Get Your Home Ready to Show - 12 Steps

1. Curb Appeal
   Remove clutter, cut grass, edge walks, trim hedges, weed gardens. Paint, fix or wash railings, steps, storms, screens and doors. Tuck away any children’s toys, gardening tools, etc. If it is winter, make sure the walk and steps are clear of ice and snow.
2. Kitchen
   Should be clean and free of clutter. All appliances including the hoodfan should be spotless, inside and out. Clear all work space (ie put away small appliances and knick knacks). Remove fridge magnets, decals, children's drawings, messages and catchalls. Stash scouring pads and dish drainers under the sink.
3. Bathrooms
   Need to be neat and spotless. Grout and caulking must look fresh. Bleach the stained grout, replace any missing tile, and be sure all surfaces sparkle. Stash toiletries in drawers or cupboards. Keep the most necessary items neatly in a basket or on a tray on the counter. Hide or remove garbage cans
4. Follow your nose
   Pet, cigarette or cooking smells can put buyers off no matter how attractive the house is otherwise. Look into having your pets visit someone else during the showing period. Consider professional steam cleaning for carpets and drapes and a professional cleaning crew for the rest of the house. Air out the house frequently and make sure the garbage is empty.
5. Clutter
   Go for a minimalist approach with wall-hangings and personal items. Remove collections of family photos from the walls and mantels, posters from kids' rooms, and certificates from the den. Start packing now. Pack extra books so that book shelves look sparse and open. Pack out-of-season clothing, sports equipment and other excess items and stash them in a mini storage locker. Don't strip the house bare, however. Arrange ornaments and knickknacks attractively in groups of one, three or five.
6. Create more space
   In small dining rooms, remove the leaves in the table and the extra chairs. If the dining room is large, leave the leaves in the table to show buyers how nicely a large table fits in the room. Tidy hutches and buffets.
7. Closets
   Neat and tidy closets help your home to feel more spacious.
8. Plumbing & Hardware
   Make sure everything works. Repair dripping faucets, leaky toilets and unclog drains. Oil hinges, tighten door knobs, cabinet doors, faucets. For sliding doors that stick in their tracks, rub the tracks with paraffin or candle wax.
9. Lighting
   Ensure that every room is adequately lit and appealing. Replace all burned out bulbs, faulty switches. Install high wattage bulb in dimly lit areas. Don't forget to clean the windows. Clean windows can make a house seem 20% brighter.
10. Ceilings
    Check ceilings for leak stains. Fix the cause of the damage, repair the ceiling and repaint. Sometimes lightly applying diluted bleach will save a paint job. If repainting the walls, stick to off-whites or neutral colours.
11. Garage
    Straighten up, sweep floor, fix or wash doors and windows. Ensure the garage door is clean, attractive and in good working order. Remove everything but the essentials from the garage interior and arrange tools neatly.
12. General Condition
    Dust, wash, putty holes and paint walls, fix defects, as required. Store unneeded items to "enlarge" room size. Shampoo all carpets so they are odor free and look their best.