When preparing your home for sale. It is most attractive to buyers if they feel the house is ready to move into, as is. They will be discouraged if they have to do a lot of prep work before they move in. Here are a few quick and easy things to do that will make an impact!

• Have your carpets professionally cleaned.
• Replace worn floors.
• Put a fresh coat of paint on your walls.
• Exterminate your home.
• Trim your trees and do any appropriate landscaping.
• Replace outdated appliances. It may help if the appliances included in the sale of your home are on the new side. Outdated or old appliances can be an eyesore and could hurt your chances of a sale.
• Does your home have curb appeal? Every effort should be made to keep your lawn neat. Remove any clutter to give a more spacious feel to the yard.
• Take a look at your windows. Are they cracked? Do your screens have holes or rips? These are a few things that are easy to fix.

Improvements that add value to your home are considered capital improvements. To figure out the amount of capital gain, you must add the expense of these improvements. The following are some examples of capital improvements:

• Central Air Conditioning
• Decks
• Floors
• Furnace
• Insulation
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Landscaping
• Lighting
• Pipes
• Siding
• Sump Pump
• Remodeling
• Walls
• Windows