When it comes time to put your home on the market, you may begin to feel overwhelmed by all the projects you could have done along the way to make your house more appealing to potential buyers. You may even be tempted to start sinking money into cosmetic improvements and do great damage to your bottom line. The truth is that you should not overdo it when it comes to preparing your home for the market. Do a few small things that have big impact, and you will be glad you exercised restraint.

Perhaps your kitchen is really showing its age, and you suspect that this will send buyers running for the exits. The truth is that you probably do not need to splash out tens of thousands of dollars for a full kitchen renovation in order to make a sale. Instead, do what you can to make your kitchen feel as fresh and updated as possible without spending lots of money. Fresh paint, refurbished cabinets and clean bright surface may be all that is needed to create real appeal.

What is true for kitchens is also likely true for bathrooms in your home. Now is not the time to start knocking down walls and making massive chances to your space. Rather, work on adding fresh paint, cleaning all surfaces thoroughly and if you must spend money somewhere, consider updating your lighting and faucet fixtures. In this way, your bathroom will have a sparkling new look without putting too much of a dent in your eventual profits from the sale.

In the other spaces of your house, focus your energies on maximizing the space you have and making rooms look as large as possible. This may require you to temporarily put some of your furniture, clothes and personal belongings in storage. This will help buyers truly visualize the potential of your home and make it easier for them to see themselves living there.

If your taste in furniture and decor is unconventional in some way, you may want to consider hiring a professional home stager to create a more neutral, universally appealing look. These experts will be able to bring in pieces and arrange them in a way that provides optimal exposure during showings.

Finally, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must work hard to de-personalize your house as much as possible. While it may be sad to remove your photo wall documenting your children’s school years, it really will pay dividends in the end. Home shoppers want to be able to see the house as theirs, not someone else’s, and to do that, they need a nearly blank canvas.

Selling a home is a very stressful process, but there are things that can be done to make it go more smoothly. By decluttering, removing excessive personal touches and doing a few simple things to freshen up the appearance of key rooms, you can get your home sold in a much shorter time frame than you may have thought possible.