• First impressions are lasting! The front doorway greets the buyer. Make sure it is fresh, clean and swept. Keep lawn trimmed and edged and the yard free of garbage or walks free of snow and ice in the winter.

• Remember the 3 C’s ….clean, colorful and clutter less! Keep the property as clean as possible, use light and bright colors for accents, and most importantly, get rid of the clutter! Personal photographs and mementos are very important to you, but they are very distracting to potential buyers. Try to create a “blank slate” for them to picture where they would place their own belongings.

• Let the sun shine in! Open draperies, curtains and blinds and let the buyers see that your house is bright and cheerful. Dark rooms are unappealing.

• Fix that faucet! Dripping water suggests faulty plumbing.

• Fix that ceiling! Stained and damaged ceilings suggest faulty plumbing and/or leaking roofs.