Local Realtors answer questions about trends and offer tips to homebuyers and sellers considering buying or selling a home in or around The Woodlands.

Kathy Sexton

The Brownstone Group

What is the best way to make a home warmer and more inviting to boost its value?

For the living areas you should declutter and tidy up shelves. Also, move excess furniture out of the rooms—you want the space clean, open and clutter-free. For the kitchen, you should remove all magnets and photos from the fridge, and the kitchen desk and study should have books neatly on the shelves. Put essential items used daily in small storage boxes in the bathroom, and be sure to clean mirrors and glass surfaces. The goal is to have the buyer walk in the property and see themselves living in the home.

In terms of furniture, what are the best items to highlight and how should placement in a home look?

You want to minimize the furniture so the buyer can focus on the floor plan and the architectural elements of the property. Furniture should be placed in a home for how the room will be used and lived in. Often, we move into a home and change rooms to suit our lifestyle. It is important to place appropriate furniture in rooms as to how it was intended. An exception to that idea is if there isn’t a study in a home. If there are enough bedrooms, it can make sense to place study furniture in one of the bedrooms.

What should be done to the entrance of a home to give potential buyers a good first impression?

The front of the home is the buyer’s first impression. This includes the outside, front door and entry/foyer. The front door may need a fresh coat of paint and the hardware replaced. A fresh pot of flowers outside the front door is always welcoming.