This is one of the most difficult ideas to come to terms with when preparing your home for resale, yet it is one of the most fundamental. When you prepare your home for market, you need to stage it with a potential buyer in mind. Keep in mind that while you may love certain design aspects, a buyer might not.

In fact, it's typically recommended against. For the highest Return on Investment, stick with little touch-ups and "facelifts". Some examples: Put on a coat of fresh paint in the living room. Have the cabinets refinished instead of replaced. Swap out old, dated curtains for new ones.

Leave no wall, fixture, or appliance untouched. You'd also be surprised at what is salvageable by just giving it a deep-clean. For example, the old shower door that you thought for sure would need replacing might just need a bit of elbow grease.

Go through your closets, bookshelves, and other areas of storage. Are they packed to the brim? If a buyer sees that your closet is overstuffed and crowded, they will assume that there won't be enough space for their items, either. This doesn't mean that you have to completely empty your closet- there should be just enough so that the space feels lived-in, but still spacious.

Make sure the outside of the house looks just as good as the inside. Power-wash the patio and any walkways. Keep your porch lights on in the evenings, in case potential buyers drive by. Mow the lawn and tidy up any unruly landscaping.

Remember: Even if the location and size of your house isn't ideal, if it is in great condition, you can still get top dollar, so make sure everything is in top shape. If something is broken, either fix or replace it.