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Curb appeal is important for anyone trying to sell their home, since it’s the first impression prospective buyers have. Often, just cleaning up and taking care of your lawn is a big help, but it’s not enough if you’re competing with other sellers in the same area. Here are some hints to help you get ahead of the game.

For most people, the garage serves a practical purpose, holding your vehicles — or possibly just storage. But chances are the garage door takes up quite a bit of the outer facade of your home, and making it look nice could give a big boost to curb appeal. Repaint the trim or the garage door itself, or even fully replace the door if it’s showing signs of wear. Another functional-yet-aesthetic addition is lawn or patio furniture. Outdoor seating makes your home feel welcoming. On the more artistic side, yet still serving some purpose, are fixtures such as wind chimes or bird baths. Purely artistic sculptures also boost curb appeal. Whatever type of art features you use, it’s a good idea to position them symmetrically. There are some people for whom asymmetry as a certain appeal, but for most, symmetry is preferable. Once you have some ideas, it’s best to get a second opinion from friends or neighbors. Most homeowners have trouble assessing their own home with a critical viewpoint.

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Many people dream of owning a beachfront property. The biggest thing holding people back is that they can’t afford it, since beachfront properties are particularly expensive. But there are other considerations to make before diving into a purchase, even if you think you can afford it.

First of all, you need to know why you want to own a beachfront property. And no, just being able to say you own it is not a good reason. Do you love the beach or the ocean and want to live right on the sand? Do you want a vacation property? Are you just looking for a lucrative investment? Renting out beachfront property is actually not easy. Being expensive to buy means it’s also expensive to rent, so most renters are going to be short-term vacationers. Your home isn’t going to be consistently occupied unless you’re the one living there, in which case you aren’t earning rent. But if you can afford to keep it, the return on investment when you eventually sell is going to be quite high.

Another concern is the weather risks of beaches. These areas are often significantly more prone to heavy winds and flooding than inland areas. Check out the area, be aware of the risks, and make sure to purchase insurance that protects against wind and water damage. And even if the building itself isn’t damaged, shoreline erosion over time can reduce your property values.

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The most surefire way to enlarge a space is, of course, to expand it. But what if you don’t have the lot size or the money to expand? There are still things you can do within the square footage you have to make our home seem bigger than it is.

A couple of these methods still involve renovation, but don’t require any additional space, since it’s all within the existing structure. If your kitchen has an island, consider removing it. Island kitchens can be fashionable, and offer more storage and counter space, but can make it harder to maneuver or make the kitchen feel cramped. Open floor plans also increased the perceived size of the property. Look for interior walls that don’t need to be there, such as between the kitchen and dining room, and think about cutting them out. Your space will look much bigger, and not only by the thickness of the wall.

If you don’t want to do anything too drastic, there are psychological effects you can take advantage of. Using see-through materials such as glass enables you to see more of your home’s square footage without necessarily being in the room. These can be glass room dividers, windows in doors, or even something as small as a glass staircase railing. Mirrors have a similar effect, reflecting the square footage behind you into your vision. Your choice of colors also matters. Painting the walls in a lighter color doesn’t change the size of the room at all, yet still makes it feel larger. You can even use lighter shades of wood flooring.

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Once a transaction closes, new homebuyers are eager to get to the celebrating. Go ahead and celebrate, but don’t get ahead of yourself. While the real estate agent’s job is done, the homebuyer’s isn’t. Owning a new home also means many of your financial specifics have just changed. Don’t fall behind on your paperwork and payments because of out-of-date information.

Make sure your mortgage payments are properly set up. Verify the date of your first payment and get it in before it’s late. Consider setting up automatic payments to ensure that they’re on time. Your property tax amount also may have changed, and you’ll need to update your homeowner’s insurance.

There are also a couple things that may not need your immediate attention, but that you should be aware of. Loans are one thing that banks and other lenders often sell to each other. It’s entirely possible that who you owe money to will change, and this is especially important to keep track of if you are sending physical checks. The other thing to look out for is scams. They’re going to increase in frequency immediately after a sale, as scammers often try to pose as insurance companies selling home insurance or mortgage insurance.

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Home prices are high, which means fewer prospective buyers are able to afford your home. But the buyers don’t necessarily realize that, without a solid grasp on their financing options. That’s certainly not your fault, but there are things you can do to make sure you are avoiding dealing with people who don’t have a chance. Specifically, take hints from the luxury market. Your home may not have been in the luxury market a few years ago, but it could be now. Even if it isn’t, some of these tips may still be useful for you.

Real estate agents can do a lot of the work for you, if you know what you’re looking for. A good real estate agent will encourage any buyer that they represent to get a pre-approval letter from a lender, regardless of their budget. If they don’t have one, you’re probably better off not dealing with them. The type of open house you have is a big factor. While traditional open houses give you the greatest number of options as far as potential buyers, most of them won’t work out or are just looking and aren’t even interested. Worse, they can open up your doors to potential thieves, who often target higher-end homes. Consider a broker’s open instead, which would be attended only by agents who already have a buyer who is more likely to be seriously invested in buying a home. That will also let you know who the agent is that’s working for them, a potentially important piece of information. If the buyer’s agent is a specialty luxury agent, they will have already vetted their client, since they have as little interest in you do in working with a buyer who can’t afford a high-priced home.

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Major life decisions are always stressful, and selling your home is certainly no exception. But many sellers stress more than they need to because they haven’t properly prepared for the sale. While a good agent will be there to advise you, most decisions are ultimately yours to make, so you need to do your own homework as well.

Speaking of good agents, that’s the first thing you need to make sure of. Research agents who work in the area and discuss your goals with them. All agents have their own strengths and weaknesses, even if they don’t specialize, which many of them do. The best performing agent may not be the right agent for your particular needs. Ensure your agent knows whether you’re looking for top dollar or just need to sell fast, because that’s going to affect the listing price and timeline.

Your agent will hopefully provide you with an in-depth analysis of comparable properties. Even before you receive it, you should have a decent idea of your home’s value. If it’s drastically different from what your agent thinks, discuss that with the agent and try to reach an understanding. You could even find that you don’t actually want to sell because you’ll be making much less than you expected. Or maybe there are certain repairs that you didn’t feel were urgent, but may have a significant effect on your home’s value.

Once you start to receive offers, be smart and make appropriate adjustments. Read through the offers carefully, and look for a pre-approval letter if the prospective buyer requires a loan. A first offer doesn’t have to be final — don’t reject every offer with minor issues, but also don’t acquiesce to every buyer demand. Some deals simply won’t work out at all, but many can be negotiated through counteroffers.

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The best way to save money on storage is by utilizing space as efficiently as possible. In some cases, there may be small storage spaces already in your home that aren’t explicitly designed for that purpose, but work just as well. Alternatively, it’s possible that storage areas that are built for that purpose could benefit from a more efficient structure at minimal additional cost.

Every house has a bedroom, or at least a space where you put your bed. In your bed is on a frame, there’s going to be a bit of space under it. That space isn’t an inescapable void where errant socks and jewelry are lost forever. It’s a spot to put a few small boxes. If your home has multiple stories, there’s usually some space underneath the stairs. It may even already look like a storage area, but if it doesn’t, feel free to add a shelf or cabinet.

Your existing cabinets can also be made to use space better. Tilting drawers have two functions: they can conform to a space’s shape while manifesting a slightly different shape while in use, and they can be detached from the cabinet to utilize more of the open space. This method is often used for storing trash bins or creating hanging racks that sit horizontally when not needed. Another way to maximize your space’s shape is to use sliding drawers in narrow spaces where one couldn’t put a cabinet, or even inside a cabinet for extra surface area.

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For some people, the worst part about moving is unpacking everything once you’ve moved in. Often it’s not actually everything; some boxes frequently end up never reopened and simply sitting in storage. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are smart ways to unpack that can help you keep organized and reduce the time and stress.

Come up with a good labelling scheme for your boxes. Don’t just throw stuff in a box and figure out what’s in it later. The best way to do this is to organize by room — know ahead of time where you’re planning to put your items, and put the boxes in their appropriate rooms before even opening any of them. The first boxes you should open are the ones with your storage units and organizers, if your items weren’t already packed inside of them. Now, remember those boxes you’re just planning to shove into storage unopened? Maybe those are seasonal decorations, in which case that’s not an issue. But maybe you don’t actually need those items. You may have brought them with you, but that doesn’t mean you’re forced to keep them. Consider donating unneeded items to save storage space and reduce clutter.

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