If your house is on the market or you're preparing to put it up for sale, you probably feel like you have 101 things to do!

Fortunately, the list is much smaller than that and you can enlist the help of a real estate agent to handle many of the details.

To increase your chances for a fast sale, your agent will offer you suggestions on ways to enhance the eye appeal and curb appeal of your home. Although many of the things they point out may seem minor and superficial, the cumulative effect they'll have on the marketability of your home could be significant.

Minor flaws will be noticed by potential buyers and could easily give them the impression that your home hasn't been updated, properly maintained, and well taken care of. While that may not be true, remember that presentation is everything. And, if I may slip in one more old, but true cliché: "You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression!" That is as true in real estate sales as it is in making sure you're breath is fresh!

With that in mind, here's a list of some of the relatively inexpensive improvements you can make that will help you favorably impress prospective home buyers.

• There are a lot of cheap or relatively inexpensive repairs you can make, such as repairing and painting over damaged walls, oiling squeaky hinges, and replacing cracked windows and bathroom tiles. Toilets that run and faucets that leak are other examples of minor problems that can make a bad impression on potential buyers.
• Lighting, both natural and artificial, sets the mood in a room and can have an impact on how people perceive your home. It's usually advisable to let in as much natural light as possible and increase the wattage of lightbulbs in dark rooms and hallways. On the other hand, harsh lightening can also make an unfavorable impression, so it's necessary to find the perfect balance between glaring and dreary lighting. Most real estate agents are attuned to minor (or major) changes that need to be made to elements like lighting, décor, and furniture arrangement.
• Avoid the appearance of clutter, disorganization, and chaos in any part of your home! This would apply to everything from closets and cabinets to counter-tops, desks, and bedroom dressers. If your basement or attic is a "disaster area," that could reflect negatively on you and the attractiveness of your home. A good, general rule-of-thumb for controlling clutter is "less is more."
• Be prepared to do at least a little painting and a lot of cleaning to prepare your house for successful showings. A certain amount of landscaping and lawn care is also necessary, with tasks such as mowing, pruning, and weeding at the top of the list.

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How many times have you heard yourself say (or think) something very similar to this: "One of these days, I'm going to organize my closet(s)"? If not your closets, then it's your basement, attic, or garage that needs decluttering, organizing, and/or cleaning.

Question: Are you one of those homeowners (or apartment dwellers) who keeps saving things you don't need, and then finally gets around to sifting through it all when mountains of clutter have taken over your valuable storage space? If that sounds all-too-familiar, then don't worry; you're not alone! Unfortunately, the easiest thing about organizing your home is putting it off until another day.

There comes a point, though, at which clutter takes over your life. Symptoms you're moving in that direction include an inability to find things and the inexplicable disappearance of storage space (actually, there's a perfectly rational explanation for it)! So if the "clutter monster" has been rearing its ugly head in your home in recent months, here are some causes and possible solutions to the problem.

• You know you have a lot of junk, but you're not sure what to do with it. Well, first of all, "one man's junk is another man's treasure," so things you no longer have any use for may be very useful to charitable groups, community fund drives, or homeless shelters. In addition to giving stuff away, you could also offer free or inexpensive things to people in your social media network, hold a yard sale, or offer gently used hand-me-downs to relatives and friends. If your unwanted stuff is actually junk (by anyone's standards), then it might be worth it to have a local junk hauling service pick it up at your house and properly dispose of it. An alternative is to rent a dumpster for a few days and fill it up at your convenience. The cost may be surprisingly affordable, and the amount of living and storage space you'll reclaim in your home will make it all worthwhile. You never know until you get a quote or two!
• You just can't seem to motivate yourself to get started! Procrastination is one of the leading causes of household clutter, but there are solutions. One strategy is to announce to your significant other, best friend, or parents that you're going to devote two or three hours on Saturday (or Sunday) to straightening out your closets, basement, or garage. The value of telling someone else of your intentions is that it sort of puts you on the hook and makes you accountable. A similar approach is often used for dieting, exercising, or spending quality time with your kids. Even though two or three hours of work probably won't transform your home into a model of organization, you'll at least have gotten started and made a dent in the project. For most people, the biggest hurdle to getting organized is getting started!

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The ancient art of Feng Shui views clutter as “unfinished business” and hinders forward moving progress in your life. Less is more, is a great motto. Storing too many items will also stop the flow of positive energy. With this said, remove the clutter from under your bed and keep the items on your bedside table to a minimum to allow your chi to flow. The idea is to allow energy to flow, not stop the energy in its tracks with clutter. Try to redecorate that side table. A vase of flowers, a photo that makes you smile, a lamp, and a book. Shutting your closet door will change the flow of energy as well. Remove items that you may cause negative memories; coffee table, bedside table, framed art, etc. Removing negativity is step one for the flow of energy and the rebirth of your spiritual sanctuary. If you are in the market to buy something new, replace or refurbish something, look for furniture that has smooth lines. Square corners are considered to have “pointed energy” and Feng Shui believes the negative vibes will be “pointed” at you. Softening your side table will help with the balance of energy. Add a piece of linen as a runner that reminds you of the trip you took, re-pot a favorite plant and savor the energy you create.

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