One of the most important details to remember is that your home must be in order when you list it for sale. What does that mean? Particularly, it must be clean, clutter-free, repaired and updated.

Details to Consider when Preparing your Home for Sale

1.Clean it from top to bottom. Simply put: a clean home is far more attractive to buyers than a dirty one. Steam clean the carpets, clean all of the appliances, inside and out (especially if you are leaving them behind with the house), wash down dirty walls, remove all signs of mold and mildew from the bathroom, clean the windows, inside and out; and scrub all the floors ? and that's just for starters.

A clean home speaks volumes to home buyers, as it conveys a feeling of pride in home ownership; it makes the home appear more attractive; and it promotes a feeling of warmth and hospitality. The bottom line is that a dirty home will immediately turn off most buyers, regardless of its size, amenities and features.

2.Clear out the clutter. Clutter does absolutely nothing to sell your home. Instead, it detracts from the home and distracts buyers. It is very difficult for home buyers to appreciate a room's size or its qualities if there is an abundance of clutter blocking the view.

This may be the time to have your long-awaited garage sale, and it may be the time to remove much of the clutter that will make moving all that more difficult. Finally, clearing out your home's clutter is the easiest way to make the rooms appear more spacious and open.

3.Perform necessary repair work. Regardless of whether you plan on remodeling or updating your home, you need to attend to broken items around your home before you list it for sale. Some things to pay attention to: chipped or broken floor or countertop tiles; leaky faucets; damaged walls; non-operative light fixtures; and broken or non-operative windows.

4.Upgrade to create more interest. Your home may have spacious room sizes and an expansive backyard, but if it hasn't seen an update in years, now may be the time to upgrade and update. Some of the easiest areas in which you can update your home include: light fixtures; faucets; kitchen countertops; kitchen appliances; flooring; and door and cabinet hardware.

5.Give your rooms purpose. If your dining room is currently serving as a makeshift office, now may be the time to restore it to a place where family meals can be shared. Staging your home in such a manner as to enable home buyers to envision what the room is to be used for will help you sell your home. For example, instead of using your third bedroom as a large closet, arrange a bed and a nightstand table in it to create an instant guest room.