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have a child of the opposite sex. Many buyers do not look forward to painting, so do the work for them and paint over murals or other themed decorations and make a neutral, less gender-specific space.

Check out your curb appeal. If your house does not have good curb appeal, invest some time in cleaning up your landscaping. Often, a quick trim of the overgrown shrubs and some new mulch can have a dramatic impact. Also consider adding widow boxes with tasteful colorful flowers. Making any necessary repairs to the front of the house is especially important because if the buyer notices cracked steps, broken porch lights or dead plants they may associate that with poor maintenance on the house overall.

Get a fresh set of eyes. After you have taken these steps, invite a family member, friend or co-worker into your home to get a new opinion. Your Realtor can also serve this function. You drive up to and live in your home everyday, and may not be able to see past the day-to-day clutter or envision things as non-essential. Go through the house with your guest and have them identify the things in the room that stand out, and talk about ways to de-emphasize those items, and highlight focal points in your home like fire places, windows, architectural details, etc. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed when hearing the comments. Stay focused on the goal of this process selling your home! Let others help you adopt your new attitude.

Learn more about this author, Allison Luthe.
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