Preparing Your Home for a Sale

When selling your home, you have to stop thinking of it as 'your home' and start thinking of it as an item you are trying to sell. To sell this item, you need to clean it up, make it shine and put your personal feelings aside. Here are some tips to staging your home for a sale

1. De-clutter. Of course you have clutter. Everyone has some clutter, whether it is shoes out, bills on the table or just too many frames on the mantle. Get rid of everything that is not necessary or takes away from the room. Not only will this make the room pop, but it will look bigger with fewer things in it.

2. Bake something. Make your home smell like a home someone would like to come home to. You can throw cookie dough in the oven or even toast some cinnamon toast. Just let the smell waft through the home. Candles that smell like baked goods are also helpful. Just make sure your home smells pleasant when someone walks through the door.

3. Brighten up. Dark colors will make a room look smaller. Think light and bright when decorating your home for a sale. Consider repainting your walls a lighter color. Open all the windows. Let the natural light shine through every space in your home.

4. Keep your yard sharp. Don't let weeds or shrubs get unruly. Plant extra flowers and plants in your yard. When potential buyers visit your home, the front yard is their first impression. Make sure their first impression of your home is a good one.

5. Put away all personal items. When potential buyers come to view your home, you will need to give them their space to view the home with their realtor. Don't leave anything out that you would not want them to see, especially personal items like bills, clothes or letters.

6. Remove awkward pieces of furniture. You may have some furniture that is very functional, but doesn't look right in a room for whatever reason. If your rooms are crowded with furniture, remove excess furniture. Otherwise, potential buyers will perceive the rooms as small and crowded.

7. Leave out family pictures. Most home-buyers either have a family or want one. Leave out family pictures. Pictures make the place feel more like a home.