Typically, buyers are given a list of homes to preview by their realtors. They must quickly prune the list down to the top three or four to visit again. To shorten the list, they start by looking for reasons to eliminate your home!

Not only do you want a second visit, you first need a first visit. Many homes have so little curb appeal that the car never stops moving. Good-bye, buyer!

But what should you do? Where do you start? Are the colors OK? Do I have too much furniture? Not enough? Won’t the buyer see past the problems? NO! Can’t I offer a little price discount so the buyer can fix it up himself? NO! Is the house empty? See our Staging page!

Today, home sellers have to spend money to make money. Ask any experienced realtor. Coleen helps dozens of them move houses quicker, and for more money. But which investments make sense? What if you can only afford a small amount?

At least spend $300 (larger homes are slightly more) to have Coleen come out and make recommendations to you. Then you can follow her guidance as far as your budget allows. Maybe you can at least take the paint numbers to Home Depot and buy some paint and a roller. She won’t recommend anything that won’t help sell your house sooner, and for more money. Remember, time on the market translates into money, too!

She will start at the curb and work her way around and through the house. Her checklist is made up of things large and small that will save you many times her fee. Then you go through the list and do what you can afford. You’ll be glad you did.

After too long on the market, the bottom feeders and investors start showing up, and they won’t offer anything near your asking price. From there it’s all downhill.

Don’t let that happen! Coleen will give you a list of chores to do, including details like paint colors, what to do about clutter (eliminate it), where cleaning and repairs are optional and where they are mandatory, and how to get the most bang for the bucks. Realize that your home is full of things you love and are accustomed to, so you can’t be objective. Coleen can, and you would be wise to follow her advice. The stuffed grizzly bear you brought back from Alaska impressed your friends, but now it has to go. Get a head start on packing for your move to your new house.

If you can’t or don’t want to do the work yourself, Coleen will recommend handymen, craftsmen, and contractors that she has known and trusted for years. If you like their quotes, use them. Or compare their quotes against your own workers. Either way, you should get as much done as possible before you list your house.

If your house is already on the market, have Coleen come over ASAP. If it goes too far, you’ll need to take it off the market temporarily, fix it up, and then start again. Your home is probably one of your biggest investments. So treat it that way!