Make sure each room has a well-defined use

Busy households often fall into the habit of using a room for multiple purposes -- dining room, office, child's playroom. The ambiguity can be a problem for potential home buyers, however.

"Some buyers can't visualize how a room should be used," said Selby. She suggests moving everything that wouldn't be found in, say, a dining room into storage. Children's toys in particular need to be confined to one area of the home while it's on the market.