Do your own competitive research. Attend some open houses,
make calls from the signs that you see, and talk to neighbors who currently have
their home on the market. This will give
you an idea of the current market conditions and who your competition really
is. You may want to do a pre-listing home inspection because there may be
things in your house that you’ve learned to live with that need to be repaired.
It’s better to discover these before you list your home for sale as it could
save you the grief of having a deal collapse. Make sure you know where you’re
going to move to when your home sells. A well-priced, nicely maintained home will
often sell faster than you realize. You don’t want to be caught having to
scramble to find a place to live.
You may wish to consider some updates before listing your
home . Give the house a fresh coat of paint if needed, tidy up the the
landscape and replant as necessary for good curb appeal. First impressions count, and qualified buyers
may not come back for a second look if they’re not impressed the first time
around. Have your real estate agent put together a CMA (comparative market
analysis) of homes similar to yours that have recently sold and the ones that
are also on the market – these are the ones that you will be competing against
for qualified buyers.