Clean Everything.  Carpets, floors, windows, cupboards, closets, furniture. Murphy’s Oil Soap will be your best friend.  Solicit professional help for the big stuff.

Reduce to a bare minimum. Get rid of everything you can, and then reduce again by 50%. If you have to, rent a storage unit. Aim for open spaces, which make a home look larger. Closets must be included in this all important reduction stage. Personal Effects go into storage first. (Just think how happy you will be to see them when you finally move.)

Replace EVERY switch plate and outlet cover with a brand new white one.

Paint all trim and doors white, if not natural wood.  Colors and cream are not allowed. This is a big project, but will make the home shine. Even if it looks fine to you, do it anyway.

Paint the front door and the molding around it. Clean this area of all cobwebs and dust, scrub the porch and add a potted paint. Creating a clean and fresh first impression is crucial.

Replace all outdated light fixtures. All of them. Even in hallways. 

Throw away fake plants.  Fake plants are dust dwellings. They say to the potential buyer, “I have no time to care for my things, including my house. I would rather fake it.”