POCATELLO - Your home is one of your most valuable assets. If you're looking to sell it, how do you make sure that yours stands out so you get the most out of it?

Well, one of the best things you can do for your home is one that many of us dread-clean it up. Jim Johnston, National VP of the National Realtors Association said, "The absolute, most important thing is to have your home clean. Make is sparkle. Nobody wants your junk."

It sounds simple, but the effect is important. Dirty homes can scare away potential buyers. Johnston said, "People think all of those things stay when they're buying a house, and they don't want that."

But cleaning doesn't have to be a tough thing if you do it regularly. Ryan Christensen, Don Aslett's Cleaning Center Store Manager said, "It's much easier just to keep things maintained."

And adding simple things like a mat inside and outside your door can keep 40 pounds of dirt from making it's way into your home. Christensen said, "Dirt prematurely wears down carpet fibers. It acts as sandpaper. So if you have a wood floor and you bring dirt in on your shoes you're actually sanding it. That's what sandpaper is, is just dirt."

Experts at Don Aslett's Cleaning Center also suggest using neutral cleaners on floors to help them last, and to keep them looking shiny.

Plus you need to make sure your cleaning tools are up-to-date. Christensen said, "A vacuum is a mechanical piece of equipment just like your car."

Painting, fixing minor problems with your carpet or flooring, and keeping your sidewalk shoveled will also improve your chance of a sale. "Make sure your home looks good as people pull up in front. If it looks inviting, people are going to want to come in," said Johnston.

There are a lot of homes on the market right now and home prices in our area have dropped slightly, but analysts expect that is only a temporary change.