Selling your house can be stressful.  Aside from the help your Realtor can provide, there are several things you can do to help speed up the process.  The most important thing you can do is remember that a potential buyer is looking at your house as their future home.  With that said, you need give them the opportunity to envision themselves in it and see it as theirs, not yours.  There are several ways you can do that:

Depersonalize.

This is probably the most important thing you can do to help you sell your home.  When you “de-personalize” your house, you’re removing family photos, collectible items and memorabilia.  In doing so, you’re making the potential buyer feel as if they’re not in YOUR home, giving them an opportunity to visualize themselves in it.  You want them to start to imagine themselves cooking in the kitchen or imaging how they would setup their new living room.  This can easily be done by taking your personal items out of the house and allowing them to get create on an empty blank slate.

De-Clutter.

What clutter is to someone else may not be clutter to you.  By removing clutter you’re again giving your potential buyers the opportunity to really envision themselves living in the house you are trying to sell.  Clutter can be found everywhere – from the pieces of paper hanging on your refrigerator or on your counter tops to the items shoved in your closet, garage or storage areas.  When you leave more open space you give off the impression that the space is larger while leaving more to the imagination.

A few areas to consider when aiming to de-clutter are your countertops, your closets and storage area and even your furniture.  The more items you can make disappear the larger you make your space look and the more you can leave up to buyer’s imaginations.

Carpet and Flooring.

The carpet and flooring are going to be one of the first things a potential buyer notices when they walk into your house.  Keep in mind, you see your floors every day.  What will they look like to a person seeing them for the first time?  If your flooring is old and worn out, investing in new flooring will definitely help you sell your home quicker.  If that’s too much, the least you can do is hire a good floor / carpet cleaner to make them look as presentable as possible before inviting potential buyers into your home.

 Ceilings, Walls and Paint.

The ceilings, walls and paint in your home are going to cover the most visual square footage.  Make sure to check the walls and ceilings for any stains or visible dirt.  Believe it or not, the paint could be the most important and inexpensive thing you could change to help you sell your home!  Sometimes your favorite color may not be very appealing to others.  Ask your Realtor for their opinion and try to use colors that are bright, airy and make your property look as big as possible.

Landscape and Curb Appeal.

As you already know, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.  When a potential buyer pulls up to your house what is the first thing they’re going to see?  How is your curb appeal?  Is the siding and roofing kept up with?  Is your front yard landscaped?  Are the windows in good condition?  Is the front door attractive?  The front of your house is the first thing a potential buyer will see when arriving to view your home.  Make sure you do everything you can to make them excited about coming inside and seeing what the property as to offer.

In summary – never forget that buying a home is often an emotional decision.  Your goal, as a seller, is to get others to see your house as their new home, not yours.  If you can follow these guidelines and accomplish that goal, there’s no reason your home