By Elizabeth Cloutman

This spring, with mortgage interest rates at a 30-year low of 6.75 percent, buyers are once again looking for their dream house. There is also a larger inventory of homes for sale, which means more choice for the buyers - and more competition for sellers.

“In today’s market, there’s a lot more competition … with the same or similar type homes,” said Rich Gendreau, an agent at Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Altos. “The (local) market is starting to go back to a more normal market.”

Gendreau, Chris Hawkins of Century 21 Contempo Realty, Cupertino, and Fred Hibbert, managing broker of Coldwell Banker, Los Altos, offered ideas to sellers on showing a home to its best advantage.

First impressions are key, Hawkins, Gendreau and Hibbert said. “Sellers should look at their property as if they’re seeing it for the first time,” said Hibbert. “You get one chance at a first impression.”

A home should have “curb appeal,” the realtors advised, with fresh exterior paint in up-to-date color schemes. The front and back yards and entry should be well-maintained with trees and hedges neatly trimmed. Use plants that add color. Hibbert also suggested restaining and replacing hardware on the front door, if needed, as well as replacing the welcome mat and brass address numbers.

Buyers are also affected by first impressions as they enter a home. A house should appear light and bright. The seller’s best investment is fresh paint and new or professionally cleaned carpeting in neutral colors that reflect light. Opening drapes and window shades to allow natural light in is also helpful. “Natural light in your home is the greatest thing you can do,” Hawkins said. Clean windows are also important, Hibbert said.

The buyers’ sense of smell also affects their first impression. The smell of fresh paint and carpeting is appealing, Gendreau said. “Animal odors are very negative,” Hawkins added. “Get a friend or relative to watch your dog while your home is on the market. Also, watch what you’re cooking. Oils and frying are a no-no.”

A sense of space is also important in a home, both realtors said. “Less is more is a good rule of thumb,” Hawkins advised. “Furnish sparingly and remove clutter. (A buyer doesn’t have) a good impression of functional space if a home appears cluttered.” Hibbert said the first thing a seller should do before putting a home up for sale is have a garage sale to get rid of extraneous belongings.

Hibbert also recommended organizing closets and minimizing their contents. “Buyers will look,” he said. “The more spacious the closets, the better.”

Gendreau suggested a seller might even want to hire a home stager to arrange a home for sales appeal.

Buyers also notice kitchens and bathrooms, Gendreau and Hawkins said. Fix all plumbing leaks and make sure the fixtures are immaculate or, if they’re worn, replace them.

Sellers should use their own judgment in deciding whether to do extensive remodeling, such as redoing a kitchen. “Do it for your own enjoyment,” Hawkins said. “There’s never a guarantee you will get dollar for dollar on your investment.”

One exception is if a home is older and a kitchen is dated, replacing worn linoleum and old appliances.

“The most important thing is to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes,” Gendreau said.