Price It Right from the Start
Many sellers suffer from attachment bias. They believe that their home is worth more than they'd pay for it. While it's always a bad idea to overprice a home, it's especially dangerous in times like this because there is so much competing inventory in many local markets.
Give yourself a reality check by looking inside comparable homes during open houses. That can help you get a clearer idea of your home's value. Remember that you have to compete with other houses on the market, which includes, REOs and short sales.
The longer something sits on the market, the more price reductions you might have to make and the more potential buyers will assume that there's something wrong with the home.
Get the House Ready
Most sellers need to declutter, paint in neutral colors and stage the home as best as they can to help buyers envision themselves in the home. The closer you can get your home looking like a photo from a catalog, the better off you will be.
Make sure that your cabinets and refrigerators are cleaned out and decluttered, too. You want to have a minimum of things stuff' in the house and garage. The less stuff you have, the larger the closets, basement and garage will look.
You need to clean out or reorganize your closets and your garage. I recently had the experience of working with a client who had lived in her home for 42 years. We found a professional organizer who suggested we have 3 containers. One box for things to throw away, one box to give away, one box for things to keep.
Having a home inspection done before putting the home on the market to identify any major defects that need to be corrected. You do not want any surprise when the house is in escrow as you will have less chance of negotiating with the buyer.
Be Flexible
Buyers are in the driver's seat these days, and they know they can make all sorts of unusual requests without risking the deal. Be ready to negotiate.
