What's my house worth?		5 Things to Do Before You Sell
	10 Ways to Make Your Home More Salable		7 Steps to Preparing for an Open House
	Tips for Holding a Yard Sale		5 Ways to Speed Up Your Sale

What's my house worth?

Tips for Pricing Your Home 1. Consider comparables. What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? How do they compare to yours in terms of size, upkeep, and amenities? 2. Consider competition. How many other houses are for sale in your area? Are you competing against new homes? 3. Consider your contingencies. Do you have special concerns that would affect the price you'll receive? For example, do you want to be able to move in four months? 4. Get an appraisal. For a few hundred dollars, a qualified appraiser can give you an estimate of your home's value. Be sure to ask for a market-value appraisal. To locate appraisers in your area, contact The Appraisal Institute (www.appraisalinstitute.org) or ask your REALTOR® for some recommendations. Baran Realty has a free "What's my house worth?" service. Give it a try. 5. Ask a lender. Since most buyers will need a mortgage, it's important that a home's sale price be in line with a lender's estimate of its value. 6. Be accurate. Studies show that homes priced more than 3 percent over the correct price take longer to sell. 7. Know what you'll take. It's critical to know what price you'll accept before beginning a negotiation with a buyer.

10 Ways to Make Your Home More Salable

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage. 2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior. 3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for. 4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows. 5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs. 6. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well maintained. 7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway. 8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable. 9. Clean your gutters. 10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers

Tips for Holding a Yard Sale

Use a yard sale to reduce the clutter in your home and get rid of items you don't want to move and put cash in your pocket at the same time. 1. First check with your city government to see if you need a permit or license. 2. See if neighbors want to participate and have a "block" sale to attract more visitors. 3. Advertise. Put an ad in free classified papers, put up signs and balloons at major intersections and in stores near your home. 4. Price items ahead and attach prices with removable stickers. Remember, yard sales are supposed to be bargains, so don't try to sell anything of significant value this way. 5. Check items before the sale to be sure you haven't including something you want by mistake. 6. Keep pets away from the sale. 7. Display everything neatly and individually so customers don't have to dig through boxes. 8. Have an electrical outlet so buyers can test appliances. 9. Have plenty of bags and newspaper for wrapping fragile items. 10. Get enough change, and keep a close eye on your cash.

5 Things to Do Before You Sell

1. Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs. 2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested. 3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you'll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract. 4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house. 5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don't forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale. You want to make your house as trouble-free as possible.

7 Steps to Preparing for an Open House

1. Hire a cleaning service. A spotlessly clean home is essential; dirt will turn off a prospect faster than anything. 2. Mow your lawn, and be sure toys and yard equipment are put away. 3. Serve cookies, coffee, and soft drinks. It creates a welcoming touch. But be sure the kitchen has been cleaned up; use disposable cups so the sink doesn't fill up. 4. Lock up your valuables, jewelry, and money. Although the real estate salesperson will be on site during the open house, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time. 5. Turn on all the lights. Even in the daytime, incandescent lights add sparkle. 6. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that's not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or bath), and let the salesperson know where to find them. 7. Leave. It's awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.

5 Ways to Speed Up Your Sale

1. Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property's realistic price range. 2. Get your house market ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it. 3. Be flexible about showings. It's often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you'll find a seller. 4. Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you'll find acceptable. 5. Don't refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price.

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