Yes, yes I know. Having an Open House can be such an inconvenient imposition on your family. You rush, you clean and your family is displaced for several hours — and for what? Just so perfect strangers can come into your home and scrutinize your taste and lifestyle only to find out later that your Realtor got a buyer for another home? This is a process that gets old quickly. And, in today's slow market you may have to repeat this routine for quite a while before your home sells.

But, what can you do to make your home stand out in a sea of competing properties? Well, I'm going to tell you what most Realtors are afraid to discuss with you, so let's start with the basics.

Pull out your lawn mower and edger and get to work. Go to the nursery and buy the brightest, fullest, seasonal flowers to arrange in your planting beds. Make the front of your home scream "Look at me!" I cannot emphasize enough the value of curb appeal. Buyers judge your home from inside their cars. You might think that they will be pleasantly surprised when they enter, but in fact, they have already made a call on the value of your house by what they see outside. No matter how neat and lovely you keep the interior, they will assume that you are just hiding deferred maintenance. Worse yet, they may opt to not even look at it.

But, that's not your problem; the exterior of your home looks fabulous. So let's move inside. After all, the key to selling your home is for the potential buyers to linger long enough that they start picturing themselves living there.

When they enter the door, what do they see? Are your walls covered by personal family mementos? Pictures of wedding cake on your face and school photos depicting the growth stages of your four kids are of sentimental value only to you. Studies have been done to measure people's reaction to displayed personal items and what they found is that buyers feel as if they are intruding in your space. They just want to hurry through so that they don't invade your privacy. So start off by neutralizing the space. Since you are going to be moving anyway, this is a good time to start packing those family treasures.

While we are at it, let's pack up anything that has not been used in the last month. The key is to de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter. You'll thank me later when it's time to move.

How much furniture is in the house? Is it so much that it makes the rooms look small? There should be just enough furniture to identify the purpose of the room. This is one of the times when less is more.

Now, let's look at color. Sure, your husband is a die hard Lakers fan, but is yellow and purple the best color for your den? Don't impose your tastes on others. Neutral colors will have a much wider appeal and it is the cheapest way to get the most bang for your buck. A couple of gallons of "Swiss Coffee" go a long way.

Next, roll up your sleeves and get the bleach out or if you ever considered hiring a cleaning service, this is the time. Don't just dust around the chatchkies, get rid of anything that is smaller than a football, and leave your counter tops as empty as possible. Too many things on display tell the buyers that you don't have enough storage and that is a huge detraction.

We're almost done, so don't give up yet. Look at the floors. Even if the house is picked up, stained carpets make people cringe with thoughts of what they are stepping on. For $100 to $150 you can have your carpets chemically cleaned. Spots usually come up better with chemical cleaning than with steaming and your carpet will take less time to dry. Of course in some cases, the carpet is too far gone and it may be worth replacing. Better yet, if you have an older home that has wood floors underneath, expose them, give them a shine, and increase your bottom line by a chunk of money.

There is never an excuse for ripped linoleum. It can be replaced easily and inexpensively with laminate tiles. I you have cracks on tile floors and no extra pieces to repair it, there are tile repair kits that might help disguise the damage. This also can help a small chip on a sink or bathtub. Of course, re-glazing, can give a whole new life to fixtures that are too far gone for minor repairs.

You will begin to notice that all of the cleaning, painting and repairs will begin to neutralize the aroma in your home. Cooking odors and smoking can be very offensive to those who are not used to it, so try to keep smells at a minimum. Curries, cauliflower, beans, garlic and even onions permeate the fabrics of your home and can be very stubborn to remove. Keep your stove fan on and windows open while you create your magnificent meals. Then, just before the open house, boil some vanilla sticks or bake an apple to give your home a pleasant, inviting feel.

Your real estate agent will of course advertise the Open House and put plenty of directional signs guiding potential clients to your home, but it is your responsibility to create an atmosphere where people will want to hang around. Think of this as throwing a party. What do you want your guests to say about the way you live? If it were my home, I would bake cookies and leave a pitcher of lemonade for them. I want them to stay until they are comfortable enough to say "Let's write an offer."

(Cristina Better can be reached at 504-1346, or send e-mail to MsBttr@aol.com.)