This little list below will sound like common sense to many, but missing some of these details can turn off potential buyers believe it or not.

1)      Clean your house thoroughly…as best you can, make them think they are walking in to an upscale hotel room…including dusting the tops of your door jams

2)      Caulk – check the bathrooms, showers, countertops and floors…if it looks a little grungy, scrape it out and re-caulk

3)      Replace any burned out or missing light bulbs

4)      Tighten all loose door handles

5)      Outlet covers – if they are cracked, replace them.  They cost about 25-30 cents each.  If the white screws are scratched up either paint them or replace them

6)      Wipe dawn all of the shelving in the kitchen cabinets as well as the drawers – you can’t believe how many times I’ve been in a home where this has not been done

7)      Leaky or rusty looking faucets…replace them

8)      Laundry room – make sure this is neat, tidy and fresh.  It has a bigger impact that you think on buyers.

9)      Clean your closets – get rid of 50% of the clothing if you can and store it off site if possible.  Don’t jam up the basement or garage filled with boxes.  That will give the prospective buyer the sense that you don’t have enough room in the house…and therefore they might not have enough room in the house either.  While you’re dealing with closets, you may want to put a sheet of Bounce or some type of laundry freshener in the closets to make them smell great!

10)   Paint – a fresh coat of paint on walls is the biggest bang for the buck you can get when getting a home ready to sell.  If you have scuffed up walls and you can’t wash them down, paint it.