Most houses that go on the market for sale are not ready to be shown. I am regularly amazed at the number of sellers who have made no serious effort to look at their house from the buyer's perspective. As a result, the house falls into the real estate twilight zone, on the market forever with no realistic chance of an acceptable offer. As an alternative, here is my all time top ten list of things you should do before you even think of putting up a "for sale" sign:

1. First impressions count. Pay close attention to your front door and how your house looks from the street.

2. When in doubt, paint. On the inside of your home, fresh paint looks and smells great, is inexpensive, and gives the impression of a well kept home. Use neutral lighter colors to add to the feeling of open space.

3. Light up your life. When asked, most buyers say they want a house that is bright and cheerful - and you should give it to them.

4. Offer unlimited storage space. Create that illusion by removing excess furniture from crowded rooms, getting rid of all clutter, and emptying the basement. Your goal is to make the house look like nobody lives there.

5. Closets are critical. The house with enough closets has never been built, and your overstuffed messy closets emphasize the problem. Make yours look spacious by removing almost everything.

6. Eliminate unpleasant odors. Don't try to mask bad smells with air fresheners - attack the root cause and eliminate the problem.

7. Leaky faucets are indications of more serious plumbing problems in the minds of buyers. Replace worn washers ahead of time.

8. Pets often complicate the marketing of a home. Carpets with pet odors may have to be replaced, but it will cost you much less to do so now.

9. Clean everything. Perhaps the single most important step you can take to prepare your home for showing is to clean every surface in your home thoroughly.

10. In the southern part of the country, we get a lot of rain every year. And most of it seems to collect in basements and crawl spaces. Find out if you have a moisture problem in your basement or crawl space. If not, be thankful. If so, take steps now to correct the defect.