Selling your home? 9.5 Home "Prep" Tips for MAXIMUM "BUYER LOVE"

1. Cleaning and more cleaning and make sure your home smells clean! (Almost as important) Consider an initial "pre-list" professional cleaner coming in for your floors and carpets, as it sets the "condition" bar for your highest buyer interest. More econo: Wiping down all your walls, shelves, trim, doors, and cabinets with frequently refreshed warm water and a little vinegar is a classic and inexpensive technique. (You can even swish around a little bit of Lysol/Pine Sol in water in the toilet or a little lemon grinding in the garbage disposal before showings or Open Houses) 
2. Remove clutter on the floors, even the floors of the closets. Clutter will make a room appear to be smaller than it really is. Buy some totes and use them. Well worth the money.
3. Straighten bookcases and dust around and between the books. Straighten up closets and hang each item neatly. 
4. Organize your pantry, line and/or clean the shelves, and straighten the laundry/utility room. Use totes for seasonal items and consider renting a storage unit to eliminate clutter if you have more than you can reasonably store. 
5. Select a choice of paint colors throughout your home. Some white or off white is fine, but most homes look institutional with too much white:  A blend of whites, tans, grays, even go on Pinterest to get some new "fresh" color ideas.
6. Photo's & Decorations : Do not remove all of your clean, framed photos & decorations. Leave some(minimal) of them on the bookcases, tables, and shelves as it gives a cozy family feeling. An important exception would be if you had a excessive pictures or "shrines", especially a hallway lined  with photo's. If you do, remove all of them, and putty and paint the nail holes and the walls.
7. Clean bathrooms are vital! They have to be spotless. No bathtub toys, or towels on the floor. Clean and smelling fresh. Toilets, Tubs, and Showers (Add a new "eye catching" shower curtain if yours is not!)
8. Garage & Yard. For some reason, homes having yellow or red flowers in pots or near the front porch seem to sell faster. Make sure yard is always manicured as this is the first thing a prospective buyer will see. Well shoveled driveways and walkways in the winter are a strong sign of a well kept home as well. The outside appearance is the "gate" of buyer reactions.  Garages are the least important for organization, but shelving units, stored stuff, and swept floors can really improve the look and feel of a home
9. Backyard/Patio: Try to create a patio space for entertaining. Make sure to clean patio furniture and have fresh flowers or plants in each pot. A fresh splash of flowers make everyone feel like they are coming into a home that is well cared for.
10. (OK 9.5!) Try to do some minimal staging, especially in unused or underused rooms, like formal dining rooms, or living rooms with a nice table, chairs, dinner settings, fresh or fresh looking flowers for color. There are a number of staging companies who are worth their weight in gold at getting maximum excitement for as little as $500.  Maybe some fresh linen's and custom soaps in the bathrooms that add color, texture, and contrasting scents.