andrea carson

Selling a home is no quick or easy feat, but you can certainly take action to move the process along and get a good offer. To ensure anyone who steps through your door (or simply passes by!) feels welcomed, we tapped designers and real estate professionals for their best advice on how to get your home ready to sell. From making sure all of the beds in your home are dressed in crisp, clean sheets to installing solar-powered outdoor lighting, you can craft an inviting atmosphere that’s sure to attract and win over potential buyers.

Let’s start with, perhaps, the obvious that’s worth restating: “Decluttering and removing some of your personal effects and collections allows potential buyers to imagine themselves there,” says designer Ghislaine Viñas, who recently put her Pennsylvania home on the market. That goes for both the interior and exterior. Remove any personal photos, awards, and knick-knacks. Keep art large and minimal. Outside, remove garden decor and put away outdoor toys or tools.

Another major step is to refresh the paint, making sure there are no marks on your interior walls or any chipping on your home’s exterior. Leia T. Ward—founder and principal of the staging design firm LTW Design—recommends painting interior walls white to help neutralize the overall color palette. For the exterior, do some research as you’re gearing up to sell. Certain front door colors, like slate blue and black, can make your home sell for more.

Staging should also involve removing any obstacles. “Potential buyers should be able to move about the home freely without running into furniture or the need to manipulate between or around pieces to get through the rooms,” says associate broker and realtor Kristina ODonnell of Realty ONE