DEARBORN — While the housing market is currently booming, some sellers may not know how to guarantee the sale of their homes.

Realtor Dave Abdallah said that it’s all about curb appeal.

“It’s extremely important to take care of your home on the outside,” he said. “The exterior of a home is equally if not more important than the interior.”

When driving through neighborhoods, the first thing people see is the exterior of your home. Abdallah said that is what most buyers will do first.

“Most buyers get a list of homes from their realtors and they will actually go driving around and look at the exterior of the homes prior to scheduling a viewing,” he said. “Most buyers decide what homes to proceed with looking at based solely on what the exterior looks like.”

While many residents take deep care for their properties, Abdallah said it’s important to focus on a few key exterior points.

“Having a well maintained and nice address plaque that’s legible is always a good thing to have,” he said. “When people are buying homes they want to be able to find it easily. A nice, tidy entryway with a nice light fixture outside, a cleaned up front door, porch and steps are all important. Having a nice entryway into the home can determine the sale, as most buyers decide within the first seven to nine seconds of entering a home if it’s one that they want.”

Another part of having a nice, welcoming entryway to your home is making sure your landscaping is welcoming, too.

“Make sure that the landscaping is trimmed up,” Abdallah said. “You really want to jazz up the front with maybe mulch or nice looking rocks. It may cost you roughly $400-$800, but it’ll be the best $400-$800 you’ll spend.”

There’s a way you live and then there’s a way you sell. Order a city inspection ahead of time to get the home up to code and do a private inspection so you can get the repairs done ahead of time as well. — Realtor Dave Abdallah

Abdallah also said it’s important to declutter the inside of your home before listing it for sale.

“Do anything that can make the home more appealing,” he said. “Declutter, have carpets and floors cleaned, maybe a fresh coat of paint and make sure everything is nice and tidy by clearing out 30-50 percent of what’s in a room. Create the illusion of more space so buyers can get a visual for how they could make it their own.”

Some other recommendations Abdallah has for sellers is to get the inspections done first.

“There’s a way you live and then there’s a way you sell,” he said. “Order a city inspection ahead of time to get the home up to code and do a private inspection so you can get the repairs done ahead of time as well. It’s also very important to make sure that good, quality photos are taken of your home. I recommend at least 30 photos.”

While sellers have a lot of steps to take prior to selling, Abdallah said it’s important buyers do their due diligence as well.

“Buyers should always be pre-approved first,” he said. “Interview your realtor and make sure that they are a good fit for you. Look for one with a good reputation and experience. Also, look around at the school system in the neighborhood as well as safety and city services. While city inspections are nice, they are not enough. You should always get a private inspection done.”

While curb appeal, neighborhood safety and school systems are important factors to look at for both buyers and sellers, the price may be the ultimate game changer.

“Price your home competitively,” Abdallah said. “If homes in the neighborhood are selling for $100,000, don’t list yours at $200,000. If you overprice your home, it’s possible that it’s just going to sit on the market and rot.”