Hiring a home staging professional to make sure that your home is looking its best is a great start to getting your house sold, but you still have to live in your home and when booking an open house or preparing for a viewing  keep in mind that you still might have some work to do.

To say "make sure your home is clean" is an understatement and a given for most people. Don't spoil your investment in home staging by not ensuring that your home shines "like the top of the Chrysler building!"

Even if you have been extremely careful about not creating any strong cooking odours, making sure that the dog smelling soapy clean and that kitty's litter is fresh as a daisy, your home may still accumulate some odours. Weather permitting, open up the windows (even if it's just for a few minutes) a little fresh air will go a long way. Strong room sprays , you won't fool anyone!

Emptying and cleaning all garbage cans (don't forget the bathrooms) and recycling containers will also help your home smell as fresh as possible.

Quick tidy-ups are the key to preparing for potential buyers, make this task easier by having three or four empty Rubbermaid containers on hand. They are great for stashing away everyday items such as toys, shoes, outwear and schoolbags. Scoop, pack and stash your way to a tidy home in minutes.

After your home stager has worked their magic, make sure that you take the time to take your own photos, being sure to capture exactly how every detail is arranged. This means that if for any reason something has to be moved temporarily or kept only for viewing (this is advisable if you have little ones!) you'll know exactly how to reset everything.

Working with a home stager is the fastest and most cost-effective way to get your home ready for sale, however it doesn't completely void you from any of the preparations. It is your home being sold and probably your largest single investment, be sure to treat is that way and the sold sign will be on your front lawn in no time.