First, pricing your home

Your agent should conduct a market survey to determine the selling prices of other homes with a comparable value. Feedback from prospective buyers reflect their feelings about houses currently on the market, especially those houses in your surrounding neighborhood. Feedback from the people who walk through your house serves as a fair gauge of how attractively your house is priced.

The condition of your home

It's simple. All things being equal, a house in good condition will sell for more than a comparable house that appears worn and poorly maintained. Completing tasks that improve the condition of your house is one way you can justify asking a higher price. In addition, special features add value to your house. If you've made renovations to your house, keep these in mind as you calculate your price. The impact of your renovations on price depends on the extent of the project. For instance, a renovated kitchen offers a better return on your investment than a new garage. Smaller renovations such as re-tiled bathrooms or refinished wood flooring also affect price. A new roof, an energy efficient heating and air conditioning system, an upgraded electrical service-these are just a few of the renovations that could influence your pricing strategy.

Market conditions

When real estate is booming and houses sell in a few days, prices rise. When the market slows down and houses stay on the market for weeks or months, prices fall. Be sure to set your price based on the strength of the market. When buyers are active, prices tend to go up. When buyers are hard to find, prices tend to drop.

Paying for your next home

When you price your house, you should estimate how much money from the sale will go toward buying your new home. You shouldn't, however, price your house based on what you need to make in order to afford your next home. Taking that approach could cause you to overprice your house, and that could turn away prospective buyers.

Curb appeal

First impressions are important. And when it comes to your house, buyers generally get their first impression from the street, either driving by or standing at the foot of your driveway. What your house looks like from this perspective . . . that's its curb appeal. You can't underestimate the importance of curb appeal. See for yourself. Stand at the street and look at your house. What does your landscape design look like? Are your shrubs trimmed? Are your flower beds clean and well defined? Do low hanging branches obstruct the view of your house? Now look at the area around your front door. Is it clean and inviting, perhaps even freshly painted? The best way to evaluate the condition of your house is through the eyes of home buyers. The following checklists give you an idea of some of the things to think about before buyers stop by. This will allow you to create preparation to-do lists for your specific situation:

Landscaping, yard and exterior of home

Yards and landscaping really catch the buyer's eye. Here are a few things you might do to get your house ready to show.

• Mow the lawn and keep it mowed

• Clean the yard - debris and toys

• Weed garden and flower beds

• Place potted plants near front entrance

• Trim shrubs, prune trees

• Spread fresh mulch

• Fertilize and water regularly

• Replant grass

Exterior of home

The exterior of your house creates a first impression for buyers. You can make the first impression a good one by sprucing up the outside of your house. Here are a few things you should consider:

• Make sure house numbers are easy to read

• Sweep sidewalk

• Clean windows inside and out

• Put out welcome mat

• Clean the mailbox

• Use bright bulbs in lamp post and entryway lights

• Make sure front door works properly

• Clean and fix walkways

• Clean, repair gutters

• Remove debris from roof

• Repair loose or damaged roofing

• Make front porch inviting with comfortable, clean seating

• Repaint or clean any outside furniture

• Repair cracks in foundation, steps, patios, sidewalk

• Repair cracks in asphalt/concrete driveway (a newly sealed asphalt driveway is a plus)

• Clean off driveway and attempt to remove spots and oil stains.

• Repair broken/weathered fencing

• Apply fresh coat of paint to garage door

• Repaint shutters, windows, trim - touch up where necessary

• Paint the front of your house

Interior of home

When you present your house to buyers, your goal is to make them feel warm and comfortable. After all, your house could be their next home. You can create this feeling by giving the inside of your house an inviting look and feel, and you can do this without spending a lot of money. Here are just a couple of important points you'll want to consider as you prepare your home for buyers:

The basics

There are some quick and easy things you can do to get your house ready to sell. Thinking about what appeals to buyers can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.

Atmosphere - Buyers like houses that have a fresh smell and feel, so it's a good idea to air out your house. Buyers also like homes that are bright and cheery. You can create this atmosphere by putting bright light bulbs in every socket. You might also keep the drapes and shades open during the day to make your house look more inviting.

Clean House - Buyers are attracted to clean houses, and they especially like bathrooms and kitchens that sparkle.

Decorating - Neutral colors and decorating sell. While colorful walls, expensive wallpaper and custom drapes might reflect your decorating ideas, they might not appeal to the more conservative tastes of your buyers. Your goal, remember, is to appeal to the most people as possible, so think about ways to make your house appear more neutral. When you give buyers a neutral presentation, they can begin to entertain their own ideas about how they'd like to decorate.

Pets - Everyone loves the family pet, but some buyers have trouble with houses that have pet odors. Do the best you can to eliminate any pet odors because it might make a difference in how quickly your house sells.

Checklists

The following lists give you a quick overview of items you'll want to pay attention to while your house is on the market. Some of these items require more time and effort than others, so pick and choose the ones that affect you.

• Wash windows inside and out and the windowsills

• Clean fridge and stove inside and out

• Clean and freshen bathrooms

• Put fresh towels out in the bathrooms and replace the shower curtain if needed

• Clean home from top to bottom

• Clean and tidy entrance wax/polish flooring

• Eliminate unpleasant odors

• Get the clutter out of the house, Hide litter box and food bowl Pre-pack items that clutter the rooms and closets

• Organize closets

• Clean ashes out of the fireplace

• Clean blinds/shades and replace if damaged

• Clean carpets

• Dry clean or launder curtains and window treatments

• Front Door and Entrance Way

• Clean bugs out of light fixtures

• Polish door hardware

• Clean switch plates

• Make sure front door opens, closes, and locks easily

• Oil squeaky doors

• Tighten doorknobs

• Make doorbell functional

• Touch-up painting

• Touch up chipped paint

• Touch up cracks or stains on ceilings

• Glue back torn wallpaper

• Clean or replace light fixtures

• Re-stain or repaint kitchen cabinets

• Repaint peeling window frames/sills

• Paint rooms that look worn

• Paint entry rooms, family room, hallway, living room

• Neutralize rooms - eliminate loud colors

• Give bathroom or kitchen a lift by painting walls with a neutral color

We can provide customized checklists based on the your needs. Email me with your questions and concerns.

Buyers like houses that are in good working order. They'd rather not buy a problem. You might want to repair the little things that need fixing so that your house can compete with other homes on the market that have a similar price.

Generally, buyers hire inspectors to do a whole-house inspection when they're interested in a particular home. These inspectors look over such things as plumbing, electrical service, roof condition, furnaces, and air conditioners. Here are a few items that might get mentioned on an inspector's report.

• Cracked drywall

• Leaking toilets and faucets

• Leaky faucets

• Damaged sealant/caulking on windows, tub, shower, and sink

• Cracks, leaks, signs of dampness in basement and attic

• Broken screens and windows

• Missing shingles

If you're handy around the house, you can replace or repair many of these items. In some cases, you can call home repair specialists in your area. You may have previously worked with these repair specialists, or you may simply ask a friend or neighbor for a reference.

One of the reasons people buy new homes is because they need more space. For this reason, it is a smart idea to make your house look and feel airy and open. You can do this by removing clutter from your closets, kitchen drawers and cabinets, and linen storage areas.

The customizable checklists I can provide can help you keep track of what you need to do. Buyers look everywhere when they come in your house they peek in closets, open kitchen cabinets and drawers, and even check what's inside your refrigerator. So if you've been putting off cleaning out your closets and attic, now's the time you might want to tackle these jobs. Partially filled closets look bigger than ones crammed full, and empty attics indicate that your house has lots of storage space. Removing clutter also means making sure there isn't too much furniture in any one room. Select furniture pieces that look best and put the rest in storage. And don't forget your kitchen as it is the center of activity in many homes. If you have limited counter space, put away items that you don't use everyday. You could hold a yard sale or donate things you don't use to charity. Or you may want to rent a mini-warehouse until your home sells and it's time to move.