Staging Your Home - Secret To A Quick Sale

I have been a Realtor in two states...Florida and Georgia.  I have also bought and sold quite a few houses, and one thing I can tell you for sure is that staging is primary if you want a quick sale and a good price for your property.

I have listed homes where owners just refused to listen to my advice on making their homes ready for sale.  You don't have to go out and spend a bunch of money, you just have to take these common sense suggestions to heart and use them to make your home ready.

1.  Clear the Counters -  if your kitchen countertops are cluttered and messy, people will think there is not enough storage or work area in your kitchen.  The less you have on your counters the better.
2.  Take down all those refrigerator magnets and objects hanging on the fridge/walls, etc.  Clutter keeps houses from looking welcoming and clean.
3.  Remove all those pictures, yes grandma, even you need to remove all those cute little grandchildren from the walls, tables, counters until after the sale.  People want to visualize their OWN stuff in a room, not yours.
4.  If you have too much furniture in a room, store some of it off site.  A cluttered room is going to look smaller.
5.  Clean out those closets and make it look like you have room to spare...I have had sellers who refused to straighten out closets and when you opened doors, things fell out and landed on you!  Guess what NO SALE.
6.  Put away the kids toys.  I actually had one seller who had a truly lovely dining room, but not only was it filled with the little girls toy stove set, but a treadmill!  Bummer...NO SALE!
7.  Clean up the yard and plant a few brightly colored (yellow is nice) flowers in your border or pots on the doorstep.  This will add that all important curb appeal.
8.  If you have questions about whether your home needs some "rearranging" to help sell it, don't hesitate to ask your realtor for advice. 
9.  You may love that red accent wall, but it may be a tough sell to a buyer.  Consider going for something more neutral.  Paint just isn't all that expensive.
10.  Have your carpets cleaned.
11.  Light a fresh smelling candle or bake some cookies or have some potpourri out.. good smells help sell! 

These are just a few suggestions to help you in your process to sell your home, but all of them will help you sell your property in record time and at a price that is fair. 

Good Luck!