Some of what you want to do depends on the price of your house as related to how far it is above the median home price in your area, whether you are in a buyers or sellers market, and whether you are in a desirable neighborhood/school district.
The best thing you can do to get a house sold is declutter, no matter what price you are asking.
Box up as much stuff as you can and put it in storage or the garage or basement. Make sure closets look as empty as possible. Keep very few decorative items out. Clean out kitchen/bathroom cabinets and make sure you keep only necessary items in them. You want a buyer to see that there is plenty of storage. Box up most toys, personal items, paper clutter, off-season clothing, coats, sports equipment, etc. Pack away personal photos, kids artwork, etc. Think about how a nice hotel looks. Make your house look like that.
The next most important thing you can do to sell a house is clean, clean, clean. Every item that stays in the house should shine. Every appliance, every window, every surface. When I sell a house, if I occupy it during the sale, I make sure it is ready to show at a moments notice. A decluttered house is easy to clean.
Paint all the walls a neutral color, and use only one color.
Put very few but well-placed decorations back on the walls.
New carpeting.
Put only a few pieces of necessary furniture in each room. It should look spacious, not cluttered.
Most surfaces cleared.
If you have a formal dining room and you have some beautiful dishes that complement the decor, consider setting the table. Each room should have a focal point that draws the eye. Make sure that it looks good. A fireplace, the beds in the bedrooms, the dining table, the sink in the bathrooms. Make sure these look inviting with decorative pillows and bedding (for beds) a pretty vase on the sink, a nice picture or set of pictures, vases, etc. on the fireplace.
If your overhead lighting is dated, you can update the look inexpensively by putting in new light fixtures.
Fix up the front yard. Curb appeal is very important.
If my house was going to be priced well above what the average cost of a house in my area, I would possibly have the hardwoods refinished, especially if they were in bad condition.
Fix any leaky faucets, make sure smoke detectors are in working condition, spray wd40 or cooking spray on any squeaky door hinges, do any other small handyman projects that need done before you list (or hire it done). If something is left undone, buyers wonder what else is wrong that they can't see.
Make sure no one can tell that you have a pet.
Consider writing out a list of the things you love about the house and neighborhood. Let the buyers know how wonderful living there has been and why they would want to move to your neighborhood.
Before a showing, make sure the house smells good. I spray a subtle air freshener around, vacuum, dust, make sure the air temperature is comfortable. If is hot outside, make sure it's nice and cool in the house. You want buyers to feel comfortable. I looked at a house in the winter once and it was about 45-50 degrees in the unoccupied house. It was cold and unwelcoming. You want your house to feel inviting, so a buyer can picture themselves living there.
Do you have a friend whose house you admire? The one that has a house that is beautifully decorated, looks spacious, decluttered, and has an air of peace and tranquillity? Ask that friend if she will come over and be brutally honest about your house. Tell her it's about your money and your desire to get the highest price, so she should tell you exactly what she thinks you should do.
If you know the people that are looking for a house in your area, talk to them about what they are looking for. If they are friends of friends, see if your mutual friend could act as a go-between. I once sold a house to a friend of a friend. My friend knew a family that was looking for a house in the same price range and we invited her to look at mine, just to give me tips on what I needed to do to sell. She wasn't initially interested in seeing it, as she wanted a brand new house, but agreed to come with her friend to give me some unbiased opinions, and she fell in love with it and bought it.
Sorry, I seem to have become a bit long-winded.
Take what you want and leave the rest.
Hope you get top dollar!
Apple