'For-Sale' Friendly Design Tips from Tanya Memme

Putting your home on the market? Freshening up your décor will make it more desirable to potential buyers.

by Tanya Memme

Whether you’re looking to enhance your home for your own enjoyment or make it more attractive to prospective buyers, you may be surprised by how just a few inexpensive and quick fixes can improve its mood and the value. Here are several of my favorite home improvement ideas for getting a home sale-ready. And the best part is you can complete them in less than a day and on a limited budget.

Colors Homebuyers Love
A gallon of fresh paint will do wonders for any room. It makes a dramatic difference in appearance and will help solve another problem—stubborn room odors.  Neutral, warm, earth-tone colors, as well as leafy greens, sky blues and creams, will all add a clean, serene touch to any room. 

Don't forget to add new paint to dingy doors and chipped window frames. You should also freshen up borders and molding with white paint. The contrast will make your wall colors pop! However, if you want your walls to appear taller, paint the molding the same color as the rest of the room.

You can also paint ONE accent wall to brighten up a bland room lacking in architectural details—use a fun color that makes you happy!

Use Common Scents

An easy, chemical-free way to freshen up your home is to use essential oils on light bulbs. Put a few drops of your favorite scent on a light bulb and the heat releases the scent of the oil! Essential oil diffusers are also wonderful, and boiling cinnamon or baking cinnamon on a tray adds a delicious scent—especially around the holidays. Bake cookies or a pie to create that home-away-from-home feel. These are all inexpensive ways to revive a space and make it welcoming to both your family and potential homebuyers. Once your house is clean and odors tackled, using essential oils will add a final welcoming touch. 

Touch up with Textures

The life of a room can fade over time, but there are easy ways to revive the feel of your home. For example, try incorporating texture and flare. New candles, curtains made with inexpensive sheets (puddle the drapes to add style) and uplights (to highlight main features) add drama. Area rugs and throw pillows that include natural fibers, and bamboo mats and blinds offer nice clean touches that can make your home more appealing. Look for products that are made out of eco-friendly natural fibers and bamboo.  

 

Accent with Accessories

Updating accessories and adding subtle accents can enhance almost any home. A crafty way to add inexpensive art is to take your favorite material and wrap it around a wood board and hang it on the wall unframed! Elsewhere around the house, pottery, live plants, vases or baskets filled with fresh flowers, fresh fruit in bowls or staged cut fruit on a chopping board in the kitchen are all ideas to make your home look and smell great.