Get the House Ready
A house that "sparkles" on the surface will sell faster than its shabby neighbor, even though both are structurally well-maintained.

From experience, REALTORS® also know that a "well-polished" house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster and for a higher price. Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can't see has probably also been maintained. In readying your house for sale, consider:

• how much should you spend
• exterior and curb appeal
• preparing the interior

How much should you spend
In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, but they aren't likely to give you enough extra money to pay for it. There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive "polishes" and "touch-ups" to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen. Your REALTOR®, who is familiar with buyers' expectations in your neighborhood, can advise you specifically on what improvements need to be made. Don't hesitate to ask for advice.

Maximizing exterior and curb appeal
Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary (and as little money as possible) to maximize its exterior and interior appeal. Tips to enhance your home’s exterior and curb appeal:

• Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
• Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.
• Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios for cracks and crumbling.
• Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
• Clean and align gutters.
• Inspect and clean the chimney.
• Repair and replace loose or damaged roof shingles.
• Repair and repaint loose siding and caulking.
• In Northern winters, keep walks neatly cleared of snow and ice.
• During spring and summer months consider adding a few showy annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
• Re-seal an asphalt driveway.
• Keep your garage door closed.
• Store RVs or old and beaten up cars elsewhere while the house is on the market.
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

Maximizing interior appeal
Enhance your home’s interior by:

• Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have actually rented storage garages and moved half their furniture out, creating a sleeker, more spacious look.
• Hiring a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. This may be a good investment for owners who are busy elsewhere.
• Removing the less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters, closets, and attics, making these areas much more inviting. Since you're anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage sale at this point is a great idea.
• If necessary, repainting dingy, soiled or strongly colored walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige. The same neutral scheme can be applied to carpets and linoleum.
• Checking for cracks, leaks and signs of dampness in the attic and basement.
• Repairing cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
• Replacing broken or cracked windowpanes, moldings, and other woodwork. Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.
• Repairing dripping faucets and showerheads. Buying showy new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way.
• Sprucing up a kitchen in need of more major remodeling by investing in new cabinet knobs, new curtains, or a coat of neutral paint.

Tips for Making Your Home More Saleable
Before you put your home on the market, there are some things you can do to differentiate your house among the competitors.

When preparing to put your home up for sale, your first concern is the home's exterior. If the outside, or "curb appeal" looks good, people will more than likely want to see what's on the inside. Keep the lawn and landscape nicely manicured. Trim the bushes and season permitting, plant some flowers. Be sure your front door area has a "Welcome" feeling. A fresh coat of paint on the front door looks great.

Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free. A fresh coat of paint just may do the trick. Have any leaky faucets taken care of. A call to a plumber is a wise investment.

Since you want your home to look as spacious as possible, remove any excess or very large furniture. Make sure that table tops, dressers and closets are free of clutter. Don't use your garage, attic, or basement to store these extra things. These areas also need to have the impression of space. Instead, put them into storage. Make sure walls and doors are free of smudges and look for anything that might indicate a maintenance problem, such as cracked windows, holes in the wall or stained ceilings.

Finally, if your basement shows any signs of dampness or leakage, seal the walls.

Quick tips for showings:

• Keep counter tops cleared
• Replace all burned out lightbulbs
• Open all drapes and window blinds
• Put pets in cages or take them to a neighbor
• No dirty dishes in the sink
• No laundry in the washer/dryer
• Clean or replace dirty or worn carpets
• Put on soft music
• Burn wood in the fireplace on cold days, otherwise, the fireplace should be clean

Always look at your home from the buyer's point of view. Be objective and be honest.

The Basics of Marketing Your Home
Your broker's marketing efforts and considerations will include advertising, showing the property, how long the house has been on the market and whether you're buying another home.

Your home should be listed, whenever possible, in the local Multiple Listing Service and on REALTOR.com, which has the largest online database of homes and virtually 100% of potential buyers who look for property on the Internet.

Advertising
The REALTOR'S® largest expense has traditionally been classified advertising in the local newspaper. However, today properties are also exposed through popular Internet home search/listing services, radio and television promotions, and real estate guides. Even with all these additional advertising avenues, "For Sale" signs on the front lawn are still remarkably effective. Many REALTORS® use brochure boxes along with these signs to market the property. When appropriate, and with your permission, your agent may send a mailing about your property to neighbors. Sometimes one of them has "a friend or relative who always wanted to live near me." You never know.

Showings and open houses
To prepare your home for viewing, make it as light, cheerful and serene as possible. Your REALTOR® will probably find a tactful way to suggest that you not be present while the house is being shown to prospective buyers. This is done because your presence will inhibit their actions and conversations. They won’t feel free to open closets and cabinets, test out the plumbing, and discuss their observations objectively as they walk through. It goes without saying that your children and pets should not be on the premises either.

If your REALTOR® has scheduled an open house, you may want to notify the neighbors, and assure them that they'll be welcome. They'll jump at the chance to poke around in your house, and sometimes they can turn up a buyer among their friends. In preparing for an open house, you should:

• Pull the drapes back
• Light lamps
• Simmer a few drops of vanilla on the stove
• Light your fireplace
• Set the dining room or kitchen table if you have particularly nice linen or china
• Put fresh towels in the bathroom
• Leave the house so your REALTOR® is free to deal with prospective buyers in a professional manner.

TIP: When preparing your home, think about the techniques that are used to show builders' model homes.

How long has your house been on the market?
Professional appraisers sum up their entire body of knowledge in three words -- "Buyers make value." Your home is worth as much as some member of the buying public will come forth and pay for it. After it's been on the market for months, you've been given a clear message that the property may not be worth what you're asking for it. This is particularly true if there haven't been many prospects coming to see it. What you do at that point depends on whether you really need to sell, and whether you're working with a time limit. If you're not really motivated to move soon, you can always wait - years if necessary - and hope inflation will catch up with the price you want. The problem is that in that time, your home begins to feel shopworn. Buyers become suspicious of a house that's been for sale for a long time. If, however, you really do need to sell, discuss with your REALTOR® a schedule for dropping your price gradually until you find a level that attracts buyers. There's no point in saying, "We simply can't sell our house." Anything will sell if the price is right.

If you’re buying another home
Don’t spend a great deal of time worrying about what will happen when you're selling one home and buying another. You're not alone. REALTORS®, lawyers, and title and escrow companies have had plenty of experience in arranging contracts and loans so that the two transactions dovetail smoothly. It's best to list your present home for sale first.

Selling and buying a home is a very emotional event and if you create a "race" by locating your replacement property before you sell your current home, you may lose it to another buyer, who does not need to sell in order to buy. If you do find just the house you want, you can always put in a purchase offer contingent (dependent) on selling your present one. However, in a hot market you will have difficulty getting the house you want this way.

Sometimes the seller will sign a contract agreeing to wait a certain period of time while you find a buyer for your house - sometimes not. What would you do if you were presented with such a proposal, from a buyer who also has a house to sell? If you do find that you need to buy the next house before you've received the proceeds from the present one, lending institutions can sometimes make you a short-term "bridge" loan to tide you over between the two transactions. Make sure you fully understand the exposure and emotional investment before proceeding with this type of loan.

Tax Implications of Selling a Home
Selling a home can have a major impact on your federal and state tax returns.

Check with your tax consultant on the factors that may affect taxes resulting from the sale of your home. For example:

• Whether you purchased the home or acquired it by gift or inheritance
• Whether you used your home partly for business or rental
• Costs associated with selling your home
• Home improvements or additions, which may help to offset capital gains
• Gain from the sale of a prior home on which tax was postponed prior to the enactment of the federal Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997