Anyone who has tried to sell their home within the past 2 years can attest that it can be a daunting task that in some cases has taken owners more than 24 months to sell their home. With unemployment rates higher than they have been since the Great Depression there is a huge shortage of qualified buyers out there, and the ones that are qualified need to be drawn to a property. Here are several tips to not only draw perspective buyers but make the whole selling process easier for you.
Most people who are selling their home do the basics by cleaning the home inside and out, but there are some other things that can be done that can make a better impression. Make sure that when you show your home that all pets are removed from the home and try to store as many personalized items out of site as you can. Potential buyers sometimes cannot see past your personal choices in decor. Remember to remove any items in your home that stand out due to the color. The best homes are shown with neutral colors. When you show a home that contains neutral colors it is easier for a buyer to envision their own personal tastes.
One major mistake that sellers make is that they set the initial price of the home too high. Then they spend the next year making price reductions and guessing what the appropriate price of their home should be for their home to sell. One of the most common ways that sellers come up with their properties selling price is to compare it against what other properties in their neighborhood sold for. Generally, that is the accepted method used by most real estate agents, but since these are not normal times, there are several other things that should be taken into consideration. Since the housing market crashed, there has not been very many homes selling so this means that the data used is old. Additionally, the presence of several foreclosed homes in your neighborhood could cause your property’s value to fall. Most foreclosed homes sell for far less than they are worth. A buyer could view several of the foreclosed homes in your area and then look at your home and see that it is priced higher than what they are now accustomed to.
Selling a home is never an easy task, but if a seller is willing to slow down and approach the situation as if they were buying the home it will take some of the stress out of the process.
See Also:
Selling Your Home in a Slumping Market
Selling a Home by HUD.gov
Bryan is a member of New Homes Section and a proud contributor to its blogging network. 
All good tips. This is where a good Realtor is worth their weight in gold. They can come in with an objective eye and provide tips/advice for improving sellability while providing the most realistic sales price.
Thanks for the tips. I am selling my little home in order to buy a new one.
Leading the market down in terms of price is always going to get your home noticed, everybody goes on price and if yours is cheaper – but even just next door, then yours stands a much better chance of a quicker sale.
I always find that some seasonal COLOR in the front yard works wonders for curb appeal! Not too expensive but adds POP!
Do not sell your home in the United States the property values will rise. Sell your home if you are in South Africa. The value is coming down bigtime with uncertainty in the future of the country. Worldcup 2010 did not make much of a difference.