Step #3: Lose Your Personality

"Lose your personality? What is she talking about?"

Here is the difference between a show home and your home - anyone could be living in a show home. That's the key to staging a home for sale - take out the personality of the owner so that potential buyers can imagine it as their OWN home.

Take a look at this example: Sample Rooms

Do you ever browse decorating magazines? Rarely do you see personal photos, quirky collections or day-to-day items laying around. How can you mimic this look?

1) Remove large collections of family photos. Photos are a huge personal stamp on your home making it more difficult for buyers to imagine themselves in the home. Instead, they're just getting to know the present owners.

2) Clear off the fridge door! We all do it, but now is not the time to leave out pictures and messages for visitors to read and view.

4) No makeup, lotions, curling irons or other personal items in the bathroom. Grooming areas are very personal - make it as clean and de-personalized as possible.

5) Remove collections that have limited appeal. Love unicorns/heavy metal/frogs? Now is the time to pack your special mementos, posters and other collectibles away. Remember, you're not selling your taste or collections, you're selling your house.

For some home sellers the advice to remove personal items is the most difficult to follow. These items have personal memories and feelings attached. Just remember - selling your home is BUSINESS - make this a business decision and you will reap the profits!

Next: Cleaning Up!

Step #2: Declutter for Dollars!

Decluttering is one of the most important steps owners need to take before putting their home on the market.

Face it - we all live with too much stuff don't we? And if you've motivated yourself to keep the visible areas of your home clutter free how about your closets and cupboards? Filled to overflowing? Probably.

Clutter makes our lives a bit more complicated - a few extra minutes looking for car keys or digging through laundry for a clean pair of socks - but often we start to look past it and not notice how much clutter we really have.

BUYERS WON'T!

Buyers will judge you and your home based on what you leave out for them to see. They'll immediately think there is not enough room or storage space. It will also be more difficult for them to see the potential of their furnishings in the space because they're so distracted by your mess. And don't think they won't go looking behind closed doors - they will!

So start weeding out those closets and putting the toys in storage. You may need to keep your stuff, but not where buyers are going to look. Rent a storage unit or store it at your friend's house. Maybe it's even time to let go of some the excess at a garage sale!

De-cluttering will do two important things: it will make your home look more spacious AND it will make cleaning up for showings much easier for you to do. You'll improve the value of your home and reduce the stress of selling. Just check out these samples: Sample Home Staging

*Tip: if you don't think your place has clutter just take some photos and see. This will provide you a more objective view of your home than when your standing there in person.

Next: Depersonalizing