It may be that time again; you’re moving to a new city or a new area, or you’re relocating to a different country altogether. Or maybe you just want to buy a new home that fits your current lifestyle better. But first things first; you must sell your current home quickly. Below are time-tested techniques and tips you can employ to ensure your home sells fast.

1. Get rid of clutter

Over time, all of us accumulate a great deal of stuff in our homes. This can get worse the longer we’ve lived in that particular home. Clutter can range from furniture to electronics to toys and other accessories. If you want to sell your house really fast, you must declutter. The sooner you start this process the better. This may even involve hiring an expert (there are decluttering experts all over the Internet) including movers to haul away your old stuff.

2. Clean the house

You will not experience the full effects of decluttering unless it is accompanied by a thorough cleaning. You can clean the house yourself or as the experts recommend, you can hire a cleaning company to do a more thorough job of cleaning and deodorizing your home. This includes cleaning:

• Kitchen and bathroom counters
• Fireplace mantels
• Laundry room shelves
• Tabletops
• Magazine racks
• Floors
• Ceilings
• Glass sliding doors
• Windows

3. Rearrange the Furniture

After decluttering and cleaning (yes, in that order), you now need to re-examine what to do with the remaining furniture. Ensure that its placement makes sense and allows for easy movement of people without bumping into things. Professional interior designers can help. Get rid of bulky and unnecessary furniture (place it in storage or sell it at a garage sale).

4. Professional photography

Whether you’re selling the house privately or you’re using a broker or realtor, you need to take good photographs of both the interior and exterior. Most people simply whip out their iPhones or Android phones and snap a few pictures of the interior and exterior of the home. While there’s nothing wrong with this, there’s so much more you can do especially in this media-crazed age. The best strategy is to hire a professional photographer.

Professional photographers have access to the following:

• High-end camera equipment (nothing against iPhones and Android phones but not everyone knows how to mess with the camera settings enough to take the best photos)
  The best angles, props, and lighting
• State-of-the-art photo-editing software with the necessary plugins (the average person would not have access to this nor the pertinent training)
  The result of combining the above is breathtaking photos that entice buyers to contact you.
• Professional photography comes in especially handy given most home sellers post pictures of their homes on sites such as Zillow or Craigslist where competition is fierce. Hiring a professional photographer ensures your home stands out.

Angelo Carducci’s new book “Nine Steps to Selling a Home” is now available on Amazon.