Edit personal/decorative items in the living room (mantel and shelves), bedroom with telescope and den. Kitchen, baths and hallway look good to me.

I also would paint the yellow color in the kitchen, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Remove the large coffee table from the living room. To much over sized furniture making the room look small and cramped. Remove a lot of the knickknacks off the shelves and fireplace. It looks haphazard and cluttered. I would paint the living room all one color. Not a fan of the accent wall color. It is distracting. Laundry room and bathroom looks very nice. Clean, and uncluttered, nice wall colors. In the 1st bedroom I would purchase an inexpensive comforter to match the color/design you have on the curtain. Get a few throw pillows to coordinate with it too. Remove the table to the left of the bed. Just have one nightstand. NancyLouise

I'd declutter the bedroom with the telescope (plastic storage boxes, desk with TV) and finish the backsplash. It's an easy weekend DIY project and in its current state detracts from the otherwise feel of finished, clean, well-maintained and updated.

Removing the rug in the LR fireplace area will make the room appear larger. Remove 2/3 of the stuff from the mantle and shelves in that room too. Put a comfy pillow or two in the window seat area. Remove towels from range front. Paint kitchen only if yellow is really off-putting to your realtor.

You may have to drop price to sweeten the deal. Can you give us a link to your MLS listing?

Thank you everyone. I think we will definitely paint the kitchen backsplash this weekend. Will also remove the extra bedside table and try to find a bigger one for right side and add lamp there. Will move telescope to upstairs office and add a few throw pillows to window seat. The bedroom with the clutter is a little difficult because we have a friend staying with us until he closes on a house and we don't have an extra dresser for the room but I will see if some more stuff can go in the closet.

The fireplace mantle has changed a bit because I added a few things for Xmas. I will declutter though. How can I declutter the shelves? Worried it will look too bare and funny. Any suggestions or pictures? I will see if we can move our coffee table. Not sure if I want to move rug just yet.

Our listing is posted below. Our next step is probably to lower the price a bit so we can get it back on radar.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/38-Williamsburg-Ter-Pittsfield-MA-01201/55952111_zpid/

Cute place. Agree to get the stuff off the floor in one bedroom and put smaller furniture in the living area. 1 month isn't much time but I am sure it seems like too long as you want to move on. I would ask your RA to do another price analysis to make sure your price is in line. Look at who your potential buyers are. Maybe offer to pay closing costs if young buyers without a lot of cash? Good luck. Very nice home and I love the back yard.

Wonderful house overall. Love the entry and backyard.

Mostly you need to "declutter" a bit and take away anything that is "personal"

In the kitchen I would put away the coffee cups that are on the counter. On the counter that says, "Not enough storage space to put them."

What is under the island? Are those your pots and pans? If so remove them. Put them in a storage locker for now even if it means eating pizza every night. Again having them under the island like that says, "Not enough storage space."

The bedroom photo right after the laundry room looks good. My only comment is I can't see what's on the shelf on the wall but if it's anything that is personal or religious in nature, remove it.

The bedroom picture below that, remove everything under the window. It again screams you don't have enough space. That includes the speakers and the telescope. Put them in storage. Also open the drapes to let the light in.

Put a throw pillow or two in your reading nook and maybe stage it with a book open to let people know it's a nice place to relax, read and look out the window.

Your front entry is beautiful.

You have too much on your fireplace mantle. One or two things arranged and nothing more.

Your next photo appears to be the biggest problem. Too much in too small a room. I would remove the coffee table and also the easy chair and just keep the tv, tv stand and couch. Take whatever is on top of tv stand off including the runner and just put a nice vase of real flowers there. On the shelves behind, just one or two NON PERSONAL things. Vases, generic type books (no bibles, or anything that could be construed as controversial) as well as one or two small statues. Arrange the pillows on the chairs nicely and not so they look like someone just threw them there.

Remove the green over the toilet and instead put that and the photo on the shelf and nothing more. You have lots of small things that draw the eye in the house and you want the house to be the star, not the small extras. Move the toilet paper holder to the side against the wall and remove the waste basket. Put it on the side of the vanity or remove it completely when people come over.

You should have NO cardboard boxes or anything else on the floor in the basement. Add more lighting!!!

Remember what you want is for people to imagine they could live in "their" house. The idea is that when they walk in, they immediately start putting "their" furniture in and start thinking of who gets which room.

Also even more importantly, any closet, vanity, cabinet etc that is nailed down and stays has to be spotless, organized and uncluttered inside. People do open cabinets and closets. Make sure the sheets and towels in the linen closet are organized and arranged nicely and it looks like there would be room for even more than are there.

Make sure the coat closet isn't cluttered with so many coats you can't fit another one in.

Make sure when cabinets are opened they have room and stuff isn't falling out of them.

Make sure your faucets shine and have no water spots on them and that the house is dust free and clean.

Best of luck. I start the same process next month when we put our house on the market.

BTW: I don't think you need to repaint or tile. Overall your house is just fine. My sister had a red den and a blue living room and she sold her place in less than 3 weeks because it was decluttered and staged beautifully.

Your house looks clean and in good repair.

The only big thing is that yellow in the kitchen. I wouldn't spend a ton on it. But do something.

Otherwise make sure you have it priced right.

In general you are in a slow market in December. So don't panic.

We just went through this with DD. You need to remember that you are selling space. So to make the rooms look bigger, you need to remove extra furniture and little things. It needs to look a little bare to you to be right. Try to declutter closets too so that the buyer will think there is plenty of storage. Put boxes in storage or in the garage. I agree with everything cpartist says. You have a cute house, but the space still looks too small and cluttered because you have too much furniture and knick knacks (and we all do, but you are selling). Go for bare!

Remove the rug in the living room. Your room will look much bigger. Also remove most of the stuff on the mantle and the shelves. If you can remove the extra chair and coffee table, that will make a huge difference.

The 2nd bedroom has too much stuff in it. Remove 2 of the pictures. Remove the extra storage, chair, speakers, knick knacks. Strip it down to create spaciousness. Declutter the entry wall, and be sure to remove personal family photos. Real estate agents say that your personal photos block the buyers from being able to see themselves in the home.

Put stuff away in the kitchen. That means the counters are empty and the island shelves are empty. Empty says I have lots of storage and I don't have to have things out. Put a bowl of lemons or green apples on the island for any open house. Think too bare, and you will have the look.

You might also consider some kind of crisp, fresh coordinated bedspread or coverlet for both beds. When the showing or open house is over, fold them up and put them away till the next showing to keep that fresh pressed look.

I think this house looks lovely. I did notice the yellow in the kitchen did not match the rest of it. Just a little of that gray paint that you probably have around will make that look more finished.

I would remove the plastic storage in the bedroom and, is that a heater? Take that out so it doesn't look like the place gets cold.

The living room needs things taken off the wall and either the rug or coffee table removed to make it look more open and spacious.

That isn't much. You had a lot of interest for this time of year. I hope you get a sale soon. We got an offer on our house on Jan. 4, so there is activity over the holidays:)

I think your home is adorable, but I know I have the insight or 'visual perception' to see past the homeowers decorating, furniture style, paint, etc. All it takes is one person(or couple)with a sense of vision and maybe a little extra cash. You can follow any of the advice given, but it's the location, lot size(and wonderful mature trees!), and footprint of your house that will make it sell. Good luck.

I will work on living room especially this weekend and will post after pictures to get people's thoughts. SUPER appreciate all the help. It really helps to get an outsider's perspective.

SCRUB that fireplace with fireplace cleaner. It's grimy.

And paint the brass firescreen, carefully, with black matte heatproof paint.

The thing that would turn me off you can't do anything about. At six foot one, dormer ceilings in the bedrooms are a no-no. It makes that space unusable, or at least claustrophobic, to me.

I do love your outdoor space.

And make sure that there is nothing that needs repair-- like grout, caulk, chipped paint, old switchplates, things that you just don't see anymore; and everything is SPOTLESS

Personally, I'd paint the boards on your living room ceiling white. All the rest of the trim is white, so I don't see why that is dark wood.

If you need to sell quickly, why wouldn't you just lower the price? I wouldn't make any other changes other than decluttering.

I agree with pam. I agree with painting the backsplash the same color as the rest of the walls in the kitchen. I agree to about cleaning the brick.

Then do as every suggests: declutter, declutter, declutter.

The only personal thing I don't like is the odd shaped doorway going going into the living room. But it certainly isn't a deal breaker.

Price is everything. people want a deal.

I have attempted the clean the brick in the fireplace a few times and the build up just won't budge! The window dormers were actually added to the house about 30 years ago and I'm sure due to budget constraints they couldn't raise the slope of the roof. The window seats are one of my favorite things in our house though! The one in the master bedroom (you can't see it) is super cozy to curl up with a book. We already have someone coming tomorrow to paint the yellow in the kitchen.

Our realtor actually called us an hour ago and told us it looks like an offer may come in on the house this evening so fingers crossed! It is to a young couple starting out and they wanted to put an offer in earlier but were worried about closing costs but our realtor told them that we would be willing to pay for some closing costs. So we will see! :) :) :)

Good luck with that offer!

Viewers will think there's something *awful* that you are hiding behind the closed shower curtain. (It's not like no one will LOOK when they are touring the house! LOL)

Paint the shutters a darker color. Black would be classic, or a navy blue or forest green would have more charm.

Love your house. I wouldn't lower the price. Beautiful yard, perfect for kids.

Good luck, hope you get a good offer!

Jane

Thanks! Sophie - I was planning on getting new black shutters this spring if we were staying and possibly painting the door red.

We have another showing Saturday morning so tonight and tomorrow will be a busy day prepping! Has anyone ever heard of burying a St. Joseph statue? We just did it 3 days ago and seems to be helping so far! We will try anything!

You have a cute little house, I agree with the backsplash, but overall your house looks so much better than hundreds I've seen online over the last year. Good rule to follow, make the house look as light, clean and de cluttered as possible. Makes me wonder how realtors could take such awful pictures, since they have a vested interested in the house selling, too. We finally got an offer on MIL house, it didn't go on the market until November, and sold after a month, not bad for this time of year. You might want to lower the price a little, it works.

I thought about burying a St Joseph statue for my house, it will go on the market in the next few months, the house is beautiful, but in a more expensive area and on a busy street. Hard work and effort are first in selling a house, but maybe the good Saint will help out! Can't hurt. Wishing you a speedy sale!

Has anyone ever heard of burying a St. Joseph statue?

My Aunt did that years ago and after burying the statue wound up selling her house within the week. BTW: we are Jewish. Whatever works!!!

Be sure to handle St Joseph the proper way. Upside down and facing the house.

"Bury a St. Joseph statue upside-down in your yard, facing toward the
for-sale house. After the house sells, the seller is supposed to dig up
the statue and place it in a spot of honor in their new home."

The article in the Wall Street Journal.

Hope you got the offer!

We'd walk away from that house because of the electric baseboard heat.

jmc -- I share your sentiments about electric baseboard heat, but those baseboard units are probably forced hot water, not electric. It’s a great way to heat the house -- really even heat, and silent. They’re common in New England.

I'd declutter the bedroom with the telescope (plastic storage boxes, desk with TV) -- I agree with this statement -- it is the focal point of that picture!

What kind of ceiling is that in the living room?

It is forced hot water in our house and not electric. Everything we have in our house is gas which is excellent because the prices are so good. Its a normal ceiling but they put wood trim up there. I actually love it and don't think I'd ever paint it. It makes the room feel super cozy.

Poor man's version of a coffered ceiling ;)

If we get an offer tonight or tomorrow St. Joseph is going right on the mantle in the new house!

Any luck?

Not yet. The couple loved it and wanted it but what we didn't know was that her parents and as well as a kid would live there too so 4 adults and a kid. The in-laws thought it was too small :( We have another showing tomorrow and are rescheduling a showing that was supposed to be yesterday. Made a lot of changes and seems very open now. Thank god for our shed to hide some things inside :)

I'd nix the vines from hell you have growing around the front door (the one one on the right looks especially unwieldy). It gives a bad first impression before anybody walks in the door.

I'd paint the BS the same color as the walls (? is it grey). Decluttter more (not that it is really bad now). Otherwise, cute house!

Things that haven't already been mentioned:

The enclosed porch floor-- it looks like worn paint on wood, and should be painted.

Take your accessories and group them for more impact. The simplest method is in groups of threes, with one in the back, and two in the front, or vice versa. The three objects should have something in common, such as a color or texture. You can also arrange similar objects in rows. Odd numbers (3,5,7,9) tend to be more interesting than even numbers. That's just a start, experiment!

If you can, put something like "turnkey home, all appliances and window treatments to stay" in the listing. This is a starter home, and your buyers may be stretching their budget. So anything they don't have to buy, even if it's not perfect, is a plus.

Clean the odd little corners that might not be obvious. Open the windows and clean the bottom of the frames. Wash the glass. Wash and iron the curtains with spray starch. Clean the inside edges of the dishwasher, and the detergent receptacle. Ditto with the washing machine. Fish out all the fluff from the dryer door. Clean the tops of the doors, scrub and retouch the trim. Clean and disinfect the door knobs. Clean the hinges, and oil all the squeaky ones. Steam clean your furniture. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Your goal is to make these things look as "like new" as you can. Even if you have to get down on your hands and knees and scrub grout with bleach and a tooth brush. (Been there, done that. Stock up on your pain killer of choice.)

This is a lot of hard work, and it sounds almost obsessive compulsive, but every little bit helps. Good luck.

I think your house looks lovely. A little more decluttering would make the photos more appealing, but it's certainly neat enough for buyers to see the overall space clearly. And it sounds like you've had a good number of showings. You might need to lower the price.

I think the time of year is not great...people are just not looking at as many houses at this time of year. Also, it's possible that you are overpriced for your area, despite the work you have put into it. When I looked at the price history, it looks like you have priced it at about 30% more than it was bought for 2-1/2 years ago, and potential buyers may see that as an overly ambitious number. I, personally, think it's a nice house and it does not have any glaring flaws, so I don't think putting more money into it now will change the demand. I'm afraid it's time to bite the bullet and lower the price. That's tough, I know, from personal experience: I had to lower my asking price on a house I thought was fairly priced by about 10% after it went unsold for 5 months.

We ended up dropping the price $10k on 1/19. All of a sudden we've been getting a lot of showings (I think because holidays are over and weather has been warmer). We moved out of our house on Tuesday, had 3 showings on Wednesday and accepted an offer today!

I think it helped with our house being empty. The biggest complaint we heard was no dining room but taking our kitchen island opened the space up and showed you could put a table. Also, the buyers were a young couple just starting out. We had a lot of families with 2+ kids. Our listing price was $169k (+ $2500 towards closing) and we accepted at $167k with $3k to closing. Thank you everyone for your help! It definitely helps to get extra sets of eyes!

Congrats Jill.

Glad it all worked out so well.