Five Steps to Selling Your Home Faster
As the number of unsold homes on the market rises, prospective home sellers are trying to beat the days-on-market averages. Here are some tips from home staging experts.

• Get organized! Now’s the time to donate, recycle or toss it. If it has to come with you, box it and store it for the interim. Houses show better and sell faster when they are pared down to basics, well organized and clutter free.
  
  
• Clean it up. Once you’ve divested yourself of little-used items, invest in a thorough spring-cleaning service. Pay special attention to windows, baseboards and woodwork, cupboards, closets and utility room. A sparkling clean home is not only inviting, it’s perceived as a well-maintained property.
  
  
• Start at the curb. First impressions can make or break a sale and that impression starts at the curb. Clean out flowerbeds, rake up the leaves, keep the driveway and sidewalk swept clean and trim limbs that obstruct walkways or restrict views. Liven up the entry with a splash of color. Paint the front door, plant a flowering shrub or add pots or flowers. Less is more though, so don’t go overboard.
  
  
• Sparkle, shine and scents. Nothing says welcome better than a home that sparkles and shines. Polish all the surfaces, Windex® the mirrors and French doors and buff the appliances, fireplace tools and all the doorknobs. Light votive candles in the kitchen and baths. But remember scents can detract if they’re overpowering, so keep them light and subtle.
  
  
• Stage your home to maximize its best features. Staging a home is a lot more than simply sprucing it up. It’s knowing how to play to each room’s strengths and appeal
  
  to the greatest number of potential buyers. Whether you plan to do it yourself or take advantage of today’s affordable staging professionals, prepping your house for market is essential. Staging pros can save you time and headaches, and, even better, they’re a good investment. Staging can shave weeks off the time your home is on the market and add enough to the final sale price to more than recoup the staging fee.