Photo by Patsi Jones / Phoenix Home Enhancement Before

Dress It Up

Jones suggests this rule of thumb: “If you don’t see it in a model home, let’s not see it in your house.” That means hiding toiletries, photographs, dishrags, garbage cans, newspapers, refrigerator magnets and other items that make your home personal. If that seems too strict, then designate a special place for picture frames, like the nightstand, and try storing items like toothbrushes in cool leather containers with lids. Essentially, become a master of disguise.

Furniture can qualify as clutter, too, so “edit” unnecessary pieces. Or, rent nice pieces from a home stager for a monthly fee to create the look you want. Arrange it so there is a clear traffic pattern, making it easy to walk from one room to the next.

Stick with neutral palettes, painting walls white or warm beige, highlighting baseboards and molding with a slightly darker color than your base. Your ceiling should be the lightest shade, creating an illusion of height. Infuse your décor with a bold accent color, using it to draw a buyer’s eye from one area of the home to another. Red is the popular choice with home stagers.

Then go to town highlighting the home’s selling points: Place red candles on the fireplace mantle or bay windowsill, a clean red dish towel by the stainless steel appliances, a red container with green apples on top of a granite island. (Complementary colors attract attention, too, Craze says).

“It’s almost like putting up a sign that says, ‘Look here, here and here,’” she says.

Update that Kitchen

Good luck selling a home these days without updating your kitchen and bathrooms. These remodels can be budget busters, but Craze says minor upgrades should pay for themselves when the house sells (she defines minor as $10,000 to $15,000 for a kitchen and $5,000 to $10,000 for a master bathroom). Change countertops and fixtures first, and if you have money and patience to spare, splurge for new tile and cabinetry.

For kitchens, mahogany, deep cherry and classic white are colors that stand the test of time. Natural maple and bamboo are becoming more popular, too, as people look for more environmentally friendly options. One piece of advice: If your flooring is a dark wood, don’t pick the same color for your cabinetry.