1. Empty cabinets and closets half way or more and organize the rest. Buyers always want more storage and rarely feel like any home has enough.
2. The brighter the better! Keep lighting as bright as possible all throughout the house. Buyers have never told me they think a house is too bright. However, they are almost always turned off by a home that is too dark. Secret ways to make it more bright: Hire professional window cleaners. You will be amazed at how much that impacts the brightness. Keep curtains drawn open. And leave all your lights on for showings.
3. When you list your home, it doesn’t belong to you anymore; it belongs to the market. What I mean is you should decorate your home and update your home to reach as many buyer’s as possible. This means get rid of most or all of your personal family pictures; repaint the walls with a neutral color such as light gray, and get rid of obscure light fixtures that you may love but most people wouldn’t. A good rule of thumb: If you couldn’t easily sell it at a garage sale, it shouldn’t be in your home.