Decluttering the Way to a Sale

Naomi and Paul Cummings and their two young daughters are ready to move on to a bigger house, but they need to get their current place in shape to compete in the market. The three-bedroom, two-story townhouse has been up for sale for a while now, but buyers aren't biting.

The combination living/dining room looks like an oversize playpen. The Cummings' 5-year-old daughter, Kaeya, has played interior designer by scattering her toys all over. A fireplace is a great selling feature, but not if it's hidden, as in this space.

Top real estate agent Chuck Ruoff works on a plan to get buyers in the door, while host and staging expert Sabrina Soto helps the Cummings highlight the home's best selling features. Clearing away all the clutter is step one — the whole place has become one big playroom, with toys and a crib blocking the living room fireplace as well as pretty much every other surface in the house. "If a house looks like it's clearly yours, then a buyer walking in is going to think that it can never be theirs," Soto proclaims.