According to the website www.usingenglish.com, "When people say that the devil is in the detail(s), they mean that small things in plans and schemes that are often overlooked can cause serious problems later on..."
 
This couldn't be truer than when you're selling a house!
 
As a home stager, I see lots of details that are little devils, and really need to be taken care of.  These little red flags are often missed by the home owner, not because they are thoughtless or careless, but more likely because they are too closely involved with the preparation of their house for sale that they just don't see all the little details that will make a big impact on potential buyers.  Paying attention to the details is even more important in vacants, as anything amiss will really stand out.
 
When I'm walking through a house, it is rare that I encounter a house that hasn't been cleaned.  That's always a good sign.  What I often see, however, are dirty light fixtures, old bathroom light fixtures that are rusting, and burned out bulbs.  The floor or carpet may be cleaned to within an inch of its life, but if the buyer can't see it because of the dust on the fixture, or the lack of working light bulbs, then it starts to set a negative tone that will carry throughout the rest of the house.  Make sure the light fixtures are cleaned - especially if there are bugs in it! -  and the highest wattage light bulbs recommended for the fixture are used.  If the light fixture is old and tired, rusting or broken, then replace it.  It need not be an expensive fixture, but a new one is a lot better than one that looks like it's ready to fall off of the wall.
 
Other little devils are all the small, obvious repairs that need to be done.  Make sure all doors work properly, in particular bi-fold doors, which can easily come off their tracks.  Imagine a potential buyer opening a closet door and it falling out, or worse yet, not being to open the door at all. Yikes! 
 
Another repair of sorts is when painting to remove all the old nails and hooks that held up wall art - don't just paint over them.  That nail by the kitchen cupboard may have been perfect for your calendar, but probably won't be for the new owner.  A potential buyer is going to look at the wall of painted nails and think only of how much work it's going to take them to remove the nails, patch the holes, and repaint.  If it's too much work, they'll most likely cross that house off of their list.
 
As I mentioned above, it is rare that I walk into a filthy house.  But it seems that one area that is often forgotten about is windows - sills, screens, and the windows themselves.  Dust and dead bugs on the sills is a real turn off, along with broken, bent or torn screens, and dirty windows.  A clean window is going to make a room look a lot lighter and brighter, which in turn will help show the house better.
 
Don't forget to tell your clients while they are preparing their house for sale to look at their house with the eye of a potential buyer, and to be sure to look for all the little devils that lurk from floor to ceiling, and wall to wall.  Taking care of the details will help prevent potential problems later on.