Banish the clutter! Trim the bushes! Hide your Star Wars collection! Take down the family pictures! What things can you do to prepare a house for sale? Here are tips, hints, thoughts and ideas for sprucing up, cleaning out, decorating, staging, creating a great first impression and making a house appealing to buyers.

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Depersonalize the space by removing family photos, trophies, posters, etc.

Clear high-traffic areas of excess furnishings to maximize feeling of space

Highlight key features in each room, and make sure they are not obscured by plants or furnishings

Setting the stage for showings, (REALTOR® Magazine, June 1999).

Clutter-free helps sell homes, (Realty Times, Jan. 9, 2009).

Home-staging cheat sheet, (U.S. News & World Report, July 3, 2008).

"Honey, stop the car!" The importance of curb appeal, (www.activerain.com, May 27, 2007).

14 ways to make the most of your curb appeal, (www.bankrate.com, Apr. 4, 2007).

Preparing your home for sale: steps to spruce up your property, (Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, 2007).

De-clutter, pre-pack and reflow, (Florida REALTOR®, Sept. 2006).

Appealing to eyes and ears of buyers, (Realty Times, Mar. 9, 2006).

Make homes welcoming: Ten low-cost ideas to increase salability, (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2003).

Styled, staged & sold, (www.realtor.org, 2009).

Vacant home staging basics, (ActiveRain, Jan. 8, 2009).

House-selling secrets of a home stager, (This Old House, 2008).

8 tips for low-cost staging, (REALTOR® Magazine Daily Real Estate News, May 8, 2008).

Moving hard-to-sell homes with staging, (Realty Times, May 1, 2008).

Putting zeal in your curb appeal, (Realty Times, Nov. 7, 2006).