by Tracey Schabel

Created on: March 06, 2009

Selling your home in today's real estate market can be a tough task. Sellers need to prepare for every person's interest and needs, and make their house the most appealing home on the market. There are some interior design ideas that will put your home above the others on the real estate market. Follow them, and soon you will have a "sold" sign hanging in your yard!

Access your home. This is a relatively easy step that is often overlooked. Walk through your home as if you are a buyer, and have never seen it before. Are the rooms clean and clutter free? Do the rooms seem large and used for a specific purpose? For instance, the spare bedroom may be your hobby room- but a new buyer might want that as a bedroom. Make it the bedroom it is supposed to be. How is the paint color and do the floors need updating? These are just a few of the questions that need to be asked. Make a list of items that are not great, and set out to improve them!

Clean and declutter everything. The most basic selling point in any home is cleanliness. Scrub every nook and cranny, because the buyers will be looking! Keep only a few select decorative pieces and accessories out to enhance a room, otherwise make the room as clutter free as possible. If you are a collector of things, a storage unit may be a wise investment at this point! Take down most personal pictures and highlight the focal points in a room. No one wants to fill in nail holes and patch up paint, and that includes your buyer- they want to move right in!

Color your world. Every real estate agent will tell you that a neutral color is the best to use throughout your home. I agree, in part to this, but a neutral color does not need to be dull and boring. Choose a color like, a soft taupe, sage, or vanilla to warm up a space. The buyer must be able to envision their things in a room, and a neutral tone helps them do that. Fresh paint also makes a house seem brighter and cleaner.

Furnish attractively and sparingly. When staging your home for sale, remember that you want to make it easy for the buyer to see themselves in your home. You need to place furniture in a neutral manner that highlights your home- not how you currently live there. Give every room a purpose- the dining area should have a table and not kids toys, the spare bedroom needs a bed or set up as an office, and the kitchen needs to be functional. Pick a focal point, like a fireplace, in each area and place your furniture in a way that draws attention to that focal. Always showcase any view that you may have- bringing the outdoors in is an easy way to decorate!

Welcoming curb appeal. Finally, do not overlook curb appeal! A freshly painted front door, clean windows, and flowers make a huge difference. Many potential buyers will just do a "drive by" to check out the house, and you want them to come back and look inside! A neat, manicured lawn and trimmed shrubbery is a must do. This sounds easy, but is often overlooked- a new doormat is the final touch to an appealing exterior vision of your home.

These are some interior designs ideas that will help sell your home. Put yourself in a new buyer's shoes and enjoy your home's attributes! Change what is too personal and make the home more neutral and buyer friendly. Keep the house clean at all times, and buyers will appreciate the wonderful care and maintenace of your home. Make your home the most attractive on the market and mark it SOLD!

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