Preparing your home for viewings is essential for a positive sales experience. How your house shows on the inside and out will influence the selling price and impact the length of time it stays on the market. Here are some helpful hints to prepare your home for a successful sale.

First impressions are lasting impressions. If you are selling your home in the spring, summer or fall ensure that the property is well maintained. The grounds should be cleared of leaves, the grass cut regularly and the weeds pulled from walkways. Flowers in the garden bed or decorative urns at the doorway go a long way towards attracting people into your home. If you are selling your house in the winter months, ensure that all walkways, stairs and driveways are properly cleared of snow and ice. If you have a dog, make sure to pick up after it so that potential buyers can walk the yard safely.

Let the sun shine in! Clean your windows on both sides prior to listing your property. Once they are sparkling, open the blinds and let us see the light in your house. Always be sure to leave the lights on. Buyers will be able to see the brightness of the room when they enter and fully appreciate the space.

Painting touch ups inside and out are a must. Trim on the outside of the house should be well maintained as it can mean the difference between a drive by and an actual showing of your property. Stains, wear and tear, and harsh colors can be a deterrent on the inside. Neutral colours work best with today’s buyers, and there are many reasonable painters that can touch up a home prior to selling. This will have a huge impact on how shoppers feel about your home.

Start packing. Most buyers have difficulty seeing through clutter, so pick up a few boxes and get a head start on your move. As you go through each room, be sure to keep them clean and simple. Display a few decorative pieces on mantles, tables and in cabinets – box the rest!

A breath of fresh air. Avoid burning incense, candles or using air freshening devices. Buyers will wonder what you are covering up or may be offended by the intense smell and move too quickly through your home to properly appreciate it. If you want your house to smell nicely, try baking muffins or opening windows to let the air in. Always avoid cooking strong smelling food on days when you will be showing your house.

Carpet cleaning. Carpets should be steam cleaned if they have obvious stains or dirt. A good machine will get most of the dirt out and make the carpet show better.

Furniture overload. Take an objective look at your space and the furniture in it. Is there too much furniture to properly appreciate the size of the rooms? Walking room by room and paring down what you have will have a huge impact on how buyers see your home. If you won’t be taking all of your furniture with you, have a garage sale before your house goes on the market.

Toys Toys Toys. Now, is a good time to give away some toys that are no longer used. Most hospitals will gladly take donations any time of year. If you don’t want to give them away then store them elsewhere. Most families have accumulated toys over the years and buyers find it hard to envision a recreation room when it is overrun with toys, organized or not.

The suggestions put forth in this article are intended to help maximize your sale. With proper planning, they are easy to implement and are cost efficient. Your real estate agent can provide you with the right contacts to help in all aspects of the preparation process.

Remember, purchasing a house is an emotional event. As a seller you want buyers to experience emotion every visit through your home.