Now that you've decided to put your home on the market and make the outside look great (curb appeal) and you've priced your home competitively so that you will attract the most buyers possible it's time to make the inside look great.

In the age of the Internet and with lots of people online looking at homes it is more important than ever to make sure your home looks like a page from a magazine.  I know this is particularly hard if you have kids and/or pets but making your home look clean and attractive will help you sell your home faster and at a higher price.  If you think about it, don't you feel more comfortable and relaxed in a place that's been spruced up whether it's a friend's home or a hotel.

The very first thing you need to do is de-clutter.  Yeah, I know how all that stuff accumulated.  I got it, too.  But now that you're moving out it may be time to bite the bullet and throw away a bunch of stuff.  If you absolutely have to keep it, get a storage facility somewhere and store it until you move into your new place.  The idea is to create a feeling of openness and space.  In fact, your mantra should be "Space Sells".  A de-cluttered house can make even the smallest condo or townhouse look lots bigger and more inviting.

The next thing is to make sure everything is cleaned and sparkling.  Get all the dishes out of the sink, empty the trash. wipe down the counters, vacuum the carpets (and have them steam cleaned while you're at it), paint if you haven't painted in years and generally make the place look like Martha Stewart came to visit.

This is the real deal with having to go through all this trouble to make your place look great: the frenzied Seller's market is over. Nowadays, buyers want a home that is in "move-in condition".  This means they don't want to fix anything up, they don't want to paint or re-carpet or refinish the hardwood floor.  They want the bathrooms to be clean and usable and the kitchen to be functional if not spectacular.

The people who buy your house want to move in, set up house and get on with their lives without a lot of additional cost. 

It really seems like a fair trade.  Your get the money and they get a nice home to live in.  What a deal!