GETTING READY TO SELL?
The most important step in selling your home is to set the right price for your market. It’s also where many sellers make a critical mistake.

For best results in pricing your home, we recommend these guidelines:

DON’T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING HIGHER IS BETTER
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement over choosing a selling price. But it’s a mistake to choose the listing agent who suggests the highest list price, without considering other market factors.

ESTABLISH YOUR HOME’S VALUE OBJECTIVELY
It doesn’t really matter how much money you think your home is worth, nor what your agent thinks. The person whose opinion matters most is the buyer who makes an offer. Pricing homes appropriately involves comparing similar properties, making adjustments for the differences among them, tracking market movements and taking stock of present inventory, all in an attempt to come up with a range of value, an educated opinion.

UNDERSTAND THE MARKET
There is no hard and fast price tag to slap on your home. Real estate agents compile the numbers and assess current conditions to present their best recommendation. In the end, the market will dictate the price.

PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR HOUSE FOR SALE

DISASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH YOUR HOME
  • Say to yourself, “This is not my home; it is a house – a product to be sold.”
  • Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact that soon this house will no longer be yours.
  • Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance warranties to the new owners!
  • Say goodbye to every room.
  • Don’t look backwards – look toward the Future.

DE-PERSONALIZE
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers sometimes can’t see past personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted.You want buyers to imagine their own photos on the walls. You want them to say, “I can see myself living here.”

DE-CLUTTER!
  • If you don’t need it or use it, donate it or throw it away.
  • Remove all books from bookcases.
  • Pack up knicknacks.
  • Clean off kitchen counters.
  • Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
  • Think of this process as a head start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

ORGANIZE BEDROOM CLOSETS AND KITCHEN CABINETS
Imagine what a buyer believes about your space (and you) if she sees everything organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This means:
  • Alphabetize spice jars .
  • Neatly stack dishes.
  • Turn coffee cup handles facing the same directions.
  • Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
  • Line up

RENT A STORAGE UNIT
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and wondering, “What is this room used for?”