The old adage is that you only get one chance to create a first impression. That's true, but in real estate sales, there's a corollary to that statement that says: Great first impressions create quick sales. With that in mind, let's walk through a typical house and talk about how to create a great first impression in a potential buyer's mind.

We'll start with the kitchen, which is one of the most important selling points in any home that's on the market. If your house is currently for sale, you want your kitchen to be as bare as possible. If a utensil or appliance isn't something you use every day and can hardly get along without, it shouldn't be in the kitchen for buyers to see. There should also be no unusual smells of any kind, and all surfaces should be spotlessly clean.

Next to the kitchen, great bathrooms are vital to selling a home. There should be no leaks, whether in the shower, the tub, the sink, or the toilet. Like the kitchen, everything in the bathroom should be spotless. Keep nice towels out that perfectly match the color scheme of the bathroom. Make sure the mirrors are pristine and shiny. Keep countertops free of clutter, and only keep the most essential items in your shower stall. Everything else should be put in cupboards, well out of sight--or boxed up and put away, ready for your move.

Sellers often overlook the significance of closets, but they're also important, because everyone is always looking for more closet space to store things. Therefore, it's important to unclutter your closets in order to make them appear larger. Again, here is a chance for you to begin packing up things in preparation for your move, so your closets will appear more spacious to potential buyers.

Garages and basements tend to collect lots of stuff, too, so keep boxing things and putting them in storage, if you have to, in order to let prospective buyers be able to see just how big these spaces really are. It can be hard for men to do, but all the excess tools in both places need to be boxed up and put away if you're going to create the best possible first impression in your garage and basement.

In your living room, try to make everything match, as far as dcor. Remove the clutter first, of course, but leave enough furniture and attractive knickknacks to make the room look as homey and comfortable as possible without becoming overcrowded. It's a fine line, but if you can get it right, your living room will create a great first impression.

The same is true with bedrooms. You want enough furniture in the rooms to create a lived-in, inviting space without crowding so much in that the bedrooms seem to shrink. Keeping bedrooms neat, with made beds and no clothes lying around, can go a long way toward creating a favorable first impression.

You only get one chance at a first impression. If you use that chance well, you'll find yourself signing a sales agreement much more quickly--often at a higher price.

Copyright 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher