As many of us know, selling a house is a lot of work. It means cleaning, de-cluttering, packing, and it also sometimes means funding some repairs and updates before putting it on the market. Although no one wants to spend money on a house that they're not going to live in, it behooves us to make those changes and prepare for the sale properly.

Remember, when  you list your home, it  becomes a product for sale. And if you think of it that way, you will understand that any product in good working condition can and will, be sold for more money than one that is not. Leaving repairs or updates for new owners will also leave you with less money in your pocket. The price must accurately reflect the need for these repairs because no one will pay top dollar for a house that needs work.

Even cosmetic changes tend to bring in more money to a seller. New bathroom, kitchen or lighting fixtures are relatively inexpensive, but those changes go a long way in updating the look of a space. Paint continues to be one of the least expensive but highest impact changes you can make. Window treatments and other cosmetic changes can transform an outdated space to an up-to-date dream home.

Before you list your house, get a home inspection so that you can address any major issues ahead of time. Talk with a professional, like your Realtor or home stager, about changes you can make that are within your budget and will give you the biggest impact. Don't spend money needlessly, but make the changes and repairs that make sense and reap the benefits in a higher sale price.

After living in my house for five years, I've finally decided that it's time to make some changes to my family room. New wall color, new doors, new storage solutions, etc. Renovations are now underway and I love every little change.

The room has wonderful built-in bookcases. There are three separate sets of shelves, side-by-side, each set measuring about 34"w x 48"h. I love them because we have hundreds of movies and I can store them all on these shelves without adding another piece of furniture to house them all. We use the two sides spaces for movie storage and the middle to display pictures and knick-knacks. The problem, however, is that, although we have this great storage space, it always looks messy.

When we first moved into the house, I thought about putting doors on the outer shelves to enclose the movies. The doors would be huge, so it wasn't a very good option. Recently, after consulting my dad (who happens to be a very handy guy to have around), we decided to try and use a slide track system rather than doors with hinges. A track was installed across the top of the shelving units. A rolling wheel was installed inside the top of the custom-made door and fits into the track. There was a tendency for the wheel to "pop" out of the track, so we added a block of wood above it to keep the wheel in place inside the track. The doors slide back and forth along the track to expose or hide the shelves.

I absolutely LOVE the new look. Hiding those shelves has given the room a much cleaner, more organized look. One more creative solution. I can't wait until the rest of the room is done!

Hardwood floors are beautiful. I have them throughout most of my house. The only trouble is that once they're a few years old, the dirt and debris on the floor help to break down the varnish and they begin to scratch from moving furniture.

I've used these stick-on pads on my chair legs, but many times they don't stay in place.

I've found these floor protectors that are slightly different. There is still a pad with an adhesive, but it sticks to a plastic piece that is nailed into the bottom of the chair leg. My hope is that it will stay in place better than it does when stuck to the wood itself.

I know that I'll never have my floors so completely clean that there will be no debris under my chairs to scratch up the wood. But I do have high hopes for these new floor protectors. Maybe I can keep the scratching to a minimum.