In addition to editing back your personal items, here are some additional things you’ll want to consider to set off your apartment to its best advantage for selling:

1. Since the purpose of staging your home for sale is to create a feeling of spaciousness, make sure that you clear any obstructions to free movement in and around each area of your apartment. Look at furniture that blocks access to a window, or a path to another room and either remove it or reposition it to allow buyers free movement throughout your apartment. Similarly, make sure that all children’s toys, magazine piles, books, etc., are neatly stored where they belong;

2. Consider painting your apartment white. Color, like other accessories, is a highly personal choice and at minimum, you should consider repainting rooms that are currently painted in strong or unusual colors. Again, this is not a commentary on your personal taste, but simply a way to increase the likelihood of a quick sale. It’s hard to predict how a buyer will react to your choice of bright color or if a certain color is not a favorite, etc. Certainly consult with your Real Estate agent first about whether he or she feels repainting is advisable. Also look at any painted area that needs retouching. Are there scratches on your front door? Nicks on cabinetry or baseboards that need a quick touch up? Get those minor repairs done now, so that your buyer isn’t bothered by all the small imperfections. Even though these are minor fixes, taken all together, they can leave a potential buyer with the impression that there’s a lot of work to be done and he or she may offer a substantially lower bid based on that general impression, so head it off at the pass!;

3. In the kitchen, make sure that all counters are clear and hide bulky appliances and other kitchen counter clutter in cabinets. Once again, the idea is to allow the buyer to see open space where he or she can imagine seeing their own things. And since you’re going to be away, be sure to toss anything in your refrigerator and freezer that could go bad in your absence, since the last thing you want is an unpleasant odor pervading the room. Similarly, be sure to clear out all kitchen garbage before you leave;

For Sale

You’ve no doubt heard other sellers talking about having their homes “staged” for selling, and sometimes professionals are called in who do nothing but stage apartments for sale. But the secrets to staging your place for sale are all things that you as a seller can accomplish without outside help (or bills) and you’re about to learn some of the most important trade secrets for staging your apartment for sale right here.

When you met with your Real Estate agent, he or she no doubt made some suggestions for things to do with your apartment to garner a quick sale. Very often, you’ll hear an agent tell you, “Clear away the clutter.” Many sellers take that advice personally and feel insulted, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s the mark of a great agent. Far from knocking your personal taste, what your agent is really doing is ensuring that a potential buyer can picture themselves living in your space. So, let’s make this simple: The most important key to selling your home is letting the potential buyer picture themselves at home in your apartment.

The very things that personalize your home as uniquely yours and truly make it feel like home for you, can have the opposite effect on a buyer, who may look at all the personal things and not be able to see past them to envision their own things in the space. Ideally, what you want to do as you prepare your apartment for sale then, is to look at your home objectively and clear out anything that might prevent the buyer from easily seeing themselves living in your apartment. So, before you start cleaning and arranging things, walk around your apartment looking for ways to increase the feeling of spaciousness. First, be certain that there are clear paths in and around your apartment and that no area is blocked by things on the floor or a badly placed piece of furniture. If necessary, remove a few pieces to a storage facility to create more space. You’ll soon have them back in your new home and you’ll sell your existing home much faster if you do. The idea here is to edit your personal possessions back, so that only the most essential possessions remain. Ask yourself if each item will allow the buyer to see themselves in the space or hinder them from feeling your apartment could be theirs and then edit your possessions accordingly. And try not to be offended by this task or by suggestions your agent may make about reducing clutter because, again, they are not attacking your taste, they simply know that the name of the game is to allow that potential buyer to envision themselves in your space. There is absolutely nothing personal about this. It is simply about allowing the largest number of buyers to envision their own things where yours are now.

Here’s a few ideas:

When you have the right Real Estate agent, you’ll also have the peace of mind of knowing you can easily leave your home in his or her hands, because they’ll  treat it as if it was their own.  It goes without saying that you want someone with a true depth of experience in your market-someone who knows and can sell your neighborhood.

That said, you also want an agent who has extensive experience in property valuation so that you will receive solid guidance on pricing your property correctly relative to comparable property in your area. Yes, you may want to put a certain price on your property, but the role of a good agent is to assess the right price and obtain a quick sale.

Putting a pie-in-the-sky price on your apartment, or worse, trying to force your agent to do it, will not only prevent you from receiving offers, it may also alienate other Real Estate agents who will then not show your apartment at all.

The right agent will also qualify those who want to see your apartment ahead of time, ensuring that anyone coming to see your home is truly capable of making an offer.

Of course, a good agent will also keep track of all showings and stay on top of feedback about your apartment from other agents showing your property, which gives you the peace of mind to enjoy that beach umbrella.