1. Remove your valuables

Remember, in order to increase your homes chances of achieving top dollar, you are going to be subject to general public foot traffic. Easily removed items such as jewelry should not be left in your home in conspicuous places.

2. Remove the clutter

You are going to have to pack sooner or later so you might as well start by packing up items which cause clutter such as: knick knack decorations, excess furniture, etc. A crowded home will appear smaller than it is. Remember less is more. Photos of your family will be distracting to the buyer. The focus should be on the selling points of your home, not your personal items.

Check out new techniques and design styles by looking at some of the exceptional examples in our Before & After photos sets.

Before	After
Before	After

3. Control the animals

We all love our pets, but it can be intimidating to a buyer to walk in a home and be harassed by a large barking dog. Many transactions are thwarted by our pets. Remember, it is a huge inconvience to sell a home. But you could stand to lose thousands of dollars if you don't control or remove animals from a home during peak showing times. It goes without saying that pet odor will cost you thousands of dollars in sales value.

4. Paint

Most painting is inexpensive and it will go a long way to adding appeal. Remember, while wood paneling may have been great twenty years ago it is not today. CataList agents have experience with the latest trends in colors and are happy to help assist. Neutral colors are a must. Plain white walls or rooms with dark colors simply don't attract.

The term curb appeal has long been used to describe the feeling a buyer develops in the first 5 seconds. If you have bad curb appeal you will have a tough time attracting top dollar buyers. If you have a limited budget, even simple little things like adding colorful flowers to the front yard, or trimming back brush and trees can do wonders. IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT, YOU CAN'T SELL IT.

Hundred dollar musts:

• Paint your front door. Use a semi-gloss or gloss color that makes your door stand out.
  
• Get the lawn green- Fertilize, water, and mow the lawn to get it green.
  
• Add colorful plants. You can buy plants for less than $2 to add to the front of your home.
  
• Pare back or remove trees. Less is more. Strive to gain maximum sun exposure.
  
• Stain or paint fences. Poor fencing provides a bad "frame" of view for your home.

6. Clean Relentlessly

Unclean homes create the impression that the home owner did not keep good care of the property. Buyers than begin to think 'what else is wrong?' Make sure you clean the home relentlessly keeping it spotless. Also, nothing turns off a buyer more than a home smelling of animals, cigarettes, or other water damage. If the home is older, you probably will have to replace carpets. If you try and sell a home in this condition you will be placed in the fixer upper category and probably forced to sell at a discount. This is why many new home models display potpourri or vanilla.

7. Never sell a vacant home

Model homes are furnished because the builders understand home merchandizing. Furnished homes can appear larger and more inviting than vacant homes. If you move out before your home is listed, see if you can leave behind a few larger pieces of furniture or cityservice can offer staging services to provide furniture, lighting, and accent pieces during the listing period.

Staging is the very best proven way to get top dollar for your home as you prepare it for sale. Homes that are Staged sell faster and for more money! Click the following link to see the statistics for yourself: http://stagedhomes.com/public/statistics.php

This is because Staging sets the scene throughout the house to create immediate buyer interest in your property. This will then lead to your home selling for the highest possible price in today's market. Remember, "The way you live in your home, and the way you market and sell your house are two different things." (quote from Barb Schwarz, the Creator of Home Staging.)