When it comes to selling your home, first impressions are everything. You don’t necessarily need a lot of money to make drastic renovations – although that certainly doesn’t hurt – but what you can do is work with what you have.

That starts with a lot of sorting, a thorough cleaning, and above all, putting yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Other than decluttering, disinfecting, and cleaning, there are several more tips that can get your home ready for the big sale regardless of your budget.

  1. Repaint– A good coat of paint on the inside and out can-do wonders and make it seem like a brand-new home. It can also help to hide any imperfections or stains that are present on your current walls. Don’t forget to take note on whether the ceilings need to be painted as well.
  2. Freshen up the exterior– Something called “curb appeal” is what’s going to determine the initial interest of the buyer. Some may continue to drive past and not even go in if the outside isn’t appealing enough. Some of the many things you can do to put the exterior in the best light include mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges and trees, fixing rain gutters, fixing shutters, putting out potted flowers, fixing loose or cracked stones in the walkway, and removing toys off the yard and porch. You can also add small holiday touches, such as a wreath on the front door.
  3. Improve the lighting– Lighting – natural or otherwise – is a huge benefit when selling a home, and there are several ways you can improve it. For example, you can add higher wattage bulbs, add motion sensor lights outside, trim shrubbery, so more light gets in, or if you want to get drastic, add more windows.
  4. Remove unflattering furniture– Any furniture that looks cheap, such as a futon or plastic furniture, has to go. Also, if you can’t afford to replace couches or sofas that are stained, ripped, or worn, throw seat covers over them. If any wood furniture is scratched, use a permanent marker to cover it up. For kitchen appliances, such as a fridge or an oven, that are slightly worn and dingy-looking, cover it with a faux stainless-steel film on the front.
  5. Fix anything loose or leaky– Anything that’s loose or leaky, such as a loose railing, a leaking kitchen sink, or a loose doorknob, should be fixed or replaced. Not only is it for aesthetic purposes, but for safety purposes as well.
  6. Re-caulk– You might be surprised at the amount of caulking that needs to be done around the home, such as in a bathroom, a basement, a kitchen, and even on a patio. Re-caulk everything you can, just make sure you give it plenty of time to dry before house tours begin.
  7. De-personalize– Everything that’s personalized needs to go, and with good reason. Buyers want to envision themselves living in the home, and anything personal puts a block on that. It’s a must to remove items such as family photos, albums, trophies, anything monogrammed, and artwork that wouldn’t particularly appeal to the masses.
  8. Add storage– There’s plenty of ways you can add storage to a home regardless of budget. For example, you can add shelving into the closets, build drawers into the stairs, build bookshelves into the wall, add hooks on the garage walls, build a hidden kitchen island, and build a storage area under the patio. The more storage (both hidden and visible) your home allows, the better.

Just when you think you have every project accomplished, there’s two things to do. Take a look at the property yourself, both from a distance and up close, and inspect everything. Make a list of other improvements you can make, and then call in reinforcements. Recruit your most brutally honest friends to come in and inspect the property as if they were potential buyers, and ask them to write down changes to make. A fresh pair of eyes can do wonders.


There are two primary ways agents get the word out about your property: using word of mouth to a vast network of personal contacts and by marketing to the public. At any moment, any one of the ways we market your property, whether it’s through a newspaper ad or the MLS listing, can land you an offer.

We’ll start with the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) where we’ll create a profile of your home that consists of pictures, a brief write-up, pertinent details, and maybe even a video. Now, anyone who has access to the MLS system, including hundreds of real estate agents will have access to your listing.

In addition to the MLS, we use a broad range of additional marketing options.

When it comes time to do a showing, the appointments are made through one of our real estate agents, who will contact you and finalize if the time works for you. We’ll make sure to give you as much time as possible to allow for cleaning up, getting a pet and/or child sitter if necessary, and properly adjust your schedule.

Typically, the seller is not home during open houses for several reasons, including that the potential buyer might get distracted. It also allows for a chance to get pets and/or children out of the home for a while, so that the agent can answer any questions in the most diplomatic and beneficial way so the seller doesn’t have to.

At Oceanside, we believe in working together as a team, which means if you have any questions or have any concerns, we’re here to provide you with answers and ease your worries.

Our team strives to have an excellent rapport with each and every client, and we appreciate your trust in our services.

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