Not only is selling your home a daunting task, but preparing your home to sell is a huge undertaking. However, there are little changes that can make a huge impact on potential buyers, and can even increase the value of your home!  Here are a few that you should do right now. Start On The Street An approachable home can make all the difference! A few things to consider doing at a street level: wash the entire exterior, touch up any paint jobs that have weathered over time, remove any overgrown plants and weeds, mow the lawn, and consider adding hardware such as a door knocker or updated numbers to really add that extra “oomph.” Turn To Kitchen & Bathrooms Now is the time to deep clean the areas you may have been avoiding. Repainting adds ambiance and brightens up any room. Not sure what color to pick? Architectural Digest has a list of 10 best bathroom paint colors. Adding new tile and changing cabinet hardware can also make a huge impact. This will give these spaces a luxurious, sleek, and modern feel at a low cost! If you have more time on your hands, consider painting your kitchen cabinets. Architectural Digest also provides paint color & design inspiration to take your kitchen “from cookie cutter to high style.” Let There Be Light! A huge factor for buyers is natural light and ambiance. Deep clean and open up your windows to provide fresh air and light—creating instant space.Don’t have natural light? You can add fixtures such as floor, table, and ceiling lights. Remember to purchase high quality LED bulbs that are consistent throughout the entire home. Adding mirrors can also be a huge help to amplify the light in any room. Re-organize & Simplify Cluttered closets, drawers, and cabinets can turn off potential buyers. Buyers look for the opportunity to envision how their items will fill your space. In the chance there’s, a bit too much “going on” this can divert the buyer’s attention and/or imagination. Make guests envious of your organization skills!  Style & Flair Adding personal touches such as picture frames or a gallery wall can create a welcoming and inviting environment! Just a few accent pieces can really highlight each room’s potential for a buyer. Purchase your favorite diffuser scent and spread a few out amongst your home for showings.

With the advancement of modern technologies, more and more homeowners are looking for ways to incorporate these systems into their own homes.  There are many different products available that can work with whatever technology you may already own. These additions are often seen as a “luxury” feature sought after by home buyers, but can be more affordable than you might have realized.  Here are a few options that won’t break the bank. Choose your favorite Smart assistant Begin by determining which home assistant you will use or already have Alexa, compatible with Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show Siri, compatible with Apple Home, iPhone, iPads, Apple Watch Google Assistant, compatible with Google Home and new Android smartphones. Then purchase smart accessories compatible with your home assistant. 1. Smart Thermostat Honeywell Programmable Smart Thermostat works with all smart assistants listed above and is available on amazon. It features 7-day flexible scheduling, push notifications for filter changes and is Energy Star certified. 2. Smart Light Switch The Wemo Light Switch allows you to replace your current physical light switch with the ability to use voice control to power on your lights with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. Wemo can also be used to schedule porch lights and ceiling fans. 3. Smart Smoke-Carbon Monoxide Detector The Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm notifies you of both fast and slow burning fires, and allows you to remotely power down any alarms from your phone without any additional hardware required. The device also alerts you of the location of which the smoke is coming from. 4. Smart Security Camera Arlo smart is a 100% wire free security system, compatible with Alexa, that sends you push notifications when movement is detected near the device. With HD quality picture and night vision, this weather resistant security camera is sure to make you feel safer with a well-protected home. 5. Smart Lock August Smart Locks allow you to give keyless access to family members, housekeepers and visitors without the worry of losing key copies. Use your phone as a key, and know with certainty that your door is closed via the August App.

Not everyone has the time to put major work into their home.  There are tons of DIY fixes that you can complete in a weekend if you are committed to rolling your sleeves up and getting your hands a little dirty! (not really) We filtered through some of the trendiest DIY hacks & projects that we think will be the perfect addition to spruce up even the most dated rooms in your home! Painting a room or wall may sound like a tough job, but it can make all the difference and can be knocked out in a day! This one may sound too easy, but we promise it can be the thing to turn your kitchen from average to awesome! We know this one is a little odd, but wallpaper is back in style! Pick a small room and get to work! You’ll be able to conquer this task in just a couple hours. Have a vintage chair lying around? Or pick up something eclectic from a garage sale this weekend? Pick up the sandpaper and a paintbrush and give a piece a furniture some new flare! This one is new for us too! There is actually tile that you peel and stick! This one is great for the experimenter who wants to really try something new in their kitchen or bathroom. With the right tools, hanging shelves can be a breeze! Bring that empty wall to life with some evenly spaced shelving for your mementos! Pallets are usually something you can find laying around or maybe your local hardware store might even hook you up with a couple free ones! This project is great and only requires a couple basic woodworking tools to transform any patio space.  Swap the legs out on your old coffee table or end table for a new look! It’s simple and will take you close to 10 minutes.   There are so many options when it comes to bathroom and kitchen sink faucets, but if yours is starting to seem a tad dated, it may be time for an upgrade!