8 Tips for Selling a Home in Summer

Go away
Summer vacation or not, all occupants -- including kids -- must clear out of the home any time would-be buyers drop by.

"You need to pack your kids up and go out for ice cream whenever a buyer is coming," Knapp says. "You have to give the buyer and the real estate agent free rein of the house. A lot of buyers will feel very uncomfortable looking at a home if the seller is there."

Declutter
Regardless of when you put your home on the market, Knapp recommends throwing out, giving away or storing off-site as many things as possible to make your home's rooms and closets look spacious and clean.

You also want to "depersonalize" your house by removing offbeat furnishings and taking down most family photos.

After all, would-be buyers want to imagine what your home will look like with their stuff in it -- not yours.