From experience, REALTORS® also know that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can't see has probably been also maintained.  In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and "touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen.

Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal.  Here are a few tips to enhance your home’s curb appeal making it more saleable:

Always have your home available to show
Most agents will call and give you at least a couple of hours notice before showing your property. If you refuse to let them show it at that time, they will just skip your house. Even if they come back another time, it will probably be with different buyers and you may have just lost a chance to sell your home.  Even though it may occasionally be inconvenient for you, place a lock box in a convenient place to make it easy for other agents to show your home to prospective buyers.  Otherwise, agents will have to schedule appointments, which is an inconvenience.  Most will just skip your home to show the house of someone else who is more cooperative.


Turn on ALL indoor and outdoor lights
When you know someone is coming by to tour your home, turn on all the indoor and outdoor lights – even during the day.  Be sure to open any blinds or drapes.  At night, a lit house gives a "homey" impression when viewed from the street. During the daytime, turning on the lights prevents harsh shadows from sunlight and it brightens up any dim areas. Your house looks more homey and cheerful with the lights on.


Landscaping
Is your landscaping at least average for the neighborhood? If it is not, buy a few bushes and plant them. Do not put in trees. Mature trees are expensive, and you will not get back your investment. Also, immature trees do not really add much to the appearance value of the home.  If you have an area for flowers, buy mature colorful flowers and plant them. They add a splash of vibrancy and color, creating a favorable first impression. Do not buy bulbs or seeds and plant them. They will not mature fast enough to create the desired effect and you certainly don’t want a patch of brown earth for homebuyers to view.  Your lawn should be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered, and free of brown spots. If there are problems with your lawn, you should probably take care of them before working on the inside of your home. This is because certain areas may need to be sodded, and you want to give it a chance to grow so that sodded areas are not immediately apparent. Plus, you might want to give fertilizer enough time to be effective.  Always rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.


Keep Your Home Tidy
Not everyone makes his or her bed every day, but when selling a home it is recommended that you develop the habit. Pick up papers, do not leave empty glasses in the family room, keep everything freshly dusted and vacuumed. Try your best to have it look like a model home – a home with furniture but nobody really lives there.


Control Your Pets
If you know someone is coming, it would be best to try to take the pets with you while the homebuyers tour your home.  If you cannot do that, it is best to keep dogs in a penned area in the back yard or locked in a particular room.


Dump Your Kitchen Trash
Remember that you want to send a positive image about every aspect of your home. Kitchen trash does not send a positive message. Especially if your kitchen trash can does not have a lid, make sure you empty it every time someone comes to look at your home – even if your trash can is kept under the kitchen sink. You may go through more plastic bags than usual, but it will be worth it.


Fragrances
Do not use scented sprays to prepare for visitors. It is too obvious and many people find the smells of those sprays offensive, not to mention that some may be allergic. If you want to have a pleasant aroma in your house, have a potpourri pot or something natural. Or turn on a stove burner (or the oven) for a moment and put a drop of vanilla extract on it. It will smell like you have been cooking.


Open Houses
An open house when your property is first placed on the market can be very important, but not for the reasons most homeowners think. Just like with advertising, most visitors to open houses rarely buy the house they come to look at. They may not even know the price of your home when they stop by to visit – they probably just followed an "Open House" sign to your door.  An open house performs a similar function to the neighborhood announcements – it lets all of your neighbors know that your house is for sale, and it practically invites them to come "take a look." Being generally nosy, a lot of your neighbors will take advantage of the invitation.  And they may tell their friends about your house, creating more "word of mouth" advertising.  Open houses held after your home has been on the market awhile do not usually serve a useful purpose in selling your home. Most of the neighbors already know your house is for sale and open house visitors rarely buy the homes they visit.