• Pretend that you are shooting for a magazine. It starts with cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Get rid of the clutter, move out old and ugly furniture, and hide away your personal belongings. You do not want your family photos, laundry, or the old torn lounge chair online for buyers to see. • Shelter the pets. This is important. Even if you are the most meticulous pet owner in the world, advertising to potential buyers that you have birds in a cage, a free roaming guinea pig, or a bedroom dedicated to a family of rare Siamese cats is going to scare people away. Pets create odors that stick around for a while, and since you’ll be working hard to make this odor disappear, you want to avoid bringing any attention to these critters. Do not only hide them from the photos, but find another place to shelter them during the home marketing period if you want the most successful sale. • Add sprinkles on top. A few home accessories with colors that pop will go a long way. Do you have any bright sofa pillows? A multi-colored comforter on a bed is a good touch, as is colorful artwork. • Go green. Place a healthy green plant or a vase of colorful flowers strategically in each room. • Light it up. Are your pictures dark or washed out? Not enough light from the windows? Add some lighting to bring them up a level. Bright LED lamps in the corners or off-camera can add the touch you need. • Hire a stager. If you do not want to go through the effort on your own, you can hire a professional stager who can come in to rearrange the furniture or bring in accessories or extra pieces of furniture. When you are interviewing
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