I assume this is FSBO? Otherwise your agent is in the best position to give you advice as they have seen the property and know the market.

So peoples opinions on this forum vary quite a bit. I am representative of the approximately half the population that likes to see things really stripped down when I view properties. That means clean and nearly empty closets, drawers, cabinets, built ins. Clean walls. Maybe a couple art pieces but no walls of frames, displays of family photos, collages, iron scrolls, collections of Hobby Lobby junk, etc.

Enough furniture to show the purpose of the room (and so you can live there!) but not so much as to make the rooms look too small for the amount of furniture.

Windows free of clutter. No swags, no puff curtains, no ornate valances, silk ropes, fringes, etc. You want the windows to appear "big."

Get everything out of the bathrooms. Replace any heavy shower curtains with a plain white fabric curtain.

If you have specific concerns post some photos and people can give you advice.

Good luck!

You want:

• Clean: Q-tips-in-the-cracks clean, everything sparkling.

• Uncluttered: Rooms and closets should look like they have plenty of storage. Minimal stuff out on flat surfaces (kitchens, bathrooms)

• Repaired: Fix any broken plumbing or electrical, patch and touch up any wall or trim dings or damage

• Updated: No need to do major remodeling, but take down any dated looking decor, and consider replacing minor things like doorknobs or light fixtures that scream "20 years old"

Wash windows inside and out, and remove screens, as it will let in more light and provide a better view. Put the screens back in when it's time for inspection so they don't think they're missing.

Don't ignore the garage and basement. An uncluttered, swept garage is better than one piled high with boxes or tangled with kids sporting equipment.

I agree with everything above, except for removing the window screens. I would be calculating the cost of screen replacement for every window while viewing the house! Even if I later saw them piled in the garage, I would think there must be something wrong with all of them, if they had been removed. If the screens have thick mesh, a much better plan would be to replace the screen material with one that is more transparent.

You want to create a cozy feel/look that's inviting but not taste specific. Have you used various colors in the home? Do you have a few throw pillows on the sofa/beds? A few accessories, including books, on a table or two? Inside plants? Colorful area rugs under dining room/breakfast room tables, in front of the sofa? Lamps for ambient lighting, not just ceiling fixtures/can lighting? Blinds/shades/plantation shutters/or window treatments on windows? Is the fireplace mantle bare?

While you do want to maintain a clean house, you want it to appeal to buyers in a visual sense also. Emotions, especially for women, play a big part in buying a home. And let's face it. If there's a woman involved, she'll be making the final decision, and a home that's 'decorated', will have more appeal. ;)

If the weather permits, open the windows for fresh air and keep all curtains open to let in lots of natural light. Clean all the mirrors, light fixtures and ceiling fans. Bake bread or cookies (better yet, leave them for the potential sellers to snack on ;) ). Fresh flowers in the kitchen and even bathrooms is a nice touch. Maybe new towels for the baths. Also, don't have a lot of area rugs around---just seems cluttered to me----at doorways, yes. Update your outside flowers and potted plants. HTH!

Rent a storage unit and then go for the hotel look. Just enough furniture to show the use of the room. Box all the personal items. Clear out all the extras. If you have big, bulky furniture put it in storage. You can rent a few sleek, smaller pieces. Same goes for a king bed- store it.

Not agreeing w/the hotel look~who wants to live in a hotel? Most people can identify with a home that looks as though it's had 'a life' aka been lived in, just keep the clutter away.

Fresh paint everywhere (in some suitably neutral "pottery barn" approved color, but not all "landlord white"). Refinish the floors. Replace any white/harvest gold/avocado green appliances with the cheapest SS appliances you can find. If you want to go to extremes replace cabinet knobs and light fixtures with something that looks like whatever they are selling at the pottery barn-- it doesn't need to be nice or expensive, apparently just the right color is sufficient. Then do the decluttering and de-furnishning as described above. You want a buyer to be able to imagine their life in the space, not yours, so you need just enough "stuff" to suggest function and nothing more, with almost nothing weird or personal in the space.

But you do these things before the house is on the market and people call to see it. You will lose them if you tell them they can see it in two weeks. They are going to wonder what is wrong that you are hiding.

Patty_cakes I think what they mean by hotel, is that things are not cluttered, there are no personal things on the walls, and that the rooms feel somewhat neutral.

Now having said that, my sister just sold her home in one week after listing. Her living room is painted in red, and her den is in a neutral blue. The rest of the home is neutral. What sold the home is that even with the red living room the house was done beautifully and tastefully and felt warm and inviting.