Preparing Your Home to Sell Checklist

Walk through each room and make a priority list.
Get boxes and packing tape
Hold a yard sale
Sell or trash anything you don't need.
Donate - I personally love http://amvetsdonationpickup.com and many times they will come directly to your home for pick up. Also, there are many local pet rescues that always need linens.

You want to make sure a potential buyer’s first impression of your home is a good one and by investing in some relatively easy curb appeal fixes you can inspire them to stop by the open house or schedule a showing.

Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting. And if needed, freshen the doorbell and welcome mat.
Clean, paint or replace your front door if it's dirty, faded or worn.
Check paint condition of the house, especially the door thresholds and jams, trim and areas that show signs of wear.
Simply touching up paint can have a big impact and when painting be certain to use the exact color, finish and be mindful that paint fades overtime.
Plants should never block windows and be trimmed just below the window ledge.
Add vibrant color flowers and or plants
Weed and put down some fresh mulch.

If you have miscellaneous items around your yard, please move out of view
Use your garage or shed for storage.
Pressure wash areas if needed and be careful not to remove patio or house paint. In addition, pressure cleaning can damage your roof and property! Therefore, DO NOT use the high-pressure pressure washing devices or products that are not safe for plants, lawns and pets! And please be aware that most roof cleaning companies are not properly insured or not insured at all! When cleaning roofs, the workers who perform the cleaning must be covered under workers comp code 5551 which is a roofing workers comp code. Power washing code (9041) does not cover workers operating on roofs but only on non-elevated surfaces (ground floor). Workers who have workers comp exemptions are basically not covered by the insurance policy. DO NOT hire a company who is not properly insured. If an accident occurs, you will be liable for both the medical and legal expenses which could be astronomical!

Cleanliness of a home is the most important sight-based feature to home buyers. Once you’re done cleaning your house, clean some more. You want your home to look spotless and smell clean. PS: Your home will take longer to sell and sell for significantly less if your home has bad odors such as; cigarette or marijuana smoke, rotten food, trash or pet odors.

Even if you’re not doing a full-on repainting project, pay special attention to scrubbing and then touching up baseboards, walls, and doors to make the house sparkle and look cared-for.
Primary colors are great for preschool walls, but are definitely a no-no when it comes to selling your home. Bright or funky color palettes such as reds, oranges, and yellows are the least appealing. Instead, paint interior walls with neutral colors because they are the most appealing and represent a clean, blank canvas.
Paint any room needing paint
Touch up scuff marks, scarred walls, door jams, door casing and baseboards.

Install higher wattage light bulbs to brighten rooms.
Steam clean carpeting and grout, if necessary.
Repair cracks and holes in the walls.
Repair loose knobs, sticking doors, broken light switches and other minor flaws. Its small things that can have a negative effect on a buyer, it can make them stop and think, what else is broken here?

Less is definitely always more when it comes to getting your house ready to sell.
Remove excess and oversized furniture.
Rearrange furniture to maximize space.
Remove excess family photos (some are fine and most buyers like to see family photos)
Remove personal collections
If the house is overflowing with stuff, buyers might worry that the house won’t have ample space for their own belongings.
Take your excess stuff and pack it up to be stored in the garage or off-site. Not only will clearing clutter help your house look more appealing to buyers, moving out will be easier if some of your stuff is already be packed.
Sellers should remove any distractions that would prevent buyers from visualizing themselves and their family living in the property.
The goal is to create a blank canvas on which buyers can project their own visions of living there, and loving it.

Preparing Your Home to Sell