If you’re planning to sell your home this spring, there’s no better time to get your home ready to list. Whether you’re overwhelmed by the idea or think your home is in pretty good shape, there are some specific areas to focus on that are important that you don’t overlook.

Even if you live in a seller’s market, you still want to make sure your home is at its best when you list it, not only to garner as much interest as possible but to get the best price possible. Putting in the effort before you list your home will pay off down the road once it’s sold as well.

Prepare your home for the spring selling season by following these tips for getting your house in order and showing it off to its full potential.

Get Organized

There are so many steps to getting your home ready to list that it can seem overwhelming. There’s decluttering, cleaning, staging and more. Following a pre-listing checklist is key to organizing all the tasks you have to accomplish and allows you to break them into small, manageable steps. Doing this can reduce the pressure you feel as you get your home ready and ensure you don’t miss any steps, and you can present your home in its best light.

Declutter

Decluttering your home serves two purposes. First, it makes your home appear more neat and tidy and opens up the space, making it feel bigger than it is. Second, it removes personal items from sight, allowing buyers to picture themselves living there rather than you and your family.

There are personal items like family photos and knick-knacks that you simply want to remove from sight and get them packed and stored away. Then there are the items you no longer want or need that have been taking up unnecessary space in your home. Getting rid of these items now might seem like extra work, but it saves you from having to pack and move them to your new home later on. Sell or donate the items you no longer have use for.

When you prepare for buyers to come in, have baskets or bins on hand to store items that you need and use regularly but are often left out on desks and counters. A great example of this is the bathroom. You don’t want your products crowding up the visible space, so having them in a basket that you can neatly and quickly tuck away is helpful when prospective buyers are coming by.

Removing personal items and things you don’t need anymore is the first step but most people need to consider removing some furniture to open up space. You should be able to walk freely through your home without bumping into furniture. It may be functional for your lifestyle but crowds a room making it look smaller than it is in the eyes of a potential buyer.

Focus on Repairs

Many small things happen in your homes over time that we get used to and stop noticing. But you can bet potential buyers will notice them. Those leaky faucets, creaky stairs, stuck windows and loose doorknobs will cause buyers to wonder what’s wrong with your home that they can’t see. Get these minor repairs fixed up, and consider getting a pre-inspection so you can make the appropriate repairs.

If your bathroom or kitchen looks like it’s been pulled out of the 1980s or 1990s, update them. This doesn’t need to include significant renovations. Updating light fixtures, towel racks, faucets and cabinet handles can go a long way. For kitchens, you can refinish cabinets or just replace the doors rather than the entire set.

Get Bright

Ensuring your home is well lit will brighten up and maximize the space. A minor tweak that goes far is simply updating your lightbulbs. Make sure they are all working (it’s easy not to notice one or two burnt-out bulbs). You might be happy with bulbs at a lower wattage, but increasing your wattage is an easy and cheap way to brighten your home.

Keep shades raised and open your curtains to allow as much natural light as possible into your home. If you have any dark corners, add a lamp to bring in the light and show off all the space in your home effectively.

Paint

One of the most cost-effective ways to spruce up your home is a coat of paint. Whether you have bright colors or faded paint, putting up a fresh coat of paint gives your home a facelift and allows potential buyers a clean slate to picture their own style in the space. It brightens up rooms and helps to maximize the space.

While bright colors appeal to some people, it’s best to stick to safe choices like neutrals, grays and whites to avoid putting anybody off.

Clean

When selling your home, you want to make sure you do a good, deep clean from the top to the bottom. Pay particular attention to windows and mirrors. Having these bright and clean will allow more light throughout the room, making it much more attractive to buyers. Clean inside and outside your windows and make sure your window coverings are clean, in good condition and don’t block out the light.

Clean in and around appliances, get into the grooves of tiles, and dust light fixtures and ceiling fans. A sparkling home is an appealing home to buyers.

Also, focus on removing odors, whether from pets, cooked food or anything else. Old carpets can hold onto odors and dust, so be sure to have them steam cleaned before listing.

Boost Curb Appeal

With spring comes the sun, but it also means melting snow that often leaves behind a mess, and that’s definitely not the first impression you want to make on buyers. Take the time to fix up your home’s exterior.

Make sure to get rid of any dead leaves and branches on your property and seal up cracks on your walkways. Freshen things up with a container garden of brightly colored plants for a pop of color.

Ensure hardware like doorknobs, mailbox and house numbers are clean and in decent condition. If they’re particularly banged up, consider replacements as these elements can really give your home a boost in appearance.

Follow these tips to get your house ready and make sure your home stands out from the crowd when you list it for sale.