Here are some little hints designed to help you sell your house. You may already know a few of these, but rest assured, the agents in our network know all of them. Some tips are more applicable to certain types of houses. Be sure to ask your agent which of these tips will work best for you and see if they have any additional "tricks of the trade." We hope you find them helpful.

The Step One: Getting Ready To List
Before you put the house on the market, make sure it is ready to be shown in it's best condition. You do not want to be working on last minute maintenance while a prospective buyer is on the way to see the house.

Make sure the outside of the house looks nice

1. Mow the lawn - your yard is the first impression prospective buyers get of the house.
2. Trim hedges and flower beds - goes hand in hand with the lawn. If you don't have one already, this may be a good time to hire a yard service for a one-time primping.
3. Fix easily noticeable "small jobs" - clean the gutters if they are overflowing. Replace a few cracked or missing roof tiles. If it's not a big job you intend the buyer to fix, take care of it early. It will add to the perceived value of your house.
4. Ask friends or acquaintances what they think of the outside of your house. Tell them to be brutally honest. Simple suggestions may increase the value of your home. Of course, your agent will also have some suggestions.

Make the inside look nice too

1. Clean the walls - especially if you have children or pets. Look for smudges, scrapes, etc. You may want to think about repainting a room with a neutral color.
2. Clean the windows - all the windows. Especially the hard to reach ones. People notice.
3. Shampoo the carpets - again, especially if you have children. At the very least, vacuum.
4. Make your house seem as spacious as possible - remove those items just laying around. And don't put them in the junk closet, attic or garage. Prospective buyers will be looking to see how spacious these areas are, too. This may be a great time for that garage sale you've been meaning to have.

Step Two: Once You've Listed The House
So you've chosen one of our referred agents to list your house. Now you're ready to have prospective buyers take a look at your home. How do you stay ready for the surprise showing?

Stay On Top Of The Outside

1. Keep your yard in impeccable condition - remember, you want to look so good that people want to buy the house immediately.
2. Constantly look at the outside of your house as a stranger would - every few days stand in the street in front of your house (note: be careful no cars are coming) and survey the yard. Anything need trimming? Garbage cans put away?
3. Walk around the yard - people buying the house will. See if anything looks abnormal.
4. If you know someone is coming, clean up toys, etc.- you don't want the first impression to be a cluttered front yard.

On The Inside

1. Stay clean - it will save you a great deal of aggravation knowing you don't need to run around cleaning the entire house when you receive that call saying "Can I show the house in 10 minutes?"
2. Change burned out light bulbs - let them see your house in the best light possible.
3. Clean dishes and counter tops - nobody likes a messy, cluttered kitchen. At least get everything into the dishwasher.
4. Cage pets, or get them away from the house - some people are afraid of animals, others are allergic to them. Either way, don't let them jeopardize the sale because the buyer wants to run out of the house.
5. Open Drapes and blinds - let the sun shine through. Show them the view. Again - show your house in the best light.
6. Show off the extras - if it's a cold day light a fire in the fireplace. On a hot day turn on the fountain in the pool. Make it easy to see your favorite features.