My name is Nicole Serviss and I’m a REALTOR® who helps families buy and sell real estate so that they can upsize to the house of their dreams. It’s my passion to help you get the most for your home so that you can use that money to help you move onto your next home.

Staging is KEY to that.

The ideal situation would be to move out of your home and have it professionally staged. However, not everyone has that option. Here are my best tips to get you top dollar when you need to continue living in the home while it's listed on the market.

First, think about "hotel style." Keep things generic, simple, and clean. If you have to say to yourself, "that's my personal taste," then you probably need to replace that item with something that most people would love. Remember, it's not about you anymore. Keep the decor to a minimum. It should accent the space, not take it over.

You want to mentally move out of your home before it even hits the market. Your space is no longer your space. Remove all items that are personal to you or your family. Remove anything that has your family name or photo. You don't want that potential buyer walking into your home and feeling like they've invaded your space.

You want that buyer to walk in and imagine themselves living there. That's the power of staging.