Familiarity doesn’t breed contempt–it breeds toleration.  If you’re like me, you could probably make a list of little things around the house you tolerate because you never got around to fixing them, updating them, or painting them.

Now that you’re going to sell your house, that toleration list of repairs and updates looks like a big pile of money just waiting to fly out the door.  So what do you fix?  Here are the areas that will give you the best chance to let your house make that all-important first impression.

Curb Appeal

• Clean the front of your house.
• Trim up bushes and weed the flower beds.
• Edge and mulch the beds.
• Green up the grass with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Update a bathroom

• Replace outdated faucets with more stylish ones.
• Have grout professionally cleaned, or regrouted.
• Install beadboard wainscoting over dated tile walls.
• Replace worn toilet seat.

Spruce up the interior

• Paint will conpletely transform the interior.
• Replace outdated light fixtures.
• Install new or clean old  switch and outlet covers.
• Have carpets professionally cleaned.
• Touch up nicked or worn trim.
• Wash windows.

Revive a dated kitchen

• Deep clean cabinets if they are in good condition.
• Painting cabinets your kitchen a fresh look.
• Replace cabinet pulls and hinges with brushed nickel ones.
• Overlay Formica countertops with  granite or stone.