Look Down on Your Carpet

If you have carpet, it's wise to have it shampooed to remove any stains or smells that may exist. If that doesn't work, then you'll likely have to get rid of it.

If your carpet is dirty looking, soiled, or stained beyond rescue, then your only alternative is to get rid of it. Instead of replacing it with carpet, think about wood or laminates, since they're better selling features.

Wood and laminates make your home look more spacious, and people like to see woods and laminates more than carpeting when they're looking at homes. As an added bonus, these types of flooring are much easier to keep clean than carpets are.

Avoid Making a "Statement"

If you have any kinds of "loud" decorating that makes a statement or that is controversial, you should take it down.

Examples of controversial decorating are a deer head on the wall, or a bear skin rug.

These items may be attractive or fun in your eyes, but there are many people who will find this a complete turnoff.

This is the same for books and magazines that you might have lying around. If you're not sure, the best thing is not to display them, in case something might be offensive or simply unattractive to prospective buyers.

Wallpaper: It Sticks or it's Nix

Peeling wallpaper should be removed immediately and replaced with a fresh coat (or two) of paint.

This is especially important in bathrooms. Here, you should either paint a neutral color, or the lightest color that will match the existing tile.

This is the same for kids' rooms. If they need a fresher look, then go with colors that are as neutral as possible.

That way, while buyers look at the house, they'll be looking at the home for itself, not for your own decorating abilities. Furthermore, this allows them more of a shot at imagining the way their things will go into the space.

Straighten the Closets

While no buyer will expect that your closets will be perfectly neat or empty, but they are looking for a large amount of storage space for their own things.

To help with this impression, the rule of thumb is to take everything out of your closet, and only put half of it back in. The rest of the stuff will need to find a new home; in the garbage, the clothing donation charity, or packed in your suitcases.

The reason for doing this is that partially empty closets look much roomier than they may really be. And remember, it's space and storage that sell.

The same can be done for your kitchen cabinets and other storage areas. An added bonus is that when you're done sifting through your stuff to get half out of the closets, you'll already have gotten rid of a lot of things that you'll no longer have to move.

Moreover, if you've packed up the extras, that's work done that you would have had to do sooner or later anyway.

For more tips on how to sell your house be sure to check out the other articles on our website.