8 Steps for Staging a Home

1). Stand in the doorway to look at each room.
If the buyer's not in the room, they're not buying the house. Where does your eye go? Buyers only know what they see, not the way it's going to be.

2). Make a plan and pick a focal point
Every room has a focal point: a fireplace, a bed, a desk.

3). De-Accessorize
Get rid of the room dandruff! You can usually take everything out and make a pile of unnecessary stuff such as extra throws, an exercise machine, magazines, and other various clutter.

4). Decide what furniture leaves and how to arrange the furniture that stays
Most rooms have too much furniture. You don't need more than three to five pieces in a living room. When you put things in storage, you can breathe. There's more room and there's less for the buyer to deal with. It's less stressful!

5). Re-Accessorize
From the pile you created, put just a few things back.

6). Keep going back to the doorway, keep reassuring what you've done
It's important to create an airy, open feeling for each room. Remember that potential buyers aren't going to be hanging out in your house, but wandering around it. Try to think about what breaks up the flow of walking.

7). Fine tune!
The tags on the cushions will have to go, the cords on the blinds need to be tied up. It will need to be Q-tip clean.

8). Set the scene
Turn certain lights on to show the room off to its best advantage. Set the stereo to a station that plays something nonassertive like light jazz. Arrange a few pillar candles or votives on a table.