You’ve made the decision to sell your home. Whether you are looking to downsize or you want to take advantage of the current market to finally buy your dream home, the first step in the process is to prepare your current property for sale.

First impressions count and the key is making your home as appealing as possible. It’s something called home staging, and believe me, the right approach can help to sell your home faster and for more.

Home staging is about creating an illusion. This is more than simply giving the place a good clean and perhaps some fresh paint on the walls. A properly staged home can actually look larger, brighter, cleaner and warmer. It entices the buyer to want it.

Friends and relatives may have already advised you about getting your home ready for sale. Perhaps you’ve heard the often repeated advice to concentrate on the kitchen and bathrooms. Paint the walls, perhaps some new cabinet handles, clean, declutter and make minor repairs. But, that really is only the beginning. Those steps need to be taken before you actually dress your house for sale.

Small details can make your home stand out. Cut flowers in the living room, a bowl of fruit in the kitchen and perhaps lipstick, mascara and an attractive necklace on the bathroom counter. Simple but elegant.

Move extra furniture out of the house – perhaps storing it in the garage. That leaves you with an economy of furnishings that can be artfully arranged in appealing groupings known as vignettes. Display unusual knickknacks in groupings of 1, 3 or 5 and add unique elements to shelving, bookcases and fireplace mantels – drawing attention to specific areas of the room.

The proof that staging works is evident in the number of professional stagers that this industry has spawned. And their bag of tricks can be utterly amazing. They may bring an array of their own items to spruce up your home – mirrors, plants, silk flowers, lamps, area rugs, pillows, baskets and even inflatable queen-size beds.

Now it is true the kitchen and bathroom are key areas. To easily spruce up these rooms some tips of the trade include applying orange oil to cabinets to renew their lustre, place bowls of fruit on tables and arrange colourful cookbooks on the counter. Give your bathroom the spa treatment with baskets filled with towels tied with ribbons, scented soaps, lotions and moisturizing jars.

If your potential buyer is on the verge of signing the sale agreement, seal the deal with a lively touch in the back yard. Dress up your patio or deck with plants and potted flowers, and decorate your patio furniture with place settings of colourful plastic dinner plates and glassware.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his website. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Education Series on DailyWebTV.com. For a free copy of his Guide to Oakville Real Estate or his booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar, please call The Dan Cooper Team.

The economy appears to be improving as we continue to get some encouraging news each week. Whether it is an improvement in the U.S. job outlook or increased new home starts across Canada, the news indicates we are seeing signs of recovery.

All this means there will be renewed enthusiasm in the real estate market. Buyers, however, are still going to be cautious, so selecting a Broker who knows the local market is critical for selling or buying a home.

How do you know you are choosing the best Broker to sell your property or to help you find your dream home?

A little research will provide a lot of answers. Who has a high profile and is providing the most exposure for their properties? How well do they know the community – the best features and amenities the community has to offer? Do they know the most desirable locations and the true value of your investment? How innovative and creative are they at marketing homes or seeking out good value?

The Dan Cooper  is proud to be among the top Brokers in Oakville, In fact, they have been the #1 Team in Canada for Royal LePage in 2007, 2005, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999. These accomplishments do not happen by accident but rather through a dedicated and committed team of professionals.

As a home seller you will be working with a Broker who has developed innovative and carefully selected methods of showcasing your home for optimum exposure. These methods involve selecting the prime advertising spots in a variety of publications and using the internet more creatively than any other Broker. For example, my unique DanCooperTV.com website is bringing properties to life through a video-based platform. I’m proud to be one of the first to tap into this exciting form of marketing to provide you with a competitive edge when selling your home.

Besides superior exposure for your home, there are a host of other benefits when dealing with The Dan Cooper Team, such as a complimentary home staging consultation; instant access to our team of lawyers, home inspectors, mortgage brokers, appraisers and contractors; ongoing updates and progress reports as part of our in-depth communications; and being served by a team of multi-disciplined professionals with more than 40 years of combined experience.

Combined with my own 20 plus years in the Oakville market, the choice is clear – Dan Cooper, Broker of Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage. Whether buying or selling, The Dan Cooper Team is ready to serve you.

Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage. He can be reached at 905.338.3737 or direct line at 905.849.3303.  For more information about Dan and his team please see his innovative website DanCooperTV.com, or be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Education Series on DailyWebTV.com. For a free copy of his Guide to Oakville Real Estate or his booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar, please call The Dan Cooper Team.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this article; however, the information is general in nature. Please seek professional advice relevant to your specific situation.