by Reed M. Sawyer

Even in today’s market, it’s possible to sell your property quickly. The bottom line: Your house must stand out from the competition.

Here are five tips to help you sell a house in a slow market:

1. Hire a professional photographer

Get pictures taken of the front of the house, backyard, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, master bath, and any other rooms of interest, and use those pictures in your marketing.

2. Work with a mortgage broker

Mortgage brokers can qualify prospects for income and credit, and then set appointments to bring qualified buyers to see your house. Most mortgage brokers are delighted to qualify buyers, because they’ll get more loans to originate.

3. Get a home warranty/home inspection

To provide your prospective buyers with confidence, have a professional home inspection completed — and set up the inspection so you have the right to validate it within three months for free or a small fee. If the inspector lists any deficiencies, repair them. After your improvements are made, have the property re-inspected, and show that inspection to prospective buyers.

If the house is in great shape, you can also pay a few hundred dollars for a home warranty that will “insure” the appliances for two years. Having a home warranty gives you a great advantage — especially if you’re selling an older home — because it reduces the buyer’s risks.

4. Make it sparkle

Clean is golden. People are attracted to houses that look and smell clean; they can’t see themselves living in a home that contains other people’s dirt or pet smells. If you have to hire a professional cleaning service, do it.

And don’t forget the outside: Mow and edge the lawn; trim trees; plant bright, cheerful flowers; and pressure wash your driveway and sidewalks.

5. Add modern touches

Wiring each room for Internet and cable access or installing a home theatre or sound system will set your home apart from the rest.

Your house has a lot of competition right now. To sell it quickly, you need to be willing to go the extra mile. Often, that means putting forth some extra money; but it can also mean stepping back with an objective eye and putting in a few days of good old-fashioned elbow grease.

If you make the extra effort, you’ll be giving yourself — and your property — every advantage.

Source: Growing Wealth

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am and is filed under Home Selling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.