How to prepare your home for prospective buyers 

FALLBROOK – Selling a home can be exciting. Homeowners who made considerable financial commitments when buying their homes may be anxious when the time comes to get a return on their investment, but selling a home need not be so nerve-racking.

Buyers' tastes often dictate their interest in a home. For example, no matter how immaculate homeowners may keep their premises, the architectural style is many times what sells a home. Those looking for a California Ranch style home may not be interested in one that resembles the Cape Cod look.

While a seller may not be able to change their home's architecture to appeal to the masses, there are steps that can be taken to make a home more appealing to buyers whose dream home more closely resembles the one being offered.

Address curb appeal

Curb appeal goes a long way toward creating a lasting first impression, so homeowners can start by driving up to their homes and looking at them through the eyes of prospective buyers. Address the landscape if it needs some TLC, and power wash siding if it's appearing a little dirty.

Examine the driveway for cracks and consider installing a new surface if the existing one is more of an eyesore than eye-catching.

Finally, clear the yard of toys and tools before nailing the 'For Sale' sign into the ground, as a cluttered yard will give buyers the impression that the owner has not prioritized keeping a clean and presentable home.

Clear out the clutter

Some sellers "stage" their homes when putting them up for sale. But staging might not be an option for sellers who are still living in their homes and intend to do so until they find buyers. If it's not reasonable to stage the home, try to remove clutter, including extra pieces of furniture that might have accumulated over the years that can make rooms seem smaller.

Box up any books that no longer fit on bookshelves, and try to keep common areas like family rooms, hallways, and kids' playrooms as open and clean as possible so the rooms appear roomy and relaxing.

Let the light shine in

Dark homes are less appealing to prospective buyers, many of whom have no interest in living in caves that are void of natural sunlight.

When potential buyers are coming to look it over, make sure curtains are open and the blinds or shades are up. If trees or shrubs outside windows are blocking natural light from getting inside, consider trimming them so the home appears sunnier and more inviting. Bright homes tend to feel more spacious, so fix any light fixtures that need fixing and even add small lamps in rooms that could use some extra light.

Tackle that to-do list

It's easy for a home's residents to grow accustomed to certain minor problems, such as a doorknob that always sticks or a creaky kitchen cabinet door. But buyers might be turned off by too many of these minor problems and wonder if any larger and more expensive issues also went ignored.

Before showing the home, address all those minor repairs on the to-do list.

Selling a home can be exciting, and homeowners can take steps to make sure their home sale is successful and lucrative as well.