First, think like a buyer. Try to see your home from their perspective. Clean up before a showing, get rid of nasty smells and all the clutter. Do what you can to brighten dark spaces (this can be as simple as opening or even taking down window coverings) and pay attention to how the front of your house looks. You want to be sure that first impression is stellar and memorable.
Second, consider making safety-based home improvements. Repair trip hazards on the property and consider looking at your sidewalks as well. Install hand rails on all stair cases, add lighting to dark areas, remove clutter from walk ways and stairs and consider covering exposed electrical boxes. To really spruce up your home think about replacing your window well covers and certainly add some cheap covers in if you don’t have any there already.
Third, provide good details up front by presenting facts and figures that buyers may not think of on their own. Consider getting a neighborhood inspection done. Neighborhood Environmental will research your city and send you a report which includes everything from the status of local hazardous waste sites to health risks specific to your neighborhood. As long as your report comes back clean this is a great selling tool. Show buyers what they are getting and have a surveyor mark the boundaries of your property. Buyers love to see this. This can be especially helpful with large or irregular lot sizes to prevent any misunderstandings about the property lines. Have your surveyor note how far the nearest fire hydrant is and let your buyers know that some home owners insurance policies provide discounts when hydrants are close.
Good luck out there in your journey to sell your home. You will likely uncover new ideas and have fun with experimenting which are worth your time and money and which aren’t. This can be different depending on what type of home you are selling and where your home is located.