Plant flowers in the front yard, clean out closets, and fix those little things that you've been meaning to all year. Have your real estate professional walk through your home with you to suggest any changes. He or she is experienced to notice things you might overlook. Focus on the kitchen and bathrooms, as these are important rooms for most buyers. Once the house is listed, make an effort to keep it clean and tidy at all times.
Buyers expect, and generally enjoy, decorating a home to their taste.
But buyers don't want to have to do heavy cleaning. Make the house accessible to prospective buyers. Some real estate professionals recommend putting a lock-box on the front door that allows them to enter when you're not at home. While this may fell like an invasion of privacy, most sellers find it impossible to restrict their lifestyles so that someone is always available to let a real estate professional in to show a home. Also, most prospective buyers are more comfortable viewing the home if the current owners are not present.