You know your home is marketable when potential buyers viewing your home can imagine themselves living in your home and feel confident that buying your home is not an unacceptable financial risk.

To help potential buyers, you must ensure your home's presentation meets their expectations. I know what you are thinking, none of us lives in a perfect home. Show me a perfect home and I'll show you a family that doesn't actually live in their home. For those of us that actually live in our homes, we know the kids will probably leave fingerprints on the wall going upstairs to their bedrooms, the den will once again need a thorough cleaning, and the cat is sure to leave her hair on the sofa in the living room even though she's not permitted in that room. We also readily admit that we still haven't gotten around to fixing that leaky faucet and cranky front door. Perhaps, there are even some larger more expensive repairs that need to be taken care of.

Sound familiar? Imperfections are just part of everyday living until your home is put on the market. Once your home goes on the market, rule number one applies: Potential buyers must envision themselves living in your home—presentation is everything. Need help identifying those little imperfections? Your real estate agent is a great person to ask for help. Have your real estate agent inspect both the inside and the outside of your home and provide you with helpful tips for improving the appearance of your home.

Next, hire a home inspector. Inspectors can help ensure your home is ready to be sold by showing you exactly what items need repairing around your home; thus, preventing a prospective buyer from driving down your asking price or legitimately backing out of the deal once an offer is made. Before hiring an inspector, however, make sure you match the right inspector to the right job. There are many different types of inspectors and you wouldn't want your pool inspector also inspecting your home unless the person possesses the appropriate qualifications to do both jobs.