Host Holiday Parties in Small Spaces

Here you are, in your studio or tiny one-bedroom apartment, and the holiday season has arrived. You'd love to throw a party -- just like your parents do every year in their big suburban house, with everyone from your cousin-in-law to your uncle's mechanic invited -- but how? You can do it -- if you just plan properly. Follow these tips and you'll be the host/hostess of the season, even in your small digs. Full Article

Type of Party: A dinner party works well in a small space. Invite only four to six people, which will keep the cooking manageable.

Preparing the Space: Move some furniture out of the living room to leave more space for guests to stand and chat. Put your end tables or bulky chairs in your bedroom and shut the door, then offer to take guests' coats and put them on your bed yourself.

Food: Don't serve food that needs to be prepared right before it's served; you won't have the elbow-room in your kitchen, and you'll have to attend to your hosting duties.

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Tips on Staging a House to Sell

A staged, clean and clutter free home can make a huge difference between a quick sale, and a house that stays on the market for months. Here a few tips to help you sell your home quickly.  

De-Clutter: You want a prospective buyer to imagine themselves living  in your space. It is easier to do this when they don't see all your family portraits above the fireplace mantel. Get rid of anything that makes to room less attractive. You want to sell your space as roomy and beautiful. Organize the shoe closet, pantry, etc so when a buyer tours your home they notice the ample storage your home has to offer. 

Clean: The next step to staging your home is to clean, clean, clean. A clean home makes buyers think it is well mantained. The less a buyer has to do the better! This is a huge selling point. 

Stage: The final and last step into staging your home is to.. stage it. After you have de-cluttered the space and cleaned it you will have more room to move stuff around to highlight the selling points. 

3 Tips In Negotiating The Best House Selling Price

MySecretAgent has prepared 3 tips in negotiating your best house selling price when selling For Sale By Owner (FSBO). We are the top flat fee MLS service and have you, the seller's, best interest.

1. Come Prepared: When you have a feeling that a buyer is going to make an offer show them a recent appraisal and home inspection report. This shows the potential buyer what condition your home is in and how much it is worth in the market place. And, to guarantee they don’t face expensive, unexpected repairs down the road. 
2. Savings: When selling your home with a flat fee service you are saving thousands in listing commissions. Some buyers may want to take advantage of this. If the buyer is realistic (as well as the seller) you both will agree to a fair market value. If the buyer is considering a few homes to buy you do have more of an advantage as you are saving in listing commissions and can lower the asking price a bit or pay for some of the buyer's closing costs. 
3. Stand Your Ground: With this approach the buyer will know the best offer is on the table. Make sure to back up your offer with a recent comparative market analysis, appraisal, etc. 

CyberMonday: Buy a House

It may be a great time for buyers who have waited patiently for sale prices to come down. Why continue to rent when you can buy a home for 10 or 20 percent less than you would have paid for a similar home just a few years ago? Our Buyer’s Market slide shows let you see what you can get across the country: for $250,000, for $150,000, for $50,000. Full Article 

Mortgage Rates Hit Another Record Low

Mortgage rates dropped again this week, sending both 15-year and 30-year fixed-rate loans to record lows.

According to mortgage giant Freddie Mac, the average rate on the 30-year fell to 3.34%, 0.06 percentage point lower than last week. The 15 year fell 0.04 percentage point to 2.65%. Full Article

Happy Thanksgiving

Home Sales Climb in October

Existing home sales rose to an annual rate of 4.79 million, seasonally adjusted, the National Association of Realtors reported on Monday. That's up 2.1% from September, when the revised annual rate of existing home sales was 4.69 million. And it's an increase of 11% year-over-year, when the annual rate was 4.32 million. Full Article

MySecretAgent has seen a climb in sales with our personal listings.  This has been our busiest October/ November  in listing and sales. We helped save thousands in listing commissions. 

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Home Inspection Tips For Sellers

A thorough home inspection is a critical step in the home-buying process, which is one reason that it's typically thought of as something the buyer has to do. There are, however, a few things that a seller can do to make the process smoother and ensure that a property gets flying colors during the inspection. Full Article

• Pre Sale Inspection: It is a good idea to pre- inspect your home before it hits the market so you can address any issues before hand. 
• Leave the house: Leave your home while the official inspection is made with the buyers. If the homeowner does hang around, the potential buyer may not feel comfortable asking questions or discussing a property's issues openly and honestly.
• Tidy Up: An important thing to do is to keep all key areas of the house free, clear and accessible so the inspector can get to the furnace, boiler and circuit breaker.

Great Time To List

Inventory in Seattle is the lowest it has been since 2006. With prices on the rise and inventory so low it is a great time to list. Full Article 

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10 Weekend Home Projects

You don't have to shell out big bucks to get a better price for your home. These easy, inexpensive fixes will add value to your home without breaking the bank. Full Article

1. De-Clutter:  De-cluttering should be the first job sellers cross off their list before starting any other project, agents and real-estate investors say.
2. Make over your cabinets: You don't need to get your cabinets refaced or replaced to make them look presentable. If they're scratched or look dated, just spring for a couple of cans of paint and put a new finish on them.
3. Patch and Paint: A fresh coat of paint in the living room, kitchen and master bathroom will pay big dividends. 
4. Spiff up your home's curb appeal: One quick way to entice more buyers into your house is to spruce up what they see from the street. Spend a weekend cleaning or replacing your mailbox, putting up new street numbers that match the style of your house, cleaning your storm door and windows and touching up chipped paint on your frontdoor. 
5.  Fix your lighting: Get rid of that Hollywood dressing-room-style lighting that frames your bathroom mirror, or at the very least, replace all of the bulbs.
6. Get fabulously clean floors: Settle for a floor that looks spic and span. If you have very dirty carpet, rent a steam machine and get out the stains. If you have hardwoods, buff and polish them.
7. 'Dress' your house: Once your house has been cleaned, patched and painted, it's time to think about the best way to show it off. Home stagers and flippers say it pays to spend a little time on new "clothes" for your house.
8. Create an impression of extra rooms: Most people are willing to pay a premium for a little more breathing room. But no one is going to add on just to sell his or her home. One way you can give buyers more livable area is to spruce up your garage or basement.
9. Tackle the small stuff all at once: Make a list and invest a not-so-fun 48 hours in fixing those broken drawer slides, replacing moldy caulking around the bathtub and fixing that cracked tile or broken step leading down to the basement. 
10. The finishing touches: Replace old, yellowing or brass switch-plate covers with new ones made of brushed metal.

Happy Halloween

Creaking floors, inexplicable cold drafts and eerie sounds usually don't top the list of dream house features. Here are 10 haunted houses you wouldn't want to live in. Full Article

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Moving Day Timeline

When you’re planning for a move, keep in mind that almost everything will take longer to do than you expect. The best way to keep on track is to plan ahead and stay organized.  Full Article





Eight Weeks:

• Line up Movers
• Look into truck rental prices or tips if you are doing it yourself
• Make an inventory of everything you own
• Make piles of what goes into the truck, car or trash
• Consider where you want to place place your furniture in your new home

Six Weeks:

• Clear out our closets
• Have a yard sale
• Transfer your children’s academic records to their new school
• Transfer medical records to your new doctor.

Four Weeks:

• Reserve a truck or trailer for a DIY move.
• Confirm the booking with your moving company.
• Arrange to have the movers come over two days before moving day, if they are packing for you
• Get boxes and packing tape, if you are doing it yourself
• Start packing out-of-season clothing and other items you won’t need right away.
• Fill out change-of-address cards at the post office.
• Notify friends, family, the bank and your insurance agent of your new address.

Three Weeks:

• Arrange to have the utilities disconnected a few days after the move.
• Get the utilities set up at your new residence.
• Start packing room by room
• Arrange for a babysitter on moving day if you need one.
• Reserve the freight elevator in your building for moving day.

Two Weeks:

• Arrange to move plants and pets
• Get rid of items you’re not allowed to move, such as gasoline and propane
• Line up helpers to assist with loading your rental truck.
• Consider hiring a plumber or electrician to disconnect appliances you plan to move
• Keep Packing... 

One Week:

• Open your new bank accounts if you’re making a long-distance move.
• Drain gas and oil from any power equipment you’ll be moving
• Pack a bag of first-night essentials, including a broom, dustpan, garbage bags and light bulbs.
• Finish packing and keep the vacuum handy

Moving Day:

• Supervise the move.
• Strip the beds
• Disassemble furniture
• Ensure that everything gets on the truck.

8 Home Flaws That Buyers Can Overlook

No house is perfect. No matter how hard you look or how many homes your real-estate agent shows you, getting everything you want when buying a home — and getting it in perfect condition — is impossible.

After shopping around for the lowest mortgage rates, you don't want to walk away from a house you like because it needs a few minor repairs, real-estate experts say. The price of the repairs should be factored into what you're paying for the home, and mortgage lenders can help you pull money out of a home sale.

So before you decide to cross a house off your list, here are eight minor home flaws that shouldn't deter you from buying a home. Full Article

1. Unappealing Paint: This is one of the easiest and cheapest fixes, especially if you do it yourself. Don't let someone's poor taste in paint colors persuade you not to buy. 
2. Outdated Wallpaper:  It will take work to remove old wallpaper, but doing so is cheap. 
3. Tired Kitchen Cabinets: Cabinet refacing can be done inexpensively and make your old cabinets look new.
4. Wall to Wall Mirrors: They might have been hip in the 1970s or '80s, but now they are eyesores that can be removed and replaced with paint.
5. Drab Window Treatments: They may be one of the first things you notice when you walk into a house. You can either offer them to the old owners, or throw them out and buy whatever you want to replace them. 
6. Broken Air Conditioner or Furnace: While buying a new one is a major expense, some fixes are inexpensive. A pump for a boiler, for example, may cost a mere $250, so having to fix one shouldn't necessarily stop you from buying an otherwise good home.
7. Lack of Closet Doors: Such an inexpensive fix it would be silly to walk away from a house because there arent' any closet doors.
8. Discolored Bathroom Grout: Buyers who see this may mistake it as the sign of a moldy house. While mildew can lead to problems, have the home inspector check if it's something that can be fixed with a little scrubbing.

How to Manage a Multiple Offer Market

While we continue to wait on a complete market recovery, positive signs are beginning to materialize. One of them is receiving multiple offers. Handling a multiple offer situation is exiting but stressful. But, with the right guidance I can make it as manageable as possible. My main piece of advise is to keep the communication going with all parties involved. Full Article

• Begin With The End in Mind- Everything begins and ends with the listing presentation. It is where the tone of the transaction is set. Start with explaining why properly pricing the home is so important. The homes that are receiving multiple offers are priced properly according to the market. I also encourage agents to support their documentation with national news. Discuss what is happening across the country and explain how that impacts their sale from a local level. This will lend credibility and prevent future push back.
• Maintain Focus- When reviewing offers, keep  sellers focused on what matters most. Rather than looking at homes within their neighborhood that are still sitting on the market, guide their attention towards the homes that have actually sold. Help them make an apple-to-apple comparison of their property, rather than placing hope in a transaction that hasn’t actually taken place.
• Gain Clarity- It can be very difficult for all parties to take a step back and evaluate the details in a multiple offer situation, especially when the home has been on the market for a significant amount of time. It is human nature to get excited and want to jump at the ‘highest and best’ offer. However, taking a deep breath and truly analyzing all of the details may show that the best looking offer is not necessarily the highest offer.  Sometimes the terms, (closing date) are as important.

Housing Boom

The long-battered housing market is finally starting to get back on its feet. But some experts believe it could soon become another housing boom. Full Article 

MySecretAgent is a top flat fee/ for sale by owner brokerage. 

Open House Sign

This is what our open house sign looks like. Here are some tips on holding an open house. 

Mortgage Checklist

Thinking of buying a new home? Review this mortgage checklist first:

1. What is your mortgage limit?

• List all your expenses in your current budget. 
• Estimate potential homeowner expenses and include them in your budget. 
• Estimate your monthly payments using an online mortgage calculator. 
• Calculate your debt to income ratio to determine your mortgage limit. 
• Decide on how much of a down payment you will make. 

2. Check your credit. 

3. Determine the type of loan that works best for you. 

4. Choose a lender. A lender is critical to the cost and success of your home purchase. 

5. Get pre-approved. Get a Good Faith Estimate of fees as a part of your pre-approval. You will have to supply the following:

• Paycheck stubs in the last 30 days
• W2 tax return 
• Recent credit card statements
• Bank statements in the last 90 days

6. Lock in your interest rates

7. Bring all documentation to closing

Ways To Add Curb Appeal

If your home's curb appeal makes a great first impression, everyone -- including potential homebuyers -- will want to see what's inside. Check out these simple, low-cost improvements that you can do in a day, a week, or a month.

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Home Selling Tip: End Your Listing Price in "000"

To make your home show up more often in search try ending your listing price in "000". For example if the price of your home is $375,000 a buyer may search in the $250-$375 range AND $375-$400. Just something to think about. Here are more tips on selling your home.

Organize your Laundry Room

Certain rooms of the house have more resell value than others do. Therefore, when it comes time to sell your home, you want to pay close attention to these rooms. You may not think much of your laundry room but it is a selling point, especially if it is clean, organized and has storage. 

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Easy Home Winterization Projects

Below is a list of easy projects to winterize your home.

• Seal the Draft- According to the Energy Department, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your energy use.  Place a rolled bath towel under a drafty door, or you can purchase a draft guard to place on your door. 
• Change Furnace Filters- It is important to replace or clean your furnace filters once a month during the heating season. Dirty filters restrict air flow and increase energy demand. 
• Install Storm Windows- Installing a storm door can increase energy efficiency by 45%, by sealing drafts and reducing air flow.
• Water Heater- Turning your water heater down to 120 degrees or lower will reduce your water-heating costs by 6% to 10%.
• More Tips

Importance of Photos

Today more than ever, it's the photos that sell a home, as buyers spend evenings and weekends on their couches poring over slide shows on iPads or laptops. Your photos will make a difference making your home stand out over the rest. Take the time to declutter the your home to take photos. Right after snapping the photos place the items back in the room but at lest the photo will entice buyers. Here are a few more tips in selling your home.   Full Article

Highest Home Sales Since May 2010

Wow, we may have finally reached the new normal! It was a long time coming but the home sales in August increased 7.8%. This is the latest statistic  to prove that the housing market is on it's way out of the funk we were in. Full Article Here.

MySecretAgent experienced this as well. This summer we helped sellers save over $308,000 in listing commissions!! Our flat fee MLS service is effective and the numbers will tell you that you can sell your home and pay YOURSELF the commission.

Buying beats Renting by 45%

Buying a home is 45% cheaper than renting. Home prices have started to rebound by 2.3% over the last year and rents have risen 4.7%. The prices are lower to buy than it would be to rent. Mortgage rates have fallen in the past year with the interest rate being around 3.5%. Read the entire article here.

MySecretAgent is a top "Flat Fee MLS" and "For Sale by Owner" brokerage. 

Three Mistakes To Avoid

Selling a home by owner isn't as difficult as it seems. Below are the top three mistakes to avoid when selling your home. If you follow the tips along with the service MySecretAgent, a top flat fee and "For Sale By Owner" Brokerage, provides you will have no trouble selling your home.

1. Price Your Home Right: The worst thing you can do is over price your home. You will lose out on many potential buyers. I get all the time from sellers that the listing price is negotiable but you don't want to scare any buyers away from over pricing your home.  Besides you are saving on a listing commission fee so you have more room to negotiate. 
2. Buyer's Agent Commission: You want everyone to promote and show your home so don't skimp out on the buyer's agent commission. 
3. KeyBox: A keybox will make it easier for agents to show your home. 

Interior Paint Colors That Help Sell Your Home

Painting your house is important because of the major return on investment! According to HomeGain'sPrepare to Sell 2009 national survey, the average price to paint interior walls is $500 to $750, but that increases a home price by an average of $1,500 to $2,000 -- which can be a 250 percent return on investment.

Paint your home in a neutral colored palette, beiges, warm beiges and yellows are great choices for wall color. Avoid the color white- The biggest mistake people make is painting their house entirely white inside thinking it's a neutral color. It's not, it's a bright color. Also avoid wall paper, it is a deal breaker. 

5 Ways to Organize Your Garage on a Budget

 The garage is often delegated as a dumping ground for misplaced objects and miscellaneous tools. Reclaim your space and find out how to organize your garage with these five simple ideas. Read Full Article

 
1. Reclaim Your Parking Spot- The trick: Utilize the walls. A securely mounted pegboard system will get your tools — rakes, hoses, even wheelbarrows — off the floor and out of the way, plus you'll always be able to see what you have. 


2. Ready to Work- If you can eke out the space, set up an area in your garage for doing those DIY projects and repairs.


3. Over and Out- Loft-like storage, such as a wooden shelf or easily installed rack units, is ideal for holding seasonal items such as holiday decor or outdoor gear; rotate out boxes or bins as needed (don't forget to label them).


4. Hide and Keep- delegate dangerous chemicals to a well-ventilated, lockable cabinet to protect against prying hands and careless spills.


5. Keep vs. Toss- Decide on what to keep and toss. Make piles as you clean and organize your garage.  

Compare Our Services To A Traditional Listing Agent

MySecretAgent's flat fee packages offer the same exposure, tools and assistance as a traditional agent for a fraction of the cost. Compare our services to a traditional listing agent

Compare: Traditional Lisitng Agent VS Flat Fee Brokerage

MySecretAgent's flat fee packages offer the same exposure, tools and assistance as a traditional agent for a fraction of the cost. 

Flat Fee Brokerage
Listing your home with a flat fee brokerage, also known, as a discount brokerage is not much different than listing with a traditional agent. Selling your home through a flat fee broker will get your home listed on the Multiple listing Service (MLS) to gain maximum Internet exposure, and provide marketing tools, all for a one time flat fee. A traditional agent will do the same and not much more for 6%! Using a flat fee listing broker the For Sale By owner (FSBO) is in control of their listing 100% of the time. Be cautious when comparing flat fee services, some of the other companies less expensive packages will not include a listing on the local MLS, only on their own website. With MySecretAgent your home will be listed on the same MLS as with any traditional agent! All of our packages include the MLS listing.
MySecretAgent allows all FSBO sellers to be in control of their listing 24 hours a day via online account. You can change the price, photos, description, etc. at any time. You will handle showings by appointments, control access and answer questions about the property. Who knows a home better than you? Is that worth 6%? We at MySecretAgent don’t think so! Any homeowner selling on their own can do this with the help of the MLS listing by MySecretAgent.


Traditional Agent
How many of you had agents promise they can sell your home better than the next? When they did get your listing you were not getting the result they promised. Yes, they may have a different approach to marketing within their network, but the main tool they use is the MLS. When a traditional agent, as well as a discount broker gains your listing, they place it on the MLS. The MLS plays a huge role in both agent’s network and marketing.
A traditional agent’s main goal is to list your home on the MLS to expose it to other agents and buyers, leading them to show your home and eventually sell it. If another agent brings a buyer the 6% commission is split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. For example, on a $200,000 property $12,000 is paid to the agents involved (6% commission), even if a buyer contacts you directly. The listing agent will list your home on the MLS, place a yard sign in your front yard, host 1-2 open houses and assist in paperwork. Most sellers are capable and feel comfortable doing this on their own. State laws require a licensed agent to list a property on the MLS therefore giving traditional agents the upper hand over FSBO sellers. When analyzing the role of a traditional agent it is hard to justify paying thousands in commissions when you can get the same result listing with MySecretAgent, a top discount broker.


My Secret Agent
MySecretAgent.com, a top discount real estate brokerage, allows savvy home owners to sell their home without paying a 3% listing commission fee, maximizing local and national Internet exposure through the MLS (State Accredited Multiple listing Service), and stay in control of the home selling process. MySecretAgent.com provides the tools and customer service to the For Sale By owner (FSBO) sellers to effectively sell a home and maximize the their equity. Check out the comparison chart showing the differences and similarities of a flat fee brokerage and a traditional agent with one Big difference: the amount you will save with a flat fee broker is significant!

5 Home Improvments to Entice a Buyer For Your Home

 You only have one time to make an amazing first impression. Follow the 5 tips below to entice buyers:

Space-  Re-evaluate room use: A rarely used guest bedroom can be converted into a den or office space. Fill in empty corners: Place a large potted tree in the corner. Lighten up the corner by positioning a canister light on the floor behind the plant, pointing upwards into the plant or toward the ceiling.

Flow- Make it easy for buyers to walk through your home with flow. Rearrange furniture to make the walk easy from the door to a window in the master suite or from the hallway to a living-room sofa.

Focal Points-   Reds and yellows are “advancing” colors; blues and greens are “receding” ones. Remember that, and you’ll be able to control your audience’s gaze. Elegant granite countertop? Place a bowl of red peppers on top. Beautiful fireplace? Hang a yellow painting above it. Dreary corner? Put a plant there.

Lighting- Replace stark daylight bulbs in the bathrooms with warmer ones, especially near mirrors.

Quiet The Set- Don’t distract your audience with creaky doors or floors. A noisy set makes people question the integrity of what they’re seeing.   

Testimonial

WOW, we always get the best feedback but it is nice to see it in writing. Our mission is to give the best possible service to sellers during the entire selling process. We acknowledge that we are entirely responsible for MySecretAgent's reputation. We pride ourselves in providing professional assistance by phone or e-mail to help homeowners make informative decisions throughout the home selling process. Because we rock, MySecretAgent is a top "Flat Fee MLS" and "For Sale By Owner" Brokerage. 


Here is what Carol and Brian wrote:


Beata / My Secret Agent,

We are amazed at how easy My Secret Agent made the whole process. Everything was completed in a very timely manner and as explained on your web page. You were available to answer our questions and replied to messages immediately.      

The response we got on our home was overwhelming. We listed on a Monday and sold it that Wednesday. If we had tried to sell our home on our own, that never would have happened. Listing through you gave us the necessary exposure, which made all the difference. We received nearly all of our calls through the MLS.      

As soon as you heard we were signing papers you called us with a personal "Congratulations!" We appreciate having had the opportunity for you to represent us in the sale of our home and saving us over $9,500.00. Thank you very much, Beata, we will highly recommend you.   

Sincerely, Brian & Carol 

13 Tips for Selling Your Home

Its a sellers market- use the 13 tips below to sell your home. Read Full Article


Audit your Real Estate Agent- 92% of homebuyers start their house hunt online. Make sure your listing agent will market your listing hundreds of online websites (MySecretAgent will list your home on hundreds of local and National sites :) ) 


Post a video love letter about your home- Walk through your home AND your neighborhood, telling prospective buyers about the best highlights of your home. MySecretAgent will post the link to your MLS listing allowing buyers to access it. 


Get Your Neighbors Involved- If you belong to neighborhood online message boards or email lists, send a link to your home’s online listing to your neighbors. 


Social Networking- Facebook is the great connector of people these days. If you have 200 friends and they each have 200 friends, imagine the power of that network in getting the word out about your house! MySecretAgent will post your listing to Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for maximum exposure. 

Leave some good stuff behind- We’ve all heard about closing cost credits, but those are almost so common now that buyers expect them – they don’t really distinguish your house from any of the other homes on the market anymore.


Beat the competition- In many markets, much of the competition is low-priced foreclosures and short sales. As an individual homeowner, the way you can compete is on condition. Consider having a termite inspection in advance of listing your home, and get as many of the repairs done as you can – it’s a major selling point to be able to advertise a very low or non-existent pest repair bill.


Stage the exterior of your home too. Stage the exterior with fresh paint, immaculate landscaping and even outdoor furniture to set up a Sunday brunch on the deck vignette. Buyers often fantasize about enjoying their backyards by entertaining and spending time outside.


Access is essential- Don’t make it difficult for agents to get their clients into your home – if they have to make appointments way in advance, or can only show it during a very restrictive time frame, they will likely just cross your place off the list and 


Get real about pricing- Today’s buyers are very educated about the comparable sales in the area, which heavily influence the fair market value of your home. MySecretAgent offer free CMA's to determine a listing price. We also provide free broker help during the entire selling process. 


Get clued into your competition- Work with your broker or agent to get educated about the price, type of sale and condition of the other homes your home is up against.


De-personalize- Buyers want to visualize your house being their house – and it’s difficult for them to do that with all your personal items marking the territory as yours.


De-clutter-  This will help potential buyers visualize themselves living in the home. 

Listen to your agent. If you find an experienced real estate agent to list your home, who has a successful track record of selling homes in your area, listen to their recommendations! Find an agent you trust and follow their advice as often as you can.