DEAL WITH THE CLUTTER
Selling your house is like selling a product.  Let’s face it.  A well-kept house has a much better chance of being sold than one which looks tired and rundown.  If this means giving your home a makeover, then by all means go for it.  Get to work with the repairs, renovations, and heavy work needed to get your house as saleable as possible.    Here are some suggestions you might consider:

• Give your walls a fresh coat of paint especially in the main rooms – living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.  Use neutral colors or colors that appeal to a large number of people rather than to a minority.
• Be sure your windows and front door look bright and polished.  Repair or replace broken windows or screens.
• Arrange to have your carpet professionally cleaned. 
• Refinish wooden floors and replace tired old vinyl flooring
• Replace or repair loose cabinet doors or handles.  
• Fix leaks in ceilings and walls.
• Get rid of worn and outdated kitchen countertops and vinyl flooring.
• Clean ceramic tiles and re-grout if needed.
• Check all of your plumbing and electrical fixtures.  Fix any leaking pipes or faucets. 
• Reduce the number of knicknacks, children’s toys, souvenirs, family photos, and other personal items in each room.    In other words, de-personalize your home to make it easier for prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in it. 
• Clean and organize basement, attic, and storage spaces.   Remove any excess furniture or large items to maintain a sense of cleanliness and roominess in your house.

Should you be unable to effectively manage the clutter, the next best thing to do is to put things into storage until you’re ready to sort through them or move.  Remember not to overdo it or you might end up with sterile-looking rooms with no homey feel whatsoever.  In this case, prospective buyers may not be able to relate to them at all.

GET A REAL ESTATE AGENT

You would do well to consult an experienced real estate agent for a number of reasons.  First, a knowledgeable local agent can tell you best how your home will be perceived by potential buyers.  Next, an agent can give you practical and sensible advice on how to make your home more appealing to buyers, having been exposed to the market and what prospective buyers want.  Most agents will be more than glad to give you any tips that can increase the value of your home because then you can raise the price and they will ultimately make more from the sale.  Finally, a real estate agent has the knowledge and experience in putting a transaction together and completing the sale.  He or she can even overcome objections a prospective buyer might have about your home after learning what they are. 

If you are not sure which agent to choose, ask for recommendations from friends, family or colleagues in your local area who have recently bought, sold, or rented property through a real estate agent.  Remember that you need to trust and feel comfortable with the agent you will choose to represent you.  You need to be assured that he or she will deal with you as efficiently, and honestly as possible.