Getting your house ready for sale is the ultimate date preparation. First impressions are the only lasting impression. Over the last 21 years in the real estate business, I have seen hundreds of houses in the Cheshire County region. Some hit the market dressed like they are ready to go to the Ball and some like they just rolled out of bed. Opinions of a clean and well-presented home vary greatly.

As it goes with dating, looks shouldn’t matter – only inter beauty. Well, that all sounds nice, but it’s not reality. Appearances matter in the dating world as well as the real estate world. It should be enough to just to let my personality win someone over no matter what I wear, but it also can’t hurt to take a shower, comb my hair and splash on some cologne as well. Such is the case with getting your house ready to list.

The current real estate market suffers from extreme inventory shortages. This puts sellers in a strong position as the laws of supply and demand have made finding a home difficult and priced beyond many buyers’ comfort level.

Like the game musical chairs, there are many people waiting for a chair to open up, circling around hoping for a new listing. Once one does go on the market, everyone pounces on it. The perception is that it really doesn’t matter what the house looks like because buyers are so desperate they will pay whatever the seller wants. That isn’t entirely the case though as the value and desirability rely on traditional factors as condition, aesthetics and location.

The limited supply guarantees the house will likely be viewed and possibly considered, but there is no guarantee of strong demand and a resultant high-priced offer. There is such a short window of opportunity to achieve a strong initial reaction to a listing and the first impression is crucial. I tell my seller clients to think of a house listing as a perishable item in the grocery store. A lingering home on the market (which is one three weeks old in today’s market), will begin to “rot on the shelf” and be prey for lower offers. In this sellers’ market, a low offer is one that is anything below asking price. Most sellers initially anticipate offers higher than list price, generally multiple offers with little to no contingencies. That has been the norm since 2022. The highest and best offers come right away and catching the initial wave is the best chance for the highest offer. It is crucial to be “dressed in your best” and show-ready when listing.

Having the property show ready doesn’t always require significant work, though any major problem should be addressed. Large issues such as a failing roof, heating system, structural and electrical defects can be non-starters for some buyers. The smaller items throughout the property though have a stronger effect on a buyer’s overall impression of value and can influence the level of desirability significantly. Before I list any property, I make note of these items and make sure we get these small but meaningful adjustments made prior to listing when you have the power to eliminate negatives0. After listing, you are left to how the buyer interprets these negatives and develops an overall opinion of the seller’s care for the property and its value of it.

These are some easy to address items that can have a significant impact on a buyer’s impression of the home.

For the exterior:

Pressure Wash

Think of it as giving your property a shower. All of your hardscaping accumulates mildew, moss and dirt over time and can be made to look brand new again with a good pressure washing. There are companies that can do it, but it is super easy and incredibly gratifying to do it yourself. Patios, walkways, retaining walls will look as good as when they were first installed. You would be shocked at how much dirt accumulates on your house siding, especially the side facing the road. Vinyl siding experiences oxidation over time and can be blasted off to bring back the original color. Wood siding should be done carefully as you may create an entirely new project if you blast the paint off the house. Same goes for wooden decks – they need to be carefully washed to prevent damage.

Weeding

An excess of weeds screams “I don’t take care of my yard!” and also showcases to potential buyers that it requires high maintenance. The absolute best thing I own (besides my pressure washer) is a flame thrower. It can be purchased at most larger hardware stores and is perfect for killing weeds in walkways, landscaping drip edges and driveway cracks. Plus, they are fun to use (follow directions for safe use, please).

Give the shrubs a haircut

On a date, having a fresh haircut can make someone look super polished. Same goes for the shrubs around the house. We want buyers to see the house, not the overgrown rhododendrons that block the windows. Give them a trim so they are presentable but don’t overdo it. You wouldn’t shave your head before meeting someone – polish up what you have. Many buyers get nervous when they see branches and shrubs up against a house as it encourages moisture and pest infiltration.

For the interior:

Fill those cracks

Get a case of caulking. Once you are locked and loaded, walk around the house and look for any cracks and crevices and fill them. The gaps that form naturally as a house moves and climate changes can easily be fixed. Door casings, baseboards, and door and window trim are usual hot spots for gaps. Any small breaks in sheetrock seams between the wall and ceiling and crown molding can be caulked and painted. Otherwise, a buyer will be drawn to it and assume it’s a structural or chronic issue.

Hinges and doorknobs

Generally speaking, shoes and belts are supposed to match. Thus is the case with doorknobs and hinges. Consistency speaks volumes and a hallway filled with matching doorknobs and hinges also pops. Determine what the theme is for your house from the lighting and other fixtures. Then coordinate the rest of the house. These items are the garnish of home and state that you put in thought in how you wanted the house to look.

Clean!!!

One of the biggest complaints I hear from buyers after seeing a house is that it needed to be cleaned. Many sellers hit the major stuff well prior to listing (shower, toilet, appliances, floors) but miss the smaller, yet heavily trafficked areas. Switches and cover plates are constantly touched us as we turn a light on and plug something in and rarely get cleaned. A quick scrub with a Clorox wipe can get ride of any fingerprints or smudges. Other hot spots are doorknobs and the areas around them. A bathroom door with grime around the doorknob and door jam leaves little to be desired. Everyone realizes that bacteria exists, but to be confronted by an accumulation of it prior to entering a bathroom will distract a buyer from admiring your beautiful glass tiled shower and tasteful vanity. Anywhere your fingers touch (floors, doors, walls, windows) need to be cleaned.

These six fixes can go a long way to making the property presentable and are the least that should be done prior to listing the house. Otherwise, you may lose an otherwise interested party as they are not looking at what’s appealing about your home and rather focusing on perceived neglect. This is a hot market for home sellers, but I do not recommend leaving anything to chance. Your ultimate buyer love match might pass you by otherwise.

Joshua Greenwald is principal broker of Greenwald Realty Group in Keene, a boutique downtown real estate office with 14 Realtors. He and his wife, Jenny, head the agency which specializes in residential and commercial real estate sales and rentals. Serving the Cheshire County Region primarily, Josh has been a Realtor for 21 years and is licensed in NH and VT.  He serves on the executive committee with the New Hampshire Association Of Realtors and will be president in 2026. He was president of the Monadnock Region Board of Realtors in 2018 and was Realtor of the Year in 2019.