You’re ready to sell your home – but is your home ready to be sold? Home staging prepares a house for sale by showcasing the best a home has to offer to interested home buyers. The goal is to sell quickly and get the highest price possible.

When you take the extra step to stage your home before you sell – setting up your house to look like a catalog photo – you’ll be ahead in the real estate game.

• Declutter. Remove extra items to give each space breathing room. This includes removing personal items like family photos, clothes, toys and refrigerator art to help prospective home buyers picture themselves in your house.

• Deep Clean. Clean every surface thoroughly, trying to get everything looking as new as possible. Help home buyers feel they will have very little work to do to move in. Make it easier for them to say yes.

• Define Rooms. Make sure each room has a purpose: home office, bedroom, guest room. Home buyers want to see a house with no wasted space. Don’t forget alcoves, basements, attic spaces, utility rooms.

• Décor. Less is more. Keep décor simple with broad appeal and neutral colors. To finish, add a few plants and maximize the natural light.

Staging can be one of the simplest things you can do to help sell your home, offering one of the biggest returns. Appeal to the largest buyer for your house, and make your home’s sale quick and profitable.