Back in the days of the boom, home sellers really didn't need to do anything to fix up their home in order to prepare it for sale.  Heck, all they really needed to do is put it on the market, advertise a bit and, WHAM!, people seemed to be ready to line up to buy it.

In fact, many people didn't even tidy their place up.  Clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink, dirty carpets and marked up walls were pretty normal. And that's just the cosmetic stuff.  Forget fixing the roof or the leaking faucet or the malfunctioning electrical outlets.

If you hadn't already heard: those days are gone. Now, if you want to have a shot at selling your home within any sort of reasonable amount of time it needs to be clean and orderly. Things need to be picked up and put away.  The walls may need a paint job and depending on pets and kids, you may need to replace or, at least, professionally clean the carpet.

You also have to fix things that need fixing.  If there are leaking faucets or malfunction electrical outlets or any number of other items you've been neglecting you will now have to pick up the phone and call your local handyman or plumber/electrician/painter.  On top of that, if you do get a good offer to purchase your house, you'll be subject to a home inspection which may uncover things you never knew were there or had long forgotten.

These days many people are springing for a professional home stager.  These folks have an eye for design and proportion.  They may also have an inventory of attractive accessories and such that can help make your home look like a page from a magazine.

I can tell you from experience that professional home staging is worth it!  Your home will look warm and inviting...which is what you want. Putting your home in great condition prior to opening the door to the first potential Buyers will create the atmosphere and ambiance that will entice a Buyer to envision themselves living in your home and making an offer you'll appreciate.

Bottom line:  price is important...and condition will help sell your home faster and for more money.