preparing to sell your home...

The following five basic steps will help get your home selling experience off to a good start and help ensure you have a happy ending.

1. Prepare Yourself.

Although you have many memories in your home, try to see the house as a product to be marketed. This will help to prepare yourself for the things you will need to do in order to promote the house effectively.

2. Hire a Professional.

Interview several agents and compare background, experience, personality, commission, suggested list price as well as anything else you value in a professional. We'd love to have you as one of our clients, and we think it is best to ask for recommendations from people who have used agents when selling their home. Ask them what their experience was like and if they would use the same agent again. Above all, choose a real estate agent in whom you have confidence.

3. Familiarize Yourself on How to Price Your Home.

Some things to consider when determining the price of your home: total square footage, floor plan, construction quality, condition, amenities, lot size, topography, view, landscaping, location and market conditions. Visit local open houses and compare the houses to your own as objectively as possible. Ask your agent for a Comparable Market Analysis.

4. Develop an Effective Advertising and Marketing Plan.

Work with your agent to determine the most valuable places to advertise. Ask your agent to put a for-sale sign on the property, input the property in the Multiple Listings Service, create flyers as well as advertise on their website and any other media outlets that may help sell your home as quickly as possible.

5. Make Your House Shine.

Make certain that your house is cleaner, fresher and better maintained than other houses on the market, so that it stands out from the competition.