First you must emotionally detach yourself from your home. With any luck it will not be yours for very long! What you are living in is about to become just another piece of real estate available for sale. That being said, take inventory of your necessary possessions and begin packing away everything that you can live without.

Strive to create the most neutral environment possible. This will attract men and women alike. Prospective buyers will more easily visualize their own furnishings in the property if it is not cluttered with your belongings.

Remove excess furniture and instantly have a larger room! This is especially important for small spaces. If you have a sofa, love seat and chair consider removing one piece. Many rooms have just two upholstered pieces and look beautiful. The same rules apply to the bedroom. If you have access to a baby crib why not turn the smallest bedroom into a nursery? Add only a rocking chair and the space will appear enormous!

Wallpaper is typically a huge turnoff to home buyers. Everyone has different taste in decor and leaving paper on the walls will limit your buying audience. All they see is work as they will become responsible for removing it. Consider taking the paper down yourself or hire the job done. The small investment now will become a huge payoff later.

Color plays an important role in the home buying market. Stay away from bright colors when selling. That neon yellow bedroom MUST go! The hot trends today are the darker creams and taupes. A fresh coat of paint will go a long way in freshening your walls and buyers will feel your property is move-in ready!

Clear the counter tops of all small appliances but replace with living plants and a couple of strong scented candles. The benefit is twofold. The counter tops appear more spacious and the scented candles (I recommend apple pie or cookie dough) leave a nice aroma in the room.

These are general tips that apply to every home. You may want to contact a Staging professional to address your specific needs. Remember a small investment now could tremendously increase your property value!

Julie Rieman

Julie has been in the design field for almost twenty years. Starting out with wall coverings and faux painting finishes before they were all the rage. Rearranging furniture and hanging artwork upon completion of her painting projects... The story began. After many years of helping family and friends she decided to be paid for her efforts. Julie accepted a position with a National Retailer, completed her training and went on to become one of the Top Decorators in the Nation. Credentials Include Member IDS ~Interior Design Society Member IRD ~Interior Redesign Directory Member MBD ~Minnesota Best Decorators Member HDWFI ~Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Institute Member IDDP ~International Directory Decorative Painters Nationally Top Ranked Interior Decorator Trainer in Home Decor and Window Treatments Fabric Specialist Color Analyst Painting Professional Faux Painting Instructor Decorating Columnist Successful Small Business Owner Interior Redesign & Home Staging Instructor