First of all, finish any renovation projects you may be in the middle of. After this, have a look around and consider replacing things that look worn out or don't work properly. Cracked or scratched up doors or door-frames, latches that catch and won't open, chipping paint, peeling wallpaper, stained carpets ?all these things distract a potential buyer, making them think the house is run-down and therefore worth less. Yet these things can be replaced by you at minimal expense. Without them, the buyer can see your home more clearly.

Remember to be conservative in your remodeling. No matter what current trends are, colors and styles with too much personality don't leave room for a buyer to imagine how they might decorate the home. Choose neutral colors for paint and carpeting, and if you are replacing things like light fixtures or cupboards, simple,classical styles are the way to go. And while fixing simple and straightforward flaws is a great idea, beginning a whole new renovation project isn't. If there is something you always thought needed renovating, but it may not be noticed by anyone else, leave it alone. Let the new owners decide if and how they want to renovate. You don't want to risk starting a project you can't finish, creating more of a mess than when you started. So yes, fix up what you can, but remember to keep it simple.

It is important to remove excess clutter from the house and yard. Again, this allows a buyer to envision there own possessions filling up the space, and that's essential for them to feel attracted enough to put an offer on your home. Make sure any garbage or pet droppings are cleaned up. This may sound obvious, but sometimes in the rush of life, these things are overlooked, especially when the stress of selling and moving are added to your already busy schedule. You may want to take this opportunity to donate some things to charity, or have a garage sale. Admit it, there's things taking up space in your home that you haven't used for years and probably never will again, be it clothes, children's toys or that old boat you never got around to fixing up. If you aren't ready to permanently let them go, consider renting storage space, or moving them to your new home if you have one already lined up. Whatever you choose, now's the time to do anything you can to make more of your home and yard visible. Time taken at this stage will earn you great rewards when your sale closes.

Consider the mood that is set when a potential buyer comes to view your home. Turn on the lights and, if it's daytime, open the curtains. Put a pot of water and some cinnamon sticks on the stove on low heat to infuse your home with a pleasant smell. Consider putting on some very quiet, mellow background music. Ensure that things are tidy and clean, and that your house is minimally and neutrally decorated. Put any potentially offensive decorations away for now.

Finally, make sure you aren't home. Your real estate agent will be better able to objectively answer questions about your home if you aren't there. Also, a buyer will have a better chance of imagining the home as there's. And when you, take your pets with you. The last thing an agent and buyer want is your cat eyeing them suspiciously, or worse, having your guard dog barking at them while they try to view your home.

Following this advice before and during your home selling process should make it go more smoothly, and increase your profits, leaving you to get on with bigger and better things.