The continuing slump in housing has given buyers plenty of options — making it increasingly important to have your house looking its most dapper. These five tips will help you sell your home fast.

1. Hire a home stager: Staging a home for sale used to be considered a luxury. Now, many real estate agents consider it a necessity. The best home stagers research the types of people who buy houses in your neighborhood and adjust the house to suit that demographic. If most buyers are families with kids, keep all the bedrooms as bedrooms. If more singles are looking to move in, consider staging one of the bedrooms as an office or home gym.
2. Look outside in: A buyer first sees what’s outside your house, not in. Freshly cut grass, manicured shrubs, swept sidewalks and a power-washed driveway look inviting; sick or dead potted plants don’t.
3. Clutter kills: Go through every room in your house and decide which belongings you’ll need in the next six months and which you won’t. Get rid of the second pile — in the trash or in storage. If you need extra help, hire a home organizer.
4. Remove all photos, degrees and other personal effects. Buyers want to imagine themselves living there and too many reminders of your family can make them almost feel like they’re invading someone’s home. And that’s a sales turn-off.
5. Take great photos: Nearly 90 percent of homebuyers research homes online, according to realty industry research. If you're hiring a home stager, take the photos after their work is done.