Clean, get rid of clutter, then clean again. Look at it like you have never seen it before and are thinking about purchasing it both inside and out.

Get a good realtor who will guide you. Hard to give any other advice not knowing anything about your home and your location.

It is natural to see your own home through rose colored glasses. Have some friends or family that don't have emotional ties to the house over. Ask them to be really honest and pretend they were buyers. What would be the negatives that maybe you could correct if feasible .

Agree with the consensus above. I am also a Realtor for many years and suggest deep cleaning and organizing as one of the best things you can do to market your home. Get rid of any clutter, if any, and keep your horizontal surfaces clear - even the floor of your closets. If you have too much stuff for your closets - your home will be perceived as too small by buyers no matter it's size. Make your home shine.

Fresh paint and landscaping are big boosters to your ROI in general. Curb appeal is paramount. Many sellers forget about their landscaping and that is a mistake. Now is the time to look at your yard and your home from the front to see what needs to be done/planted/trimmed/removed etc so you have the best appeal from the front curb. Post a pic of your home to see if we can give some specific pointers.

Make repairs for the small items assuming you don't have anything major that needs work (roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical). If you do have a major item that needs repair or replacement - do that first, right away. Then tackle the small items that we all have in our homes.

People often talk about removing personal photos and that is a valid point. But don't remove all of your personality from your home. You can stage your own rooms with just a bit of color and style and it will go a long way. Why you should remove the personal photos and degrees/certificates etc is so the buyers don't get distracted when they come see your home. It happens more frequently than you think.

I will post some pics from the front of the home

Clean, clean and clean some more. Wash the windows. This includes pressure washing and cleaning the outside, too. Freshly scrubbed is a lot of work and will pay off in a quicker sale. Paint where needed. Paint is cheap.

Clean out every closet, drawer, and cabinet. Donate or give away what isn't necessary. Pack away collections and dust magnets. Clean out the basement and garage. Get rid of extra furniture. Remove old curtains and wall hangings. Clear off countertops and table surfaces. Wash and dust lighting fixtures.

Invite some friends to come over and smell the house. Get to the bottom of what smells. Fix it or get rid of it.

Some realtors suggest that you have a home inspection ahead of putting it on the market. Fix whatever needs fixing so that you can say that it's been addressed. I'm on the fence about this idea. It really comes down to what kind of homeowner you have been. If you are on top of things, you don't need to do this. If you haven't kept up or maintained the property, it's probably a good idea.

Start interviewing three or four realtors now. Get each of them to present a market analysis of recent sold comparable properties in your area. What will this accomplish? You find your realtor. You get more than one pair of professional eyes inspecting your property. You get their suggestions as to things you might do to make the property more marketable. It's free.

Last, my realtor friends have been advising clients to put their properties on the market now and not in the Spring. They should plan on moving to a rental for the immediate future. The market is hot. Supply is limited. Times are about to get hard as job losses begin to hit the middle class. You may want to consider this information as you determine when you want to put the property on the market.

I am checking these "buying selling" threads because I might be in the same boat shortly ;(

The one thing I see repeatedly on the blogs is to curb appeal, including an inviting front door. I would consider a path from the curb to your front step.

Do the pro landscapers and realtors here agree?

It would be helpful if you could post a pic from a little further back so we can see the whole front of your home. From what you posted, it looks like you can amp up the curb appeal with landscaping and a walkway to your front door that is separate from the driveway area. Consider large address numbers that are visible from the street as well as up close (you have good numbers under the front door light).

Check with the landscape forum to see what would work with your home's style and location.

How deep is your front porch? Just enough for potted plants or do you have enough room for a chair or two? I can't tell from here. The front door area is critical for that welcome home feeling. If you don't have enough room for a chair or two, then consider something like the below insp pic with a pot of flowers and a cushion on an appropriate sized bench.

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Yes, lobo, I agree with the separate path - you posted while I was typing :)

The separate path really sets the stage IME (I'm a Realtor).

Your solution is a great one.

Find a place for the trash bin either inside the garage or on the side of the house behind a fence so it is concealed from the street (curb).

Simple is best, without a gate or with a gate.

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The separate path should lead to the front door for best results don't have it merge into the driveway.

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I like lobo's simple walkway plan posted upthread for your home.

Adding walkway isn't in the budget and don't want to put a lot more investment in this house

If a walkway isn't in the budget, then use color on your front door (rusty orange would work) and landscaping to brighten up your front door area. Make sure it is very clean and pleasant too.

Nice large welcome mat and clean hardware & door. See insp pics for color suggestions.

If orange is too bold for you, consider a clean green.

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What do you recommend for enhancing curb appeal?

My porch:

I am aware it is just me and the plants if you have them will be different but both sets of plants make the entry steps appear much narrower than they are. Try to simplify the area on the left side of the last picture. The edging appears to be a little high and perhaps should only enclose the rock and not meet the sidewalk where it currently does.

Would you consider replacing the white “bannisters” on the front deck with simple 2x2 decking bannisters? Those seem to really date the home - that might be a pretty inexpensive update and add curb appeal.

Any landscaping enhancements ideas?

Patrick - fresh mulch around your plants (I can’t tell from your pictures if it’s not fresh, if it is, disregard!) is always a great way to instantly improve landscaping without spending an arm & a leg - quick and easy!

It appears that the mulch is rock. I have the same crap at my house. Looks nice when newly installed but depending on the type soon weathers to a softer color. Those braces on the front are in keeping with the style and age of the house. Someone wanting a house from that era would want them unless like many of that type they are rotten where they enter the railings which is something to check. Many of them did have cutouts in the middle in this area so they may already be replacements.

Not mulch but rock is around

@Patrick Murphy, you said

1> “Adding walkway isn't in the budget”. You might want to try moving the stepping stones from the left side of the garage (12?) to the right side in front of the door. I think it would be more effective to present your façade.

2> “What do you recommend for enhancing curb appeal?”. Try editing the original “buying/selling” post, by adding these 2 topics: “landscape design”, “porches and decks”.

And I like the suggestions from @Denita 😊. Good luck.

Remove all the decor from in front of and on the porch. I understand people like to personalize their homes with mini-trellises, random rocks, seasonal flags, miniature cutsies, etc and there’s nothing wrong with them. However, when you are wanting to sell your home, all those things come across as visual clutter. Clutter, whether inside or outside, is not appealing to buyers.