Why stage your house?  People have busy lives and they want to walk in and look at a house and say, “I can see myself in this house and in this lifestyle.  I can move into this space without doing anything.”  Potential buyers must be able to easily to picture themselves and their things in your house.

1.  First Impressions

To get buyers in your house, they have to be impressed by what they see from the street.  Put yourself in their shoes.  Walk out in the street and take a hard look at the first impression your home makes and do what it takes to make the front entrance inviting.

• Trim overgrown trees and bushes

• Remove dead plants and shrubs

• Clean the windows to not only convey tidiness but to also let in more natural light

• Paint the front door

• Polish your street number, door knocker, and mailbox.

• Move all garbage cans, extra building materials, etc. into the garage.

• Weed and mulch all planting areas

• Keep lawn freshly cut

• Clear patios or decks of all unnecessary items

------- CURB APPEAL REALLY WORKS -------

2.  Dirt and Clutter - Not Your Friends

No dust, cobwebs or trash should be visible.  People looking to buy a home are usually extremely observant and meticulous so everything has to be spotlessly clean.

• Counters such as those in the kitchen and bathrooms must be clear and clean

• Remove most photos and knickknacks since they can distract buyers.

• Hallways and doorways, in particular, need to be clear and open.

• Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc.

• Empty trash cans

• Don’t forget the garage, basement and attic.

3.  Space – The Desired Frontier

What you want to do is open the house up so it looks large and uncluttered.  You want a spacious look so people can picture their own stuff in it.

Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. Having lived in a house for many years, we often times have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our own personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.

Bookcases can be turned into major miracles if you redo them with nice groupings of books. Group decorative items in threes if possible or use a single, large item.

Return rooms to their proper functions. Buyers shouldn't have to strain to imagine your home office as the dining room it was designed to be.

Clear out as much furniture as you can. Put it in storage, give it to a local charity or have a yard sale.

4.  Closet Neat Freak

Like the rooms, closets need to look their best and appear as large as possible.  Literally empty your closets of half the things you have in them. Partially empty closets look roomy -- and space sells. Do the same thing with kitchen cabinets.  Organized cabinets and closets impress nosy buyers with how clean and orderly your home is and give the appearance of much desired space.

5.  The Nose Knows

A home should smell good. That means no noticeable odor -- no pet scent, no stale cooking smells and no cigarette smoke. People who smoke or have pets become so accustomed to the smell, they don't notice it.  Find  a friend whose judgment -- and nose -- you trust give your home the real sniff test.

If you just go through with Lysol before a showing, that won't help.   Instead, get rid of scent problems at the source: scrub the house, have the air vents cleaned, replace old, smelly carpeting and smoke outside.

Nix the cigarettes.  Today’s buyers are much more sensitive to cigarette smells.  Having a smoker in the house also eliminates a lot of potential buyers; many shoppers won't even want to tour a home if the owner is a smoker.

6.  Let There Be Light

People are looking to buy space and light.   If the whole house is dark, that's a problem. Open the blinds. Turn on all the lights. Add lights in rooms that are dark.

Take down heavy or layered drapes and raise the blinds. Clean fixtures or buy new ones.

7.  Handy is Dandy

Assume your buyer is lazy and that they are not akin to Bob Vila.  If the property needs work – do it or get it done.  Old paint, dated wallpaper, ratty carpet -- have it replaced or fixed so that all buyers have to picture is moving day. Most people want the work done before they move in.  The more changes buyers calculate they'll have to make in the home, the more concerned they get.

8.  Marketing 101

One real estate study took potential buyers to many different houses in similar neighborhoods, all with similar features and amenities. The one that stood out? A home that had yellow roses on the dining room table. People not only remembered the detail, but they rated the home higher as a result.

You need to give your house a hook.  Use something in marketing your property that makes it different in a positive way from other houses.

9.  Put a Rag to the Shag

Get the carpet shampooed to remove any stains or smells. If that doesn't work, replace it considering, if you can, wood or laminates as an alternative.

Wood floors make a house look bigger and people see them as a tremendous selling point.  Plus they are easier to keep clean.

10.  It’s Showtime

You have an appointment to show your house, so now what?

Make the house look ready for a new owner.  What you want is for them to walk in and say “I could put myself here.”

Turn on all lights to give the house the brightest showing possible.  Turn on a radio in each room playing soft music.  Make sure the house is a comfortable temperature and take advantage of Mother Nature if possible by opening windows on a nice spring day or light a fire if it is cold outside.

 Keep fresh bouquets throughout the house to give a soft and homey feel.   If you are on a tight budget, go for less expensive bouquets and green plants (Wal-Mart often has a floral area) or pick some seasonal flowers from the yard.

We're a Pottery Barn generation.  Since that's what sells, bring in elements of that style into your house as best as you can for showing.