What you think of as homey and comfortable can be seen as cluttered and chaotic to a buyer. Here’s how to make the inside of your house more attractive to buyers.

In many ways our homes are an extension of our personality and habits. When selling a home, smart sellers understand that buyers don’t share their preferences. Buyers have their own idea of what makes a home comfortable and inviting. That’s why it’s important to look at your home with a critical eye and make it easier for a prospective buyer to imagine living there. Check out these five ways to make your home more attractive to buyers.

Pack away personal items

You want prospective buyers to start imagining the home as theirs. That’s hard to do when smiling faces of all your family members are around. Pack your family photos away for now.

Look at your furnishings, too. Tastes vary and what is fun, whimsical or artsy to you might be a turn off to a buyer. Play it safe even if that means putting your favorite pieces into storage for a while. Keep décor minimal and simple.

Declutter everywhere—including cupboards and closets

If you declutter by cramming everything into the cupboards and closets, you don’t gain resale value. People look in storage spaces not because they’re nosy, but because they want to see how much storage space they’ll have for their things.

Clear out every space in home. If you can’t bear to part with cherished items, rent a storage space and enjoy them again when you move to your new home.

Clean, clean, clean

It’s time for thorough cleaning, top to bottom, wall to wall. Many homeowners hire a cleaning service for the deep clean to help keep their sanity. Pay attention to areas that are frequently overlooked: baseboards, ceilings and corners. Each day after the deep clean, do upkeep cleaning.

Also, eliminate odors. Enlist a friend or neighbor to give your home the sniff-test: many people are immune to odors they are used to.

Let the light shine in

Clean the windows inside and out. Open shades and blinds. Turn on lamps to brighten dim rooms. A bright home is more inviting and appears larger than a dark one.

Bathroom details

After the deep clean, make your bath feel more luxurious with plush new towels, coordinating rugs and bath mat, and a subtly scented candle. Close the toilet lid, too. A fresh-looking bathroom makes it easier for people to feel at home before the home is theirs.

Consumers helps more than 1,000 members finance land, homes, and home improvement projects each year. When you need a mortgage or home equity line of credit, call us at 800-991-2221. We’re here to help you get the home of your dreams!