This article will show you how to sell your home quicker, get a higher price for it by using smart decorating techniques.

The secret is to make your home feel like "my home", for the buyer.

When a potential buyer walks into your house, she is wondering if this house will "feel" like home after they are settled in.

The problem is that If you are going to decorate your house so it will "feel like home" for someone else, what kind of people will you aim to please? Arranging your house to create a specific feeling is a communication issue.

In order to communicate effectively, you have to know who you are talking to. Since you don't know who is going to walk through the door to look at your house, you have to make some assumptions.

Think about what kind of family would be ideal for the house. Consider what their occupation would be. How big is their family? How old are the children? What kind of lifestyle would they lead?

People who live in an area often have a similar lifestyle. They have similar values, income, family circumstances etc., so they feel attracted to the area.

In your thinking process, consider what kind of lifestyle your neighbours have. Consider their income levels, shopping needs, schools, parks etc. Also, think about your own lifestyle, attitudes, likes, dislikes about the area and how much you enjoyed your time in your house.

Use all this thinking to create a clean, cosy feeling that makes you feel good. Write out a profile of the ideal family living in the house. Create "pockets" of "themed" spaces to help them envision themselves living there. Do up a two to three page collage of yourself and your neighbours enjoying a barbecue, going bike riding, enjoying your back yard or other activity. Make a pictorial map of schools, parks, recreational centres, libraries etc. Give people a copy of your "lifestyle profile" when they come to see your house.

The stronger they "feel" that they will really be at home here, the more they will want to buy. A strong desire to buy gives you more leverage in getting a higher price.

Your buyer would not be willing to lose "just the right house" over a difference in mortgage payments of less than $50 per month. You can calculate mortgage payments at articles@mortgage-rate-canada.com