Clear Clutter

• Clear away clutter. Having too much or over-sized furniture in a small room, appliances on every counter and scraps of paper stuck on the refrigerator makes a room look messy and the space feel much smaller. Leaving out only one or two small items, such as a toaster and a coffee pot, or removing extra seating creates the impression of more space and allows buyers to envision where they could put their own belongings.
  
  

Clear Personal Items

• Help buyers see the home as their own. Remove items that offer any hint of your personal stamp, such as knickknacks, family photographs and mementos. Pack up your trophy collections, your child's dolls and even your wedding photos, placing these items in storage. Remember that once a decision is made to sell, the house should appeal to buyers, as opposed to your family.
  
  

Make Repairs

• Complete all unfinished repairs. If the carpet has been pulled up to show off the hardwood floors, but the floors are in need of TLC, sand and varnish the floors before prospective buyers arrive. Replace broken vents, scratched floorboards and the hole in the door or screen. Leaving unfinished projects is a turn off and buyers will see each repair in terms of extra labor and money. Hire someone to complete the work correctly so that the house is move-in-ready, increasing the chances of an offer.
  
  

Define Space

• Help buyers to see potential uses for each space. Clear out that extra catchall room containing exercise equipment and piles of clothing or unused furniture. Buying or renting a bed, two matching end tables and a dresser makes it easy to visualize the room as a cozy second bedroom or guestroom. If your home has no dining room, delineate the space by adding a rug, dining table and chairs.
  
  

Update and Upgrade

• Set the tone by updating and upgrading. Updating kitchen cabinet hardware and lighting and facet fixtures modernizes outdated space. Replace tired looking flooring and get worn couches and tables from bygone eras out of your house. Purchasing or renting modern furniture and arranging it so that conversation, not the television, is a focal point helps buyers see the house as a modern, chic retreat.
  
  

Walls

• Paint walls neutral colors. Realize that dark red, purple or brown walls may prevent your house from selling. Repaint using neutral colors, such as beiges and soft greens. Remove wallpaper borders and wallpaper, as these are too taste-specific and old-fashioned.