YAY, you have decided to sell your home!  FANTASTIC, congratulations… but let us remind you of a few things before you toss that sign on the lawn.  

Selling your home is a huge celebration and we know that but we are often astonished at how people sometimes don’t treat it as such.

•  It is also a business transaction and so you CANNOT GET TOO EMOTIONAL.  We know, it is your home and you, of course, are attached to it, but keep it strictly business when it comes to the sale.  You don’t want your judgment clouded.
• DO NOT GO AT IT ALONE – we mean don’t try to do this without a qualified, reliable realtor.  A good agent will ALWAYS help you with setting a fair and reachable price, help you get the best buyers for your home and how to market your home better.  
• Speaking of marketing, ALWAYS USE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER for your home images.  Yep, it is that important.  You need to show your home in all its glory, not grainy and pixelated images.  
• We also suggest that you COME CLEAN ON ALL THE ISSUES your home has, and then try to fix them before the sale.  Your dishwasher is leaking, or your fireplace is in need of repair…get them sorted before the inspector comes so that it doesn’t become an issue at sale time.  Ask your realtor for some contractor names, they have definitely got a phone full of referrals.
• And lastly, we suggest taking a few minutes to really BE PREPARED.  Not just for the staging (which is highly recommended) but be prepared for the time away and out of your home, the constant cleaning that is needed.  It is worth it, we promise it. But have a plan, a place to put the dog or where the kids can be entertained while someone is in the house potentially buying.  

As realtors, it is our responsibility to help guide sellers through this process, so we thought a few little tidbits before you start might help you be really prepared!