Staging your home, so that its' appeal to potential buyers is increased, is largely a matter of removing your own influence from the property, making it appear more spacious and ensuring that everything is in good condition.
All parts of the home, inside and out, should be considered.
The intention is to help buyers imagine themselves living in the house.
A great deal of this can be accomplished just by tidying up the clutter and mess that seems to accumulate in every home.
As you will be moving anyway, you can get a head start on the packing by putting everything you won't need immediately away into boxes.
These can be stored in an attic or garage, at a friend's house, or in a rented storage facility.
This will take away the personal touches that make it feel like home to you, but which can be distracting for buyers, particularly if they do not share your tastes.
It will also make the house look bigger, particularly if you clear out and tidy your closets and other storage areas, to make them appear more spacious.
Keep surfaces as empty as possible, for example by putting any appliances in the kitchen away into the cupboards.
An emptier room will look bigger.
Try and see your house as a stranger would: What would catch your attention? What would distract from the property? What problems would you see that could put you off? There are usually plenty of little odd repairs needing done that you don't even notice anymore.
You've probably always intended to get them completed, but saved the work for 'rainy day'.
Everyone has them in their own home, but when buyers are looking at a new property, the last thing they want to see is a whole load of little do-it-yourself jobs needing to be done.
Fixing these can improve the chances of selling the house at a good price.
It's worth spending a little now in order to get a larger price later.