Prospective home buyers form an opinion about the home you’re selling in 15 seconds and the clock starts ticking at the curb-even before the home buyers get in the house. 

In this competitive market if you’re not staging your home, you may be at a disadvantage. It is estimated that about one in four homes nationwide are staged. Staging takes some time and money, but it works. Staged homes remain on the market less than half the time that unstaged homes do.

Staging is all about paring away personal decoration. Why? The idea behind staging is to let buyers imagine themselves living in your home. It’s all about them and their taste, not yours. Everything about staging starts from this basic idea.

Here are some tips:

1. Declutter- this is the GOLDEN RULE. Basically, remove two-thirds of the visual knick knacks and arrange the rest in nice little displays.

2. Remove half of the furniture to stage your home, rearrange remaining furniture to highlight the focal point of the room providing an inviting, approachable scene.

3. Be a neat freak-this is important, steam-clean the carpets, paint walls if needed, clean all outdoor decks and patios, super clean the bathrooms, declutter  ruthlessly and add a candle or two.

4. Hide all the collections-this also means all family pictures and religious items, remember, you’re selling your space not your taste.

5. Let some fresh air in before a showing-don’t try to hide odors with potpourri or by baking cookies. Search out the odor and destroy by cleaning or removing the litter box or the dog. Just open the window and hope for a cool breeze.

6. First impression is at the front door-this is where the buyers spend the most time, waiting for the door to be unlocked. Paint the door if needed and make sure the light fixtures are clean and functional. A potted plant by the door adds a nice touch.

7. Next impression, the foyer-this is where you WOW the  home buyers. Make sure your paint and flooring look great, a small table with a lamp and a vase of fresh flowers is a great way to make a good impression with a small budget. Fresh flowers thoughout the house is a must.

7. Make your home current -you want your home to have a  feeling of up to date and maybe a little trendy. Pick up some magazines that focus on the style that’s popular today to get some ideas. Think streamlined and spacious, that’s what’s in today.

8. Let the light in-you want as much light as possible, pull those drapes aside or make it as sheer as possible. You want to hear the buyers say ‘I could live here, it’s nice and bright.’

Now start your decluttering. Be ruthless.

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