What to Do to Sell Your Home In Today's Buyer's Market

Everyone knows today's economy is really a mess and the real estate market is at the bottom. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you still don't have to sell your home and if you really do have to sell your home in this market you must be motivated.

Being a Real Estate agent for twelve years I know what it takes to sell in today's market and yes there are actually houses that do sell. But they are either "buyer ready" or they are priced quite a bit below appraisal in most areas.

So, you say you want (need) to sell, here are the tips in a short list that will up your chances of selling your house.

1. Thoroughly clean and de-clutter everything on your property. That means outside and inside, in the basement and in the garage. If necessary find a place to store your mountains of precious stuff.
2. Go through your house as you would if you were buying it, look at every room, does it look tired? Does it have really brightly painted walls? Go out and buy some Off White, Tan or Light Taupe paint and paint the walls wherever needed.
3. Are there little things (or maybe big things) that need to be fixed? Fix, repair and replace anything that needs it.
4. De-personalize your home; make it very generic, like it could be anyone's house. That means removing wallpaper, putting away collections and family pictures.
5. Stage your home. Arrange your furniture to make the house look as large and spacious as possible. Avoid lining the walls with furniture it makes rooms actually look smaller. Play with different arrangements until you find one that makes the room look large and inviting. Ask a friend for help and an honest opinion.
6. Hire a really good real estate agent - shop around for one if necessary. Make sure the person is really knowledgeable about the market in your area. Listen to any advice she/he gives you and finally let the agent know that you want to price the house competitively.

I cannot guarantee doing these things will sell your home - there are no guarantees in life. However, doing them will increase your chances of selling tremendously. If you really don't want to these, be prepared to sell really low.