Stage your home with what you already own

Start by removing, not adding. Clear counters, thin out bookshelves, and put half of the family photos in a box. Buyers need to picture their own life in the room.

Then rearrange: pull sofas off the walls, add one lamp per corner, and give every room a clear job. Fresh towels, a bowl of lemons, a plant by the window. Light matters more than anything else, so open every blind before photos.

If something is worn, fix it rather than hide it. Small repairs tell buyers that the whole house has been looked after.