The process of selling a home can be broken down into concrete steps. Skimping on any of the steps – trying to take shortcuts – may lead to problems when problems are the last thing you want to encounter – during the escrow period.

I've created a checklist especially for the home seller.

Clean and Declutter

Before you have agents tour the home even think of having real estate agents tour the home, get the heavy lifting out of the way. Your aim is to make rooms look larger and brighter. Oversized furniture typically make a room look smaller, so store the big stuff and rearrange the smaller furniture to make the room look open and airy.

Remove anything that doesn't fit a room’s purpose. For instance, exercise equipment doesn't advertise that your office is a place to get work done, so move the treadmill into storage.

When you clean the house, clean everything, from the drapes to the rugs and carpet.

Curb Appeal

Give the landscaping a good cleaning and pruning, green up the lawn and keep it mowed. A fresh coat of paint on the front door creates a focal point for the buyer when she lands at the curb in front of your home.

Consider Staging the Home

Studies have shown that staging a home allows it to sell quicker and for more money. While you don’t need to go all out and hire the most expensive interior decorator in town, getting basic staging advice will go a long way toward a quick sale and big bucks.

Make Necessary Repairs

To avoid any problems in the sale of your  home, have your home professionally inspected before putting it on the market. A pre-sale home inspection gives you knowledge of items in need of repair that may slow down or even halt the deal.

At the very minimum, fix those items that you are aware of, such as dripping faucets, running toilets and holes in window screens.

Hire an Agent

The marketing of your biggest lifetime investment should be left to a professional real estate agent.