Before you stage,call a local real estate agent and ask them to come over to see the property and give you an honest critical opinion as to the way the house is showing.Tell them you are not hiring them to sell it and just want an honest opinion.They are going to want some money for their time so offer a hundred bucks or so.They hopefully will show you why it is not getting offers like poor decoration choices(too cheap or ugly),Poor curb appeal(bad choice of paint and landscaping)or the neighborhood itself is worse then you think.Bathrooms,bedrooms,and kitchen may not be big enough for most buyers as well.

She decorates cakes at Sam's Club in her area, I told her just to tell every one she knows that she pays $1,000 to anyone that give us a person that needs to sell a home and we make an offer on it to buy and they accept.

(gourd decorating, scarecrows in fall, etc. spring flower, soap making or ?)

After having their fence knocked down a few times, they placed"decorative" boulders in the yard.

Even had some buyers ask to pay me for the furniture or ask to hire my wife and I to decorate the house using the buyer's furniture.

We also looked at Floor & Decor, Lumber Liquidators, and Lowes, as well as some online shops. 

@Dave Saveri to preface, accelerated depreciation separates into three categories according to the Internal Revenue Code:"Personal, or tangible property" depreciates over 5 years"Land improvements" depreciates over 15 yearsBuilding, or structural components (everything else) depreciates over 27.5 or 39 years (which may change with the new tax reform to 25 years)That being said, some examples of 5-year property are: furniture, fixtures & equipment, carpet, decorative light fixtures, electrical costs that serve telephones and data outlets, shelves, decorative molding, etc.Some examples of 15-year property are: parking lots, fences, signage, etc.It is important to note, that the IRS highly recommends these property allocations (cost segregation) to be sourced according to the MACRAS Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, and the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide, and not estimated.

Our contractor had been in the unit every few months, to fix the dryer, to change the A/C filter, etc.The tenants were from the Sudan and had decorated the place like a casbah....tapestries hanging on the walls, heavy carpets, tons of knick knacks.

Walls get a few framed art pieces, large rooms might have a decorative tall vase with bamboo shoots in corner.

Exterior Gutters/Soffit/Fascia - Clean Gutters - Repair damaged columns on porch - Remove decorative wood work above columns - Remove Shutters Siding - Remove and replace damaged siding to match existing Exterior Paint - Prep all exterior areas for paint - Paint entire exterior (except brick), all siding, trim, and doors in 3 color paint scheme Interior Demo - Removal of damaged sheetrock and insulation - Removal of all light fixtures, fans - Removal of all tile in kitchen - Removal of existing countertops - Removal of sinks/countertops and faucets (from both sink and tub) in both bathrooms - Removal of existing toilets - Removal of tile surrounding both bathtubs - **Dumpster to be provided by homeowner Sheetrock - Patch sheetrock on walls and ceiling, including garage - Sheetrock over skylights - Remove all popcorn texture on ceiling - Texture to match walls and ceiling Paint - Prep and paint all walls and ceilings - Prep and paint all trim and doors Electrical - Install 4 recessed can lights with white trim in kitchen, cover fan block - Install 5 fans in living room, dining room, and 3 bedrooms (**fans provided by homeowner) - Install light fixtures in entry, hallway, bathrooms, closets (**provided by homeowner) Plumbing - Connect and install sink and bathtub faucets in each bathroom (4 total) - **Faucets to be provided by homeowner - Tile 2 bathtub surrounds, to include appropriate backing material - **Tile to be provided by homeowner Flooring - Install tile in kitchen and 2 bathrooms - Install laminate/vinyl wood plank flooring everywhere else - **Tile and laminate provided by homeowner Cabinetry/Countertops - Repair and Refinish existing kitchen and bath cabinets - Install new hardware provided by homeowner - Install 2 new white cultured marble sinks in bathroom - Install new laminate countertops in kitchen Air Conditioning -Inspect and perform maintenance on interior unit -Install new exterior unit (suggest size in estimate) Insulation -Install new batt insulation above kitchen where skylights were -Replace any exposed, water damaged insulation **All Labor and Materials to be provided by contractor, unless otherwise noted