There are many things a seller can do to facilitate the sale of his/her home, many of which the savvy seller already knows.  In fact, anyone who has sold a home or is thinking of selling a home can probably list ten right off the top of the head.  Make sure the kids pick up the toys; make sure there are no pervasive odors or visible dirt/grime/clutter; put an apple pie in the kitchen to add a homey aroma; add flowers to the kitchen table to brighten up the room; and so on.  However, there is one thing that many sellers don't consider, or may not know exists.  What is that, you ask? 

Home staging.  It sounds like a strange idea at first.  Why would you hire someone else to put furniture that isn't yours in your house?  When you think about what it takes to sell your home, however, it starts to make sense to have an expert see your house through buyers' eyes.  You have lived in your house and made it a home.  You may not be able to be objective about its assets and its flaws.  Even if you do have an accurate idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your house, you may not know the ideal way to highlight the former and take attention away from the latter.  In addition, it's a buyer's market right now with many houses waiting to be sold.  You need to make your house stand out from all the others with similar specs so buyers will be drawn to your house first and foremost. 

Feng shui is the newest rage, and there are some practical benefits to fixing your rooms in certain ways.  Have you ever walked into a house and immediately felt at home?  I am sure most of us have had that experience, even if we don't quite know where the feeling comes from.  On the converse side, have you ever been in a house that doesn't feel quite right?  Much of this has to do with how the rooms are set up, even if you aren't aware of it on a conscious level.  No one goes into a house thinking, "Oh, the walls are the wrong color-they don't really bring out the warmth of the natural wood", but you know it on an instinctual level.  A staging pro has extensive knowledge in what makes a house more inviting versus what will drive potential customers away.  I have seen places that have been redone by professional stagers, and there is a remarkable difference.  A professional stager may suggest painting the walls a certain color or moving furniture to open up the room or getting rid of unnecessary clutter.  They might bring in a table for the hallway or some extra cushions for the sofa.  These are little details, but they can change the whole personality of a room.

You need to grab a prospective buyer's attention from the minute that person opens the door.  These days, a prospective buyer will often times spend less than five minutes looking at a house before leaving to see the next house on his or her list.  A professional stager knows intimately what sells a house-and will use that knowledge to your benefit.  You must take any edge you can get-and this just might be the one that gets your house sold.