In this buyer’s market, it is imperative that your home stand out above the rest if you want to get it SOLD. Buyers hold the cards right now and the competition for them is tremendous. Here is a step-by-step analysis and some easy ideas for putting your home’s best face forward…

First, stand outside your front door and study how it looks. Does the trim need painting? Do you see rotten wood? How about your door and sidelight hardware? Door mat worn and tired? Sidewalk broken or covered with weeds and overgrown landscape?

This is the first impression buyers will have of your home and can set the tone for their visit. Most of us enter our own homes through the garage and never look at the front entry. While they are standing on your doorstep waiting for you to come to the door or the agent to open the lockbox, they are getting their first impression of your home – make it a good one:

• Replace any rotten wood and repaint trim and door for a fresh look.
• Replace door hardware and sidelights, possibly adding a new kick plate.
• Invest in a nice welcome mat.
• Replace worn out insulation around the door and save on energy bills to boot.
• If there is room on the porch, add some seasonal plants in nice planters/pots on either side-make sure they are large enough to make a statement and be seen from a distance but not large enough to make the space cramped

Second, go through your closets, attic, basement, garage and storage areas and organize by the following categories:

• Thinks to keep
• Things to box up
• Things to give away/donate
• Things to throw away

It’s always easier if you have labeled boxes for each of these nearby when you start, as this will prevent your putting them back to “remove later”. Although this seems like a large chore, it will only simplify your move later. You’ll probably also find a bunch of things you’ve been looking for for years! The best reason to do this is that it gives buyers a feeling of spaciousness and storage for their things. Nothing worse than seeing a linen closet stuffed to the max to make you feel cramped for storage or a garage that has no room for cars!

Third, How about your yard and landscape? Is it attractive from the street? Are the plants overgrown and covering the windows / doors? Replacing or trimming back overgrown shrubs is a great way to update the outside appearance of your home. And there is no better time to plant and fertilize than fall! Make sure that the areas around the base of your home slant AWAY from your home’s foundation. Replanting is a good time to do this. Also be careful not to put the dirt too high where it is in contact with the wood or stucco on your home. This is an easy entrance for insects and termites. With our recent floods, this is a good time to take care to prevent water in your home’s foundation/basement. The single largest problem with water is getting it away from the house to begin with. Clean gutters and install French drains and gutter extensions as necessary.

Consider how you use your yard or how a potential buyer might. Fire pits are a great addition if you have room and a suitable location and buyers love them. Make sure it’s not under a tree or overhang of the house, as it will smoke and spark. Put sand, then gravel in the center of large boulders/stones (as well as outside the area to prevent catching leaves/lawn on fire), gather some weatherproof chairs around and bring on the cool fall evenings for instant charm. Keep it loaded for a fire and a bucket of sand nearby to put it out.

This should keep you busy this week. Check back next week for part two of Home Sweet SOLD!