The busy summer buying season is ending soon, so now’s the time for hopeful sellers to take on a few last-minute projects to boost their properties’ appeal. While many homeowners have been able to sell, having had multiple offers – others may still have that opportunity by making a few minor changes with a little time and handiwork.

There are plenty of DIY projects that can help homeowners make their properties more appealing both inside and out, and therefore boost their chances of selling their homes before summer comes to an end, according to HGTV. One of the simplest is to put a little more effort into making a yard look good with some extra gardening, yard cleanup (like raking leaves and clearing twigs or branches) and a freshly mowed lawn.

Improving the exterior
In addition, it’s also relatively easy to make sure to clean out gutters or pressure wash the side of a home to really make the property sparkle, and also make any repairs to damage that may be visible on the home’s exterior. Furthermore, a fresh paint job, especially on the front doors or around the windows, can go a long way toward making a home look newer than some might think. So too can simply buying a new welcome mat.

Inside the home
Once the outside of the house is taken care of, homeowners obviously have to turn their attention inside. Taking the time to make rooms a little less personalized – so that would-be buyers can more easily picture themselves living in the house – is a good idea, as is repainting any bold-colored rooms to make them a bit more muted. So too can efforts to organize drawers, closets, and other hidden-away areas help, especially when curious open house attendees might want to poke around.

It’s also important to keep in mind the kinds of rooms shoppers will want to investigate most thoroughly, according to IKEA. Chief among them is almost always the kitchen, so homeowners may want to stow away many of the appliances they keep on counters and islands, and make sure every surface in the room sparkles.

Along similar lines, people are always going to be particularly interested in the home’s bedrooms, so making sure to clean those as much as possible, hide away any personal items or even things like remote controls or kids’ toys. Finally, it’s also wise to give everything in the bathroom a serious scrubbing, because anything awry in there can be a serious turnoff for many would-be buyers.

Working with real estate professionals to boost curb appeal is always a good idea, because agents know from years of experience what efforts are most likely to result in a quick and easy sale, even when homes have been on the market for a few months.