10 steps closer to selling your house

The real estate market, ugh...if you are trying to sell.

Here's a suggestion from a real estate stager (me): If your house is on the market, take advantage of the slow-down in showings to do some extra prep.

Here are 10 ideas to get you going:

• Pack away your collections. Buyers want to see your house, not your hobbies. Give them a clear view by visually editing your space.
  
• While you're at it, pack away all personal photos. That's right, all of them. Buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house - not you and your family.
  
• Declutter your kitchen cabinets by packing away pots, pans and dishes you do not use often. Cluttered cabinets will give buyers the impression your kitchen is too small.
  
• Clean areas we overlook on a day-to-day basis, like under the kitchen sink. It's amazing how quickly we can accumulate dirt and spills. Leave this area clean and decluttered so buyers know they are looking at a well-cared for home.
  
• Tackle the linen closet by packing away items you don't absolutely need. Buyers need to know there's plenty of room for their blankets, towels and sheets. If your closet is overflowing, they will imagine theirs will be, too.
  
• Give the laundry room, including the washer and dryer, a good scrubbing. It's easy to overlook clutter and dirt in areas we are used to seeing every day.
  
• Now's the time to look at your bedroom closets and weed out items you aren't using and pack away out-of-season clothes to show the closets to their best advantage.
  
• Tackle the basement - or garage - or attic - or shed - or all of them! Pack, give away or sell what you don't need daily. And once you are done, don't allow anyone to refill them before the house goes on the market.
  
• Clean litter and debris from around the yard that might have accumulated over the winter.
  
• What to do with all you've decluttered? Hold a yard sale, sell items on craigslist, give away usable items to charitable organizations and toss what is no longer usable.