Nancy Iliffe is a Realtor with Shelton and Stewart Realtors in Coral Gables.

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Nancy Iliffe, a Realtor with Shelton and Stewart Realtors in Coral Gables.

10. If you want to boost curb appeal, buy a few bags of mulch and add to your existing flower beds. It’s cheap and readily available at any local garden store – but no red mulch, please.

9. Have a good friend (someone who will tell you the truth) perform a sight and smell inspection, with them paying close attention to curb appeal. A 10-minute walk through will give you the most obvious areas that need attention – and it will only cost you $15 for lunch.

8. One or two bright colored potted plants at your front door will do a lot to enhance the entry and give a positive first impression.

7. Hire a window washer. Your house will sparkle inside and out. To keep the price down, I use Windex Outdoor Glass, and patio concentrated cleaner hooked up to a hose. It also cleans patio furniture. The cost is about $20.

6. Add extra lighting to an entry to give the initial impression of a warm and inviting home. You can find great lamps for under $100 at Home Goods, Marshalls or any outlet store. And be sure to increase the wattage in lamps to a total of 100 watts for a 50 square foot area.

5. A good quality welcome mat is a home staging essential, and shouldn’t cost more than $25 at Home Depot.

4. Consider renting a couch if the one you own is worn or if the color is too loud. I have used large decorator pillows from Pier One to cover an unattractive sofa that may be the focal point of a living room for under $50.

3. Show off an eat-in kitchen by setting a pretty table with simple white plates and a fresh bouquet of flowers or an orchid. Fresh flowers are always a great staging investment. I like to remove any dried or dead flowers from the house and replace them with anything fresh.

2. New toilet seats and shower curtains will make bathrooms look fresh. Don’t leave the toilet seat up, and please don’t close the shower curtain. Lights should be turned on before showing. Toothbrushes and personal items should be out of
sight.

1. Everyone knows that de-cluttering is a must before putting your home on the market. Buy packing boxes and remove clutter from countertops and closets. Store boxes neatly in a corner of the garage. Boxes will cost less than $30.

Nancy Iliffe is a 35-year industry veteran who began her real estate career as a developer on the Monterey Peninsula in 1970. She has sold real estate in South Florida since 1981, and has been a consistent multi-million dollar top producer since then. She has been a member of the Master Brokers Forum since 1995, and is on the forum’s advisory board.