As a home seller, it is important to do everything possible to generate interest in your residence. Otherwise, it may be tough for you to maximize your house sale earnings.

Ultimately, there are many things you can do to stir up interest in your house, such as:

1. Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal

Buyers may be more likely to schedule a showing to view a home that boasts amazing curb appeal versus other available houses. Fortunately, if you devote time and energy to revamp your house's exterior, you can ensure your home makes a positive first impression on buyers.

To upgrade your home's curb appeal, you should repair any cracked or chipped property siding. You also may want to remove debris from any home exterior walkways and ensure your front lawn is neat and tidy. That way, you can make it easy for buyers to fall in love with your residence as soon as they see it.

2. Remove Clutter

Clutter may make a house appear cramped. Luckily, if you remove clutter from your house, you can show off your residence's full potential to buyers.

If you have assorted personal belongings scattered across your home, you may want to put these items into a storage unit for the time being. This will help you keep your personal belongings safe until your residence sells. At the same time, removing these items from your house could help buyers envision what life may be like if they purchase your home.

3. Perform a Home Inspection

A home inspection is crucial for a seller, as it enables this individual to learn about any underlying property issues. Then, following an inspection, a seller can prioritize home repairs accordingly.

It generally won't take long for a home inspector to review your residence and provide you with his or her findings. Once you have a home inspection report at your disposal, you can determine exactly what you can do to improve your house and help it stand out to potential buyers.

For those who are searching for innovative ways to showcase a home to buyers, you may want to hire a real estate agent, too. This housing market professional can eliminate the guesswork commonly associated with selling a home.

Typically, a real estate agent works with a seller to ensure this individual's house selling dreams can come true. If a seller wants to get the best price for a home, for example, a real estate agent will craft a plan to help this individual achieve his or her desired results. Or, if a seller is unsure about how to promote a residence to buyers, a real estate agent will help this individual host home showings and open house events.

When it comes to selling a house, it usually is a good idea to prepare for the property selling journey. Thanks to the aforementioned tips, you can accentuate your home's features to prospective buyers. And as a result, you could speed up the house selling journey.

January 16, 2019

© Margaret Wright Photography / Houzz

Eighty-two percent of renovating homeowners this year who are changing the style of their kitchen says they’re making it farmhouse. Farmhouse now nearly ties contemporary in popularity (14 percent versus 15 percent, respectively). Transition—a mix of tradition and modern—still remains the most popular in kitchen design at 21 percent.

© Kimberley_Bryan / Houzz

“This year's study illuminates a number of prominent trends in today's kitchen,” says Nino Sitchinava, Houzz principal economist. “Engineered materials are clearly taking over natural stone in countertops and flooring. Thanks in part to the versatility of these materials, white continues to dominate the kitchen, from cabinets to countertops and walls. Finally, rapid advances in wireless and voice technology are transforming some kitchens into ‘air traffic control’ centers of the home.”

Kitchens aren’t cheap to redo and are about 10 percent more expensive this year, according to the study. The median kitchen renovation cost $11,000, while a major renovation to a large kitchen (more than 200 feet) cost $33,000.

Here are some more kitchen trends that emerged from the Houzz report:

Gray cabinets: White cabinets remain the most common (43 percent), but gray cabinets are winning over more fans. About one in ten homeowners—or 11 percent—chose gray cabinets for their kitchen. Gray cabinets are then often paired with brushed or satin nickel door hardware.

© Rikki Snyder / Houzz

White and quartz countertops: Granite continues to decline in popularity, while engineered quartz is surpassing all of the natural stone materials combined among kitchen remodelers who updated their countertops. White counters are gaining steam, making up nearly one in every three upgraded countertops.

Mixed finishes: More than half of homeowners—54 percent—say they’ve mixed metal finishes across their fixtures and hardware. For those who mix and match, nickel is popular, but many then opt for oil-rubbed bronze or brushed or satin black finish for door hardware and lighting fixtures.

Engineered flooring: Only a quarter of remodelers who updated their flooring chose natural hardwood, marking a significant decline from recent years. Engineered flooring—such as engineered wood, vinyl, and laminate—have become nearly twice as popular in the meantime.

Appliance finish: Stainless steel may still rule, but black stainless is growing more popular as an appliance finish. It is now in one of every 10 upgraded kitchens. Read The New Kitchen Finish: Black Stainless

High-tech add-ons: More than half of upgraded faucets are high-tech, including water efficiency, no-fingerprint coating, and touch-free activation. Other high-tech features in the kitchen include wireless controls in upgraded appliances and home assistants.

Farmhouse design continues to gain popularity in kitchen remodels, according to the 2019 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, a survey of more than 1,300 homeowners who are planning or in the midst of a kitchen project.

Eighty-two percent of renovating homeowners this year who are changing the style of their kitchen says they’re making it farmhouse. Farmhouse now nearly ties contemporary in popularity (14 percent versus 15 percent, respectively). Transition—a mix of tradition and modern—still remains the most popular in kitchen design at 21 percent.

Pressure washing your home can be an excellent way to increase curb appeal on a budget. A good pressure washer can be used to clean vinyl siding, windows, driveways, decks and sidewalks.

You can buy, rent, or hire a pressure washer. And, there are a number of different types of machines available. So, in this post, I’m going to give you some tips on pressure washing your home to increase curb appeal and discuss which option might be the best for you.

Buying a pressure washer

If your next move is to a new home with vinyl siding and you plan on living there for several years. You may find that buying a pressure washer is the best option for you.

Many pressure washers pay for themselves after 3-5 uses. However, high end washers can be much more expensive.

The first thing to consider when buying a pressure washer is to determine what you’ll need it for and how often you’ll use it.

If you have a deck, sidewalk, or driveway that sit underneath pine trees, you can bet that they’re going to get dirty frequently.

If you find yourself wanting a washer more than once a year, it’s likely a safe investment.

Gas vs electric

Consumer pressure washers come in two main types: gas and electric. Gas-powered washers tend to be stronger (and therefore more dangerous). They’re also noisy and will require maintenance and tune-ups on occasion.

Electric, on the other hand, are better for less heavy duty cleaning. They tend to be cheaper, at around $100 - $250 each (vs $250 - $500 for a gas-powered washer), but you do sacrifice some power at the expense of cost and convenience.

Regardless of which option you choose, it’s important to understand that pressure washers can be dangerous machines if not used correctly. Be sure to fully follow the instructions on your washer and to never point it at yourself, including shoes, or clothing.

Renting a pressure washer

If you don’t want to deal with storage or maintenance, renting is a great option for a one-time job. Perhaps your next home will be a condo or townhouse where you don’t have to worry about exterior maintenance. In these situations, a one-time rental can be a good option.

Power washers can be rented from many hardware stores, including The Home Depot. But, a quick Google search for your area should bring up multiple places to rent nearby.

Hiring a professional pressure washer

Pressure washing your home, driveway, or deck is a lot easier than scrubbing them with a brush. But, it still takes a good deal of time to go out and pick up the rental, return home, figure out how to set up the washer and then clean your entire home.

To avoid the headache (and the potential safety risks), many homeowners hire a local pressure washing company to do the job.

Hiring a company has its advantages; namely, when you hire a professional (one with good reviews on Yelp and Google), you’re going to get the best results.