I agree that you should use an agent to sell your house as they can plug you into MLS which is where the serious retail buyers shop. It's that simple. FSBO are for bargain hunters like us. If your agent can't provide professional photos then hire a pro yourself. First impressions are key and your house has to look better than anything else on MLS to get buyers to come to see the house. Staging is great when you have a house where the rooms are not well defined as staging emphasizes a room's purpose. I do not use staging when it is clear that the house has a living and dining room and all bedrooms. I also take great care to make sure everything works and looks good. I spend hundreds of dollars a year to get the best light bulbs for every fixture. My lighting guy helps me solve little lighting problems by helping me select the right kind of bulb and wattage. I use specialty bulbs like you find in many upscale restaurants and shops. I use incandescent to get a warm glow, LED in kitchens and garages, clear bulbs to get sparkle and use the old style yellow filament bulbs to highlight a great light fixture. I also light the house at night using timers so my house can be seen at dusk and evening and early morning. Proper lighting also helps with the pro photos as well.
While listed, I have my houses cleaned weekly as well as yard work performed regularly. My crew puts in those perfect vacuum lines every week so the carpets look fresh. I have windows professionally cleaned so the glisten. I have the house, driveway, walkways, fences, decks and roof power washed to bring the materials to a common color - while my competition has gray fences - I bring mine back to a beautiful wood finish, my drives are one consistent color, etc. My houses rent and sell quickly as there is just nothing wrong with them and they are always move-in ready.
Finally I tour the other houses for sale in the neighborhood to check competition and get ideas for better marketing. Try some of these simple and inexpensive steps and you may have better luck.
