First impressions are the strongest.
Your home will be photographed for the Multiple Listing Service, the sign in the yard will attract lookers and prospects brought by agents will all be deciding from the exterior, if they want to enter. The front of your home should be kept neat and clean. Trim shrubs, mow the lawn, plant attractive flowers, if possible. Do whatever is necessary to improve the "curb appeal" of the home.

Paint or wash the front door and surrounding area.
Agents will be spending an extra few minutes here, opening the lock box. While they are getting the keys, the buyers are scrutinizing the front door, up close.

Clean windows both inside and out until they sparkle.
Clean the window coverings also. Buyers will be looking at the view through the windows, will see what a lovely well-cared for home you have.

Remove clutter, start packing away the excess nick nacks.
Old magazines, books anything that takes up space and detracts from the home should go away.

Empty the closets. The objective is to make the closets unstuffed. Closets that have space left appear spacious and more than adequate.

Clean the basement and the garage.
To buyers these areas are as important as the home. Clean them up and unclutter them. Help the buyers visualize how much space they will have for their possessions.

Sparkling clean bathrooms are rated equal to kitchens
as the most important areas to buyers. Present your bathrooms to their best advantage, paint, clean and caulk. If needed replace the toilet seat and purchase a new set of towels.

Rooms that are light and bright are very appealing.
Open blinds, leave on lights, especially in darker areas of the home. Check for burnt out bulbs, replace them.

Pets.
People who have pets should be sure that the pet is protected and away from the buyers. Some buyers are very much afraid of pets and will not enter a home that has pets. If possible remove the pet during showing. If your pet is unfriendly to strangers, this puts everyone in a very bad position.

Noise.
Quiet homes are the best. Music can be nice, but it's very hard to determine what kind of music to play that will appeal to all buyers. It's best to not have any. Turn off the TV. If you have a "yappy dog" well, that is distracting too.

Odor.
Pet odors sometimes are not noticed by the people who live with the pets. Extra cleaning and isolating the pet to a smaller area, will help keep the clean up work to a minimum. Odors in a home are very big deal killers. The trouble with odors, it's difficult to tell someone their home stinks, so no one does.

First sell the house.
Sellers sometimes get so involved in a move, they put personal property up for sale too. This is a mistake and very distracting. If the buyer wants to purchase the home let them. You can discuss the other items later.

Make yourself scarce.
It's ok to wait and let the buyers in, but leave immediately. Take a walk, go have a Starbucks, visit the neighbor, but leave. Hanging around discussing your home with prospects is not a good idea. The buyers must first look at the home and be able to "mentally move in". They can't do that with the seller looking over their shoulders.

Good aromas always enhance a home.
Realtors suggest baking a tray of cookies or a loft of bread to create a wonderful aroma when they buyers come for a showing. A quick and easy trick is to put a few drops of vanilla on a cookie sheet in a warm oven.

Using Feng Shui to Stage your Home

Literally translated, Feng means wind and Shui means water. Feng Shui is how the "chi" (the energy of the life force) flows around us and influences our lives. The goal of Feng Shui is to achieve optimum balance and harmony through the location and orientation of your home.

The most important aspect of Feng Shui is balancing the Yin and Yang, and the five elements. The shape of the property and house are very important. The ideal house is embraced by its environment.

To understand Feng Shui, it is important to understand the theories on which Feng Shui is based. This include Yin-Yang, the five elements, Ba-Gua, Chi, the ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches.

The ten heavenly stems are represented by the five-elements and yin-yang. The twelve earthly branches are the twelve animals in the Chinese horoscope.

Applying the Five Elements of Feng Shui

The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Using these elements properly and in the correct proportion is important.

• The Wood Element: Wood is the first in the Five Element cycle. Many people use wood furniture but it is lifeless. To harness the Chi of wood, it must be live. A shrub or bushy plant is ideal. Live plants have another advantage in that they recycle the air we breath. A bushy plant can retain some chi that is lost on a staircase that ends at a doorway. Place a plant either on the landing or at the bottom of the staircase.
• The Fire Element: The Fire Element is often denoted by the color red.
• The Earth Element: Terra-cotta pots filled with potting soil are an Earth remedy. Earth tone colors can be used, but are not as effective as dirt.
• The Metal Element: Copper, Silver, Gold, and Bronze are the most common Metal Elements. Make sure that your item is rounded and pleasing, not sharp and pointed. White, silver, or gold items can be used instead of metals.
• The Water Element: Water gives life. An aquarium, or a small metal fountain can be used. Do not use ceramic or other earthen fountains. The Earth element blocks water and neutralizes the positive effect. Water can be represented by blue or black.

Feng Shui Basics

Look at the history of the home and the previous occupants. Make sure it has a good history

Check the surrounding of the property. Does it have rear support? This can be a mountain, another house, a row of trees, a building, or a fence.

Look out from the front to the left. Does it have support there?

Look out from the front to the right. Does it have support there?

Is there open ground, a road, a roundabout even a circular flower border in the front?

Are there poison arrows directed at the property? Lamp posts, telephone poles, the corner of house pointing at you, a prison, or a hospital will require a Ba Gua mirror.

The back garden should be larger than the front. A larger front yard causes an imbalance.

Avoid a long narrow path to the front door. Trees planted too close to the front door will not let Ch’i enter freely. Some potted plants will break up the line of the path.

Avoid a spiral staircase. A faceted crystal sphere at the top of the staircase might help.

Avoid any structures that dwarf the house. This goes for inside and outside.

Avoid properties with odd shaped designs. The best shape is a rectangle or square. If a few extensions stick out they can be easily rectified.

This is not a complete Feng Shui guide. It is meant only for basic reference. If you are interested in the study, we have provide several resources below.