1. Clean and repair your home.  It should go without saying, but clean your house as if you were going to eat off the floors.   Make cosmetic repairs such as touching up paint, especially on cornerbead, and planting fresh flowers. Make sure the home smells fresh and clean, too. 

2.  Remove clutter. Put away the figurine collection, toys and everything that is lining the bathroom and kitchen counters.  A crowded house makes it look smaller and makes it harder for buyers to imagine it as their own. 

3.  De-personalize. Take down family photos, trophies and other personal touches. A buyer needs to imagine the house as a blank slate, ready to be occupied and personalized by them. 

4. Consider holding a special preview. If you are having an open house from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., invite your neighbors from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. It will allow the agent to focus on the most interested parties when the real open house starts.  You may want to also invite the agent that listed the home down the street.  The agent will have first hand knowledge about your home and may actually show your home when they show their own listing.

5. Promote your home and open house event.  Make sure your open house is listed on the MLS and on other Internet sites such as Realtor.com.  Pictures bring buyers, so post lots of photos, post a visual tour, send out flyers, put up signs and advertise in the local paper.