A home staging is the first chance for potential buyers to form that all-important first impression of your home. Home sales can make or break your chances of selling your real estate property, so you should make sure to take the proper steps to make yours a success.

Don’t show a dirty house. You may think that it goes without saying that it is important to clean your house from top to bottom, but your definition of clean may not be enough in this case. People look everywhere when they are touring homes, including in closets, cabinets, laundry rooms, dresser drawers, under the bed, etc. This means that your laundry room, your closets, cabinets, storage areas, etc. all need to be cleaned and de cluttered. Look at it as your opportunity to get rid of some of that junk that you have been needlessly storing.

Keep in mind that many different people will likely, or hopefully anyway, be touring your home, and that some people are overly sensitive to smells and to pets as well. Do not assume that an over powering floral fragrance is the best way to attract potential buyers, and do not assume that everyone who walks through the front door will fall in love with your cat, fish, macaw, giant iguana who normally has free reign of the house, etc.

The goal of a home staging is to create a feel of depersonalization, because people want to picture themselves living in your home, which probably won’t happen if they are bombarded with your counter top clutter, your family photos on the walls, and your other personal items throughout the house.

The appearance of your yard is also a crucial factor. This is the first thing that potential buyers will see when they arrive at your house, and overgrown shrubs, un-mowed yards, and unkempt flower beds practically scream neglect and make people wonder what the inside of your house must look like if the front of the house looks so terrible. Unfinished landscaping jobs and outside repair jobs do not scream DIY paradise, unless of course your home is listed as a DIY, fixer upper, or in as is condition, in which case, you probably would not be having a home staging in the first place.

Keep these home selling don’ts in mind, and you will be well on your way to avoiding some of the most common mistakes that home sellers make.