Before you put up that “For Sale” sign, make sure that your house is ready for showing. First impressions are very important. You need to attract the buyers at first sight so you can catch their interest.

You may think your effort won’t be necessary especially if you’re in a hot market. But a good first impression will get your house off the market sooner and will allow you to sell your home at your desired amount.

Here are some things you can do to make a good first impression:

• Maintain or improve your front landscaping.
• Put a new and colorful welcome mat at the front door.
• Add a nice, big potted plant to the side of the front door.
• Give your door a fresh coat.
• Put away toys, bicycles, and scooters from the front of the house.
• Wipe the windows clean and make them sparkle.
• Change the doorknob and locks to give it a new and stylish look. It will also impress a sense of security.
• Polish your house numbers or if necessary, change them, so they shine and stand out.
• Put on a beautiful foliage or floral arrangement on your door.
• If there are loose shingles on the roof, fix them before showing your house.
• Fix and repaint the gutters.

If you’ve won the buyer’s attention with your house’s facade, you need to keep their interest. You can start by:

• Remove all the clutter especially in the kitchen and bathroom countertops. Keep toys, photo frames, personal items hidden in drawers and storage bins.
• Hang new bathroom towels.
• Retouch paint in your walls.
• Have the carpet cleaned before opening your house to potential buyers. Vacuum the floors every morning.
• Check your faucets to make sure they are not dripping.
• Inspect all your lights. Replace bulbs that are not working.
• Clean your appliances, not just the outside but the inside as well, especially the oven and microwave.
• Put a pretty centerpiece in the dining table.
• Make the house and bathrooms smell pleasant by putting a deodorizer or potpurri or spraying air freshener. This is especially necessary if someone smokes inside the house or if pets stay inside the house.
• Allow the light to come in all the rooms of the house. In areas where natural light can’t reach, turn on the lights when you’re expecting potential buyers to go to your house.
• Clean the fireplace.
• Remove unnecessary furniture from the room.
• Add final touches like adding a pretty flower arrangement or potted plant.

 When you prepare the home, keep in mind that people’s taste and preferrences differ. Just aim to make the house look clean, spacious, flexible and pleasing to anyone.