by Debra Roof

Created on: February 17, 2007   Last Updated: February 21, 2012

With the slump in real estate, selling your house has become a very iffy proposition. In order to maximize the appeal of your home to potential buyers, you must "floss it up", first and foremost, with a hard look at de-cluttering, cleaning, and repairing obvious and, sometimes, hidden, areas in and around the property. If you really wanna sell that house, get busy!

First, get a lot of boxes (you will be packing soon, anyway, to move) and start by packing anything in your house that "personalizes" it, such as family photos, momentos, souveniers, pet toys (keep a couple handy but hidden) and the like. Continue de-cluttering by organizing your home office, sewing room, or craft area, for instance. Anything that pertains to something you don't do daily falls into this category.

In the kitchen, I know the kids' pictures from school and those little silly magnets are cute to you, but the refrigerator should be stark naked and clean! Small appliances should be put away in cabinets. Maximize your countertops by stowing away all than CAN be stowed. If your microwave is a countertop version, make sure it is clean. In your kitchen, clean and sparkling is the key to a sure sale!

In the bedroom, pack up extra linens, and remove your reading materials. Pack and store the TV, and clean the ceiling fan/light fixture. Store any rugs or drapes not in use. Pack and remove out-of-season clothes. In the kids' rooms, pack up all but a few toys, and hide those in a box in the closet.

The bathroom can literally make or break a sale. Invest in a set of matching "guest towels" that compliment the wall/tile color. If your linen closet is an over-the toilet shelf, and your towels are a mish-mash of colors, temporarily use another cabinet/closet in the house to store them. De-clutter the areas inside the tub/shower and, most importantly, clean the tub/shower, toilet and sink until they sparkle!

Your comfy but tattered recliner can be spruced up with a nice slip-cover in the den/living room. Fluff up the cushions on a lumpy couch or chair, or add throw pillows to cover any wear. Clean and dust the furniture, light fixtures, TV, speakers, audio visual components, and, of course, the floor!

Now, step back and look at the bare bones of the house. Does it have any architectural interests, like a fireplace, stained glass window, or beautiful handrailing on the staircase? If so, do they jump out at you when you enter the room? If not, make it so! Try and remember what attracted you to the house

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