If you are ready to put your home on the market, you already know that how it looks can make a significant difference in the sales price. If you are on a budget and don’t want to hire a professional stager, there are still some changes you can make which will create a big impact.

• Declutter; pack up extra “everything.” Remove anything you don’t absolutely need from every room, closet and cupboard. A cluttered closet looks small and uninviting.

• Replace curtains, bedding and towels with light neutral colors to make the room look larger and bright.

• Paint a room or two with modern colors.

• Store furniture to make the room look larger.

• Stage the kitchen with wine and fruit. Skip the fake table setting and create an image of an intimate meal with a nice bottle of wine.

The key to staging is to edit, edit, edit. A small investment in a few storage tubs filled with books, clothes, pictures and anything unnecessary will go a long way and very inexpensive.