When it comes to home sales, there are plenty of tips for first time buyers, especially in a down market. But what about first-time sellers? When you’ve outgrown your first home, have to move for a job, or decide a mortgage’s commitment is not suited for your rambling lifestyle, it’s time to put your house up for sale. Of course, though the recession has gotten better over the past couple years, real estate is still a buyer’s market. Since buyers have lots of options right now, your best bet is to make your house as attractive to thrift-minded buyers as possible.

Some of the sales tricks a first-time seller (or a second, third, fourth, etc.) can use are as simple as giving the outside trim a fresh coat of paint. You want to do anything that will make your house more attractive from the street; re-stain the door, weed the flower beds, spruce up the lawn, power wash the exterior—whatever improves your home’s curb appeal can make the difference between a buyer saying “let’s see what’s down the block” and “let’s see what the inside looks like.”

As for the inside of your home, whatever you can afford to fix, fix it. Got scuffed or peeling/bubbling linoleum? Deep clean or replace it. Are there dings or scratches on the walls? Touch up the paint. Keep your home vacuumed and clean, and keep the clutter to an absolute minimum if people are coming by regularly to take a look at your home. You want them to imagine living in your home, so put your personal effects (photos, papers, family-specific décor) in storage and replace them with neutral wall art.

In addition, you can turn your social network into a sales network. Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist are all great places to spread the word about your house, and sites like Zillow.com or trulia.com are great places to list, and you can even get your own URL, like 4100Elmstreetforsale.com. The more you get the word out, the more people will come looking.