1.  First Impression:
Potential buyers read the outside of your home as a sign of what to expect inside your home. Is your lawn well-kept? If it’s the season, are the flowers bright and blooming? Check your fence, rain pipes to porch, outside steps, and walk-way to see if repairs are needed. If your porch has a weathered look, stain or paint.

2. Your Kitchen:
Give your kitchen a fresh coat of paint.  Appliances should be sparkling clean.  If you are leaving the appliances make sure they work well, and do not need repairs. Replace old kitchen faucet sets. Check for water leaks.  Replace old lighting fixtures with new energy-saving fixtures.

3. The Bath:
Replace the old toilet seat, or the old sink, with a more contemporary pedestal sink. Replace discolored floors, and re-grout chipped tiles. Remove bathtub and toilet stains. Replace old lighting fixtures with contemporary fixtures. Replace old and worn wallpaper with paint. Hanging a picture or wall decoration is a nice touch.

4. Small but Important Repairs:
Small problems, such as light switches that don’t work, or toilets that keep on trickling water, should be repaired. Check all pipes, indoor and outdoor, for leaks. Paint where necessary to give a fresh appearance. Buyers will always find something wrong in a house that has been lived in, but fewer visible problems will improve their experience, and the more inviting the house becomes.

5. Flooring:
Have a carpet cleaning firm clean your carpet. If there’s a worn spot, consider using a rug to cover it. The same goes for a worn spot on a wood floor. If your wood floor really shows age have it re-stained.

6. Cabinets:
A good cleaning will give new life to cabinets that have accumulated dirt and grime over the years. If your cabinets are showing their age, and look old-fashioned, give them a contemporary look by re-facing them for a sparkling, contemporary look.

7. Closets:
Organize your closets to maximize the storage potential. Add more shelf and hanger space. Use storage containers to avoid having your closet look overcrowded and cluttered. Shoes should be stored neatly.

8. Lighting:
Repair old or broken fixtures and replace with new, contemporary ones. Use energy-saving fixtures where feasible. Make sure there is sufficient lighting in each room. Allow as much sunlight as possible. Bright sunlight makes the rooms appear larger. So leave drapes or venetian blinds open.