Once you’ve sold a home, you understand the importance of having a show-ready house. That’s one that looks and smells perfect, and (hopefully) makes any potential buyers want to make an offer. A Realtor is a great resource for helping you figure out what actually makes a home show-ready. That’s why I’m thrilled that today’s post is courtesy of Realtor Dee Dee Bowman, at Coldwell Banker Hearthside – Lahaksa in Pennsylvania. She’s here to offer 6 suggestions for getting your home show-ready and ready to sell on a shoestring. Take it away, Dee Dee.

The news from real estate markets across the country is mixed – up here, down even more there, and holding steady here and there. But the real estate news that is most important to you is always local – what’s happening in your neighborhood, town, county, state or region. If you are thinking of buying or selling now, talk with your favorite Realtors. They can help you make the smartest decision for your situation.

And if your decision is to sell, then it’s time to get busy. While a few super-organized folks might be able to put their house on the market with minimal effort, most of us will need to do some serious work in the weeks before the sign goes up and the photos are taken.

Everyone has seen the HGTV shows that profile home-makeovers in advance of home-selling.  Typically, a team of carpenters and designers descend on the house and, fortified with a $2000 budget, overhaul a couple of rooms. It makes for good TV, but is not for the budget-conscious.

Instead of redecorating, you can follow these frugal and fool-proof steps to get your house ready for market:

1.    Clean, clean, then clean some more. Get into every nook and cranny and root out dust, dirt, grime, grease and cobwebs. Your house should sparkle. It should smell fresh. You should be able to eat off the floor. This task (which could take days, even weeks if you are being completely thorough) will cost very little, especially if you use home-made cleaners, recycled clothing for rag, and newspapers and vinegar for doing the windows.
2.    Get rid of the wallpaper. Yeah, I know. It was really expensive. It MAKES the dining room. Whatever. Buyers hate wallpaper. Trust me. They really hate it. Take it down and paint the walls. Choose one of the newer decorator colors that says “updated.” You can get a good idea about colors that are popular in your market by stopping in at model homes in the best new construction communities. These folks have done market research and should know what people like.
3.    Put stuff away. This should not even have to be mentioned, but many people just can’t part with their things…even if it’s a temporary separation. Take down the wall of fame in the family room; strip the tables, countertops, tops of cabinets, mantles and other surfaces of your personal collections. Empty your junk drawer. Edit your pots and pans to just those that fit neatly in the space you have. Clean the excess out of the pantry and the linen closet.  Load up all those paperbacks and DVDs. Pack up anything you don’t need every day. The point of this huge effort is to show that your house is easy to keep organized; that there’s room for everything. It will feel calm and serene. You’ll thank me when you sell the house and you have to move out…half the work will have already been done. And this costs you nothing (get your boxes on Freecycle or Craigslist).
4.    Take a good, hard look at the entrance to your house. Does your front door need painting? Is the knocker tarnished? Is the light fixture filled with cobwebs and dead bugs? Are the house numbers aligned properly? How about the foundation plantings? Are they over grown? Is the walkway in good repair? This is the part of your house that greets every visitor first. Be sure it makes a good impression.
5.    Dress up the master bedroom so it looks like a private retreat. It’s only an illusion for most people, but it’s one we all seem to like to cling to. If you have a little bit of a budget, splurge on a nice bedspread, bedskirt and throw pillows. Clear personal items from bedside tables and the dresser and choose a couple of decorative items from elsewhere in the house to make it look pulled together. Do the same in the master bath, maybe splurging on new shower curtain and matching towels (then don’t use the towels until you move to you new house).
6.    Get out of dodge. That is, take yourself, your children and your animals out of the house for all showings.

Stay positive, and good luck.

Feel free to email Dee Dee if you have any specific questions about getting your home ready to market.