If your home has been on the market for several months now without selling, it may be time to consider staging your home. You can certainly opt to hire a professional home stager, who will provide you with interior and exterior assessments of your home and offer a list of things you can change to help it sell. These tips may include things like new paint colors, changing furniture placement, installing new hardware, or updating fixtures.

But before you start seeing dollar signs appear before your eyes, here are some inexpensive, do-it-yourself tips to stage your home to maximize its selling potential.

1. Clear the clutter

Too much furniture, knickknacks and other household belongings can make your home looked cluttered. Consider the traffic flow through your home. If excess furniture makes rooms appear too small or difficult to move around in, then determine what pieces can go temporarily into storage. Edit down and pack up your knickknacks and books. Think like an interior designer who is furnishing a model home. Create appealing vignettes that make your home appear inviting, yet airy. Definitely pack up any family photos or personal mementos. You want potential buyers to envision themselves living in your home, which they can’t do if they’re reminded that someone else currently lives there. Don’t forget to clean out closets, drawers, and other storage areas in your home, including the garage. Remember, potential buyers look in these areas, too.

2. Let the light in

Potential home buyers want to see bright, cheery rooms. Clean all windows inside and out – including the screens, frames and sills. Remove heavy drapes and valances to open up windows and bring more light in. If the view outside of a window isn’t that great, hang sheer panels or install blinds that can be partially opened to let light in, but not show the less-than-optimal view. In rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light, turn on lights to make your home appear brighter. Make sure to replace broken fixtures and burned-out bulbs. Add additional lights in darker rooms if need be.

3. Thoroughly clean your home from top to bottom

A clean home tells potential home buyers that your home has been well-maintained. But it’s going to take more than a one-time cleaning. You have to thoroughly clean your home each week and do a quick clean-up before every home showing. No one wants to see cobwebs, dirty toilets or bathtubs, clothes thrown on the floor or furniture, the kids’ toys scattered everywhere, or messy litter boxes or other pet-related areas. If you don’t have the time to clean, consider hiring a weekly cleaning service. It’ll be well worth the investment. Also, if the walls in your home are showing wear, consider adding a fresh coat of paint in a neutral color as a quick pick-me-up. (Make sure to fix any holes or other wall damage before painting.)

4. Create curb appeal

Just like your appearance at an interview creates a first impression, your home’s exterior appearance can make or break a sale. Make sure your lawn is mowed, weeds are pulled, and your trees and bushes are maintained. Plant colorful flowers in pots or flowerbeds. Consider adding a fresh coat of paint to the front door, trim or shutters. Power washing the driveway; sidewalks; porch, patio or deck; garage door; and your home’s exterior can also enhance curb appeal.

5. Photograph your home

Once you’ve cleared the clutter, cleaned and spruced up the place, take new photos to showcase your home on flyers and online listings.

Your time and effort to complete these five tasks will be well worth it once you’re able to finally post that “Sold” sign in your front yard.

If you’re in the process of selling your home in order to buy a new home, call the mortgage specialists at Grandview Lending. We can answer your questions and help you find a home loan that meets your goals.