One of the major adjustments involved with putting your home on the market is that quite suddenly your home will go from your own private haven to a relatively public space. You'll be expected to give a copy of your keys to your realtor, for example, and when you're away she might bring potential buyers through at any time. Likewise, you'll be expected to drop everything — actually, pick up everything — on a moment's notice when the realtor calls to announce that she wants to bring somebody through your home.

If you have children or pets, the suddenly public dimension of your home can be especially difficult to manage. Getting the kids and critters out the door on short notice — as well as picking up after everyone — can be quite a challenge. If you have a kind neighbor nearby, you might ask him if you can bring over your children and pets when the realtor calls. If you can drop them there at least thirty minutes in advance, all the better — you'll need all the time you can get to make your home shine.