Neatness sells. It is the basic details that make your property look fresh and sharp. Make sure that your home’s exterior is bright and clean. Rick started by power washing the exterior to remove built up dirt and grime. Power washing is a quick and easy way to brighten up your home’s exterior to make it look new again. If the paint and siding are in good condition, power washing is also a cheap way to avoid spending money on painting. To complement the bright, clean house, Rick and Lisa went to work on the front lawn. They already have a pretty good looking lawn that was professionally landscaped a few years ago. Everything just needed to be sharpened up. The lawn needed to be cut, raked and edged. The shrubs were trimmed, and fresh mulch was added to the beds. The driveway had already been resealed a few months ago. When they were finished, they had an immaculate lawn, picture-perfect shrubbery, a newly sealed driveway, and potted plants at the front door. When you put all of those attributes together, you have quite an impressive package, and drive-by shoppers will certainly take notice. They will probably want to stop and come in to see the rest of the house.

If your home does need to be repainted, choose neutral colors. Keep clutter, photos and personal effects to a minimum. Remember, when a family looks at a house, they're trying to paint a picture of what it would be like as their home. You want to give them as clean a canvas as possible.

It is important to make your house look as clean and spacious as possible. Keep it in mind that when potential buyers look at your house, they are going to look everywhere: behind your doors, inside your closets, in the crawlspace; that includes those in the bedrooms and bathrooms. So, get rid of all the clutter. Rent a storage space if you need to. Hold a garage sale or donate some of your extra things to a local charity.

After you've cleaned, try to correct as many noticeable cosmetic flaws as you can. Paint rooms that need it, re-grout tile walls and floors, remove or replace any worn-out carpets. Replace dated faucets, light fixtures, and the handles and knobs on your kitchen drawers and cabinets if needed.

Try to visualize your home through eyes of your potential buyers. Do whatever you can to make it easy for them to imagine your house as their home. Clear away as many objects as you can from your walls, shelves, and countertops. Give your prospects plenty of room to dream.

Use the checklist that Rick came up with as a guideline to make sure that you get your house looking its best in time for your first showing. Keep in mind that our program does not require you to spend a lot of time and money repairing and upgrading your home. This program is designed to help you sell your house as-is; and still get top dollar for it. With that being said, you still want your house to be fresh and appealing when you put it on the market.