Ready to sell? Glamorize your home

Stacks of old Time magazines. Box loads of family photos. Bags of free toiletries collected at hotels. Golf clubs you hope to use upon retirement. Such are the things that torment homeowners when it comes to readying a property for sale. But unless you purge you may have to let your place go at a sacrificial price.

The purging process can represent a crisis, says Sandra Felton author of 'The New Messies Manual' Getting started is the problem. Felton says the hourly fee for professional organization services rage from $20 to $100 and that the average seller needs to spend eight to ten hours de-junking. With two or three hours of professional assistance, you should get your momentum going, says a professional realtorâ .

She estimates a clutter-free home can command as much as 10% more. Hiring an organizer is one relatively inexpensive way to move toward a successful home sale. Here are a few others:

Consider a professional cleaning crew. 'A sparkling home sends a powerful message that your place is tended with pride. 'It’s a very good selling point to have a pristine house.' An immaculate home often strikes buyers as a low-maintenance property. 'On the properties I show, the clean ones get the second thoughts. The ones that need help get buyer reluctance and sometimes criticism.' says Justyna Johnson of Edina Realty. Justyna Provides FREE "Get Ready to Sell Cleaning"

Update with new carpeting of standard grade. If the floor covering in your home involve carpeting (with no hardwood underneath), it’s often 'an absolute must' to install replacement carpet. The price per square yard for midlevel carpeting has remained constant over the past decade experts point out. An average family room costs $500 to $600 for a medium grade.

Festoon your place in foliage and flowers. 'Greenery adds warmth and a nice environment.' Say experts. If you’re selling an upper-bracket-end home, you may wish to have a plant service furnish your interior with a collection of well-tended live plants.

Illuminate your place without spending a fortune. One nearly universal preference is for light, airy rooms. A bright look is easier to achieve if your home features soaring ceilings or big windows. But you’ll still want bright lighting to dazzle visitors. Floor lamps in classic styles are readily available through discount chains and are not costly.

Rely on a fresh coat of paint for a successful sale. Homebuyers are strongly attracted to a newly painted home, especially if they’re in a hurry to get settled. 'There is nothing worse than to move in with a family and have to paint before you can unpack your boxes. Your return on the investment for interior painting nearly exceeds your expenditure,' experts agree. To get the most for your money, select an off-white or a light tan paint to cover most surfaces.

From Ellen James Martin is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist. notes added