Many putting up their home for sale on the Vail Valley market don’t have a lot of available cash to spruce it up.  While staging houses is a definite plus, it costs, as does many of the other suggested “to-dos."  Here are a few cheap, easy ways to make your home look more inviting to buyers:

1. Put up your personal stuff
Not every buyer looking at a home for sale in the Vail Valley appreciates the fact that someone still lives there.  Putting away the following things can help the buyers’ see themselves in the home:

• your pet’s things (toys, litter box, bowls)
• your medications, toothbrushes and toilet accessories
• any toys
• knick-knacks and personal pictures

2. Create more space
Small, closed in spaces are major turnoffs for buyers.  Create the illusion of more space by:

• putting up out-of-season clothes or clothes you don’t wear very often to make your closets look bigger
• taking one piece of furniture out of your bedroom
• packing up the small appliances in your kitchen
• taking out all but four chairs in your dining room, as well as extra table leaves

3. Touch on the trends
Chances are that some of the buyers are paying attention to celebrity trends.  Feng shui is a big one, and you can do your part with just a few touches:

• add a fresh bowl of fruit to the kitchen
• put a comfortable couch or chair on the east side of your living room or den
• put a green welcome mat on your porch to symbolize opportunity
• get rid of reds

Whether you see or feel a difference doesn’t matter.  Keep in mind that you’re trying to appeal to potential buyers of your home for sale in the Vail Valley, not make the home more livable for you.  If it helps, pretend that you’re the buyer, seeing the house for the first time.

If you’re trying to get your home ready to sell, I can help.  Call me at 970-471-0646 or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.