Curb appeal is very important when you are trying to sell your home for the simple and obvious reason that it is much easier to sell a nicer and apparently well taken care of house that it is a pig pen. The nicer the house and the more pleasing the first impression the house gives, the more likely it is to move on the market in a timely manner and for an owner-pleasing price.

Firstly, evaluate what your perspective buyers will see when they first pull up in front of your home. If you cannot adequately look at the house through a stranger s eye then employ a friend to help you.

• Is there trash on the lawn?
• Do you have unnecessary items laying on the walkway or by the door?
• Is your lawn well cared for and freshly mown?
• Are the screen in good repair?
• Can you see, even before you get out of the car, that the house is in need of a paint job?
• What about the roof? Does it look like it has seen too many rainy seasons?
• Are the gutters full and desperately in need of a cleaning?

All of these considerations could either affect the prospective buyer s willingness to purchase or the selling price.

Now step into your house and see what your eye is drawn to first. Yes, you may be in the process of packing to move, but this can and should be done in an organized and sightly manner. Rent a storage unit and, when a box is full, ship it off to be stored until you have a place for it to go. Since the items are packed, you are obviously not in need of the items until you arrive at the next house.

It is always a good idea to remove as much furniture as is absolutely necessary to either living or for the house to remain aesthetically pleasing. You want the house to appear to the prospective buyers as a very livable home, and with a nicely arranged but not overcrowded atmosphere, they can more easily see themselves in the home. Also, too much furniture will make the house appear smaller. Scarcity is the key: enough to look good, but not so much that the buyers imaginations are hampered. This sparse appearance is particularly helpful in places that are considered for size, such as closets. To keep you closets clutter free will greatly improve the impression the visitors have of your home.

Make sure you paint the walls, but before you do, fill in the cracks and exposed nail-holes. Make sure you have cleaned the bathrooms and vacuumed the floor, as well as picked up clothing that may have been flung heedlessly on couches, beds or other furniture. Remove dust bunnies and cobwebs and, by all means, dust when your realtor tells you there is a showing scheduled. Have your carpets cleaned before you begin showing the house, and it is good to have a shampooer handy in case any of the prospective buyers (or their kids) traipse through the house with muddy shoes. Fix doors and windows that stick and replace drooping or broken blinds. These may require some minor expense, but it will be worth it to receive the price you desire for the house.

It is also a good idea to make your house smell good for the showing, and if you are not in the habit of doing so, you can use potpourri or other fragrance enhancers to create a pleasing atmosphere when your prospective buyers first steps in to the house. Some people will put in cookies to bake (make sure you don t burn them) but if you have to leave the house with such a time constraint that the smell with have worn away, this is not an option.

Much of this advice seems simple and over-obvious, but it is all too often neglected and has, many a time, resulted in a house not showing well and therefore, not selling well. Make your house appear as you would want it to appear if you were contemplating buying it.