When dealing with a significant financial transaction, you want to make sure you are putting in the time and effort. For potential home buyers, you want them to be able to see your home as their own and fall in love with. That is why Home Staging is so crucial. The average listing on Zillow sold in 68 days, from listing to close. And although the average number of days on the market has improved since 2010 (140 days on the market), with home staging you can significantly reduce the number of days your house is on the market and in some cases increase the asking price.

What’s important first: If you don’t know where to begin in the home staging process or don’t have enough time, a good place to start is in the living room. Depending on the layout of your home it is normally one of the first rooms people see. From there you can move to the master bedroom, followed by the kitchen. Think to yourself what rooms you would want to see first as a buyer.

Declutter: The easiest thing you can do is remove clutter from your home. You can even have the entire family help out. Make sure to box up any items you want to keep and place them outside of the house. Buyers are looking in every closet.

Depersonalize: The goal of Home staging is to have potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home as their own. Having family photos and keepsakes throughout the house can be distracting. Make sure to remove them when showing the house. This goes for pet owners too. Remove any toys, water bowls and dog/cat beds, as well as clean thoroughly.

Increase lighting everywhere: Having the right light has the potential to make any room look bigger and airier. It is also inexpensive and quick to do. Replace burned out lightbulbs, open the blinds, clean the windows and if there isn’t enough light, you can buy mirrors for those dark spaces.

Depersonalize: The goal of Home staging is to have potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home as their own. Having family photos and keepsakes throughout the house can be distracting. Make sure to remove them when showing the house. This goes for pet owners too. Remove any toys, water bowls and dog/cat beds, as well as clean thoroughly.

Remove/Rearrange furniture: Removing furniture will help your home look bigger and more appealing to most buyers. If you already plan on removing some furniture, try to donate or sell them. You can also put it in storage for the time being. Try to remove about half the furniture in your home.

Depersonalize: The goal of Home staging is to have potential buyers to picture themselves living in your home as their own. Having family photos and keepsakes throughout the house can be distracting. Make sure to remove them when showing the house. This goes for pet owners too. Remove any toys, water bowls and dog/cat beds, as well as clean thoroughly.

If you’re trying to go above and beyond, don’t forget about the influence of curb appeal. From power washing to planting flowers, make sure your home is ready for its first impression. Finally once everything is said and done add a little extra by putting fresh flowers in a few vases or light a candle in the living room. Adding these tips can help sell your home faster than you imagined