If you’re thinking about selling your home in this buyers market in Northern Virginia, you’re going to have to go the extra mile to make it stand out. Maybe you’re the next Martha Stewart when it comes to interior design or maybe your home consists of a couch, tv, kitchen table, and a bed on the floor. For those that don’t have the interior decorating skills or want to remodel, here are some tricks to staging your home no matter what your budget may be.

Here are the tips and tricks to make your place shine:

1. First impressions are always the most important
Buyers decide in the first eight seconds whether or not they want to buy your home.

• Paint the front door and trim
• Add potted flowers (they bring a smile to your face
• Get the grass looking like Fenway Park with fertilizer
• Spread some fresh mulch around the bushes
• No one like a broken doorbell

2. Let there be light!
After location, light is the second most quoted reason why a buyer chooses the house.

• Clean all the windows
• Replace drapery with sheer curtains or white shades
• Replace lamp shades with sheer white shades
• Replace light bulbs with higher wattage(”natural” light bulbs)
• Trim back shrubs that block window light
• Put up lights in each corner of the major rooms

3. Remove clutter
People can’t visualize themselves living there when they can’t see past your clutter.

• Remove personal objects like family photos and children’s artwork
• Make sure the closet floors are clear
• Put as much unneeded stuff into storage
• Hide all electric cords and wiring
• Make sure your plants are healthy
• Put fresh sheets on beds with four extra pillows

4. Send Mittens and Sparky to Grandma’s House
People buy with their eyes and their noses.

• Remove kitty litter, dog beds and other smelly pet items
• Light some candles or put up air fresheners
• Smoke outside; remove ashtrays
• Open all windows an hour before the buyer arrives
• Keep the trash can clean

5. Freshen the kitchen
The kitchen is everyone’s favorite room in the house.

• Clear all countertops.
• Re-grout the tile.
• Update kitchen knobs.
• Paint or replace cabinet fronts.
• Put in a window; it can increase the value of your home by 10 percent.

6. Clean the bathroom
No one wants to move into your bathroom.

• Scrub the walls and floors.
• Clear off all shelves and put away personal items.
• Re-grout tiles and replace caulking.
• Hang a new shower curtain.
• Buy fresh hand towels and rug.
• Replace old soap.

7. Add color
Touches of yellow and other warm colors say ‘welcome home.’

• Buy new throw pillows for the sofa and bed.
• Using neutral colors lets buyers us their imagination

8. Don’t empty out the house
An empty house makes the seller look desperate. Buyers generally don’t pay full price for an empty house. In addition empty rooms look smaller.

• Rent or borrow furniture if you need to in order to make the home look lived in and give the buyer a sense of space.

I know some of these tips seem like they’re impossible to do. You’re probably thinking you won’t have time to do any of these things. You can also prevent from having to do any of this by preserving your home. However, you have to think of selling your home as an investment. Just by putting in some extra elbow grease, your home will stand out above the rest of the crowd. Make it look like you took care of your home, even if it was a last minute fix up. Buyers will appreciate how clean and fresh your home is.

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