If you are going to be selling your home in order to relocate, you should consider staging it!

Keep in mind that you are selling your HOUSE (notice I said HOUSE in the title) not your HOME (your home is in your new location) and, as a product it needs to be treated as such. Staging your home will show it to its best advantage and allow buyers to envision themselves living there, as opposed to being distracted by all the personal stuff. Clutter is the worst enemy and the biggest challenge, and since you are moving any way, there is no reason not to go ahead and pack up as much as you can and clear out things that are not necessary.

Statistics gathered by the organization founded by Barb Schwarz, who created the home staging concept years ago, indicate that homes that are staged sell quicker and for more money - this is true nationally and in all markets. Staging is not the condition of the home, nor is it decorating. Think of it like detailing your car that you are trying to sell - the better the car looks, the faster it will sell and the more money you will get for it. As Barb has said, "buyers only know what they see, not the way it's going to be."

Consider having a professional stager to assist you in creating the look that will sell your home, and consider it an investment in your house. It's cheaper than your first price reduction. For more information, check out Barb's site, Staged Homes. Feel free to email me if I can help in any way or answer any questions.

Need to get rid of clutter? Try 1-800-GotJunk. And if you need a place to store the extra boxes and furniture (no, the garage is not the right place as this should be staged as well), call PODS (Portable On Demand Storage).

NOTE: Photos are before and after staging, taken from Barb's site (with her permission to share).