The Gardner Group Blog

At last some hope for American homeowners: A week ago the National Association of Realtors reported that fourth-quarter existing-home sales surged almost 14% over the previous quarter. Still homeowners must be realistic; the median existing single-family home price remains 4.1% below 2008 fourth-quarter levels, according to the same report.

The freefall in home prices may be over, but the buyers' market persists--there's stiff competition to get a house sold for a good price. In a competitive market sellers need to make every effort for their properties to appear more attractive so they sell for more.

In Depth: 10 Ways Get More Money From Your Home

And it's the simple touches--not the big renovations--that often matter the most.

Look the Part
Louis Cammarosano, general manager of HomeGain, a real estate marketing company in Emeryville, Calif., stresses the importance of subtle yet crucial marketing tactics such as staging, or dressing up your home. "It's the same thing when you go for a job interview," he says. "You're looking at a person--how they dress, how they speak. You're not looking at their credentials initially."

Last year HomeGain surveyed 1,000 real estate agents to determine which home repairs offer the biggest rewards. After ranking for return on investment, the survey found that cleaning and de-cluttering--including removing personal possessions, polishing woodwork and glass and removing excess furniture--is the most important. Spending $100 to $200 tidying up can increase a home price by $1,500 to $2,000.

From Forbes.com