A couple in their mid-50s with grown children is eager to sell their 3,800-square-foot contemporary house in favor of an easy-to-maintain apartment nearby. If they could free their equity, they'd have funds to travel the world and pursue their passion for jazz.

But after six months and no offers, they're dispirited. They've already cut their price twice and are now offering their place -- located in a popular suburban neighborhood -- for less than similar homes nearby.

The agent is urging them to remove furnishings that reflect their quirky tastes, like the futuristic neon orange sofas in their living room. She wants them to take down art reflecting their favorite pastimes, like a couple dozen posters of jazz artists. And she advises them to pack away the many family photos they have on display.

Sid Davis, a veteran real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home," has never seen the jazz lovers' property. But he strongly agrees it's smart for home sellers to remove any items that reflect their personal lives and tastes.

"People buy houses on emotion, not logic or reason. When you have all that personal stuff around, like all your kids' pictures, they can't get beyond that to visualize their own family living there," Davis says.

Davis insists that "less is more" when it comes to personal items.

"When I take prospects through an empty room they usually start placing their own furniture immediately. It's amazing how quickly they'll bond with a house that's free of other people's things," he says.

Davis stresses that superficial steps -- like changes to a home's staging -- are no substitute for adjusting the price of a property that's sat unsold for a long time. But assuming the property is fairly priced and in good repair, he says a limited and relatively inexpensive number of surface changes can have a dramatic impact.

Here are a few pointers for home sellers:

-- Add style to your home with classy moldings.

It's no surprise that in their model homes, builders make extensive use of decorative interior trim -- including crown moldings, chair railings and wainscoting. That's because these decorative touches give a home a finished quality that exceeds the cost of the work, says Dorcas Helfant, a real estate broker and former president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org).

"Some people who are truly handy can install their own moldings. But most sellers are better off hiring a trim carpenter. For just a few thousand dollars you can get a tremendous amount of woodwork done by a pro," Helfant says.

Davis is especially favorable to moldings painted a glossy white to contrast with walls in a light champagne or beige color.

-- Change the colors of your interior and exterior paint.

By the time their property has gone on the market, many sellers have painted a room or two.

But to maximize the showing appeal of a property, more extensive painting could be a key to enhancing salability. For example, Davis strongly recommends that all sellers repaint their front door, the most visible surface of any property. And make sure you repaint any other interior areas where wear is apparent.

As a finishing touch to add luster, Davis suggests you replace the hardware on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets, a move that should cost no more than $50 to $100.

-- Treat your place to a thorough professional cleaning.

Often when Davis tells clients to ensure their place is very clean, they respond with baffled looks.

"People think clean means washing dishes, making beds and doing a bit of dusting. But I'm talking about the kind of clean you get when you check into a high-end hotel. Anyone who is selling a home can't afford to miss a bit of dirt," Davis says.

Though books such as "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook" can give you direction, Davis says the best way for most sellers to achieve a high level of cleanliness is to hire a professional cleaning company.

"Once you've found the right cleaning company, give them a checklist of everything you need done. Among other projects, this should include a deep scouring of bathroom and kitchen tile to remove mildew and a painstaking cleaning of all the chandeliers and light fixtures. Expect the entire job to cost in the range of $200 to $400, depending on the size of your home," Davis says.

-- Make your windows sparkle again.

The odds are your cleaning crew won't take on one piece of work vital to your home's appearance: a thorough cleaning of your windows from the exterior. But Helfant says you can't afford to skip this. Nor should you avoid cleaning all your screens, which naturally gather dust and grime.

"Screens look a great deal better when they're clean, as do windows, which sparkle in the sunlight. Remember that the first visuals buyers see when they drive up are very important," she says.

Of course, home sellers can attempt to clean their own windows. But as Davis notes, the professionals have the equipment and skills to do a superior job, especially on hard-to-reach windows. The cost for professional window cleaning? Usually less than $200, though this will depend on the size of your property and the cost of labor in your area.

-- Do the surface upgrades quickly to keep your home on the market.

Sometimes the owners of an unsold home become so disheartened that they simply remove their property from the market until they can rework the place. Davis understands the desire to take a breather from the stress of selling. But rather than doing such a timeout, he urges sellers to schedule improvements on weekdays, when few buyers are likely to come by.

"Anytime you take your house off the market you lose potential buyers." If you do your touch-ups during the week, "you could be happily surprised to find that buyer interest has picked up by the next weekend after all the work is done," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

Since 1971, Fred Meyer has lived happily in an olive- green Victorian near the Harvard University campus. Though he's 73, he relishes scaling the stairs of the three-story property. Why? Because he insists that doing so keeps him fit.

"Climbing the stairs is part of my daily routine, so it doesn’t feel like exercise. It’s a good habit and a way of staying fit without thinking about it -- and one my doctor endorses," says Meyer, a veteran real estate broker.

Meyer says few of his older home-buying clients deliberately shop for a place with stairs to follow his example. But he says those open to purchasing a vertical property have more housing options available to them in retirement.

Of course, many retirement communities designed for those older than 55 offer buyers the choice of living in an apartment on one level, notes James W. Hughes, a Rutgers University professor who tracks housing trends throughout the nation.

In addition, Hughes says some senior communities offer purchasers the option of choosing a small, detached house on one level -- such as a miniature "villa." But he says seniors who don’t wish to live in an age-restricted community often have relatively few horizontal options open to them -- especially if they wish to live in a new or nearly new place.

Meyer says many retirees have mixed feelings when deciding between horizontal and vertical living. Although they don’t prefer stairs, he notes that many traditionalists enjoy the privacy of a floor plan with bedrooms on the second floor -- especially when company is over. Location is also a factor, he says. In remote or exotic locales where housing is scarce, or in vibrant urban areas where land is expensive, vertical housing may be the only game in town.

Here are a few pointers for those who are choosing between vertical and horizontal housing for their senior years:

-- Look at the big picture of your physical health.

David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon in South Carolina, says many of his patients older than age 55 have a significant level of osteoarthritis in their knees. He says those experiencing a great deal of knee pain, limited range of motion and balance issues are not ideal candidates to live in a multi-story house. Even after they’ve recovered from total knee replacement surgery, he says some patients are ill-suited to vertical living.

However, older homebuyers who are in generally good condition can benefit from the exertion required to use stairs on a regular basis, says Lisa Morrone, a physical therapist and author in New York.

"For people in shape, using stairs is a good weight- bearing exercise," Morrone says.

-- Lose weight before deciding whether to move to a vertical home.

"At least two-thirds of people in the U.S. are overweight or obese. And excess weight -- like a sedentary lifestyle -- puts a heavy burden on the knees," Morrone says.

Because extra weight is such a major physical problem, she urges heavy people to shed pounds before committing to the purchase of a home that requires stair-climbing.

Samuel Robinson, an orthopedic surgeon in Virginia, says patients with significant knee pain due to osteoarthritis often find considerable relief after dropping weight.

"Even losing five or 10 pounds can make a tremendous difference," he says.

-- Use regular exercise to increase your housing options.

Robert Wayner, a physical therapist in Oregon, says it’s important for older people seeking to live in a vertical house to strengthen their leg muscles -- especially their quadriceps, or "quads."

Besides strengthening their quads, he says seniors seeking to live in a home with stairs should be sure to incorporate into their routine balance exercises, which can help them guard against falling.

Robinson -- the orthopedic surgeon from Virginia --encourages those who include running in their aerobic exercise workouts to also mix in other activities that involve less stress to the knees.

"Instead of running every day, cross-train on alternate days by substituting a swim or a bike ride," he says.

-- Wear high-quality shoes to protect your knees and hips.

"Good footwear is critical for everyone, whether or not you have osteoarthritis," Robinson says. "It’s especially important for those who do weight-bearing exercises, like running, to wear good-fitting sneakers."

Also, he says those with flat feet are well advised to consider using custom orthotic insoles that provide extra arch support and help prevent injury and pain.

-- Hedge your bets on retirement housing if you’re uncertain.

Though a one-level condo is the preferred choice for many retirees because of its low upkeep demands, others hope they can live indefinitely in a traditional house with stairs and a yard where they can garden. And they’d like the option of staying put if, one day, they can no longer handle the stairs.

In such cases, Geier, the South Carolina surgeon, recommends that retirees choose a house with a full bedroom and bath on the first floor that they could use if they become disabled.

"Selecting a house with a first-floor master suite is a reasonable option to consider," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

Once, the notion of owning two homes was solely for the wealthy. But now more middle-class baby boomers entering retirement are "trading down" from a big family house to two small abodes in separate states, according to real estate specialists.

"These aren't rich people. ... Yet they have traditional pensions that give them enough income to support homes in two parts of the country," says Margie Casey, a veteran real estate broker and author of "Relocate at Retirement or Not?"

In a typical scenario, a retiring couple will first sell their large family house. Then they'll buy a smaller home nearby for use as their primary residence. Finally, they'll purchase a small, secondary residence in another state, most often in a resort setting.

Wherever they choose to live, most boomers want low maintenance -- with exterior upkeep provided through a condo or homeowners' association.

"People want the total freedom of 'lock and leave' homes," Casey says.

Of course, many boomers lack the wherewithal to pursue a two-home retirement strategy, often due to financial setbacks in recent years. But Casey says those with enough money are willing to spend it in order to enhance their retirement lifestyle.

Here are a few tips for those considering a two-home retirement dream:

-- First check out the financial implications of your plan.

Casey, who reviews retirement communities on her website (www.realestatescorecard.com), says anyone considering two-home ownership should first discuss the financial implications with a professional adviser.

"A planner can help you calculate what you can afford and give you a second opinion on your plan," she says.

On paper, it should be no more expensive to own two small units than a single large one. But in reality, dual homeownership can be more expensive -- after you take into account homeowner's association fees and transportation costs.

Local taxes are also a big factor -- especially in today's tough times, where cash-strapped municipalities are frequently raising them.

"Once you investigate the taxes, you may decide to live one state away from your grandchildren, assuming that lowers your cost of living," Casey says.

-- Think through the choice of a condo as one of your two homes.

Michael R. Crowley, a real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org), says homebuyers considering the purchase of a condo should exercise caution.

As an example, he tells of a married couple he advised on the purchase of retirement property in Hawaii. The couple chose a condominium development that seemed attractive. Before they concluded a purchase there, however, they rented a unit as a trial run.

"After a brief time renting, they realized they hated condo living. It felt way too crowded to them. They were glad they'd tried it out before actually buying," Crowley recalls.

As he notes, there are other options for small-scale living that provide many of the worry-free features as a condo-apartment.

For instance, in many "planned unit developments," you can buy a one-level detached unit that comes with exterior maintenance, including a lawn service, Crowley notes.

-- Consider transportation before deciding where to relocate.

Many a retiree has selected an idyllic retirement setting without taking into account airport access -- which is a major mistake, Casey says.

Relying on an out-of-the-way airport makes it harder to travel to distant locations for vacation or to see your offspring. It can also add to your transportation bills.

"Try to live near an airport that's a hub for one of the major carriers. That can save you a ton on air travel costs," Casey says.

Another transportation factor to consider is proximity to major interstate roadways.

"Most retired people want to live within a two-hour drive of their grandchildren," Casey says.

-- Avoid high expectations for visits with your offspring.

"Living near the grandkids is the No. 1 thing for a lot of retirees," Casey says.

Still, she cautions those choosing a retirement habitat to be realistic about their expectations on how often they'll see family -- no matter how close they live.

"Your kids have busy lives. Sure, you can hope to see them often. But don't focus your whole retirement lifestyle on seeing family. First and foremost, choose the lifestyle that works for you," Casey says.

-- Remember the benefits of two-home living.

One reason retirees like owning two abodes is that they can take advantage of two distinct climates -- avoiding harsh winters and interminable summers

By living in two places, Casey says many retirees have "the best of both worlds." They can choose a primary setting near family and a secondary one that satisfies their desire for intellectual stimulation, perhaps in a college town where they can enjoy classes, lectures and cultural events.

For instance, Casey cites low-cost courses available to seniors on many campuses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (www.osherfoundation.org). Buying a home near a college town offering such classes can enrich retirement.

Obviously, not all retirees are suited to living in two homes. Some prefer a sedentary life with little travel involved. But many others thrive on a dual-town lifestyle, Casey says.

"Living in two places can be exciting. The change of going back and forth is stimulating. And that's good for a lot of people," she says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)