Selling your existing home can add a lot of stress to your life. Deciding on a real estate agent, fielding potential buyers, keeping things neat and tidy, and getting ready to close the door on your old home can be exhausting. Home building in Melbourne, Florida always poses a challenge.

But, did you know there are several simple fixes you can do on your own to help get your home sold faster? In May alone the sale of existing homes was up 4.9 percent from the previous month making this the largest gain since August of 2011.

These transactions include single-family homes, co-ops, and condos according to the National Association of Realtors. If you have been considering putting your existing home on the market now may be a great time. Let’s take a look at some things you can do to get your home sold.

Get Rid of the Clutter

Many prospective home buyers go straight to the closets to see how much storage a home has. If you have lots of belongings scattered about this can give the appearance that your home does not have enough space. Try boxing up a large portion of you clothing and shoes. This can give the appearance of adequate space and alleviate storage concerns.

Create a Neutral Space

When someone comes to view your home they want to envision their belongings in your space. So take down family photos, remove your personal items, and make a space buyers can see themselves in.

Don’t Over Spend on Upgrades

When home sellers are in a rush to put their homes on the market sometimes they mistakenly believe that everything has to be brand spanking new. However, costly upgrades may not be the best return on your investments.

Rather than going crazy trying to get the best and brightest focus your attention on fresh paint, new knobs, hinges, and door handles. Make sure your grout is clean. Rather than a new toilet perhaps a new seat and cover are all you really need. Simple, relatively small, changes can add so much to your home and you don’t have to break the bank doing them.

Do Spend on the Kitchen

It could be said that the kitchen is the most important room in your home when it comes to selling. If you need to upgrade it would be wise to spend the money there but don’t go too crazy. Access the kitchens within your neighborhood or those of recently sold comparable homes. If you spend too much you may price yourself out of your target market and lose the money you invested on upgrades.

Let the Sunshine In

Open your curtains and let the light in. Light can make any room appear larger and more open so keep that in mind when staging your home for buyers.

Keep Your Home Ready to Show

This one can be a pain. Because you never know when you may receive a call from an agent it is best to keep your home ready for viewings at all times. You’ve already done all the hard work of de-cluttering your closets and putting away personal items so just be sure to stay on top of it.

Every person that walks through your door could be the one that eventually becomes its new owner. Sometimes a quick glance is all a buyer needs to decide whether or not they want to see more.