1.) De-clutter.  Rooms, closets, basements — anything that is not going to make the move can be tossed.  Removing stuff will make the house seem bigger to buyers.

2.) Make small repairs.  Now’s the time to fix that leaky faucet, repair that electrical outlet that never worked, paint that water stain or replace that cracked window pane.  If you don’t do it now, it will come up during the home inspection.

3.) Paint.  Painting with neutral colors and even touch-ups will make the house seem brighter & cleaner.

4.) Removing old carpet.  Chances are, you have beautiful hardwoods underneath that old, stained carpet.  Removing the carpet will give the room a fresher appearance.

5.) Clean out the garage.  You’re going to have to do it anyway when you move!

6.) Have your heating/cooling system serviced.  Home inspectors will check to see the last time the system was serviced — especially if the system is more than 10 years old.

7.) Clean your windows.  Will make the house lighter.

8.) Repair basement water damage.  If you’d had water in the past, now is a good time to repair the walls, remediate mold or rip out damaged carpets.  Wet basements & mold are deal killers!

9.)  Since the weather is so mild, you can do some light landscaping to give the house more curb appeal.  Buyers will know before they get out of the car if the home is a possibility or not.

10.) Do not stock up on cookie dough!  The smell of cookies baking doesn’t make people want to buy houses.  It makes people want to eat cookies.