Neutralize, Depersonalize, Declutter

Neutralize - We've all heard of the 'man cave' - otherwise known as the basement. This is the place where Mr. Seller watches football, plays pool, tinkers with his computer and does general guy stuff. In order to keep with the theme, Mrs. Seller may have decorated the entire basement in Redskins colors. While this could have been the best thing Mrs. Seller could have ever done for Mr. Seller, its not the greatest thing for the new homeowner - especially if they are a Cowboys fan! So how do you remedy this? PAINT While its ok to have some of your favorite sports team memorabilia displayed throughout the home, having the walls painted what could be considered a wild color can be off setting. The idea is to present the home as if it were 'move-in ready' so the buyers can move right making the process easy for them. This suggestion goes for more than just sports team colors - it also goes for bright colors, dark colors, and gender specific colors. A couple of coats of paint could mean the difference between a quick sell and your home being on the market for quite some time!

Declutter - What does 'Declutter' mean? It means pack up all of your knick-knacks, stray holiday items, junk drawer and random catch-all cabinet and organize it into boxes hidden in your basement or attic. The goal is for the buyer to see all the great livable space in your home and not focus in on the clutter. Some people may take this suggestion personally, as no one likes to think they have a cluttered home, but it's a good idea to bring an outside opinion to see what they think about your clutter. While you may be used to certain items and therefore overlook them, an outside party may pick up on them and point them out to you.

Depersonalize - The same rules go for personal items and pictures as mentioned before with sports memorabilia. Its ok to have some personal photos throughout the home, but its suggested that you limit them, which may mean packing some up until you move. You don't want to the buyers to focus on the current residents and not be able to move past how you lived in the home.

This is just a glimpse at all of the staging techniques that can be implemented, but even doing the bear minimum can help showcase your home and sell it in a timely manor!