relocate your pets. Not only will pets under foot quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing, but your pets will be safer-and probably less stressed-if they aren't in the home during the open house. If you can't take your pets to a friend's house or kennel, at least put them outside for the day.

6. Keep Everything Extra Clean. Take the time to clean every square inch of your house before holding your open house. "Clean, clean, clean" is one of the best showing tips for selling a home. Don't forget to look in places you might otherwise ignore: Fingerprints on light switch plates, dust on baseboards, film on shower doors, mildew on bathtub caulk, smudges or smears on kitchen cabinets, dryer lint residue on the washer and dryer. A house that is extra clean makes a powerful first impression and convinces buyers that the owners have taken good care of the home.

7. Expose Desirable Features. If you have beautiful hardwood floors, remove area rugs and show them off. If you have custom or oversized windows, replace heavy drapes with lighter ones that highlight this feature. If you have a pleasing view out a certain window, pull back the drapes to showcase the landscape. If you have a large walk-in attic, put a sign on the door letting potential buyers know to peek inside. If your deck is perfect for entertaining, help buyers envision family and friends enjoying the back yard together by "staging" the deck with potted plants, furniture, and a patio umbrella.

8. Give Extra Attention to Kitchen and Baths. Kitchens and baths are two of the most important rooms in the minds of potential buyers. You want to do all you can to make these rooms appealing for your open house. Here are some open house tips: Clear the countertops, leaving only a decorative item or plant. Make sure cabinets, appliances, and fixtures are sparkling clean. Expect that potential buyers will open cupboards, cabinets, and drawers, so clean and organize these areas. Mop and wax/polish the floors for a fresh, clean appearance.

9. Neutralize the Colors in Your Home. You may like bold, vivid colors but they could be offputting to potential buyers. As you change the colors in your home, remember that this is a home improvement intended to help you sell-not to please your own aesthetic sensibilities. Go with neutral colors-like linen, cream, or beige-in common rooms and bedrooms. You can safely add a splash of color in bathrooms with pale blues and cooling greens for a calming, spa-like effect.

10. Clean and Beautify the Exterior. To boost curb appeal, one open house tip is to give your home's exterior some extra attention. Clean your gutters, power wash your home's siding/windows, and make any necessary home improvements to help you sell. Give your home's entrance a little facelift by sweeping the walkway, putting out a new doormat, and placing some pots of flowering annuals by the door. As for the yard, make sure you remove any dead brush and overgrown plants. Weed the flower beds, trim the shrubs, freshen up the mulch, mow the lawn, and edge the sidewalks. A touch of paint on the mailbox and porch handrails can also add a fresh touch.

By following these tips for selling your home and hosting a successful open house, your hard work is sure to be noticed. Remember, it pays to do the work for your buyers, helping them envision your home as their own. You may even increase the offers on your home by thousands of dollars and sell your home more quickly!