Carefully inspect your front door and the area around it. Clean any glass and remove all cobwebs and traces of insects. Give your door a fresh coat of paint. Wash your mail box. Keep the porch swept and place an attractive mat in front of the door for people to wipe their feet.

Pet odors kill many sales! Make sure your pets are not present during showings and eliminate all smells associated with your cat or dog. Be especially aware of cat box odors and animal urine in carpeting. Carpeted basements, which are sometimes slightly damp, can be a real turn-off. Install an electronic HEPA filter and remove or replace carpeting if necessary. Have someone with a VERY good sense of smell perform a "sniff" test in every nook and cranny before you show your home to perspective buyers. You may not be able to smell odors that a stranger can!

Make sure your windows sparkle. Open all blinds and curtains during showings. A light and bright home is much more appealing to buyers than a dark and dismal cave. Everyone feels better when the sun shines in. If it is a gloomy day, turn on lights. When your home is for sale, it's not the time to be overly concerned about extra use of electricity.

Make sure the outside of your home is clean and neat. Cut back bushes that block windows. Plant flowers in spring and summer. Rake leaves, sweep walks and driveways, and keep snow shoveled. Some prospective buyers won't even get out of the car to look inside if they don't find the outside appealing.

Always put out fresh towels in your bathrooms before showings. Attack and destroy mold and mildew around tubs and in showers. Remove clutter from bathroom counters. Nobody likes grungy bathrooms!

Remove clutter from attics, garages, basements before you put your home on the market. It's a great time to get rid of all that junk you've been hauling around for years. Make sure all stairs are clear and well lighted. Put new bulbs in the attic and basement. Let your prospective buyers know you aren't hiding anything, and you have LOTS of storage space.