1. First Impressions - At any time of the year, a freshly painted - or at least freshly scrubbed - front door welcomes prospects. Free your porch or entryway of clutter. In the warmer months, a well-manicured lawn and neatly trimmed shrubs are attractive to buyers. If it's autumn, rake the leaves. If it's winter, shovel the snow. The fewer obstacles you place between prospects and the appeal of your home, the better.

2. Invest a Few Hours for Future Rewards - If your woodwork is scuffed, a good scrubbing may work wonders. If scuffs won't be cleaned or if paint in the rest of any room is fading, dark or old, a few gallons of light neutral paint will brighten things up and make the room appear larger. Clean or replace stained or cracked carpet, linoleum and tile. Prospects would rather see how great your home really looks than hear how great it could look "with a little work".

3. Check Faucets and Caulking - Dripping water rattles the nerves, discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn-out plumbing. Check and repair damaged or unsightly caulking in tubs and showers. Potential water problems are very scary to prospective buyers. Don't let little problems that you can easily fix detract from what's right with your home.

4. Bigger More Comfortable Rooms - Get rid of excess furniture. You may not need so many chairs in the family room. Nobody has played that piano in the living room for years. That extra dresser in the bedroom is full of clothes you haven't worn in a long time. Make your own move easier and afford prospects the opportunity to see that "that house seems bigger than it looks" by holding yard sales, donating to charity, putting an ad in the paper or calling the local dealer or relatives to remove extra furnishings. "Less of your stuff" may translate into "more comfortable space for them".

5. Don't Shut Out a Sale - If cabinet or closet doors stick in your home, they will also stick in a prospect's mind. Most of these sticky doors only need some sanding and planing. Replace bent or rusty hinges. Eliminate squeaks with a product such as WD-40. With only a little effort on your part, the door can be opened to a smooth transaction.

6. Consider Your Closets - Just like your rooms, the better organized a closet, the larger it appears. Now is the time to box up those unwanted clothes and donate them to charity. If you always wanted a few more shelves or thought an extra rod would work to organize that closet, so will prospective buyers.

7. Make Room for Storage - Remember, potential buyers are looking for more than just comfortable living space and organized closets. They're looking for storage space too. Don't pile up the excess furniture or boxes of unusable clothing. Make sure your attic and basement are clean and free of these unnecessary items or buyer prospects will think "there isn't any storage space" or you "have so much stuff, you're never going to be out of the house in time to close".

8. Replacement Could Make the Difference - If you absolutely will not leave the existing stove in the kitchen or that lovely chandelier when you sell your home, replace it now! You can rest assured that it will be the one thing the prospective buyer will stipulate they "must have with the property" or they "won't buy your house". It may seem trivial (compared to the price of your home) but will not be worth losing a potential sale.

If you need professional assistance with any project from lawn care to home repair, be visit my list of "Above the Crowd" Home Services.

Once you feel confident that your home is ready to be put on the market, Il will work with you to draw up a listing agreement. I will make every effort to market your property agressively to ready, willing and able buyers. When you take the following steps, you will help me sell your home faster and at the best possible price:

1. Lighten Up! - Turn on the excitement by turning on the lights. Lighting adds warmth, color and makes prospects feel welcome, even in the daytime hours. In the evening, turn on all the lights, including outside lights. A 60 or 100 watt bulb uses very little electricity compared to appliances such as a TV. Burned out bulbs leave prospects in the dark and will give the impression you have something to hide. Check your lights, especially in basements and darker rooms, and have replacement bulbs on hand.

2. Don't Cover Up - Unless you want prospects spooked, try to open up drapes and blinds and let the sun/natural light inside when the house is being shown during the day. Even if you've left the lights on, the room will seem bigger and brighter without closed curtains, particularly heavy window treatments.

3. Sparkle and Shine! - Windows and mirrors should be sparkling and smudge-free. Use ammonia, not window cleaner, for best results. You may not have time to clean the whole house before showings, but the kitchen and bathroom are critical rooms to shine. Buyers may not focus on the fact that either of these rooms need updating if they are spiffy clean and nicely decorated. Clear countertops, put out fresh pretty towels, buy a new coordinating shower curtain.

4. Think Safety - Homeowners learn to live with all kinds of booby traps: roller-skates on the stairs, slippery throw rugs, festooned extension cords and low-hanging overhead lights. Make your residence as non-perilous as possible by clearing toys and laundry from stairways and halls, put gripper pads under small area rugs, purchase longer extension cords along with stripping that holds wiring in place and lift up the lighting fixture.

5. Avoid Crowd Scenes - Potential buyers often feel like intruders when they enter a house with the homeowners' family present. If you're home for a showing, they are likely to rush through and not give your house the attention it deserves. There may be times where your presence is unavoidable or even desirable, but it is best to arrange showings when you are not at home and let prospects view your home uninterrupted.

6. Keep a Low Profile - No one knows your home as well as you do, but I know buyers - what they need and what they want. I can easily articulate the virtues of your home. If you happen to be home for a showing, never apologize for the home's condition or shortcomings. I know how to handle the situation if a prospect finds fault with the appearance or features of your home.

7. Watch Your Pets - Dogs and cats are great companions, but not when showing your home. If your dog or cat is excitable and gets underfoot, it's best to keep him out of the way so that prospects can concentrate on what your home has to offer.

8. Defer to Experience - When prospects want to talk price, terms or other real estate matters with you, ask them to speak with me directly. I am serving as your professional agent, and I have experience in dealing with any issues that might come up.