Thomas Harding, Realtor Shepherdstown, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg West Virginia (304) 671-7292 cell phone  Thomas@THarding.com

ABC of Selling

Selling a house is a lot like romance. It really pays to set the mood. Real estate pros call it staging -- showcasing the best side of a home to create interest and help you get top dollar.

Here are 10 tricks to selling your home from the pros:

1. Make room. Clear out as much furniture as you can. Put it in storage, give it to Goodwill Industries or have a garage sale. Hallways and doorways, in particular, need to be clear and open.

2. Use counter intelligence. Go through the house and clear off all the horizontal surfaces like kitchen and bathroom countertops. Old magazines? Toss 'em. Knick-knacks? Pack 'em. Counters need to be clear and clean.

3. Follow your nose. A home should smell good. That means no noticeable odor -- no pet scent, no stale cooking smells and no cigarette smoke. "People just don't realize how much odor plays into this," says Scott Griffith, president of ERA Griffith Realty in Brighton, Mich.

4. Remember, the next buyer is as lazy as you are. If the property needs work -- dated wallpaper, ratty carpet -- have it replaced now so that all buyers have to picture is moving day. "Most people want it before they move in," says Myra Zollinger, a partner with Coldwell Banker Realty Center in Chapel Hill.

5. Do the baby test. Does your potential market include families with young kids? If so, ask yourself, "Would I put my child down on this floor to crawl around the room?"

6. Deep-six the cigarettes. Buyers are much more sensitive to cigarette smells, says Zollinger. "If somebody's a smoker, he doesn't smell it."

7. Make your home ageless. There's a difference between an old house and a classic home. "If the house looks 40 years old with 40-year-old paint, 40-year-old appliances and 40-year-old carpet, that's a hard sell," says Phipps, president of Phipps Realty and Relocation Services in Warwick, R.I. Keep everything fresh and up-to-date (read well-maintained) and you have a solid home in an established neighborhood -- a real looker.

8. Let there be light. "People buy space and light, for the most part," says Zollinger.

9. Get a home inspection. Most buyers will have one done anyway, says Zollinger. Do it now -- and make any needed repairs before you put the home on the market.

10. Learn to love white walls. When it comes to walls, color is popular. The problem is that the next buyer might not like the same colors. Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to make a house look clean and fresh. And if you're going to repaint prior to selling, stick with neutrals.