Top 5 Things to Do

There are few transactions as emotionally, mentally and physically involved as selling a home. Thankfully, with the proper attitude and know how, it can be a swift and cathartic experience. Here are the top five rules to successfully selling your home without losing your wits.

1. Know the market. Study your local market in depth and learn what a good sales price is for a home like yours. Never overprice your home. Doing so, even by a very small amount, can keep buyers away for months, wasting both your time and money during an already taxing period. If your house is truly worth more, multiple offers will come in and drive the sales price up to where it should be.
2. Spruce it up. Your home’s first impression is often the most important one! Before you go to market, be prepared to give your house the most thorough cleaning it has ever endured, inside and out. Wash your house’s exterior (or give it a new coat of paint), and do some basic landscaping and gardening. Try accentuating your walkway with lighting and make your front door impressive. Clean the windows and put out a welcome mat. The interior should be equally freshened up. After all, if you don’t clean the tables and dust the floors, who knows if you’ve replaced a leaky roof or cared for the foundation?
3. Get professional help. A good realtor can be the difference between a fast sale and a total bust. A realtor will help prepare your property for sale, set a well-researched price, manage marketing, show the home and negotiate your terms. Even experienced sellers can benefit from an agent’s specialized skills. First timers should definitely think long and hard before deciding to go it alone.
4. Market your home. No one can buy a house they don’t know exists. Take thorough, professional looking photographs of your home’s exterior and interior for use in listings, print advertisements and an online “virtual tour.” Your abode may also have local admirers. Let them know their dream house has just gone public with a well-placed “For Sale” sign.
5. Learn to let go. One of the most difficult parts of selling a home is breaking the near-psychic bond you’ve forged with it. However, it’s important to remember it is people that make memories happen, not the building. Say goodbye to your home before you sign the dotted line to avoid any regrets. Focus on the future, and look to your friends and family for comfort. You’ll have new memories wherever life takes you next!