It is that time of the process, the beginning stages of selling your house, that you need to make your home look better than it ever has before. Yeah, that means you have to clean the baseboards and actually scrub down walls and floors (for once!) to make it appealing for any potential buyer.

One problem that every household typically runs into is how the husband and wife seem to think what looks better around the house! Weird huh? Men and women obviously see things differently – first time that has ever been said, right? – so when it comes to making the house look great for the staging process, we tend to differ in opinions.

Regardless, here is a list that a dad (like myself) would see as a necessity when staging the home, compared to possibly what my better half (cough, cough) might be inclined to think of:

Show Off The Finished Basement

·         When it comes to a dad’s point of view, the finished basement (or the man cave) is huge to show off. Dad’s want to know they have a spot in the house to escape from the nonsense yelling and bickering (did I say that? Don’t tell my wife or kids!) that is going on upstairs. This is the room that probably has your bar, poker table and big plasma TV, so why wouldn’t a potential buyer want to see that? It needs to be clean and tidy, but when I have done visits to staged homes, this was always the room that caught my eye (and I’m sure a ton of other husbands and dads too!).

Do The Essentials

·         Make sure when you are setting the stage, no pun intended, you do all of the essential stuff around the house to make it look great. What might these chores be? Change all of the bulbs to make sure they don’t flicker or go out during a visit from a potential buyer. Change all of the batteries in the fire alarms so they don’t beep or go off during the visit. Make sure all of the doors are secured on their hinges and that they open and close easily. These are things that might not be noticeable UNTIL one of them goes wrong.

Showcase The Deck

·         If you have a family, the deck is going to be a huge resting area for many parties, picnics and birthday parties throughout the summer months. Make sure to show it off. Clean it up so that it looks more spacious and that the clutter is gone. Don’t have the dirty old grill be an eye sore to any potential buyer. Buy a cover for it and then put it in the corner. You want to show that whether it is all of the dads trying to escape for an adult beverage or whether it is a place for families to cook out on a nice summer evening, it has enough room to handle any and everything you might throw at (literally and figuratively!).

Walls, Carpets, Baseboards Better Be Clean

·         One of the first things people notice when they walk into your house is whether the carpets and walls are cleaned, and this includes the baseboards. This is essential when staging your home because you are naturally drawn to any stains in the carpet or scrapes in the walls. Now if it were up to me, I would pay someone to come in and clean the carpets and walls. But that is the lazy way of doing it (so I’ve been told time and time and time again…). This won’t be an easy task or one that you can do in an afternoon. You need to plan for this to take an entire weekend to do it right, so plan accordingly.

About the Author: Doug Chapman is a staff writer for HomeDaddys, a stay-at-home dad blog. He specializes in diapers and Sippy cups by day, but is a successful real estate investor by night to build passive income. 

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The Holidays are almost always hectic. But winter is also a great time to work on those 5 home improvement projects that add value to your home, lower your heating costs or enhance your frame of mind during the dreary months ahead.

As a top Louisville Realtor, I like to recommend which projects are the best “bang for your buck” by adding value to your home where it matters most.

Here are five great home improvement projects that you can handle during the cold months, without hiring a contractor. If you’re not the handiest tool in the shed, winter is a great time to hire a contractor, who typically have more availability during this season. You can negotiate a better rate, too!

So, let’s get started.

1. Update those lighting fixtures

One of these 5 home improvement projects that can really make your Holidays sparkle is installing new lighting fixtures.

What is the most popular exclamation on any home show? “This space is so light and airy!”

Humans love light. The more light, the better. You can’t add more windows to your home without major costs, but you can update the lighting fixtures.

Does your room have an old ceiling fan? Replace it with a new one that also has a built-in light.

Tired of the brass chandelier above the kitchen table? Go shopping, a select a beautiful, contemporary fixture that matches your current tastes.

Don’t forget, installing lights under your kitchen cabinets is not too difficult and adds instant style. Most home buyers also find it appealing.

2. Organize those closets and storage areas

When New Year’s Day arrives, many of us are thinking of resolutions for the upcoming year. A popular one is being better organized and more efficient with our time.

Winter is a wonderful time to go through your closets and donate items to charity, while organizing everything you plan to keep. Installing new shelves, drawers or clothing racks is a fairly straight-forward proposition.

Pick one room to start, declutter, then organize what’s left by what you use most often. Come the new year, you’ll have a sense of pride that you’re already ahead of the game.

3. Liven up the tired spaces with paint

The easiest way to update the feel of any room is with new, fresh paint.

Sick and tired of the same ol’ bedroom walls? Nothing will change a room’s appearance faster, or at a lower cost, than new paint.

Don’t let the winter doldrums get you down. Spice things up with some bold, new colors to brighten your mood.

If it’s frigid outside and you can’t open the windows, you may opt for a low-VOC paint that has less fumes.

4. Add insulation

Not the sexiest option in the list but winter is a great time to add insulation and lower your utility costs. It also makes your home more comfortable during the cold months ahead.

Adding insulation doesn’t need to be difficult either. There are multiple options, depending on the location in your Louisville home that needs attention.

Also, wrapping your water heater with insulation helps it run more efficiently and last longer.

5. Spruce up those floors

You won’t believe the number of laminate flooring options these days. So many styles to choose from and the products are better made than ever.

Putting down new laminate floors is a great way to improve a basement, laundry room or even certain baths. Some cuts can be tricky, but there are large number of video guides to help you install laminate floors.

Carpet tiles are another great home improvement project that homeowners can usually tackle themselves.

Wrapping up!

Before you let the Holiday madness get you down, add a couple of these home improvement projects to your calendar, knock them out and feel good about the investment you’ve made to your Louisville home.

If you’re considering a major project, like finishing your basement, you may want to check out Top 5 Factors When Finishing the Basement of Your Louisville Home.

Tre Pryor is an Internet-veteran turned tech-savvy Realtor. One of the top Louisville agents, you can find his work at InsiderLouisville.com, Louisville Homes Blog or follow him on Google+ or Twitter.

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