Step back and take a look at your home as a buyer would. Is it cluttered? Are there newspapers, catalogs and magazines piled up all over the tables? Kids toys thrown all over? Shoes out all over the floor? What is the condition of the furniture, would you feel comfortable sitting on your sofa, or does it obviously belong to the family dog?
One great way to start organizing the home is to start with empty boxes with the name of each family member. Anything that you find in each room that doesn't belong in that room goes into that person's basket. That pair of shoes, those comic books, that old sweatshirt, the toys. Deliver the basket to the appropriate owner. Once you've gone through the clutter, focus on newspapers, catalogs and magazines. Throw out the old ones. If you must have your magazines and catalogs get a nice magazine holder you can put next to your chair.
Once you have cleared most of the clutter take a look around again. You will need to take time to clean and dust each room. Once the home is clean you'll be more apt to keep it that way. Vacuuming is key, if you have the time do it thoroughly. Pull the sofa and chairs out and vacuum behind them. If you don't have the time, vacuum around the furniture until you do have the time for a thorough vacuum.
Next, focus on the furniture. If your sofa has been stained or frayed by the kids or the pets and if the site of it makes you cringe imagine how the buyer feels when they walk through your home. It might be time for a new one. If a new one is out of the question, you can easily give your sofa a new and updated look with a slipcover. There are lots of fitted slipcovers available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Choose something neutral.
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Monica: great post, do you mean look at your home as a buyer would? It seems this is a post for sellers and that you advocate the person looking from a competing perspective.