Here are my favorite checklists to make your transition a smooth one. Sellers: Prep Your Home Fore Sale A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for. These are great things to do BEFORE listing your home for sale: Get rid of clutter. Recycle or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Clean out the garage. Have a yard sale—it’s a great way to get stuff out of your house and put money in your pocket. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter. Replace any burnt-out bulbs. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Tidy your yard. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway and get a new “Welcome” mat Clean your roof gutters. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers. Paint is an inexpensive way to give new life to a room. Keep furniture to a minimum to make the room appear bigger and allow for easy flow of traffic. In the kitchen, clean the exterior of all your appliances.     Buyers: Get Your Finances In Order Develop a family budget. Use actual receipts so you are creating a realistic budget that includes unexpected expenses as well as predictable ones. Reduce your debt. Get your installment debt (car payments, student loans, etc) down to between 8 and 10 percent of your total income. Get a handle on expenses. Write down everything you spend for one month—you’ll be amazed at where you can save money. Increase your income. You may need to get a second part-time job to qualify for the home you want. Save for a down payment. The more you put down on a home, the lower your payments will be. 10 percent will get you a good loan, but 20 percent down will get you a much better loan. Create a house fund. This is a great way to save for those unexpected home expenses. Keep your job. Having two years at your current employer shows lenders stability and it may help you qualify for a better loan. Establish a good credit history. Be sure to pay all your bills on time and try to reduce the amount of consumer debt you carry.