Ready to sell?

You need to make your home stand out from all the others on the market. Follow this checklist to get the best price.

Peak home-selling season is here, but this year there's an added challenge if you want to put your house on the market. Buyers probably have dozens of homes to consider in your area, and, with mortgage rates at record lows at press time, their dollars can pay for more house.

How can you make yours stand out? Here's a list of specific repairs and key updates. Follow it, and your home will look so good you might even want to take it off the market.

Repair exterior elements. Nothing turns off buyers faster than what they notice first, such as cracked sidewalks, loose gutters, peeling paint or curled shingles. Most of these exterior repairs can be done over a few weekends by you or a contractor.

Freshen up the basement. Your basement, if you have one, has to be dry, neat and odor-free. If you have had leaks or flooding, arrange for a professional waterproofing company to take a look. Cracks often can be repaired with a method called epoxy injection. Whatever the method, contractors usually offer a lifetime warranty that's transferable to the new owners.

Freshen up the interior. A new coat of paint goes a long way. But remember that 90% of a good paint job is in the preparation. Take the time to patch holes and nicks on the walls and in the woodwork before getting out the paintbrush. A poor paint job can be worse than old ugly walls.

Look at the floors. If your bedroom carpet has a path worn in it that resembles the road to Morocco, consider replacing it. Tile floors with loose grouting should be touched up or re-grouted entirely. Worn wood floors should be re-sanded.

Pay attention to how your home "feels." Make sure doors don't stick, doorknobs are installed tightly and kitchen drawers glide easily. All your windows should open, and every light switch should work. Railings on staircases and porches should feel sturdy when you try to wiggle them.

Spruce up the bathroom. It should be spotless: no mildew, mold or funk (that's a professional term). If the caulk line around the tub looks like a child's science experiment gone haywire, replace it. Buy a new shower curtain. Make sure the pipes under the sinks aren't dripping and the faucets work like new.

Kill the clutter. Rent a storage locker if necessary, and organize your garage and closets. Look at your home from an outsider's point of view. Limiting your personal items will help prospective buyers envision their own valuables in your place. That bobble-head collection of the 1969 Chicago Cubs, although priceless to you, may in fact be a strike against your home.

Clean, clean, clean. Give your house a thorough basement-to-rafters cleaning. If that's too taxing, hire a cleaning crew to scrub the place down. Don't forget the windows, and pull back drapes to let in as much natural light as possible.

All that may sound like a lot of work, but when your home sells before all the others in your neighborhood -- and at a better price -- you can send me a thank-you note.

Contributing Editor Lou Manfredini is the author of "Mr. Fix-It Introduces You to Your Home" and a contributor to NBC's "Today" show.