If you have anything that could be considered the least bit controversial (like an animal head on the wall, or a photo of you with a polarizing politico), take it down for the duration.
Some real estate agents recommend going as far as getting rid of anything personal (family photos, drawings on the fridge), feeling that a blank slate helps potential buyers picture themselves in the house.
Other agents take an opposite view. "People are buying a house, and they want to live in it and they want to know that human beings have lived in it," Combs says. "I think it connects with them."
Either way, close all the toilet lids and get rid of those fuzzy (or carpeted) lid covers, Pratt says. The covers are dated and "no one ever wants to look in your toilet bowl," she says.
Also consider removing area rugs in favor of bare floors, Pratt says. "You want buyers to see the floors. It gives them a feeling of space that's not chopped up."