Basic Tips on Staging

• Q-Tip Clean
  Cleaning up sounds like a given but this goes way beyond a vacuum cleaner and a dust rag. To get your home in shape for sale, you need to scrub around the faucets and the light switches. Banish the cobwebs in all the corners and powerwash the house and the driveway 
• Follow the Basketball Rule
  While you might like being surrounded by your collections now, these items can be a distraction to potential buyers.  You want them to focus on your home – not the things in it!  Here's a rule of thumb: Remove all items that are smaller than the size of a basketball. Pack up at least half of your books. And stash the photographs of you and the kids.
• Color Your Walls Martha
  A prospective buyer is unlikely to appreciate extraordinary taste and doesn't want to have to paint everything down after closing on the house.  Cover your walls in neutral, complementary hues -- Martha Stewart's line is your best bet. They make rooms look expansive.
• Cast a Cold Eye
  Stand at the doorway of each room and take in the impression it gives. Are there too many accessories on the wall? Too many area rugs? Do the plants look overgrown? Is the furniture clustered on one side of the room? What is your eye naturally drawn to?  Is that the best feature in the room?  In the dining room, remove extra leaves and chairs. In other rooms, take at least half of everything out and see how it looks. Then reintroduce items into the room sparingly. Be sure to visit your garage, basement, and attic for inspiration.
• Dressing Up the Outside
  Trees and shrubs can frame a property beautifully, but unless they're tamed, they make your house appear dark inside. Light-filled homes are always in demand. Buyers always ask for light, bright houses that welcome them inside.
• Set the Scene
  If you're expecting an agent to stop by with a potential buyer, there are several last-minute touches you need to do before leaving the house. Empty the wastebaskets, put the toilet lids down, hide your laundry and grooming items, and place baskets of new, color coordinated hand towels in the bathroom. Always leave some lights on.