Sell Your Home Like A Pro – Even If It's Your First Time

When the home that fit you perfectly a few years ago is no longer suitable, it may be time to put it on the market. Just like first-time home-buyers, first-time home sellers should take care and not make mistakes. Here are some tips to ensure your first home sale will be successful.

1. Make a list of needed repairs. Some repairs take longer to accomplish so get started as soon as possible.

2. View your home as a buyer would. Take a walk through it and take notes for action. You might notice that some carpet cleaning and painting, for example, would make your home more attractive.

3. Begin moving out. Most people accumulate a lot of things and this is a good time to begin clearing out the clutter. Not only is this something you will need to do before you more but it will make your rooms with less stuff look larger.

4. View your home with an eye toward emphasizing its features. If you have a fireplace, make it the focal point of the room by making the mantle attractive and arranging seating and rugs nearby it. Other potential features include outdoor living areas, large windows, updated kitchens, and more.

5. If your budget allows it and you intend to move out of the home right away, consider using a professional staging service to make your home more enticing to buyers. You can also find some do-it-yourself guides online.

6. No matter how many happy memories you've made in your home, remember, selling a home is a business transaction. Looking at it that way may help you every step of the way, from pricing the home to accepting buyer offers.

7. Don't be offended by low offers. Some buyers will "low ball" sellers to gauge their level of desperation. Just come back with a counter-offer that you feel comfortable with.

8. One of the biggest influences on how fast a home will sell is the price. Never try to sell a home (or set a price) without expert help. Real estate agents are very good at evaluating a home and comparing it to other homes along with the selling price of those homes. This is known as "comps". When your real estate agent recommends a selling price, it's based on hard facts and historical sales data.

9. The temperature of your real estate market matters too. In a cool market, you may have to wait longer or drop your price. In a hot market, you can be offered above your price and sell your home in days or weeks rather than months.

If you're thinking, "I need to sell my house," contact a real estate agent.