36. Hire a Photographer
Many buyers begin their search online or by looking at pictures that real estate agents have sent to them via email. If you want your home to be one of the first that a buyer sees, you may want to consider hiring a professional photographer to take shots of the outside of the house and the best rooms inside the house.

37. Have Several Open Houses
Open houses are a traditional and effective way to sell a home. By staging an open house or two, you can get a whole group of buyers and buyer’s agents in on one day. Having several different people looking at the house at one time could bring in multiple offers and a higher selling price.

38. Leave the House During a Showing
Unless it is unavoidable, you should not be present during a showing. Potential buyers may feel like they are intruding if you are home, and as a result, may not get a proper look at the place. If you are present during a showing, do your best to stay quiet and out of the way.

39. Be Prepared for Unexpected Requests
More and more frequently, buyers are requesting that specific items or perks be included in a sale. Often times, willingness to satisfy these requests can make or break a sale. It may be a good idea to decide in advance what you will and won’t be willing to sell or offer with the house.

40. Sell the Home with a Warranty
Home warranties can be purchased by sellers for minimal fees.

Selling your home with a one year warranty can make your home very attractive to buyers, especially if you have older appliances or an outdated heating system. And because this warranty can be purchased at closing, you aren’t out any money if the home doesn’t sell immediately.

31. Keep the Temperature Comfortable
Whether it is the cold of winter or the heat of summer creeping in, you will want to combat the elements and keep the temperature comfortable when potential buyers come calling. If it is too hot or too cold, the buyer may think that there is something wrong with the home’s heating or cooling system. An uncomfortable temperature can also make them worry that the house itself is too drafty or not well-ventilated.

32. Give Your House Curb Appeal
The term “curb appeal” refers to the first impression buyers get when seeing your home for the first time. A well mowed lawn, a clean and tidy area by the front door, a nice walkway, and good lighting are all ways to give your home the curb appeal it needs to make a good impression.

33. Look for Hidden Selling Points
Your home may have special selling points that you have never considered. To give your real estate agent extra ammunition for potential buyers, try to look for hidden selling points that only you know about. For example, if your home is energy efficient and requires only a minimal amount of money each month to pay for utilities, it would be a great selling point that the agent may not think to mention.

34. Consider Hiring a Professional Stager
When it comes to making a sale, buyer impression is everything.

If you don’t have the time or the skills needed to properly stage your home for a showing, you may want to consider hiring a professional stager to do it for you. These real estate experts know what buyers want to see, and more importantly, what buyers don’t want to see.

35. Hire an Organizer
If you don’t want to hire a professional stager, but need a little help in the organization department, you can hire a professional organizer to prepare your home. An organizer will be able to put things away properly and showcase your storage space. They will also be able to do something about the clutter that tends to turn homebuyers away in droves.

26. Knock Down a Wall or Two
An open floor plan is a highly coveted feature among homebuyers. If your home does not currently have an open floor plan, you may want to consider knocking down a wall or two. Good choices include walls between kitchens and dining rooms, family rooms, or living rooms. By removing walls and creating open spaces, you could increase your selling price by as much as $10,000 to $20,000.

27. Add Style to Small Spaces
Small rooms aren’t normally attractive to homebuyers. If you aren’t able to change the floor plan, you can make buyers forget how small a space is by distracting them with style. By making rooms with limited space appear stylish, cozy, or even cute, you can eliminate terms like small and cramped from a buyer’s mind and increase your chance of a higher offer.

28. Spruce Up Extensions of the House
Porches, patios, decks, balconies, tool sheds, and garages are all extensions of the house. These areas should also be as clean and uncluttered as possible. Sprucing up could involve hiding unattractive and smelly trashcans, organizing items like lawnmowers and yard tools to give the impression of spaciousness, and emphasizing areas with lawn furniture, lighting, and tasteful accents.

29. Add Landscaping
To make a dynamite impression, your yard should be as nice as or nicer than your neighbors’. If necessary, add inexpensive bushes or flowers to your landscaping design. If your grass looks unhealthy, lay sod or reseed quickly.

The nicer your yard looks, the more impressed buyers will be.

30. Light a Fire in the Fireplace
Fireplaces are nice selling features and should be showcased every time a potential buyer will be looking at the home. Before the buyer enters, arrange items on the mantel and around the fireplace itself. Then light a nice, cheery fire that will burn for several hours. Although this might seem like a small and insignificant touch, it will provide the type of ambience that makes a buyer fall in love with a house.

21. Make Your Home Odor Free
When a buyer enters your home, every major sense will come into play. If you have pets, smoke, or cook odorous foods frequently, you will want to take steps to remove any and all odors before a buyer enters. This may mean cleaning or freshening carpets and drapery or deodorizing the kitchen with an exhaust fan and an open box of baking soda. If necessary, you can also use candles or wax burners to infuse good, homey smells into an area.

22. Make it Light and Bright
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of interior decorating. Unfortunately, it is often one of the most overlooked aspects of home selling. If you want buyers to notice the finer details in your home, you will need to make sure each room is light and bright. If you can’t get enough natural light from the windows, consider adding recessed lights, scones, antique table lamps, and other attractive sources of artificial light.

23. Clean the Carpet
If you have carpet with a stain or two, you need to rent a carpet cleaner or have the carpet cleaned by a professional. By cleaning the carpet, you can significantly improve the look of a room and let the buyer concentrate on something besides the fact that they will have to clean or replace the carpet themselves before moving in.

24. Arrange Furniture for Optimal Effect
Although you may like having your recliner situated right in front of the television, it may not provide the best look for the room. You should always arrange furniture for optimal effect. You want the rooms to look spacious and open. You also w

ant to be able to create a smooth traffic flow within a room and from room to room.

25. Install Closet Organizers
Today’s buyers want walk-in closets and storage space. Pre-built closet organizers are an especially hot selling feature and a small investment that will make you money ten times over. The most popular places for organizers include bedroom closets, kitchen pantries, laundry rooms, and mudrooms.

16. Replace Leaking Fixtures and Pipes
Buyers will be instantly turned off by faucets that leak and pipes that drip. By updating fixtures and pipes, and repairing any damage that may have been caused, you give the buyer one less thing to complain about and one more reason to buy the house.

17. Consider Remodeling
A newly remodeled kitchen or bath could add thousands to the value of your home. In many cases, homeowners who perform a smart remodel can make their money back times three. If you can afford to do it and have the time, you may want to consider remodeling to boost the amount of money you get from your home’s sale.

18. Clean Thoroughly
If you are trying to sell your home for top dollar, everything needs to shine. Before showing the house, take time to clean everything from the bathrooms and living spaces to windows and appliances. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, hire someone to come in for an overhaul and then once a week to freshen things up.

19. Remove the Clutter
The number one rule of home selling is to remove any and all clutter. Stacked books, kid’s toys, and everything else that does not compliment the style of a room needs to be packed away, removed, or hidden from view. If necessary, rent a storage unit. The less clutter you have out, the easier it will be for the buyer to look at the actual item they are buying: the house.

20. Remove Personal Items
Buyers want to see a home they are viewing as their home. They may have a hard time doing this if you have too many personal items, such as pictures, trophies, collectibles, and signs around the house indicating that it is your home. It may be difficult to de-personalize your home, especially if you are still living there, but it is a necessary step to optimize selling potential.