• Sweep the sidewalk, mow the lawn, prune the bushes, weed the garden and clean debris from the yard.
• Clean the windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking.
• Be sure that the doorbell works.
• Clean and make attractive all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. It's especially important that the bathroom and kitchen are spotless.
• Organize closets.
• Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work. Get rid of leaky faucets and frayed cords.
• Ensure that the house smells good: from an apple pie or cookies baking, for example. Hide the kitty litter.
• Put vases of fresh flowers throughout the house.
• Pleasant background music is a nice touch.

How is the price set?
It's very important to price your home appropriately relative to current market conditions. Because the real estate market is continually changing, and market fluctuations have an effect on property values, it's imperative to select your list price based on the most recent comparable sales in your neighborhood.

A comparative market analysis provides the background data on which to base your list-price decision. Study the comparable sales material presented to you by the different agents you interviewed initially. If the analyses are more than two or three months old, have your agent update the report for you.

If all agents agreed on a price range for your home, go with the consensus. Watch out for an agent whose opinion of value is considerably higher than the others