Trying to sell your house? Shelter-in-place mandates due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has brought unforeseen challenges to our personal and professional lives. But with a little creativity, know that marketing a house during coronavirus — and selling it — is still possible. You can think of quarantine as a new opportunity to see your house with a fresh and critical eye. And with more and more sellers having to sell their home virtually as a result of social distancing, this step becomes even more critical.

As you peruse your house, try to experience it as if it was your first time. What could be improved today? Where can you make small changes that go a long way in attracting potential buyers? To give you a head start, here are 10 quick DIY tips for home sellers to hone in on during quarantine.

1. Add White

Although you should add splashes of color where it makes sense in your house, it’s also wise to keep things simple. If your walls are a little dark, even after you open the windows, paint them a clean, minimalistic white or off-white. This creates a neutral environment that buyers will find easier to picture themselves living in. Plus, white often makes a space feel bigger, so if you’re worried about the size of your house, this is an easy update. And why stop there? Are your towels an odd, dingy color, standing out for all the wrong ways? Replace them with all-white towels instead, as this gives off a clean, spa-like vibe.

2. Deep Clean

You may be selling your house virtually, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on deep cleaning your house. Make sure to take the time to thoroughly clean every room, and pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. And don’t forget about wiping down scuff marks on walls or floors that may be initially overlooked. You want to approach this process with the same mindset as if you were still holding a traditional open house. If it helps your motivation to light candles or listen to music while you clean, do so.

3. Declutter

When staging your house to sell, you want to allow prospective buyers to see the home clearly instead of being distracted by unnecessary items. Aim to be as minimalistic as possible. As you declutter the house, ask yourself if leaving a particular item displayed will add or detract from the buyer experience. If you’re having trouble deciding, your best bet is to put it out of sight.

4. De-Personalize

You’ve probably gone to great lengths to make your home tailored to you, but now is the time to strip it from anything that shows who you are. If you want prospective buyers to picture themselves living in your house, it’s important to take the step to de-personalize. Other than photo albums and picture frames, de-personalizing means removing anything that might lean into a specific aesthetic, as not everyone has the same taste.

5. Hang Mirrors

When selling a home, mirrors have the extraordinary ability to multitask. Not only are they artistic and stylish in a way that doesn’t turn away buyers, but they can make any room — no matter how small — appear bigger and brighter, thanks to their reflective quality. So if you have any mirrors stowed away, you’d be wise to hang them up!

6. Update Rugs

Besides deep cleaning your rugs, eye them for frayed edges and any irregularities in size. Make sure they’re not too big or too small for the room, as that can come across as unattractive to prospective buyers. And while you’re at it, check if the rug truly matches the vibe of the room. If you’re having doubts, try swapping it out or removing it altogether.

7. Update Windows

Begone, old, heavy, and outdated drapes. When preparing your home to sell, it’s essential to keep the environment light and minimalistic. If you have drapes that seem to drag a room down, it’s likely that buyers will feel the same. By updating your window furnishings to a light and airy fabric, the space has room to breathe, evoking a feeling of possibility and wonder.

8. Make Minor Repairs

Have you been meaning to get to that broken light switch in the hallway? There’s no better time than quarantine to finally fix it. Even though buyers will not be able to physically tour your house, you still want to address minor issues (especially if they’re easy fixes). After all, buyers may ask you specific questions about the functionality of an item in your house, so it’s in your best interest to maintain it.

9. Reorganize Bookshelves

De-cluttering and de-personalizing your house doesn’t necessarily mean removing your books from display. If you have one or more bookcases stacked with books, try packing some away to allow your bookshelves to breathe and feel lighter. From there, experiment by arranging some books vertically and horizontally and adding bookends to accent the shelves. Books, arranged in a strategic way, offer undeniable charm to an otherwise minimalistic environment.

10. Let the Light In

There’s nothing quite like a dose of light. Whether it’s through photographs, video, or in-person, natural light is a critical element in staging your home to sell. This is especially important for virtual showings. After all, if your house is too dark for buyers to experience properly, all your hard work in preparing your home will be for naught. Thankfully, it’s an easy DIY tip!

As you can see, strategy and a critical eye are huge parts of staging your home effectively. We hope these DIY selling tips during coronavirus give you a head start in attracting prospective buyers — whether it’s through virtual showings during quarantine or beyond.