Halloween is in a few days, so you may have a few extra spider webs hanging around your house in addition to the ghosts and goblins. All of that’s fine as long as it’s just for the holiday, but if you’re planning on putting your house up for sale during the winter season, you better make sure it’s not haunted with the ghosts of Halloweens past.

Getting your house ready so it can be placed on the market during the busy winter season involves a lot more than making sure your bed is made and dirty dishes aren’t in the sink. You have to look at your home through the eyes of a buyer, who may not be as forgiving about the peeling paint on the trim or the overgrown garden that you haven’t gotten to yet.

The age old adage that neat, clean, uncluttered and neutral is the best look in a house that is on the market is as true today as it was when men were living in caves. No one wants to try and imagine how much kitchen counter space there really is; they want to actually see it. Pack away collections of knick-kacks, books, family photos and other decorative items that you may love, but someone else may hate.Think dried flowers that have collected months of dust.

Clean out closets, especially if your home like so many on the Island is older and lacking in closet space, and clear off bathroom vanities after you have, of course, thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the bathrooms. If you think of buyers as basically not having a vision, then you’ll begin to understand what you have to do.

After living on the water for 17 years, I’ve learned that one of the biggest challenges is keeping the windows and doors clean and salt free. It haunts me on a daily basis and has made me so sensitive to cloudy and streaky windows that I can’t help but notice them when I go into other people’s homes. If you have a water view or even if you don’t, the first thing you should do when placing your home on the market is clean the glass.

It’s also important that appliances be in working order and sparkling inside and out. Assume that a nosy buyer will actually open your refrigerator to see how big it is and its condition; don’t be embarrassed by three day old moldy leftovers. And make sure your air conditioning system is up to par. If your house is too warm, you will drive potential buyers out into the air conditioned comfort of their cars before they have taken a really good look.

Since it seems we’re always talking about parking on the Island these days, if you have a garage and/or good parking available, maximize that feature. Clear out the garage so you can get a car in it, and make it inviting for buyers and their agents to park in your driveway by keeping it clear of toys, bikes and lawnmowers.

I’m sure I say this every year before the busy selling season begins, but it can never be said too much – don’t ever refuse a showing to a potential buyer. Since we anticipate a lot more listings as we get into season, there will be more competition and every showing could be the one.

One way to keep the bad spirits and spider webs away from your front door this Halloween is to paint it bright red. Feng Shui believes that a red door is good luck. It also looks pretty cool and will welcome buyers to your home.