Planning to Sell Your House?

If you plan to sell your house, don’t be discouraged by market conditions! Take charge of the selling process and apply these Smart Selling ideas to improve your prospects for a successful outcome:

Preparing To Sell

• Enlist the support of the entire family and make a full commitment to selling.

• Prepare to compete by looking at houses on the market in your anticipated price range. How does your house compare?

• Have a pre-listing home inspection and make any recommended repairs.

• Consult with a professional stager about ways to make your house appeal to most buyers. Implement basic recommendations yourself and get help as needed.

• Have the stager return for final staging, including placement of furniture and accessories. (Don’t be tempted to skip this step!)

• Contact REALTOR^®s after your house is completely prepared for sale and ready to be photographed.

• Your REALTOR^® will research houses comparable with yours, including current listings, recent sales and withdrawn listings. Use this knowledge for a reality check to determine your pricing strategy.

• Price your house realistically from day one. Listen to your REALTOR^®’s pricing advice.

• Participate in picture-taking and carefully compose every shot to show key features at their best.

• Make the most of the first 30-45 days on the market. This is your best chance to sell at or near your initial listing price.

• Discuss the feedback your REALTOR^® is getting and be willing to make changes.

• Use the power of the internet and social media. In addition to your REALTOR^®’s web site and her company’s web site, be sure your house is listed on other real estate sites, including REALTOR.com^®, Trulia, craigslist.com, etc. Create a facebook page for your house.

• Continue to monitor the competition and be prepared to adapt your strategy.

• Update the list of comparable properties and consider a price reduction if there is little activity after 45 days.

• Have your accessories reflect the season and keep your house looking fresh.

• Make the house available for showings when requested – even if inconvenient.

• Create a showing checklist to be certain the house is ready for visitors and give everyone a job.

• Maintain the inside and outside of the house in showing condition.

• Have a flexible attitude and a sense of humor.

Smart Selling Tip: Take charge of the selling process and apply Smart Selling ideas to improve your prospects for a successful outcome in any market.

©2012 Sandy LeRoy and Mary Stephens