In an ideal world, your current home will sell just as you make an offer on a new house; and your two closings will dovetail into your moving plans. But what if you find the perfect house and haven’t yet found a buyer for your current house?

If your name is Trump, Vanderbilt, or Rockefeller, you simply buy the new home (and perhaps donate your old house as a museum or hospital wing).

If, however, you need to sell your old house to afford the new one, don’t despair. With some creative financing you may be able to temporarily roll one mortgage into the other. Or you may be willing to continue two payments for a short while until your old house sells.

Yet, whether a Rockefeller or just an ordinary fellow, you will be saddled with the prospect of presenting a vacant house to the market. Here’s how to make the best of it.

Dismiss the notion that selling a vacant house tips off buyers that you’re desperate to sell. Undoubtedly, you want to sell the house as quickly as you can. And with a few extra touches, you should be able to get as fair and reasonable price.

Touch No. 1: furniture. Contrary to what you may think, vacant rooms can seem smaller than furnished rooms. This is because there is no furniture to provide perspective. If you can swing it, make your unoccupied house seem as lived-in as possible. Leave behind a few pieces of furniture - some chairs, an end table, and lamps, for example. Rather than giving an impression of austere living, it can make a room look simple and elegant. And it will help prospective buyers get a better idea of how well their furniture will fit the space or even go with the decor.

Giving your vacant house a lived-in look also has other advantages, such as discouraging vandals, loiterers, or uninvited squatters. Make sure a few lamps are set on timers to go off and on at certain times of day.

Keeping your lawn mowed and hedges trimmed is another way to lure buyers and shun unwelcome guests.

First impressions are so important in real estate. So keep the front of your vacant home neat. Put on a fresh coat of paint if necessary. If you’re still in the area, stop by often to cut grass, pull weeds, rake leaves, sweep walks, shovel snow, and do routine yard maintenance.

If your new home is too far away to make this practical, consider hiring a house-sitter, soliciting neighbors and friends to keep an eye on things, or using lawn and home-maintenance services. Your real estate agent should be able to recommend some viable options.

Having a volunteer or hired house sitter is the ideal option. Having someone there on the premises will ensure that your house and yard are kept in showing condition (as well as keep pipes from freezing in winter). And it certainly will help keep away vandals. It might also help on insurance costs.

If you must take your furniture and leave your house completely vacant, pay extra attention to the walls and floors. Once your pictures are down and the couch is out, the empty space will amplify every nick in the wall and stain in the carpet.

At the very least, have your carpets professionally cleaned. This may get out the stains you left behind and the puff up depressions your furniture made. If not, consider replacing the carpets all together. A smooth, clean floor is sure to wow a few buyers.

As for the walls, give all bare walls a fresh coat of paint. If you used bold colors to accentuate your decor, switch to a white or neutral beige color now. Sunlight and age will fade wallpaper, which will be all-too-obvious once you remove your wall hangings. If your wallpaper is too faded, too bubbled, or too wrinkled, replace it.

Also consider putting in motion sensor lights and an alarm system to protect your vacant house from unwelcome guests. (Just be sure to give your real estate agent the codes!) And consult your insurance company about any restrictions you have about keeping a vacant home on your policy; there may be a time limit.

But limited time is all you’ll need with the right steps. After all, selling an empty house shouldn’t leave you with an empty feeling.