If you are preparing your home for resale on the open market, here are a few priorities to consider;

Clean up the outside;

• Good curb appeal is absolutely essential to selling a property quickly.
• Mow and rake the grass, if possible lay down a bed of wood chips, and plant flowers along walkways.
• Pressure wash, or touch up paint the exterior of the house, including doors, windows, casings, shutters, and soffet and facia.
• Wash windows inside and out.
• Pressure spray driveways and patios.
• Check the gutters and chimney.

Inspect the interior;

Remembering this interior touch up checklist will help you sell your property as quickly as possible.

• A coat of fresh paint in the most used areas of the home will clean as well as brighten up the rooms. This should preferably be done in neutral colors which appeal to the broadest spectrum of potential buyers,
• Shampoo the carpets, or if replacing, choose neutral styles, and colors.
• Remove all clutter and personal items from closets, basements, attics, etc. The sites www.publicstorage.com , and www.doortodoor.com are a great resources for arranging storage facilities, as well as getting moving quotes.
• Fix any minor items such as leaky faucets, or worn out fixtures.
• Take any additional steps necessary to eliminate residual odors left from things such as pets, or smoking.
• Finally, do a detailed and thorough cleaning of the home, in order to make sure it is ready to be shown.
• On the day you're expecting a potential buyer, put out a scented plug in, or put a batch of frozen cinnamon rolls, or cookies in the oven for a great aroma.

Other important considerations when selling your home:

Home Inspections;
Eventually your buyers are going to want to conduct a home inspection. You may as well know what they are going to find. Visit www.homeinspections-usa.com for a referral source to locate home inspectors anywhere in the country. Have a copy of the inspection report available for prospective buyers when they are looking at the house.

Realtor versus FSBO
As the Real Estate market has changed over time with the introduction of new technologies, a growing number of people have debated the merits of selling their own homes rather than having a licensed Realtor represent them. Either approach has certain very distinct advantages, and disadvantages.

A qualified, licensed Realtor has knowledge of the market area, and access to the Multiple Listing Service, so that they can examine sales for homes which are similar to yours, in order to determine a reasonable, price point to list the property for sale at.

Setting a correct price point is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for individual homeowners who attempt to do it themselves. If you set your price too high, your property may sit on the market for an extended period of time. Meanwhile your marketing efforts will be wasted, and your expenses for holding costs will rise. However, if you set your price point too low, then you loose some of the equity potential in your home. Realtors also have access to a variety of different marketing techniques, that the average homeowner may not have access too.

On the down side, Realtors commissions are generally 3% of the cost of the house. However, if you are either too busy, or too inexperienced to be comfortable brokering a real estate transaction on your own, then the commission may be worth it to you.

If you need a referral to a Real Estate agent anywhere in the country visit www.relo-experts.com or if you want to learn more about selling your own home visit www.forsalebyowner.com for information, and additional resources.

Remember if you do decide to sell your own home, getting a full appraisal from a licensed Real Estate Appraiser is the most accurate and reliable way to determine a proper listing price. If you wish to order an appraisal on your home, just follow the link on this site to order an appraisal anywhere in the country. As with a Home Inspection, if you have a current appraisal report completed on your home, make it available for potential buyers to review.

Home Selling Resources;
www.forsalebyowner.com
www.brokerdirectmls.com
www.salebyownerrealty.com
www.publicstorage.com
www.doortodoor.com