"Staging" of houses for potential buyers has become a common buzzword in recent years, and there are good reasons for it. Making a home as appealing as possible is one of the keys to selling it quickly. Staging can mean the difference between your FSBO property selling fast or sitting on the market for months.

Professional home stagers are available to help with the process, but you can do much of the work yourself. Here are five solid staging strategies to make your FSBO house as appealing as possible to buyers.

1. Conquer Clutter

There's a reason so many articles on home selling emphasize getting rid of clutter: it works. Buyers have a hard time seeing the lines of a house and imagining their furniture and possessions in it, if every room is crammed with knickknacks. Even family photos compromise a viewer's ability to see the house as their own. Go ahead and store the personal photos, awards, and the like, and get rid of as many little knickknacks as you can.

2. Bring it Up to Date

Unless a buyer happens to be interested in buying a period piece from the 1970s, they're probably not going to appreciate the avocado, burnt orange, and mustard shades from yesteryear. Painting over ugly colors that were trendy for six months and replacing shag carpeting and dated looking appliances make an enormous difference in the appeal of your house.

The exception, of course, is if you have a historic home. In those cases you may not be allowed (by historic zoning rules) to make certain changes and should play up the home's historic appeal.

3. Makeover Ugly or Dated Bathrooms

Remaking an ugly bathroom doesn't have to be expensive. For example, replacing an unattractive and dated vanity with a sleek pedestal sink can be done for around $200. Hideous tile colors can be painted over with special epoxy paints. In many cases, cleaning mildew from tile grout, replacing the shower curtain, and cleaning the bathroom from top to bottom can be a makeover in itself.

4. Restrain Your Urge to Be Colorful

Buyers may not appreciate the purple paint you used in your dining room, even if it makes the exact style statement you want. Repainting in light, neutral colors is most appealing to buyers, because it generally makes rooms look larger and more airy, and gives it a certain "blank canvas" appeal that helps buyers more easily imagine where their favorite furniture will go. In your repainting, don't neglect baseboards, crown molding, and ceilings.

5. Take Care of Those Windows

Washing windows inside and out is a chore, but it makes an enormous difference in the appeal of your home. Clean windows let in more light and give each room a newer, fresher look. Sparkling windows also add to your house's curb appeal. Washing windows is labor intensive, but it is one of the least expensive ways to make any house look significantly more beautiful.

Is your home ready to go on the market? If so, click here, and you can start creating your listing right away.