If you were in the early stages of selling your home when social distancing began, now is the perfect time to get serious about preparing your home to show. While you are sheltering in place, use this time at home preparing it to show both physically and virtually. If you already have a real estate agent, request a video walk-though for their suggestions prior to showing. Your realtor can be a fresh pair of eyes with no emotional ties to the house or its contents.

According to The Mortgage Reports, Feb. 2019, the most common home improvement items agents recommended to sellers are:

• Decluttering (95 %) Remove "junk" from rooms, closets, and cupboards. This adds immediate appeal and gives the illusion of more space. We all love our stuff, but let's face it – lookers need to be able to see the "bones" of the house. Homeowners often have too many memories and attachments to belongings that can cloud seeing the whole picture. Begin packing up your personal items including pictures and mementos from vacations. 

• Entire home cleaning (89 %), and carpet cleaning (78 %). Clean one room a day until the whole house looks clean and inviting. Consider re-caulking your kitchens and bathrooms, too. Bright caulk gives the appearance of cleanliness, which can help to sell your home. Look at your walls and trim. If the colors are outdated, or look dingy, PAINT! New paint can mask home odors while insanely brightening a room.

You should also make repairs or replace items in your home which are broken, worn out, or in obvious need of an update, such as electrical outlet covers, door stops and door handles. A home buyer will look at the "little things" in your home and, if those items are neglected, the buyer will wonder what else is in disrepair.

Five Most Important Rooms to Stage

According to On Stage, the five most effective rooms to stage are:

• Living Room 

Your living room should be an inviting space, without feeling cluttered or closed in. In a small living room, you need to show that furniture will fit. 

• Dining Room

Potential buyers need to be able to envision entertaining guests at formal dinner parties, as well as hosting their family Thanksgiving dinners in your dining room. Remove anything that blurs that image such as children's toy box or pet's kennel and feeding bowls.

• Master Bedroom

The master bedroom needs to offer a relaxing sanctuary to viewers. Neutral paint colors and soft carpet and window coverings add to the calming feeling it should offer. 

• Home office
  

With the current trend of working at home, there has never been more demand for a space designated as an office. If you do not have a designated home office, stage a spare bedroom as one.

• Kitchen 

The kitchen is the heart of your home. Edit what is on your counter tops to allow potential buyers to see the space available. Bring in fruit and greenery to add color for photos and showings. 

View virtual open houses on social media to see how they are prepared. Listen to what your agent tells you because they see all the listings. In this competitive market more homes than not are staged. Remember: Quarantine will soon be lifted. This time will pass whether you have done anything to prepare your home to sell or not. The final goal is to sell your home and sell it quickly. Your home has served you well – now is the time to prepare it to be someone else's home.