by Courtney Ronan
When you decide to sell your home you face an interesting dilemma. You have to put yourself into the shoes of a prospective buyer and realize that what looks fantastic to you may look terrible to the person walking through your home with a critical eye. And as we've all heard, the "psychology" of first impressions can clinch the sell or cause the prospective buyer to walk out and move on to the next house. Something as seemingly trivial as those pink curtains in your dining room can color the prospective buyer's entire outlook.

Many Realtors are savvy to these subtleties, of course, and should you use the services of a Realtor, you'll want to take his or her advice to heart without becoming defensive about your decorating preferences. Not all Realtors, however, are tuned in to such matters unless your preferences are so outrageous that it would be impossible not to notice them and suggest a change. Chances are good you're going to have to do a little assessment on your own.

We always hear about the "curb appeal" of homes, and while that's critical, the inside is what lands the sale. Your goal should be to neutralize your home. You have no idea what the decorating tastes of your prospective buyers will be; therefore, you've got to tone down the interior of your home to make it applicable and agreeable to nearly any taste. For all you know, your prospective buyer could own a velvet green sofa. As she walks into your living room and spots those Pepto Bismol-pink walls, she'll either immediately dismiss the house as a possibility, or she'll begin to become discouraged as she envisions all of the work she'll have to do upon move-in (such as painting) in order to make the interior more compatible with her furniture and general decorating preferences.

Paint those walls white or some other soft neutral shade, on the other hand, and that velvet green sofa will fit in just fine. She'll want to see more, and you've improved your chances of a sale. Your job as a seller is to have your prospective buyers envision themselves, their family and their furniture in your home as they walk though it. Keep the color consistent throughout your home; in other words, don't paint the living room white and keep the guest room red or some other offbeat shade. You can try different neutral shades, of course, but this isn't the time for experimentation. Remember also that neutral shades can create the illusion of larger rooms.

Part of "neutralizing" is cleaning. Your prospective buyers won't be able to envision their belongings in your home if they can't see the floor. So you've got to clean it ruthlessly. Have the carpets professionally cleaned, throw away as much clutter as you can, clear off your shelves and organize your closets. Take as much out as you can (now is the perfect time to hold a garage sale). Excessive clutter creates stress and turns off prospective buyers. Want proof? Imagine your desk at work, covered in paper. It looks like a tornado just ripped through the room. Is that a room you want to enter, kick off your shoes and stay a while?

The same principle applies in your home -- only the stakes are greater. So create as much breathing room as you can, and clear as many objects d'art out of the way as you can. If you own any conversation pieces that are an acquired taste, you may want to store those away temporarily. With an upcoming move, you needed to throw things away, anyway. Now is the perfect time to do it. Remind yourself that you're helping your chances of a sale -- and you're getting rid of clutter that would detract from your new home. In short, simplicity eliminates stress for buyers and sellers.

Take a look at your floors. Is your carpet a limiting shade? Is it bright? Stained? Faded or just plain ugly? You don't want to go through the expense of replacing carpeting, of course, but clean it well, and move your furniture around if you want to distract your prospective buyers from worn areas. Place a floor rug or two in your living room or kitchen area. Clean those tile floors, and wax your linoleum. You may not love the patterns on the tiles, and your prospective buyers may not, either, but if you keep things clean and take pride in your home's presentation, chances are much greater that buyers will be willing to overlook their differences in opinion on flooring shades and design.

You'll also want to take a good, hard look at your window treatments. Homeowners are often so preoccupied with their busy schedules -- especially when a move is imminent -- that they forget to notice that their window treatments are extremely outdated. This might seem to be a subtle detail, but it's a crucial one. Neutral, once again, is the rule of the game here. Yank off anything that reflects your offbeat taste. You want those buyers to see something that complements their own decor. And don't forget to clean your windows; there's nothing worse than fingerprints and smudges.

Even if your budget doesn't afford anything fancy, you can find relatively inexpensive, yet pleasing window treatments (simple curtains, draperies, even balloon shades) at your local home decor store or home improvement center. If you already have blinds or wooden shades on your windows that provide privacy, this is a plus (as are energy-saving window coverings that block or absorb excessive sunlight and heat). Your buyer won't have to invest in window treatments, which represent a considerable expense. If, however, your existing blinds are outdated (for example, Venetian blinds) or bent, remove them and replace them with an inexpensive yet tasteful option.

Although making these modifications to your home might seem to be a bit of a headache, you'll be rewarded with a buyer in considerably less time than you would have otherwise. You may even get more for your home than you expected. If, during this process, you have trouble placing yourself into the shoes of buyers you've never met, consider the details that "sold" you on the home to which you're preparing to move. Chances are good that it wasn't Pepto Bismol-pink walls or magenta carpeting that sold you. It was probably your ability to envision your own furniture, your possessions and your family within a seemingly compatible, neutral environment.