Tips for a Quick Sale

1. Unclutter a Messy Room
   The first step is to completely unclutter every room. To get top dollar, put half your possessions in storage. This means it might not be feasible to live in your home comfortably while it's on the market, but it's a worthy sacrifice. Less clutter makes your home look larger and in some cases, more up to date. Less decorations make it easier for the potential buyers to picture their possessions in the home.
2. The Perfect (if Unrealistic) Closet
   Put the bulk of your clothing in storage, and leave a lot of space between hangers. Leave a only a few select items of neatly-pressed clothing hanging. Keep one or two pairs of shoes in shoe boxes. Once again, less stuff makes it look bigger!
3. Keep the Bathroom Basic
   In the bathroom, you should have some pretty towels and a bar of soap, and not much else. Remove everything from the counter tops and empty the medicine cabinet. Put everything in storage except a couple rolls of toilet paper. Put candles around the bathtub and remove your razor, shaving cream and half-empty shampoo bottles.
4. Tend the Walls and Floors
   A fresh coat of paint goes a long way toward making your home look fresh, clean and move-in ready. Clean the carpets. If they're stained or at all worn out, then replace them. After an exhausting move and a pricey purchase, a buyer doesn't want to envision their first tasks as busting out the paint and paying for new carpeting. Unless you are an "as is" seller, you want home buyers who are looking to move into your home, not buy your home at a lower price and flip for a profit. Move in ready helps get your home top dollar.
5. Remove Frightful Furnishings
   Look at your furniture with a critical eye. If you've been flopping your tush into your easy chair every night for the last eight years, it's probably looking a little sad. Remove or toss anything old, ratty or dirty. If you have nice furniture, then leave the nicest pieces in the house. If not, then purchase a few inexpensive, sleek pieces.
6. Home Improvements Count
   Make a list of every single improvement you've made to the property since you've lived there, the time frame the improvement was made and approximately how much it cost. Also make a list of everything you personally love about the home. Put this information in your listing, and include it on your flier. (Your agent can do this for you)
7. Show It Off
   Make your home super easy to show for real estate agents. Use a lock box. Your showing instructions should be "show anytime." If you prefer a call first, then the instructions should be, "Call first, leave a message and go." Being an easy show is CRUCIAL! Many times a buyer will only go out once or twice with their agent before deciding on a home. Not having your home ready and fore-going the showing could cost you a shorter sale time. Many times a buyer will not come back to your home if they couldn't see it the first time around.
8. Scram, Get Lost and Make Yourself Scarce
   Try to be out of the house before the buyer arrives. The majority of buyers will feel tense and intrusive snooping around and opening closets and cabinets when the seller is there. If the buyer arrives before you can get out of the house, then make them feel welcome and leave promptly. Don't come back until they're gone. I have shown properties where the seller has followed us around the entire time, trying to be friendly and sell us on their home. I have been so distracted during the showing, I cant remember the house when we leave. The buyer usually just wants to get out of there as quickly as possible and doesn't take the time to discuss and consider the home.
9. Find a Sitter for Fido
   It may not seem feasible or practical to have pets relocated while your house is on the market, but if you truly are seeking top dollar, you need to have a pet-free household. Many people are sensitive to odors and pet dander, so clean thoroughly once you find alternative living arrangements for your pet. When buyer's enter into your home, the first thing noticed is pet odor and mess. 9 times out of 10, if you have a pet, the buyer will be asking you to clean or replace the carpets.
10. When Your Hard Work Pays Off?
    Don't dare price your home high in this market. Be extremely careful to price your home very competitively from the beginning, when the largest number of buyers will see your listing. The longer your home is on the market, the less a buyer feels they should offer you. Once you receive an offer, you should almost always counteroffer.