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1)                  Clean up oil spills - The first impression is the most critical.

2)                 Paint walls a neutral color - You'll scare away buyers with dark or unusual colors.  If you are not up to painting the entire home, paint those with the biggest impression such as the entry, living room, dining room. kitchen and master bedroom. 

3)                 Make a checklist - Remind yourself to do all the little preparation tricks we have listed.

4)                 Polish the fixtures - Add sparkle to your home by polishing all of the fixtures and glass.

5)                 Clean or paint appliances - Appliances should be clean at all times.  If your kitchen appliances have broken knobs, replace them. If your stove is green and your dishwasher gold, have a professional come in and paint them one matching color. 

6)                 Get out of the house - Always leave your house for a few minutes while the Realtor is showing it.  Buying a house is an emotional experience.  The buyer will tend to feel awkward inspecting the house while you are there.

7)                 Bake cookies - Keep a package of ready-made cookie dough on hand.  The smell of freshly baked cookies will invoke a lot of great memories.

8)                Clean the carpets - A clean home will always sell faster and you should accentuate the fact that you take care of your home.

9)                 Organize the garage - store everything you can in a rented storage unit.  This way, your garage area will appear larger.

10)             Offer to make payments - offer to make the buyer's first 3 mortgage payments.  This looks attractive in your advertising.  Be sure you are using an experienced lender since seller concessions seem to confuse less experienced lenders.

11)              Paint front door and entry way - A fresh coat of paint will always help the house sell faster, but if you can't afford it, paint the front door and entry area.

12)             Clean the pool - if you have a pool it should look like you're ready to throw a pool party.

13)             Park down the street - Extra parking outside your house will give your property a spacious appearance.   Also be sure to remove toys, garbage cans or any other unnecessary items from your front yard.

14)             Let there be light - most people keep curtains, blinds and drapes closed for privacy, but when your house is for sale be sure to open them all.  If your screens are worn out and full of holes, replace them.  If you cannot replace tattered screens, take them out entirely.

15)              Have a garage sale - Clear out the clutter and make your living space look larger.

16)             Pay down the principal - Seller concessions can attract buyers faster than just about anything else.  Offer to pay 1 to 3 years of principal on the buyer's new mortgage.  Generally the buyer will attempt to negotiate a price concession in lieu of a seller's concession, but this will increase the readership of your advertising.

17)              Create more space - Remove any large or ornate pieces of furniture.  Large pieces are not going to help your house sell their absence will make your house appear spacious and inviting.

18)             Head to the nursery - Retire all those half-dead plants.  Make a quick trip to the nursery for a few fresh new plants.

19)             Start packing - It will take some time to get all your knickknacks packed and ready to move.  Wrapping these little items and storing them will make your move easier, and it will help your house show better.  Remember less is more.

20)            Replace the garage door - the garage door is one of the largest and most visible elements of a home.  What's the use of a clean organized garage if the door itself is warped, cracked, broken or in need of painting?

21)             Empty the closets - Take as many of your personal items as possible out of your closet and store them in an out of the way place.  They will look much larger to the potential home buyer.  Apply this rule to any storage space.

22)            Create an experience - Write a letter telling about some of the features of your home, or perhaps a little history.  Write it as if you were writing a close friend.  Type the letter and sign each one by hand.  Put the letter in a nice envelope and leave it out where anyone viewing the house couldn't miss it.

23)            Buy some new furnishings - Now is the best time for replacing old, worn out items with something new.  Use your better judgment as to which items will make your current house look better to a prospective buyer.

24)            Scope out new developments - When you're selling your home, one of the biggest competitors is the new home development in the area.  Size up our competition and get ideas on how to beat them at their own game.

25)             Take the dog for a walk - if you own a dog take him for a walk whenever the home is being shown.  Your dog's bark may be worse than its but, but if its presence alone could potentially cause tension for the buyer, it takes away from the overall emotional experience of looking at the home.

26)            Water the lawn - Ensure everything in your yard is green.  Newly watered landscaping has a fresh, clean scent and a shimmer that makes it look much better than when it's dry. 

27)             Check the price - Price may be a sensitive issue, but it is the one thing that will sell your house dater than anything else.

28)            Tame wild jungles - an empty yard sells better than an overgrown yard.  Tress and shrubbery should not hide the house.  Less is more.

29)            Buy potted flowers - Flowers always brighten a home and they add a pleasant odor.  Use clay or decorative pots as planters.  After they have helped to sell your current home, you can use them to brighten up your new home after you have moved.

30)            Don't leave a mess - Inspect your house on the way out every day to see if there are any messes you have not had the time to clean up.  Be careful not to hide your mess where it will be easily discovered.

31)             Brighten things up - add a dramatic appearance to your house with new 1-watt light bulbs.  A bright house looks larger, cleaner and more appealing.

32)            Dollars and scents - Spray a little vanilla air freshener.  This particular scent has a great impact.  Potpourri around the house is a good idea too.  Remember, we're trying to appeal to as many senses as possible.