In a perfect world, the entire family pitches in every morning to clean last night’s clutter and mess before heading out to work/school. In the real world? Not so much. But when your home is on the market, it’s important that you strive to get as close to that perfect world as possible. A hassle? Oh, yes. Crazy making? Indeed. But we have some tips to help you retain some of your sanity until the house sells.

Start with a clean slate

A deep, deep clean, fresh paint – you’ve no doubt heard it all before. Whether it’s to set the foundation for staging or just to make the home presentable for the market, there’s no getting around the fact that to get what you want for the home, it must be incredibly clean. If you can’t get the job done by yourself, or with help from friends and family, hire someone to do it for you – it’s that important.

The next step in the process of readying the home for the market is, again, a familiar. ...