family pictures, kids’ artwork from the fridge, sports memorabilia, and collections that you think are darling but a buyer would consider clutter. Repair and repaint: You may not have the time or money to repaint every room, but you should devote a few hours too removing scuff marks from walls and baseboards, and fill and touch up wall cracks and dings. Fresh paint provides a clean canvas. If you have not painted your house in the last year, consider doing the entire inside of the home right now. If you have painted it, you might want to paint a second time. When planning to repaint, include everything. Paint the ceilings, the trim and window casings, and the doors. Do not forget the closets. And of course, paint the walls. Make sure you paint the right way. An artist creates a new painting on a plain, primed canvas. Through your efforts with painting, you are hand-delivering your potential buyers a clean, primed canvas where they can imagine their family in your home. Keeping all of this in mind, use neutral colors. That does not mean everything must be lifeless or stark white. That can have a negative effect as well. Rather, you want colors to be unobtrusive. Stick with gray, beige, off-white, and white. If you just painted the master bath turquoise and added cute polka-dot trim, change it! Remember, a blank canvas opens the imagination to endless possibilities. Polka dots do not. Disguise hardwood floor scratches with fill pens (a Sharpie will do in a pinch). Adjust kitchen cabinets so they don’t sag. Scrub dingy tile grout.
MAJOR AREAS OF FOCUS
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