If you have made the decision to sell your home and lets face it there are lot of people in that very position right now the very best thing you can and should do is prepare your home for sale properly. Most of this is common or uncommon sense as far as I am concerned but I will run through the basic steps any person can take when they are preparing to sell. My first piece of advice is to determine how quickly you need to sell the property and how important price is, if like most people price is very important then you need to invest some time to do the job correctly. Make a list of any jobs that need to be done around the place and get them done, check taps, drains and gutters. Inspect the house from top to bottom for any obvious repairs or damage such as broken hinges on doors and cupboards, holes and dents in walls and other obvious signs of wear and tear.
These small things make a big difference in the way people and real estate agents will view your property, once you have the small jobs done then it's time to start with the cleaning, if your not good at cleaning then hire a company to come in and do it for you, pay attention to windows and around doors and light switches. Make sure you get the floors cleaned by a professional. Once the house is clean then you can easily determine if you need to repaint, I always advise people to repaint as it makes a massive difference to the way the house will look, make sure you use neutral colours because that is going to appeal to the broader audience, your favourite shade of hot pink may not appeal to everyone. Once the house is neat and tidy on the inside with a fresh coat of paint then it's time to attack outside and the garden, clean up as much rubbish and undergrowth as possible and take it to the dump, trim the bushes and repaint the outside if it needs it.
Check the condition of the roof and make any repairs cosmetic or functional that may be needed. The front of your house is where potential buyers will get their first impressions so it must be spot on. Once you are satisfied with the general state of the house take a look at your own furniture and consider hiring in some new up to date items if needed for open inspection days. People like to be impressed and a little bit of money invested here might just pay off so look at modern furniture and paintings, there are companies who will hire you these items. On inspection day have nice pleasant music playing, some scented candles burning and you will be well on your way to getting the highest possible price for your home. Good Luck!