Clutter and dark colours turn off most buyers. This means you should get rid of everything you can live without. Have a garage sale to eliminate unnecessary items. Bright lights and white walls make rooms look bigger. Put away personal items such as large family photos and other identifying objects - buyers like to imagine it is their house.

• If you plan to paint, use white or off-white.
• Replace lights with higher wattage bulbs.
• Clear kitchen countertops as much as possible.
• Reduce the number of items in cabinets.
• Arrange clothing neatly in each closet and reduce number of items stored on shelves and on the floor.
• Clean and organize your basement, attic and garage.

Clean everything - carpets included. Ask a friend to assess your efforts, especially sensitive areas like odours.

• Wash windows and mirrors.
• Clean the oven and all appliances.
• Clean all grease spatters and polish chrome fixtures and surfaces.
• Clean window treatments and carpets. Replace carpets that are worn, stained or have odours.
• Clean smudges, especially around doorknobs and light switches.