If there’s one keyword to keep in mind when you’re planning a home showing, it’s this: detail. And we don’t just mean in the sense of focusing on the details or decorating with attention to details. Instead, we’re suggesting you go back to the word and examine its other implications:

For example, what happens when you get your car detailed? You take it to people who are entrusted to shine, clean, vacuum it so thoroughly that every spot is removed and every stain gone. The idea is that when your car has been detailed, it’s been fixed up, brought to its best possible appearance, perfected.

When you prepare for a home showing, you’re preparing your home in a very similar way. Just like your vehicle needs to smell good, look good, be in absolute mint condition, so should your home be when potential buyers come to call.

Here are some suggestions to get started:

1. Lay the groundwork: Whether your home is totally organized or in utter disarray, the hardest part of preparing it to sell can be getting started. Coach yourself through the process by remembering it will get easier after you begin! Then, working step by step, do a general cleaning of the premises.

2. Go room by room: After the preliminary cleaning, go through your home room by room, examining each space’s functionality, organization and cleanliness. Remove furniture to give rooms a more spacious feel.

3. Call in professionals: For any projects you can’t complete yourself, or any task that will require too much time or work to attempt on your own, consider hiring professionals to do it for you. Examples of larger projects include performing a thorough carpet cleaning, repairing damage to a porch/deck, power-washing the driveway—if have the equipment and skill to do it yourself, go for it! But if you don’t, know that it’s OK to get help.

These suggestions are just to get you started; the real work comes in the hours spent scrubbing, decluttering, washing and organizing. But it will all be worth it in the end—once you’ve gotten your home looking its best, it will be that much more ready to sell, and you’ll be on your way to your next place!