Realtor Magazine recently published an article that highlighted 8 simple tips that could help your home sell faster. All of these tips have to do with de-personalizing your home because potential buyers can get sidetracked by personal items. The 8 tips are as follows:

1. Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensils looks crowded, not spacious.
2. Pack up the too-personal. Don’t leave toiletries on the counter. Stash family photos.
3. Be prepared for snoops. Prospective buyers pull open drawers, look in closets and peek behind the shower curtain.
4. Make sure things work. Dripping faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and squeaking hinges detract from the home’s appeal.
5. Think “white-glove clean.” Mop, dust, vacuum, clean baseboards, wash windows. Make sure the house looks fresh and smells neutral.
6. Make sure the front door is clean and the hardware polished. Power-wash walkways.
7. Store furniture that makes rooms feel crowded.
8. Show every room for the kind of room it is. Maybe you’ve turned your formal dining room into a home office. Get rid of the desk and computer, and bring back the dining table and chairs.

This article was originally published in the The Dallas Morning News on September 5, 2008.