Simple steps can up a home's appeal to buyers

It's a question all homeowners face when they decide to sell: How can you make your home as appealing to potential buyers as possible? In today's market, that question has become even more crucial.

"It really depends how much your home is worth," says New York-based interior designer Janine Carendi. "Is it in move-in condition, and will buyers expect it to be?"

Not everyone should invest in fancy upgrades and fresh coats of paint, she says. But all homeowners can benefit from reorganizing and beautification.

Carendi and fellow designers Mallory Mathison and Brian Patrick Flynn offer some tips on making your home market-ready on a budget:

OUTSIDE HELP

"Always listen to the professional you're hiring to sell your home," Carendi says. "The agent has so much experience, and he or she can see the potential of the home and how they want to market it."

Some owners hire a staging company to redecorate their home specifically to appeal to buyers. A cool twist on that idea: Flynn suggests hiring a photo stylist (a regional magazine can probably recommend one) to give your place a fresh look.

"Home stagers are all the rage right now," Flynn says, "but magazine photo stylists are the masters at turning spaces into cover shots packed with 'wow' factor. They not only make the rooms look their best but they also know the proper styling to suggest a room's use."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

A good first impression won't guarantee a sale, but a bad one can scuttle it, says Mathison: "If the entry way is blase, that can set a precedent for the rest of the house."

Outside, she says, clean thoroughly and "pay close attention to the front door. You want it freshly painted or stained." Keep the lawn trimmed, if you have one, and add a few potted plants near the door for a look that's "pulled together but not overdone."

Inside, consider touchup painting in the entryway, and add a mirror if the area doesn't get much natural light. If the front door leads directly into your living room without a foyer or vestibule, Flynn suggests using furniture to "create the sense that you're walking into the area where you decompress." Add a bench near the door and a console where someone could drop their keys and mail on arriving home.

CLEAN AND FRESH

"I see fingerprints on white doors all the time," Carendi says of homes that are for sale.