There are a few things to think about when getting your home ready to sell. First, pricing it right matters. Avoid overpricing which can cost you time and money. Second, don't expect dollar-for-dollar returns. Sentimental value doesn't necessarily translate into a fabulous sales price. Do use comparable sales and adjust the price when needed.

Once you've set the appropriate price for your home, curbside appeal is very often the determining factor that persuades potential buyers to venture into it. Once inside, the best way to help ensure these lookers stay is to offer an interior that is just as inviting as the outside. Sprucing up your yard before you sell doesn't necessarily have to be costly in terms of time or money. As an example, sellers can help increase the curb appeal of their property by pruning the shrubs, especially those around the windows and doors to provide more light inside and safer accessibility through entrances.

Other ideas that can help make a home more inviting to potential buyers include keeping your lawn watered in warmer months to maintain a healthy green color, planting flowers along a walkway or around a lamp or sign post, or placing attractive flowerpots on the porch. Washing the windows makes the 'eyes of the home' sparkle. Finally, items such as grills, children's toys, bicycles, tools and machinery should be stored away neatly, as well.

Once the outside is spruced up, sellers should move inside to clean out closets and give their home a more spacious feel, by picking up the clutter and packing up the knickknacks.

What most sellers don't realize is that buyers are not interested in their personal items – especially items such as family photographs and various treasures a seller has collected over the years. These items will only get in the way of a potential buyer's ability to envision his or her own personal effects in the home.

Another way sellers can help create a more spacious look to their home is by packing away items housed in such pieces of furniture as display hutches and cabinets and moving various pieces of furniture out of the house to help the potential buyer imagine their own furniture in place of yours. Sellers should either sell off or give away unwanted items and furnishings before potential buyers begin viewing their home.

Sellers should think of themselves as living in a model home when they market their property. That means that in addition to making sure the home is constantly kept clean, they need to be willing to move their favorite chair, end table, or couch out if it will improve the flow. It simply makes it easier for a potential buyer to envision a home office in place of the cozy den a seller may have used a certain room for if the room is not overstuffed. Since buying a home is usually the biggest purchase of a consumer's life, it gets difficult to make a buying decision if they cannot see past someone else's clutter.

Finally, one of the quickest ways to give your home a forward-looking vibe is to add a few smart features, such as a Nest thermostat, a Ring doorbell, or video security camera. Everyone has an Amazon Alexa or Echo Spot these days, but not everyone has something in the home to command it to do!

REALTORS are trusted advisors and skilled negotiators as well as the consumer's source of unparalleled market knowledge. Visit our web site at easternctrealtors.com to learn more.