I just couldn't fit this all into one post. It was becoming more like a newspaper. So, following up with our Economical Suggestions series, here's my lesson in exterior paint:

I still remember a house that was repainted during my high school years. We drove by it every day. Many did. It was a two-story home with a boat parked out on the driveway. The boat had a blue tarp over it, year round. The home had traditional white trim and a base color of neon yellow-orange with an emphasis on neon and orange. Visualize a chartreuse fire engine parking out front.

Color makes an impression.

When choosing exterior paint, don’t mix reds and blues. And don't paint just because the paint was free.

Most people choose a neutral base tone and accent with a darker, complimentary color. My painter friend instructed me there are red-base yellows and blue-base yellows. (My response was “Huh?”) This means even a light cream, light tan, or light gray will either have a red base or a blue base. Don’t pick a red-base cream when you want blue trim. It will clash. Select colors from a color chart where you can see the deep tone through light tone of a particular color. That enables you to determine the red vs. blue base color.

I saw this in action when I repainted my house: it was a cream base with grey-blue trim. I wanted to change the trim to a mauve-purple (yes, not your color, but it works for me). I thought the base color was OK, but when the red-base trim went over the blue-base trim in a test area, the original “cream base” color of the house looked grey. That’s because it was a blue-based cream, not a red-based cream.

Needless to say we proceeded to repaint it all, just like the painter said I would have to!

Remember to consider roof color before making your selections. If you like a gray with white trim, but your roof is brown, it won’t blend well. Brown is a “red base” so you will do better with a red-base tan or red-base cream. Also, three-toned exterior paint schemes are popular. Usually these schemes include a light base, midtone trim color, and a dark accent tone for the gutters and doors.

And, before you get creative, think resale value: i.e., my purple exterior trim works for me, but not 99% of buyers. BUT, a brick red can easily be painted over it and that combination, red-cream and brick red, is considered more publicly favorable.

The next, and a very often made suggestion, is

Fresh Paint

A great way to “freshen” up a home is through paint. Any home that has been lived in a while will have some dings and scuffs, and part to the staging or selling preparation is to find ways to open and add light to your home. Fresh paint is a good way to do that, whether it be a full new paint job or just touch up to dings on the doorways and windowsills.

Look through your home with a critical eye to see if you have furniture marks, crayons, vacuum scuffs, and dirty fingerprints that will show up under a buyer’s discerning eye. If your home hasn’t been painted inside for the past five years, it probably will need some touching up or full wall repainting. If you are a smoker or burn candles, repainting the ceilings may be a good idea to remove a sooty or gray residue.

Garage doors and front doors often take the brunt of wear and tear. Automotive stains on the driveway and garage floor will detract from your home’s appearance also. If your home is just dingy on the edges from environmental aspects, a low power wash may be the answer to rinse off the dirt and get those stains out of the walkways and driveway.

Most stagers will recommend the exterior have “inviting” colors and the interior neutrals. You want the outside to look fresh and modern, and the inside to appear move-in ready with tones that blends with anyone’s furniture.

Don’t forget about your baseboards. Move out the furniture from the wall and, with some elbow grease and a Mr. Clean sponge, you can get a good deal of that compacted dust and grit off your white baseboards and save yourself some repainting or replacement costs.

And, if you have your interior paint completely redone….spend the extra $100 to replace your outlet covers and switchplates so they are all clean and match. The painter will remove the covers before painting, so put any dingy, dinged, or mismatched covers in a baggie and go to Home Depot and get new ones for the painter to reinstall.

For those do-it-yourselfers (of which I am one), I’ll follow up with some more tips about painting in the next few days!

Thanks for checking back. Today I'll address the next part in our seller suggestions:

Closet organizers

What homeowner doesn’t have too much stuff? Built-in closet organizers add a bright “wow” for that home shopper plus the benefit of more storage space. For those of us who hang what hangs and pile what piles, a closet organizer system is a good way to store things so they look pretty and avoid the cramped piles that make buyers wonder if they can fit into the home.

There are plenty of do-it-yourself options that a homeowner can assemble. White will give a small or unlit closet a larger feel, and wire organizer systems are completely adjustable and can be designed to fit in any space. Or, there are kit-closet organizers designed for standard closets that combine shelving, drawers, shoe systems, etc. Stores like Walmart, Target, and Home Depot have a number of options, including some systems with a selection of wood finishes that are stand-alone and don’t need to be installed and bolted to walls.

I have ONE closet in my house. Yep. One closet. Not kidding. No pantry, no hall closet, no entry closet–one master bedroom closet. It was probably a windowless bedroom when the house was initially built, so, thankfully, it is about 12 x 7. After adding three tiers of adjustable wire shelving (one top tier and two racks/clothes bar combinations), white laundry center, white rollaway drawer sets, and a stand-alone “pantry” cabinet system, we had a world of change in appearance and useable space. Two people, their pantry groceries, spare linens, household cleaning items, clothes, Costco surplus, and the furnace all fit now in one closet with room to spare. This incredible, closet-organizer transformation cost about $600 in shelving materials and a weekend of labor to install. Changing the mustard tan walls to a high-gloss bright white with a hint of blue ($60) and track pendant lights ($100) were the finishing touches. And the rollaway plastic three-drawer systems that fit perfectly under the second tier of clothes, run about $15 to $25 each depending on width. I can even vacuum down the center.

Yes, closet organizers are worth their weight in gold, whether you're selling your home, renting it out, or just need more space. Conquer the closet, then move on to the garage. Here's a hint: Overhead storage racks are available at Target and Home Depot. We put one in the garage and one in the utility room and about 2 large suitcases and 10 boxes of wrapping paper, holiday decorations and STUFF disappeared out of the closet. Yipee! Cost of overhead storage racks: about $50 each.

And most of these organizational items will be on sale for "spring cleaning" time!

Before you list your home for sale, look for areas in your home you can enhance with new:

Lighting

Light fixtures can also be an inexpensive upgrade. You can purchase a new dining room chandelier for $100 to $200 and it will completely change the look of your room.

In older homes lights may be hardwired in vs. newer fixtures that simply clip into existing wiring. If you are knowledgeable with electricity you may be capable to do these upgrades yourself, but if you aren’t, I would recommend you consult with a contractor or electrician who can safely switch out the fixtures.

If you’re a capable do-it-yourselfer, a good kitchen upgrade is to get rid of that ‘80s fluorescent ceiling tube light. It will involve some texture and painting to the ceiling, but swapping out a bulky light for a decorative pendant fixture or recessed lighting in the kitchen is a big plus, and it can be done over one to two weekends.

Avoid clear or globe-less ceiling-mount light fixtures, even in closets and garages. Naked light bulbs are not attractive. You don’t have to spend a fortune either. A $20 basic “Home Depot special” in place of those old hall/ceiling fixtures will do the trick. Oh, and if you have those 4- to 8-bar vanity lights, use bulbs designed for vanities that ALL MATCH. Compact fluorescent bulbs save on energy, but they don’t show well in vanities. Use them in covered lights. I personally like to use GE Reveal bulbs wherever I can. They aren’t the most efficient for lifespan, but I like the brighter “natural” light.

Keep in mind, ceiling fans with lights are good buys. Not only do ceiling fans help circulate air, thus conserving heating and air conditioning costs, but you can install them in most ceiling-mount light fixtures.

And don’t forget about exterior lighting. Motion-sensor porch lights are nice replacements for older fixtures, and a few stake solar walkway lights can enhance your front and rear yard landscaping. Not all buyers will first view your home during the day. Lighting the walkway and creating a welcome atmosphere for evening visitors is an added plus.

Another suggestion that sometimes comes into play with preparing older homes for sale is:

New doors

As with any stage of remodeling, you can really go nuts with an investment in new doors. Often a fresh coat of paint will brighten up scuffed and scrapped doors. It’s like touching up or cleaning trim and baseboards. New doors can get pricey if you’re not aware of what’s involved.

I would recommend that interior or exterior door replacements be considered if your home has:
- Mismatched interior doors
- Doors that are warped and sagging
- Old, hollow flat-panel doors
- Severely worn or scarred doors

You can buy prehung doors (that come with the frame and trim) or just the door itself. If you buy just the door you will need to match it to fit the opening. Just because your old door has three hinges and the new door does also, that by no means guarantees a correct fit. You may spend hours adjusting hinges up and down, in and out. If you don’t go with prehung doors, plan to use a door matching service. Take the old door with you and get the new door’s hardware fitted to match that of the old door. New doors may come primed or painted. Watch what you buy. They may both look white but if they are primed you will need to paint them also. If you have to shorten or file the door to make it fit, be prepared to paint the whole door.