Home Sweet Sold

Spring is in the air.... birds are chirping, flowers blooming and you are thinking about putting your house on the market.  Here are a few tips to be successful.  It can be difficult with the current conditions of the economy, but things are starting to look up so the first tip would be to stay positive..however be realistic too. 

1.  The first step for selling your home takes place  before you even put the sign in the yard.  Getting the house ready before you sell it can make or break your asking price.  This does not mean you have to do a complete renovation... just invest in a little bit of paint and sprucing it up a bit.  Fix any minor defects that you have been living with because potential buyers will notice them right away. Clean the house until it is spotless and pack away some of that clutter.  Some people even take down their personal photographs and replace them with more generic things so that buyers can picture their own items in the house.

2.  Now that your house is spotless, its time to get the word out.  There are two approaches that you can take.    You can try to sell it yourself or go with a realtor.  Both choices have positives and negatives.  If you choose to go the FSBO (for sale by owner) route, you will typically make more money because you wont be paying a percentage to a Realtor. The internet makes selling a house much easier.  The only problem is, you have to be available when someone wants to look at your house and you will be paying money for advertising/signs etc.   If you choose the for sale by owner route try these websites to get the word out: www.craigslist.com,

www.forsalebyowner.com.

Even websites like Yahoo and Facebook can help get the word out and offer advertising for a fee.  The best and cheapest route to go is word of mouth.  Its free and once you spread the word people will be coming in droves. 

The more traditional route is to go with a Realtor.  Usually houses sell a lot faster when a Realtor is used,however you must know that some of the profits will go to them.  Its not all bad though, they are the ones doing the work, helping you spread the word and they are professionally trained in the business of selling houses.  Just make sure the person you choose is someone you connect with and can trust.  Considering your home is your biggest asset, you want a reliable person dealing with the sale of this precious gem.  Check your local yellow pages if you are unsure of who to go with.  Some common agencies nationwide are remax, trulia and  coldwell banker.

3. After you have made the decision whether to go it alone or take on a real estate agent the net choice is how much to ask.  Here is where greed can set in and really screw things up for you if you let it.  Do some research before determining a price point.  Look at how comparable homes have been selling.  Which ones have been sitting the longest? Take a look at what is out there right now and price accordingly.  Unfortunately, the price you paid may no longer be what the house is worth.  With all the changes in real estate, it is important to be realistic as well as creative.  Another important thing to remember is you are not going to get the price you ask, be prepared to have a price you put on the market and what your bottom line is.  You will be surprised at how bold people can be when searching for a house.  Just as you want to get the most money out of the sale of your house, the buyers are looking for the best deals. 

4.  Always have your home in show room condition when you are trying to sell.  The more available your house it to buyers, the sooner it will sell.  Some people require notice before showing your house...but if someone looking to buy only has a small time frame to look, the window of opportunity just got a lot smaller for you because odds are they will just move on to the next house. 

5.  Do not give up!! It used to look bad for houses to sit on the market too long, but it seems more realistic in the current market.  Give it time before you think about dropping the price or accepting a less than desirable offer.