At Timber Country Real Estate, we will guide you step by step through the selling process to ensure that your home meets its maximum selling potential.

What can you do to prepare your house for sale? Here are tips, hints, thoughts and ideas for sprucing up, cleaning out, decorating, staging, creating a great first impression and making a house appealing to buyers.

BOOST THE CURB APPEAL.
Front entrance—Make your entrance as inviting as possible with a fresh coat of paint, polished door hardware and easy to see house numbers. Give the mailbox a new coat of paint as well. Make sure the porch light(s) and doorbell are functioning properly.

Siding & windows—Give your siding a good cleaning or repaint it if necessary. Caulk windows and doors. Shutters should be in good shape and hanging straight. Clean the gutters and make sure they are straight as well. Keep your garage door closed as much as possible. Windows should be cleaned inside and out to allow as much light as possible into the house.

Landscaping—Yours should be one of the nicer yards in the neighborhood. Keep the grass mowed. Overgrown bushes that hide the house make the house look smaller so keep all shrubs and trees well trimmed. Flowerbeds need to be well defined and freshly mulched.

THE ROOF.
If your home needs a new roof, bite the bullet and do it. Most buyers shy away from buying a home if the roof needs to be replaced.

DECLUTTER & DEPERSONALIZE.
To create an impression of spaciousness, clear off bookshelves and clean out closets. Take down the family pictures. Remove trophies, posters and collections. Have a yard sale to get rid of any unwanted items or rent storage if necessary. But don′t stack things up in the garage—it needs to appear spacious as well.

THE KITCHEN.
Give this room a fresh coat of paint and replace worn flooring. Inspect the faucet and repair or replace if necessary. Scrub the sink until it looks almost new. Make sure all cabinet doors and drawers open and close smoothly. Give them a facelift with new cabinet hardward. If your cabinets are dated, consider having them resurfaced. This is cheaper than replacing them but they′ll look like new. If the appliances are staying, they should be be spotless, odor free and in good working condition.

BATHROOMS.
Fresh paint and new flooring are in order for these rooms as well. Inspect all faucets and repair/replace any faulty fixtures. If the caulking in the bathtub and/or shower is less than pristine, remove the old and recaulk. Bleach any moldy tile grout.

FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS.
If repainting walls, think neutral—off white is always safe. If replacing flooring, go with lighter colors. If the current carpet is in good shape, get a thorough professional cleaning.

LIGHTING.
Check and clean all electrical fixtures, switches, switchplates and outlet covers. Make sure every outlet works. Replace current bulbs with maximum wattage bulbs. Light sells.

RID THE HOUSE OF ANY ODORS.
After all your hard work, your home won′t feel clean if it doesn′t smell clean. Air out any musty smelling rooms. If you have a cat litterbox, clean it daily. Use potpourri or air fresheners throughout the house.