The best time to put your home on the market is when both you AND your house are ready. Whether you are selling ASAP or have a much longer timeline, don’t rush the process if your house is not ready. Sellers can sabotage the sale of their home if they are too anxious or too attached. Homes sell all year round, but the key is to prep before making it pretty.

Redesign is an instant makeover

By simply reworking rooms with what you already own, you can have a “new” room by rearranging furniture and accessories. Shop the home, move stuff around. During a recent staging consultation, I redesigned a living room in less than 15 minutes.

Sometimes just tweaking the placement of furniture a tiny bit creates a more cohesive look. Rooms look more comfortable, inviting and appear larger.

“Wow! This is how we should have been living all along,” is something I hear from many staging clients. Why wait for when it is time to sell your home to make your home look and feel better? Enjoy your home while living in it now. This way your house will be ready for the market when you’re ready to list it.

Game plan

Here is a list to help motivate you:

• Edit and forget: If you don’t want it in your house and don’t plan on moving it with you, get rid of it now. Donate, sell it, give it away or throw it out.

• Lighten it up: Does a room feel like it is suffocating you? This means there is too much stuff is in it. See my previous. If every corner and surface is filled, remove some layers.

• Create functioning spaces: If you are not able to perform the task of the room’s purpose, there is a problem.

• Make your bedroom a priority: Remove any unnecessary items. Splurge on new bedding not only for staging purposes, but to enjoy now.

• Paint: If it has been years since you painted your house, it is time. Keep resale in mind by sticking to neutral colors. A fresh coat of paint will refresh your home.

• Go current: Replace dated cabinet hardware with a more current look.

• Stick to the classics: Painting cabinets is a cost-effective update. Avoid the trends and stick to the classics by using white or off white.

• Be good to yourself: Fresh towels and linens for no other reason than you deserve it.

• Show off your floors: If your carpet is old, worn out and dated, remove it. If there is hardwood underneath, show it off!

• Deal with offensive smells: Whether it is from a dirty house, pets, smoking or any combination, clean it up. Create a healthy and clean environment. Your house will feel so much better and so will you.

• Don’t do windows? Call a pro: Have your windows professionally cleaned.

Prep, then pretty

After the de-cluttering, lightening up and cleaning, it is time to stage the home. Accent pillows, floral arrangements, artwork and/or accessories may be needed to stage. You may have what you need or need to bring in fresh inventory. Items can be rented through a staging company or purchased. Costs vary depending on what is needed.

All of your efforts can translate into a quick sale.