When you’re getting ready to sell a property or other investment, there are a lot of things you can do to create curb appeal so everything works in your favor. Within 10 seconds of a potential buyer first seeing the outside of a house is when statistics show they decide whether or not they want to see the inside. This is one of the single most important things you can do to attract buyers initially. Not only so you can get more for your property, but also sell it faster than you might otherwise.

Here are some cost effective things you can do quickly to make your real estate investment more profitable. You may not be using some these concepts to your advantage even though you may be familiar with them. A lot of these principles also apply for creative real estate investing strategies like foreclosures, flipping, wholesaling, lease options, property assignments and rehabs.

Aside from standard cleaning, here are some of the most important things you can do to have the most impact with minimal cost:

-Mow the grass first and then clean the flower beds and trim the trees and shrubs

-Many investment properties can be made to look like new by simply pressure washing exterior walls

-The use of touch up paint will help where you can avoid repainting the entire room

-When you need to paint, use neutral or lighter color paint that will appeal to more buyers.

-Eliminate or replace “dated” features like wall paper, old fixtures and knobs

-Remove the garbage and clutter in the house especially in the closets and pantry

-Replace the carpet in areas that absolutely need it and have the rest of the carpets cleaned

-When color and definition are needed paint the front door.

-Clean and sweep the front porch and the pathway leading up to it

-Clean the debris from the gutters and downspouts

-Remove oils stains in the driveway

-Leaks, cracks and stains must be repaired

-Remove old, dirty welcome mats and replace them with new ones

-A bench or some seating on the porch or even in the entry way is well worth the investment and add a lot if room permits.

-Add flowers in pots to the porch and then add some color to the entry way

-New brighter light fixtures will add a lot of appeal to your house so replace the old dim ones

-Clean or re-grout tile including showers and bathrooms

-Old and dirty drapes, shower curtains and blinds need to be cleaned or replaced. -Minimal window converings let a lot of natural light into the room so get rid of old drapes

-Clean light switches, door handles and handrails

Wash mirrors and windoows

-Air out the house and use natural air fresheners. -There are many people who have allergic reactions to chemical based air fresheners so don’t use them.

Remember, you don’t have to break the bank with excessive remodeling; many of the things we’ve talked about will not cost very much but can make a big difference. Don’t do expensive renovations when small details will acutally do more for you. This can even be advantageous for low risk, quick cash strategies such as a system to flip houses and similar effective fast cash investment strategies!