With more than 5 million homes for sale each year, it is almost always a buyer's market. For this reason, homeowners ready to sell need to find every way to make their home stand out from the rest.

Making a good first impression with potential buyers is always key to making a sale. While baking cookies may be your idea of making a potential buyer feel at home, there are many simple improvements that can make a dramatic difference, resulting in a faster sell and a higher price.

Here are a few tips that realtors suggest to make your home "well-polished" and ready to sell:

Curb Appeal -- An unkempt exterior can turn prospective buyers away before they get inside your home. Be sure to spruce up landscaping, as well as fix all cracks in the driveway or sidewalk. Products such as PL Polyurethane Self-Leveling Concrete Crack & Masonry Sealant (www.stickwithPL.com) are perfect for sealing cracks or gaps in concrete since its abrasion resistance makes it ideally suited for applications exposed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Sell with Sparkle -- Once inside the house, buyers head straight to the kitchen and bathroom -- so be sure to make them sparkle. Re-caulking around tubs, windows and tiles is a quick and inexpensive project that can do wonders for the presentation of kitchens and baths. Be sure to use a water-based, self-leveling, mildew-resistant caulk such as Polyseamseal Tub & Tile Adhesive Caulk, (www.polyseamseal.com), since it is easy to use, yet ensures quality results. Using a cheap brand of caulk may lead to messy beads and a dull appearance when cured.

Paint it Pretty -- Take a look at all of your rooms and remember, not everyone has the same decorating taste. Sprucing up the walls with a fresh coat of neutral off-white paint can help to improve the look of any room. Also be sure to spackle any holes and fix any chips in wood baseboards, doors or cabinets. New products such as PL Fix Touch Up Stiks, (www.stickwithPL.com), wax-based repair pencils, are perfect for filling small holes, scratches and small defects in finished wood.

Clear Away Clutter -- Less is more. The more "stuff" you have in each room, the smaller the room appears. Eliminating clutter and removing big furniture makes rooms feel more open or airy. It is a good idea to use a storage facility or friend's home for the excess so not to make garages, attics or basements also look cluttered.

Let the Light Shine In -- A brightly lit home provides an inviting and happy atmosphere. Be sure to open blinds and turn on lights when showing your home to prospective buyers. In addition, be sure to change any old light bulbs. For energy savings and a longer bulb life, replace incandescent bulbs with new compact fluorescent bulbs, such as Mini SpringLamp Compact Fluorescent bulbs. (www.tcpi.com).

Sweet Smell of Home -- Although you may not mind the smell of cigarettes or Fido's wet coat, these smells can be a turn-off to potential buyers. Be sure to freshen the air as much as possible. Even popping some cookies in the oven will create an inviting aroma.

Preparing to sell your home does not need to be an expensive process. In fact, costly improvements do not necessarily offer a good return on your investment before the sale of your home. Simple, inexpensive improvements that demonstrate that you've carefully maintained your house are the key to selling quickly and getting the price you want.

Courtesy of ARA Content